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Rescued Mustangs Growing Stronger by the Day
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With grooming needs tended to and plenty of nutritious food to eat, the horses have new-found energy for roaming the pastures. |
In late April, the Humane Society of the United States assisted with the rescue of more than 210 neglected and starving wild mustangs in Alliance, Nebraska. After two weeks of stabilizing care in Nebraska under the direction of HSUS personnel, 84 of those mustangs were transferred to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas.
Since then, equine experts from The Grace Foundation based in northern California and the Mustang Heritage Foundation in Texas have joined The HSUS team at the ranch to assess the condition and adoptability of the horses. The horses will treated for their ailments and will work with trainers -- using only gentle, natural techniques -- brought in to work exclusively with the mustangs. This enables us to make a step by step plan to put as many of these survivors as possible on the path to a home of their own.
Read this update on activities of the past week by Beth DeCaprio, executive director of The Grace Foundation.
I wanted to update everyone on the week’s events. What an amazing experience! The horses are incredible and the ranch is spectacular.
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| This boy seems a little reluctant to have the veterinarian check him over. |
| Twenty three stallions have been gelded. One, named Rascal, will require surgery. He is two years old and very, very sweet.
There was one thin, old horse who was just not thriving like the rest. When the vet got into his mouth, his teeth had severe sharp points that were cutting his mouth, so every bite he took was painful. It was such a great feeling to see him enjoying eating just one day after his dental work.
Our farrier was able to trim hooves on all the horses who needed it, which was almost every horse. Hooves can be life-altering if they are not managed, and these poor horses had some very long hooves.
We also did a little "makeover" on many of the horses, clipping their manes short and bobbing their tails. This is not a “trademark look” we created! Many of the horses were so matted that the only option was to cut their hair off. A few of the tails were actually like weapons they were so matted. The poor horses could not brush flies away with their tails in that condition.
We also began assessing the behavioral traits of all 84 horses. Each and every horse has been put into a category and separated into groups.
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Building trust with the mustangs is a slow and steady process. | Twenty horses fall into the first group; All of them are incredible, and should be really easy to place. Our trainers will do riding assessments on the horses who are old enough. There are so many babies (under three years old), in these groups. It is so sad to think what they have had to endure, but one positive aspect is that many are like clean slates. While some of the older horses have major fear issues, the babies have just been neglected, and are very curious about humans.
Fifteen horses need some additional gentling and training, but are extremely adoptable. Most of them need to overcome some fear issues, and many have just not been handled much.
A third group of 34 horses will require the most time and training. Our trainers will be spending time with them, getting them comfortable with people and gaining trust.
A fourth group of 14 horses were deemed best suited for life at the sanctuary for their own safety and needs. Two horses had extremely hunched backs, and they should never be ridden with this condition. They both move very slowly, and should not be pressed.
| Help the Horses |
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We're doing everything we can to make the mustangs healthy and whole again -- and ready for a home of their own. The cost for their rehabilitation is very high, and we need your help.
Please make a donation today» | One horse, named Chance, has a back hind-end neurological condition. This poor little guy is very weak in the hind limbs, and again should be able to move at his own pace.
One of the many things that made our rescue worthwhile was this story:
There was a very sweet little two-year-old Appaloosa named America's Pride, who was blind in one eye. He also has a very light skin pigmentation that will make him more prone to melanoma (very common in Appaloosa horses). He is “low man” in the herd, and it was obvious that he was starving when they were rescued. He likely could have been adopted, but we realized that he had formed a very strong bond with a much older gelding, Spartacus, who was going to live in the sanctuary because of his advanced age and behavior. He had learned to stay on the side of old guy with his good eye, so he could follow him, and the old guy clearly was protecting him.
It was time for them to be separated and it would have been the last time that they would have been together, and I could not bear to do it. I did not know how the Black Beauty Ranch Manager, Diane Miller would feel about it, but I talked to her, and without blinking she said “of course they both can go to sanctuary, it is not even a question.” I love that the first priority with The Humane Society of the United States is always what is best for the animal!
We are thrilled to be working on this project with all of you!
Posted: June 16, 2009 |
