We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an opportunity for you to stand up for North Dakota’s iconic Theodore Roosvelt wild horse herd, a call to take action against the curel slaughter of wild horses for human consumption, and a tribute to a dedicated wild horse advocate.
The efforts to save North Dakota’s historic Theodore Roosevelt wild horse herd from eradication by the National Park Service is picking up speed! Join local organization, Chasing Horses and fellow advocates on July 12-13 in Medora, ND for a rally, film screening and field tour! Click here to learn more about the events and how you can attend!
In December, our community lost Nancy Killian, wild horse advocate extraordinaire, President of the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association (VRWPA), and longtime American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) volunteer. Nancy was a pioneer of AWHC’s groundbreaking fertility control darting program for the Virginia Range horses and was the first member of our “1K Club”, delivering over 1,000 treatments to wild mares to manage this population that is challenged by habitat loss due to development. AWHC is proud to have granted $5,000 towards the completion of a memorial garden for Nancy,which you can learn more about below!
One of the most important parts of our work here at the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) is documenting the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) helicopter roundups of our cherished wild horses and burros.
To this end, we’ve assembled and trained a team of photographers and videographers to cover as many helicopter capture operations as possible. The reports they compile are then used to file complaints to BLM officials, provided to the media, are used in our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, and help us establish an irrefutable pattern of cruelty.
This is grueling work. Watching these beautiful and innocent wild animals lose their freedom and families, day in and day out, is emotionally draining. The days can be incredibly long, with start times as early as 4 AM and roundups going until dusk – sometimes amidst extreme heat or cold depending on the location of the operation.
On top of that, these operations often occur in some of the most remote corners of the West,making it challenging to even get there. The closest airports are usually between 1.5 to 5 hours away from roundup areas, and hotels aren’t always easy to find near them.
In fact, the first roundup scheduled this summer on Nevada’s 1.1 million acre Antelope Complex will be over 200 miles away from the nearest airport. And to make matters worse, there will likely be two roundups occurring in the Complex at the same time in both Elko and Ely, Nevada. That means we need to send out two sets of documenting teams to make sure we don’t miss any animal welfare violations.
Meredith, our observers play an integral role in our work to hold the BLM accountable. But the truth is, it is expensive to get them to these remote areas and keep them equipped and in the field with four wheel drive vehicles and places to stay after such exhausting days. Your support is what makes this critical work possible.
Please join our American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) team on Thursday, June 22, 2023, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our fight to preserve and protect wild horses and burros in 2023.
This session will feature an exciting update on “Setting the Conservation Standard” for wild horses and burros with members of our Government Relations and Field teams. We’ll also have dedicated time for an open Q&A with AWHC leadership and staff.
Please RSVP to reserve your spot!
Private Invite: Donor Update
Hosted by American Wild Horse Campaign
Please join our American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) team on Thursday, June 22, 2023, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our fight to preserve and protect wild horses and burros in 2023.
This session will feature an exciting update on “Setting the Conservation Standard” for wild horses and burros with members of our Government Relations and Field teams. We’ll also have dedicated time for an open Q&A with AWHC leadership and staff.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an opportunity for you to speak up on behalf of Idaho’s three wild herds, a video showing the heartwarming reuinion of a beloved mustang pair after they were separated during a helicopter roundup, and some useful tips on how you can advocate for wild horses and burros at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) upcoming Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Owyhee Field Office is proposing a 10-year plan for the wild horse populations within the Black Mountain, Hardtrigger and Sands Basin Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in Idaho and we need your help.
The agency plans to reduce the wild horse populations drastically to a mere 30 for Black Mountain, 66 for Hard Trigger and just 33 for Sands Basin. According to leading equine geneticists, in order to ensure genetic viability, no population should be reduced below 150 animals. As if that isn’t bad enough, the agency is considering the use of GonaCon in these HMAs. Instead, the BLM should use the humane and scientifically proven fertility control vaccine PZP. Please take action today!
At the end of the month, the BLM’s national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet June 28-30 in Reno. This is a citizen-based advisory committee hand-picked by the BLM to offer recommendations to the agency on wild horse and burro management. The public is invited to attend both in person and virtually and each will have the option to provide public comment. Please take one moment to learn more and submit your comments today!
Beloved mustang pair, Stargazer and Nora, from the Onaqui Herd Management Area (HMA) are on the viral animal video platform, The Dodo! The new video shows their reunification after being separated during a helicopter roundup and the pair taking their first steps of freedom together. Click here to watch!
Your support for our Rescue Fund powers a variety of critically important work – from providing life saving medical care to foals on Nevada’s Virginia Range to even outbidding kill buyers at slaughter auctions to protect victims of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) failed Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).
Back in January 2021, as part of our ongoing investigation into the AIP slaughter pipeline, AWHC staff were monitoring a slaughter auction in Texas when they discovered a young, red roan BLM-branded mustang, now named Fran, and her small domestic companion, Nellie.
Our team knew we had to act fast, so we quickly reached out to our partners at Montgomery Creek Ranch (MCR) to check to see if they had room for them in their sanctuary and adoption program. Once they confirmed they could take the pair in, we leapt into action and sprung them both from the kill pen and transported them to MCR. Shortly after they arrived to safety, we confirmed that Fran was in fact a victim of the AIP.
These two young horses arrived at the sanctuary scared and in poor condition from their long journey. But thanks to the kind and loving care from the MCR team, they have both grown up to be beautiful and healthy horses! In fact, Nellie has completed all of her pre-riding groundwork training and is actually available for adoption now!
Next, we’d like to introduce you to Elsa and Sven!
Almost one year ago, AWHC partnered with Skydog Sanctuary to help rescue Elsa and 15 other formerly-wild BLM mustangs from slaughter. Like Fran, and thousands of others, they too entered the slaughter pipeline through the AIP.
Upon rescue, two of the mares were discovered to be pregnant – including Elsa – so they were transported to the Colorado Sanctuary For the Love of Aria (FTLOA) to await the birth of their babies. After months of loving care at the sanctuary, Elsa gave birth to Sven who is now growing into a big, healthy colt!
Our Rescue Fund enables us to help support the direct rescues of mustangs like Elsa (and her unborn baby at the time!) AND fund the ongoing care of rescued equines at our partner sanctuaries – including supporting critical initiatives like gelding clinics or hay funds.
We’d like to apologize. Earlier today, we mistakenly sent you the email below without linking to the proper advocacy form for you to contact your representative about the SAFE Act. If you’d still like to take action in support of this critical legislation, you can click here. Thank you for standing up for our beloved wild herds.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an opportunity for you to speak up in support of permanently banning the slaughter of equines, an article about an important new bill banning the use of helicopters in wild horse and burro roundups, and an adorable guest blog post from rescued burros “Huck” and “Puck”!
On Friday, May 19, 2023, U.S. Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reintroduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 3475) to permanently ban the slaughter of equines for human consumption and to ban the export of equines to foreign countries for slaughter.Please urge your representatives to co-sponsor this bill today!
Huck and Puck, AWHC’s wild burro Ambassadors, were pulled from their range in Nevada in one of the Bureau of Land Management’s helicopter roundups, adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program, and flipped at an infamous kill pen in Oklahoma soon afterward. From there their luck changed, however, and they were saved by a rescue and fostered in Wyoming, before ending up with AWHC’s program specialist Mary and her husband, Dick. Be sure to read on for the “policies” Huck and Puck have adopted over the last 12 months or so.
Remember Jackson, an 8 year old bay mustang who came to AAE from the Virginia Range in Nevada?
Jackson is a handsome, athletic, and sensitive gelding. He prefers the company of his herd-mates over that of humans. He is curious and willing, but he tends to keep his distance. He is not readily approachable in a large space; however, he can be approached and haltered in a smaller, confined area.
Jackson (left) and Martina (right)
Jackson was adopted and returned a few years later after a death in the family. After adoption, Jackson went directly into training, spending about five months with his trainer learning about humans, groundwork. trailer loading, and saddle and rider. Sadly, his adopter was unable to continue his education. As a result, he regressed, and his fear of humans returned. Because of this regression, he will only be adopted into a home with previous mustang experience. Jackson will be a long term project for someone with no time limits and no motives.
If you think you might be the Denise to this (Alan) Jackson, please visit his page to learn more, and submit an “Adoption Inquiry”.
Can’t adopt? Sharing Jackson’s story is so helpful, too! Maybe your family member, friend, or co-worker would be his perfect match!
You can also sponsor Jackson and help cover his care costs. Horse sponsorships help give us the stability and flexibility we need to make sure we can take our time finding the right home for each of our adoptable horses.
DUSTY
It’s been a tough several weeks at AAE. Our sweet ol’ Dusty crossed the Rainbow Bridge last week. Dusty was one of the cutest minis ever. He helped our new volunteers learn the ropes at AAE, and they learned about minis and mini care. This lil’ man was far less intimidating than a 1,000 pound horse for anyone new to horses. Sadly, he got very, very sick with a severe case of colitis, and like minis can do, he declined quite rapidly. Helping him across the Rainbow Bridge was the kindest choice for this lil’ man. We’ll miss his cuteness every day, but we know he’ll be watching over his two buddies, Robbie and Flame.
Thank you for your support helping horses each and every day!
Your donations, volunteering, adopting, and social media shares & likes allow us to make this work possible!
I can’t even breathe as I write this. Tika crashed this morning.
Our beautiful filly was drowning and needed to leave this world asap. I promised her I would fight until she was done, and today was that day.
Tika was not a baby yanked off the range and stolen from her Mom for fun.
Sadly her band knew exactly what they were doing when they left her to die.
She fought so hard to stay here, and was the biggest love bug ever. But this morning she hit the point where she was in pain and had no quality of life.
NOW her little body is in my trailer. Our vet bill is $3695 BEFORE her emergency visit on Mothers Day, all the meds and now today’s urgent visit.
I need to reduce the vet bill so she can be buried on a beautiful ranch. The other option is landfill, and I don’t think I can do that.
Doc’s number is 509-773-0369 if you want to help with her burial fees.
I told Doc I would let her know by tonight if we can give her the burial she deserves. I KNOW she is not there, but that is the little body I cuddled with, the little mouth that constantly kissed, nuzzled and chewed on me and those beautiful eyes that spoke so deeply.
I can’t think and I hope this makes sense. Thank you for helping me keep her out of the garbage dump.
She does NOT deserve that.
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!
I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.
If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
On Monday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved a land use plan amendment to eliminate 2.1 million acres of wild horse habitat in Wyoming and slash the allowed population of wild horses in the state by one-third.
Two days later, AWHC and our coalition of conservation and animal welfare groups, academics, and wildlife photographers filed suit in federal court to stop the plan. The stakes are very high: two iconic wild horse populations in the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMA) would be completelyeradicated, and a third population in the Adobe Town HMA would be slashed in half.
If allowed to stand, this plan will take away 43% of wild horse habitat in Wyoming and deprive thousands of wild horses of their legal right to roam free on our public lands. These magnificent animals will be cruelly rounded up and confined in holding pens, some for life. Far too many will be sold into the slaughter pipeline.
This is the end of a more than decade-long battle over the future of these wild horses in an area of the Red Desert known as the Wyoming Checkerboard. It’s an area of alternating public and private land parcels one square mile in size. The Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) controls the private land in the Checkerboard, and its members graze cattle and sheep on the public lands there. In 2011, the RSGA sued the BLM to force the elimination of wild horses from this area.
Now, 13 years later, the BLM is giving the RSGA what it wants. And the agency is asking American taxpayers to pay for it! Millions of our tax dollars will be spent to clear the public lands of wild horses for commercial livestock grazing, an activity taxpayers also subsidize.
Not on our watch. As our lawsuit clearly lays out, this government-funded land grab by private grazing interests violates three federal laws. Among them: the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which mandates protection of wild horses, while livestock grazing on public lands is a discretionary activity.
For more than a decade, AWHC has been litigating against the RSGA and the BLM to hold off what would be the largest-ever eradication of federally-protected wild horses and their habitat. In this time, we:
Stopped the BLM from surgically sterilizing mares in this area.
Won lawsuits stopping the BLM from treating the public lands as private.
Defeated rancher claims that the BLM must round up horses immediately when their populations exceed management level.
Blocked the BLM from rounding up more horses than legally allowed by omitting foals from removal totals.
Now the legal battle has reached its final stage, and we’re leveraging everything we’ve got.
This is not a battle about management. There’s a better way to manage wild horses with fertility control instead of roundups. Wild horses can be managed on Checkerboard lands through landswaps that create continguos blocks of public land for habitat.
This fight is about challenging the government’s elevation of private special interests above the public interest and the law.
We are so grateful for how much love and kindness you give to horses. It’s inspiring to know our AAE community hears our calls and helps wherever they can. Thank you for being the reason horses get chances for better lives.
Gabby has wings
Spotlight: Casper & Pearl
Save the Date: Boots & Bling
Horses Available for Adoption
Volunteer Corner, Current Volunteer Help Needed
Special Project Help Needed
Ways You Can Help
Gabby has wings, run free sweet girl!
It’s never easy to say goodbye, but Gabby is running pain free in green pastures. After her surgery went well, and she had several days of promising progress, Gabby took a turn for the worse. She wasn’t progressing like she should, and her pain increased. Unfortunately, it was highly likely infection had invaded her coffin joint making her chance for a pain-free recovery slim to none. Helping her across the Rainbow Bridge was the kindest way we could help her be pain-free forever.
Gabby was such a warrior. When she got to AAE, she quickly weaseled her way into everyone’s hearts. She was progressed so well, initially. Then she rode some ups and downs these past several months like such a champ, meeting each battle with such a strong will and rebounding when we didn’t think she would. This last one was too much and could not be overcome. Thankfully, Gabby was loved by so many volunteers, and she had so many friends she never met.
Oh Gabby-girl, we’ll miss you. You’ll be missed by everyone, and we’ll long be remembered the warrior you were. Rest easy, sweetest girl
CASPER and PEARL
Casper and Pearl came to AAE in a group with three other ponies: Ace, Bucky, and Minnie. AAE got a call from Wilbur Hot Springs in Williams, CA requesting help for this little herd. These sweet ponies were part of a larger herd of feral ponies, the Robinson Creek Ponies (click for history), that came from the hills west of Ukiah in Mendocino County. This group separated from the main herd and wandered dangerously close to the highway. In 2019, these ponies were relocated to the 1,600 acre nature preserve at Wilbur Hot Springs in hopes they could resume their free-roaming lifestyle and live among the other wildlife on the preserve. Sadly, some of the ponies eventually foundered from eating so much of the green grass. One was euthanized. Though the remaining herd was seen by a vet and had hooves trimmed, later, it was discovered their hooves were getting overgrown again. They were still feral and not easily caught or handled. WHS staff recognized the ponies could not live wild and without maintenance care, but they did not have the experience to give the ponies the attention they needed. WHS Staff was connected with AAE, and our team drove out to the nature preserve, loaded the five ponies into a trailer, and brought them back to AAE for gentling, and hoof care, along with radiographs for those that appeared they may have foundered.
Once at AAE, they all had hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming. They each also got a microchip and DNA analysis, too.
Casper’s hooves were long, but in otherwise fairly good condition when he arrived. He was very reactive, untrusting with humans, and lacked confidence. The ponies have been gentled, and they have been learning basic groundwork, hoof handling, and how to stand quiet for the farrier. Casper has improved tremendously. He’s getting more curious and growing more confident every day. He is not quite sure he wants to be with humans all the time, but he willing and tries hard. Some days he’s very approachable; other days, he is evasive. Sometimes, it depends on who is approaching.
Caspar stands quietly for hoof cleaning, and he’s doing well with the farrier. Once haltered, he does well on a lead. He still has some fear issues loading into a trailer, but he will eventually get in the trailer IF he’s given time to check it out and isn’t pressured. He accepts fly spray and a fly mask without much concern. He’s come a long way and though he’s not quite as far as the others, with consistency and ongoing handling, this guy is going to make nice little pony for an experienced family.
Pearl’s hooves were long, but also in otherwise fairly good condition when she arrived. She was very reactive, very fearful of humans, and lacked confidence. Pearl is improving every day and evolving into a very sweet little mare. She’s getting more trusting and brave every day. She wants to be with humans, but still has a little reservation. Once she gets beyond that first touch, her confidence grows a lot.
Pearl leads and stands fairly quietly for grooming and hoof cleaning. She’s doing well with the farrier, too. She accepts fly spray and a fly mask without much concern. She, too, has come a long way, and with consistency and ongoing handling, this sweet mare is going to make a nice little pony for an experienced family.
Caspar and Pearl are bonded, and they have likely been together their entire lives. They are looking for a home where they can remain together, forever. The perfect home will be a horse-experienced home with a couple of youngsters that want to make them the best ponies ever! They’ll be fun to bring along.
Thank you for your support helping horses each and every day!
Your donations, volunteering, adopting, and social media shares & likes allow us to make this work possible!
This week, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB23-275, also known as the Colorado Wild Horse Project, and sent it to Governor Polis’ desk for his signature.
This bill, supported by AWHC and other wild horse protection and environmental groups, invests in a humane and cost-effective alternative to the cruel roundups that have reduced Colorado’s wild horse herds over the past several years.
SB23-275 is a significant step forward in the long term conservation of Colorado’s wild horses, dedicating $1.5 million in state resources to support the work of existing – but traditionally underfunded – local wild horse volunteer groups focused on sustaining wild horse populations through robust fertility control and habitat stewardship programs.
The bill creates a broad stakeholder working group to make recommendations for responsible placement options for wild horses who have been removed from the range, and is a model for positive and collaborative state involvement to improve the humane management of these federally-protected animals across the West.
The Wild Horse Project is an outgrowth of public opposition to the last two years of government helicopter roundups in Colorado, which removed 1,800 wild horses from their habitats and led to the preventable deaths of 149 of these state icons in overcrowded holding pens.
Colorado’s political leaders – representing broad constituencies that include wild horse advocates, environmentalists, and ranching interests – came together in response. We are thankful to Governor Polis, First Gentleman Marlon Reis, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, Senator Joann Ginal, and Senator Perry Will, for working on a bipartisan basis toward a better way to care for and protect Colorado’s majestic wild horse herds.
We believe that Majority Leader Monica Duran said it best when she testified for the bill:
“… In Colorado, we love our horses. They are central to our state’s history and culture…after the two helicopter roundups that occurred in our state, there was an outcry. And this bill is an answer to that outcry.”
Please help us spread the word about this important step forward for our cause! Here are two ways you can help us get the news out:
Thank you to all the citizens and organizations who took action to support this game changing legislation – this win would not have been possible without your support. Our collective herd of advocates is strong, and when we all band together, we succeed!
Thank you for standing with our wild herds in the fight for their future.
As you may know, over the last few months our team here at AWHC has been working hard to support key state legislation in Nevada called SB90. This bipartisan bill would designate the wild mustang as Nevada’s official state horse!
The wild mustang has an undeniably significant place in Nevada’s history and culture, and is a major ecotourism resource for the state. The passage of this bill would be a huge step towards recognizing the animal’s importance to the Silver State.
SB90 recently passed in the State Senate, and will soon be heard by the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs before heading to a final vote in the full Assembly. But unfortunately, hunters, trappers, and ranchers who want wild horses eradicated from public lands they call home have come out in full force against this legislation.
That’s why we’ve put up this billboard on US 395 in Nevada — to inspire the public about the true spirit of Nevada and raise awareness and support for this bill!
This bill is by no means controversial. Nevada already has a state bird, flower — even a rock — but no state horse, despite the significance of the wild mustang to the culture and history of the state.
As the home to over half of the nation’s wild horses, these iconic animals are celebrated in literature and art, memorialized in the names of businesses, school mascots, and neighborhoods, and adorn countless statues along Nevada’s roadways.
Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is a 24-hour online giving challenge to help AAE and other non-profits in the Sacramento area to raise funds and awareness. It is a day to give where your heart is! To learn more about Big Day of Giving, visit www.bigdayofgiving.org.
This is a BIG, BIG deal!
With BIG thanks to some anonymous supporters, donations to AAE from now through 11:59pm will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $6,500!
Donate now to double your donation and help us reach our goal!
It’s not to late, you too can step up to the plate and pledge matching funds now! Inspire giving and double your donation to make your impact twice as BIG! To learn more about starting your own matching funds campaign for AAE, send us an email.
Every gift makes a BIG difference for the horses!
Especially when it’s DOUBLED!
Your gifts this Big Day of Giving will help the horses (and other equine) in so many ways including providing feed, veterinary care, hoof and dental care, vaccines, deworming, and whatever they need. Of course, it doesn’t stop there: diagnostics, surgery, treatment, medications, and the list goes on.
Whether you give $1000, $100, or $5, any amount can help improve the lives of horses like Raye and Mags! No donation is too small. In fact, if every one of our followers made a $2 donation, we could surpass our BDOG goal of $25,000. Will you help us reach our goal?
Help us reach our goal of $25,000 by making a gift anytime from now until tonight at 11:59pm.
Or, raise the bar by pledging matching funds! Inspire giving and make your impact twice as BIG! To learn more about starting your own matching funds campaign for AAE, send us an email.
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the alternative options below.
Other Ways to Give
Mail a check to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc., 2201 Francisco Drive #140-174, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (AAE will not be charged transaction fees).
Drop off a check at AAE’s Used Tack Store, 4261 Sunset Lane, Shingle Springs, CA 95682. (AAE will not be charged transaction fees).
Text AAEBDOG to 53-555 (AAE may be charged a lesser transaction fee).
Donate through our website(AAE may be charged a lesser transaction fee).
Donate via Venmo @allaboutequine (AAE is charged a transaction fee, but it is less than the BDOG fee).
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the alternative options above.
YOU are why we are able to help horses like Raye and Mags.
We are grateful to have you on our team! May the “fourth” be with you today and always.
Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is a 24-hour online giving challenge to help AAE and other non-profits in the Sacramento area to raise funds and awareness. It is a day to give where your heart is! To learn more about Big Day of Giving, visit www.bigdayofgiving.org.
May the Fourth Be With You!
Today is the BIG day, AND it’s Star Wars Day! Two GREAT days in one!
We thought it would be fun to share the story of our own Raye and her pal Mags. They may not be Jedi Masters, but the force (of love) is strong with these two, and they are as adorable as Ewoks!
RAYE & MAGS
Raye and Mags came to AAE as part of a group of five horses from a distressed mustang sanctuary.
Raye, a then 19-year old mustang mare, arrived thin and suffering from a bad reaction to flies. Her skin was very irritated, and she had a lot of hair loss. She itched like crazy, and she had oozy sores all over. We also learned during her vet exam that she was vision impaired. Raye had a detached lens in her left eye, and cataracts in both eyes. She was shy and seemed frantic when approached. It made much more sense when we learned of her vision impairment.
Mags, then, a 23 year old mustang mare, was very thin, and lame on her hind left when she arrived. She was in much need of hoof and dental care, too. She wasn’t readily handleable, but once sedated for dental and hoof care, we discovered there had been a three inch piece of very stiff wire (like a thin nail) fully embedded in her left heel. Fortunately, with vet onsite, she was evaluated and by good fortune, the wire did not do any major damage. It was removed and she recovered well.
When paired with Mags, Raye became more confident and the two quickly bonded and became a great team (like Chewie and Han!). Once their basic needs were updated and they put on some weight, they both started to look and feel great! Both of these gals are very sweet, and we are so happy for them and their new mom!
Every gift makes a BIG difference for the horses!
Your gifts this Big Day of Giving will help the horses (and other equine) in so many ways including providing feed, veterinary care, hoof and dental care, vaccines, deworming, and whatever they need. Of course, it doesn’t stop there: diagnostics, surgery, treatment, medications, and the list goes on.
Whether you give $1000, $100, or $5, any amount can help improve the lives of horses like Raye and Mags! No donation is too small. In fact, if every one of our followers made a $2 donation, we could surpass our BDOG goal of $25,000. Will you help us reach our goal?
Help us reach our goal of $25,000 by making a gift anytime from now until tonight at 11:59pm.
Or, raise the bar by pledging matching funds! Inspire giving and make your impact twice as BIG! To learn more about starting your own matching funds campaign for AAE, send us an email.
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the alternative options below.
Other Ways to Give
Mail a check to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc., 2201 Francisco Drive #140-174, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (AAE will not be charged transaction fees).
Drop off a check at AAE’s Used Tack Store, 4261 Sunset Lane, Shingle Springs, CA 95682. (AAE will not be charged transaction fees).
Text AAEBDOG to 53-555 (AAE may be charged a lesser transaction fee).
Donate through our website(AAE may be charged a lesser transaction fee).
Donate via Venmo @allaboutequine (AAE is charged a transaction fee, but it is less than the BDOG fee).
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the alternative options above.
YOU are why we are able to help horses like Raye and Mags.
We are grateful to have you on our team! May the “fourth” be with you today and always.
It’s the first day of May – and you know what that means – the first day of Burro Awareness Month!
AWHC started Burro Awareness Month over a decade ago to highlight the beauty of one of our favorite equine species, the curious wild burros of the American Southwest, and to educate the public about the unique struggles they face.
Originating in Africa, burros were first introduced to the Southwest by the Spaniards in the 1500s. They would go on to serve as reliable pack animals for explorers and pioneers on their treks throughout the West in the centuries thereafter, surviving even when the harsh conditions claimed the lives of their human partners. Today, most of America’s wild burros reside in Arizona, where they’ve been present since 1679!
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to focus on all things pertaining to our beloved burros. And today, we’d like to kick things off with an amazing update about our latest burro rescues, Poppy and Cosmo!
Last week, we told you about the heartwarming story of these two precious little animals. With just hours left before potentially being sold off to kill buyers at the Eugene Livestock Auction, AWHC Investigations Manager Amelia Perrin managed to beat out other bidders and save Poppy and Cosmo before it was too late.
Now, thanks to your support, our furry new friends have arrived safely at 3 Sisters Equine Refuge where they can finally decompress, get vet and farrier care, and play freely to their heart’s content. See for yourself!
This is a bit of a different fundraiser.We always need help for feed, vetting and saving lives; however, there is an extremely urgent need to get more nursery space to keep our babies safe and provide what they need.
This is Tika after one of her “episodes”. Thankfully they seem to be slowing down. (She needs a big enough space so she can be safe inside and have enough room with the door closed to prevent this).
_I have attached pictures of DaBubbles when he was attacked by a mountain lion. Folks say it won’t happen, but they obviously have no idea what they are talking about. It absolutely did. He is now 100%, but it was a brutal and painful 3 months to get him back to health.
We know there are big cats nearby, as our neighbors have seen them, and they go through the property. We have seen some mighty big prints. I need enough room to put the babies safely inside at night or if I have to leave for a short time.
(It also doesn’t help that I can no longer sleep in the bunk above the babies. I have been staying in a chair while I am taking care of the babies, as I simply am in too much pain and physically unable to climb up into the bed.)We need to add more space!!
It is especially important to be able to monitor babies like Tika 24/7. It is literally life and death for her. She is struggling greatly, but definitely has not stopped fighting. She will ultimately decide if it’s time to help her. They always let you know. PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR HER!
(A big thank you for making it possible to get all 3 of the babies, the mare and her baby and the pregnant mare saved.)
Cassie is the newest and seems to be holding her own.
Wildfire is rocking his world .
I NEED SERIOUS HELP WITH THE NEW NURSERY, Please ! lol . (it will be combined with the existing one.) In order to get the sales price, I once again acted purely on FAITH, and put in the order for it. (It is simply a necessity, especially with having big kitties seen around our place.)
We desperately need more nursery space. Tika was crashing and hitting the walls due to the lack of space, and we simply need to do it now.
Neighbors have are seeing big kitties around and I need to keep ALL the babies safely inside at night. I cannot do this without adding the necessary space.
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!
I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.
If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they
Help us kickstart this year’s event and reach our goal by making an early gift anytime until May 4 at 11:59pm. (Only one week left!)
Or, raise the bar by pledging matching funds! Inspire giving and make your impact twice as BIG! To learn more about starting your own matching funds campaign for AAE, send us an email.
Mail a check to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc., 2201 Francisco Drive #140-174, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (AAE will not be charged any transaction fees).
Text AAEBDOG to 53-555.
Donate onour website (AAE may be charged a transaction fee, but it may be lower than the BDOG fee)
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the options above.
Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is a 24-hour online giving challenge to help AAE and other non-profits in the Sacramento area to raise funds and awareness. It is a day to give where your heart is! To learn more about Big Day of Giving, visit www.bigdayofgiving.org.
Your gifts this Big Day of Giving will help the horses (and other equine) in so many ways including providing feed, veterinary care, hoof and dental care, vaccines, deworming, and whatever they need. Considering it costs, on average, between $5 and $10 per day to provide basic care to the typical horse, that adds up fast. And, that doesn’t include diagnostics, treatments, medications, surgery, emergency care, or any of the unknowns that come with new intakes. Costs add up fast, especially when AAE is usually caring for 50 or more horses, but so, too. can your donations!!
Your donations help assure we have ample and ongoing funding for the care for the horses and other animals. YOU are why we are able to help horses and other equine friends like our new donkey intakes.
This month a gelding and a jenny came to AAE. The pair had been adopted from a distressed sanctuary nearly three years ago. Unfortunately, it took considerable time for the adopters to earn the trust of these two sweet s-asses! They were unable to halter them. The jenny was unwilling to allow her hooves to be handled, let alone trimmed, and her hooves have gotten quite long. They are both in need of hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming, to start. Though they were adored by their adopters, their adopters felt they had tried all they could to help them, but they were unable to do what was needed, so they contacted AAE to for help.
After quarantine, they will be seen by the vet and farrier (as soon as they can be safely handled), and they will get the works (hoof and dental care, vaccines, deworming and a microchip). The jenny will also likely need xrays. If there’s anything else they need, we’ll line that up, too. These cute little arses need a home of their own, soon.
We look forward to getting to know more about these two sweet souls.
Please consider making a donation for Big Day of Giving on their behalf and for other equines in need.
Thank you for your support helping horses each and every day!
Your donations, volunteering, adopting, and social media shares & likes allow us to make this work possible!
In honor of National Help a Horse Day, we set a goal of raising $30K by midnight tonight to power our fight to defend our nation’s wild herds in 2023. Right now, we’re at $21,548 — within striking distance of our goal — can you help us get across the finish line by pitching in ASAP?
Happy National Help a Horse Day!
Today, and every day, our team is fighting to secure the freedom and safety of wild horses and burros across the West. On Monday, we told you about one avenue of our work — rescues — but today, we want to highlight how we’re helping horses through our legal and legislative efforts.
Already this year, we’ve made great strides for our wild herds both on the Hill and in state capitols throughout the country:
In North Dakota, we supported a resolution that passed in the state legislature urging the National Park Service to keep the state’s only wild horse herd in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (SCR 4014).
In Nevada, we rallied public support and testified for legislation that just passed in the state Senate that would make the wild mustang Nevada’s official state horse. (SB90).
In Colorado, we supported legislation that just passed the state Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that would increase resources to support the work of existing volunteer groups to maintain sustainable wild horse populations through a robust fertility control and stewardship program, minimizing the need for future roundups. (SB23-275).
And on Capitol Hill, we’ve won the support of nearly 100 members of Congress who are calling for the diversion of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funds away from costly roundups and toward humane management and other important measures in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.
But that’s not all. We’re stepping up for wild horses in the courtroom as well:
Right now, we’re gearing up to take the BLM to court over its proposed plan to zero-out two iconic wild horse herds in Wyoming and eliminate grand swaths of their habitat, a case with the potential to set a precedent for herds throughout the West.
We’re also pushing forward in our ongoing legal battle against the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which is sending thousands of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. In our case, we allege that the agency implemented the AIP without any of the analysis and public comment required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled its schedule to continue the unscientific and inhumane helicopter roundups of our nation’s iconic, federally protected wild horse and burro herds.
The BLM announced that it’s planning to round up more than 7,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands beginning in July – permanently removing 5,857.
There are already over 60,000 wild horses and burros languishing in overburdened BLM holding centers as a result of the agency’s aggressive 2022 removal schedule. If the BLM follows through with its recently released plan, thousands more of these innocent animals will be subjected to brutal helicopter roundups and crammed into crowded facilities where they are in danger of deadly disease outbreaks and where many could be funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).
In December, Congress included an important bipartisan provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill requiring the BLM to utilize up to $11 million for reversible fertility control to sustainably manage wild horses and burros – marking the second year we’ve managed to secure this critical pro-horse and burro language into the omnibus package, and the third year our work has led to Congress recognizing the importance of the expansion of humane fertility control programs.
Despite this, the BLM plans to implement fertility control on just 1,575 wild horses and burros.This is nowhere near enough. The BLM must meaningfully shift course away from inhumane roundups and towards on-range conservation through the use of proven fertility control as a far more safe and cost-effective way of managing the West’s populations.
Another call from the Catcher. The night before last I received an emergency call about an orphan abandoned by her band.
I was able to get her through the night, and we spent most of the day yesterday at the vet.
She needed everything imaginable, and Doc still only gave her a 30% chance of survival.
She is still here, but my vet bill has now skyrocketed again.
I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL A FEW MINUTES AGO. The Catcher and his family were branding cows and came upon an abandoned filly. She is alone and extremely young, with no teeth and is on her way. There is a really good chance we may need to call Doc again tonight.
The fact that these are actually orphans who have been abandoned by their bands makes everything more urgent.
I really thought that with so many babies yanked away from their Mama’s before the catching seaon even started, that I might get some time off. However, that is not the case.
I need help with the Vet Bill, (I had just been able to make a $2500 payment and then we got Tika.)
I am almost out of Foal Lac Powder and Foal Lac Pellets and I am so thankful we had the funds to purchase hay in NV and WA. The Mama and Baby and the preggers Mama are safe at Chilly Pepper, thanks to you.
Will You PLEASE make it possible for me to get this little filly coming in, every thing she could possibly need.
It’s GO TIME LIKE NEVER BEFORE. Will you save these mares and their babies?
At this point I have no funds for this rescue. Y’all decide if they live or die. As always, I am willing to “git ‘er done” if you guys want to make it happen. Our team of ladies is standing by.
I had to buy hay again, tomorrow in WA and also in NV.
We still need help with funds for Foal Lac, meds, wormer for the starvation cases, hay in NV and hay in WA, and of course our ever-bouncing vet bill. Thank you all of you who help us save these precious lives.
Prices have gone up so much, it’s getting tougher and tougher for all the rescues to keep on fighting.
I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.
If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.