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Slash was rounded up from Beatty’s Butte at age 13 due to pressure from cattle ranchers, who run cows on this public land and sell their beef to Whole Foods. He’s very beautiful, one of several dappled grey wild horses we care for at Skydog.

Someone once told me: “You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce.” It’s the same with wild horses. Even though they no longer have the fierce, hormonal drive of stallions, they still play fight - stomp, rear up, squeal, and kick - to set their boundaries with the boys. Slash kept tussling over mares, so we moved him in with Ireland until she showed us that she wanted to join Kimmy and Luna on the other side of the fence. So we introduced him to the Boys Herd and were so happy to see him and River fall right into a spectacular bromance. Rather than hang with the main herd, they hung out in the woods together.

On a snowy day in March 2024, around International Women’s Day, I decided to do a herd check on an all mare band. In wild herds, the mares are often the brains of the band, while the stallions are occupied guarding their safety. Skydog is a female founded organization with an all female board of directors, as well as staff and volunteers of amazing men and women. I had already counted Pearl, so I did a double take when another white horse came into view among the bays and duns. It was none other than Slash!

Slash had seemed quite content with the Boys Herd until he discovered a pasture gate had been left open. He decided to enter this unknown land and see what was on the other side of the hill. He came upon a group of wild girls that any guy would be happy to stumble across: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Onyx, Pearl, Cedar, Cricket, and Wildflower. The Spices & Gems, and Wildflower were smitten with him. Cedar and Cricket followed, but at a distance. He developed a special affection for Cinnamon, sharing his food with her and being most possessive of her.

It was a romantic winter interlude that melted in the spring. When they came in for their bi-annual health and hoof care, he stopped at the entrance to Boy Land, rather than go back to the girls. We always let the animals choose where they want to be. Slash came in fighting over mares and finally found a group of his own to watch over. Then, of his own free will, he chose to be a bachelor again.

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American 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 2025 (H.R.1661 in the House and S.775 in the Senate). This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the “Farm Bill”. There are several important provisions for animals in that omnibus federal law, including the Cat and Dog Meat Trade Prohibition Act. It is currently illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell, or donate dogs and cats, or their parts, for human consumption. The SAFE Act would extend the ban to equines and shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

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 and stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs.

Bills from the previous 118th Congress that we hope will be introduced again this 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.