REad

Read was rounded up from the Goshute herd in Nevada. One of our early rescues, he was named in honor of my husband. I remember how nervous I was back then about these large, powerful, totally wild, and unhandled animals. I soon learned they are also gentle, kind, smart, and sense intentions. When you treat them with respect, love, and dignity, they return the same energy.

We found Read at a kill pen in Oklahoma. The photos were horrifying. When he was little, someone left him in a halter for so long that, as he grew, the nylon cut into his flesh and into the bone. This injury left his nasal cavities permanently exposed to the elements.

We bailed him, and put him in quarantine, where he needed to stay for five weeks. From there, he went to Black Hills Wild Horse sanctuary in South Dakota for a little time to acclimate before heading to Skydog. I cannot begin to imagine the excruciating pain he experienced with the ingrown halter injury. It was no surprise he was a little stand offish with people in the beginning. These days Read is happy to graze inches away from humans - and their Great Danes - and take a treat from our hands.

Read got kicked in the face when he first arrived, so we were very protective him. He lived for some years with two other seniors, Badger and Vegas. On either side of 30, they were all among our eldest residents. Read loved these two mares, who also had well worn faces from years of hard work. They seemed content in the pasture that wraps around my house and then down to the river below until, one day, Read opened the latch on his gate. The three headed out to be wild horses and  did just fine, so we let them enjoy their freedom. Read sometimes packed his nasal passages with dirt, then blew it out to keep them clean, but it didn’t affect his quality of life.

Read sometimes lost weight in winter and needed a blanket. As they aged, they all eventually needed to come back in. Darling Badger, the oldest, was the first to pass, followed by our sweet Vegas. Read stood over her body keeping watch all night. In the morning, he came to get us and show us that Vegas was gone. As we waited for her to be collected, we covered her body and Read lied down beside her. Anyone who doubts the profoundly deep bonds that horses feel for their friends and families need only watch the video of Read holding vigil and saying goodbye to his dearly departed Vegas.

We wanted to find a companion for Read right away so he would not be alone with his loss. As Janelle walked candidates by his gate, he showed no interest until Blue. This beautiful mare immediately caught his attention. She has a lovely temperament and the most enchanting blue eyes. She ran through the gate and into the grass with a smitten Read right behind her and the two are living there happily today.

Scott Wilson, the wildlife photographer and wild horse advocate, visited Skydog for a few days. He donated the photos he took for our use and we will be including them in our second coffee table book. It is poignant that of all the stunning images he took, the one he used on social media to express his experience at the sanctuary was one of Read (above right).

#skydogread

Mustangs and burros need your help 

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.

Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches, stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs, and defund the Adoption Incentive Program.