AMELIA

Amelia is a kind, pretty, black mare with a star on her forehead. She was the fifth save of Giving Tuesday in 2023, thanks to the generosity of donors, who helped us save one equine after another. We found her on the page of kill pen, where the owner who dumped her said she was 38 years old. Not sure we believe that, but there was no way we were going to leave her at risk of shipping to slaughter.

We hoped we’d be able to shave her brand when she got here. It would tell us her age, among other important details. Unfortunately, the old brands don’t hold up, so we’ll never be certain of her age. She’s a senior, who has earned her retirement with all the comforts, care, and love we can give her.

Amelia arrived at Christmas and stepped out of the trailer so obediently. It breaks my heart to think of her unloading at the kill pen, so docile and cooperative as she stepped into a horrific situation. It is absolutely obscene that anyone would do that to this gentle senior, but that is all behind her now.

Libby arrived around the same time as Amelia. She had to spend time in quarantine before we could put them together. Our Christmas gift for them was bringing them out of the barn and onto a grassy pasture with lots of space. Both of these girls are tame. It’s not often you see our mustangs being led around or groomed so easily in the beginning. Typically, they are unhandled and don’t appreciate much grooming, but these two ladies enjoyed all the attention and primping.  Amelia is sweet and gentle, but knows how to express her firm opinions about what you can and cannot do to her. Her hooves were in a horrible state - long, cracked, and chipped. She wasn’t very good about standing for farrier care, but our amazing Janelle got them done without too much opposition.

We named her for Amelia Clauson, a strong, courageous settler, who is part of the history of the ranch. Born in 1865 in Denmark, she married and came to the US in 1893. She worked as a butter maker in a factory. Her husband died in 1898. Amelia heard about the homestead opportunities in Oregon and decided to try her luck. She found her way to what is now our land and staked a claim near those of her two sons. Her log cabin is still standing out where the horses now roam. Amelia passed away in Prineville in 1942.

#skydogamelia

 Mustangs & 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.