“On December 19th Peaceful Acres Horses became aware of a collaborative rescue effort to save 40 Standardbred horses from a slaughter holding pen in Pennsylvania. The horses were all former racehorses and then became Amish buggy horses. Their registrations and names were identified by their freeze brands as Standardbreds who were born within the United States. Peaceful Acres Horses had not been saving slaughter bound equines in a few years, and I knew it was time for the organization to get involved and create a Christmas miracle for one or two of these beautiful and kind horses.

By the time January 12th rolled in, PAH saved 5 Standardbred’s lives: Major Monet, Sweet Dream Baby, See Ya Real Soon, Fast Pass and Sweet Evil Hin (I still can’t understand who named their horse that… but I will continue…)

The five lives that were saved put PAH volunteers,  contributing members and new compassionate friends into action; raising bail money to pay the kill buyer (like a ransom – it is disgusting!), fees for veterinary evaluation and testing and transportation out of the kill pen. We Did It – we raised the necessary funds! Next we were off from NY to PA to meet our newest horses and begin the trip home to Peaceful Acres and their restoration journey. We took two trips to gather our new horses – five of our team members took the five and a half hour trip into Amish county with me. Each trip brought with it many conversations; hope, outrage, sadness, disbelief, terror and a drive and determination to help stop the cruelty. Our team became stronger, more aligned, more dedicated, more aware of the cruelty.

If you have never been to a livestock auction or witnessed the overcrowding, illness, injury and fear of a kill pen, I will use a few words that for me sum up the experience: heartbreaking, emotionally painful, life changing, sickening, disbelief, inhumane, overwhelming, and grief. That is from the person’s point of view. Imagine for a moment how these precious horses feel… they are prey animals, removed from anything and everyone who brings them safety. The fear, anguish, pain and hopelessness shows in their eyes, in their low lying heads, in the emaciation of their bodies and the stiffness in their overworked bodies.

They had given up hope.

Peaceful Acres Horses is now in the process of restoring their hope, their emaciated bodies, their fear-filled minds, their pained joints and broken hearts. Please help us to help them.  We are in need of sponsors to help us to provide for Doc (Fast Pass), Monet (Major Monet), Baby (Sweet Dream Baby), Seth (See Ya Real Soon)  – Hin has been adopted and will be in the loving – compassionate care of Jason and Laura for the rest of her life.

For as little as $42 per month you can help PAH to purchase hay and grain, you can also become a Care Sponsor for only $95 a month, or if you have the fiscal ability, please become a Champion Contributor. Peaceful Acres Horses is grateful and proud to have stepped into action to save these precious – kind – worthy horses. To everyone who made this lifesaving time possible, Thank you for your generosity and dedication, your gift helped to save a life!

Would I say “yes” again? – I sure would!  But as I type today, that same kill buyer has 28 more Standardbreds in his slaughter ship pen. This is a cruelty issue that must be resolved before these majestic and kind Standardbreds go from the racetrack to the road with the Amish. This is an issue that could be and should be resolved through planning at birth, through long-term care fiscal systems and investment that assure that no Standardbred (or Thoroughbred) find its last days terrified and in pain on a slaughter bound trailer on route to Canada or Mexico.

Please join me and my colleagues to help change the trajectory of trauma, fear and death. Please become a problem solving advocate, let’s find a solution together.”

Thank you for your support, generosity, advocacy and compassion,

Nanci

I am always an email away and would love to problem solve with you.

Nanci@PeacefulAcresHorses.com