While all the other
advocacy groups are
rallying support for the
same herd of horses, the
Calico horses, who
deserve every teardrop
and scream of outrage,
let's not forget about
the ones who don't get
that press. Who are
quietly suffering in the
background and have been
for years.
We are here for them and
have been since we
started Lifesavers in
1997. Through the years
you've heard the stories
of our rescues like
Goose, a little mustang
with a big heart who was
hog tied and left to die
by his owners - just
hours away from taking
his last breath before
Animal Control found him
hidden in the high grass
... silently suffering.
Goose is with us now
safe and sound at our
sanctuary.
Then Tasha....a
beautiful mustang
mare adopted in
Colorado, hit
repeatedly with a
solid piece of 2x4
wood, as a punishing
tool, to train
her accept to a
rider and was
then used to pack
elk, twice her size,
out of the hunting
ground. Though
rescued and safe
now, she is so head
shy we've never been
able to hug her
around her neck or
give her a fond kiss
on the muzzle to
show her that we
love her even with
her difficulties.
Medicating her face
for a skin condition
proved very
challenging. She
suffered in silence
for years.
I should remind you
about the Fish Creek
Rescue where we
saved 150 mares and
foals from death by
starvation. They
were stoicly dying
one by one everyday
until
we could get on the
scene to rescue
them.
None of the above
mustangs were in the
news. They didn't
have the circle of
attention that our
now famous Calico
mustangs have. I am
mentioning them
because they are the
lucky ones that were
saved, along with
about 300 others
that were abandoned,
abused, neglected
and/or slaughter
bound that
Lifesavers now cares
for with your help.
I am asking you not
to forget about them
as they still need
your caring heart to
support their
needs.
Lifesavers has to
raise $15,000 every
month just to feed
these horses.
Of course, there are
other overhead costs
also.
There are still so
many horses that are
waiting to be
rescued. Crying
inside the way
horses do -
silently. No one
hearing their
prayers to be
rescued like Goose,
Tasha and all the
Fish Creek mares and
babies.
Those horses need
our help too. But
at this time we are
at full capacity and
are struggling to
find homes - good
forever homes for
the horses that will
do well in domestic
situations. For the
horses that are not
suitable for
adoption, our
natural habitat
sanctuaries are
their ultimate
destination.
Everyday we get an
email or a phone
call. Most recently
a woman in Colorado
lost her sister to a
terrible medical
condition. Her
sister's mustang now
has no home. I had
to say "I'm sorry,
we don't have any
more room". Another
call from a man who
has a 21 year old
gentle, but
untrained mustang
that he has had for
20 years. "I'm sorry
sir, we don't have
room for your older
horse, I wish we
did" I had to tell
him.
And a call just
today about a
"dangerous
untameable" mustang
who will have to be
euthanized if we
don't make room for
him. More likely
this mustang is
misunderstood and
has been mishandled
and just needs the
proper communication
through gentleness
and consideration as
we do here at
Lifesavers with our
other wild horses.
The truth is - we
could help these
mustangs and others
if we had the funds
to expand our
sanctuaries and
feeding program to
provide for
additional horses.
All it takes is
money. The land is
available and
plentiful.
You can help us
rescue those horses
who, everyday, come
a little closer to
death - either by
starvation, or by
being sold to
auctions that ship
horses to slaughter,
or in some cases by
the owner's own
bullet for lack of
any other options.
They aren't the
Calico mustangs that
make the news. They
are the ones nobody
hears about - yet
they are no less
deserving.
Thank you for your
support and
compassion,
Jill Starr,
President,
Lifesavers Wild
Horse Rescue
