Equine Advocates

09/08/2026

Healthy teeth = healthy horse!

Our equine residents have been getting their annual dental exams from the wonderful Dr. Jeanine Messak and staff from Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. Unlike human teeth, horses' and other equines' teeth continuously erupt, or grow. If not maintained, their teeth can overgrow or develop sharp points due to grinding. At each visit, Dr. Messak evaluates the equines' teeth and sees if they need a dental float, which basically means filing down the sharp points that could dig into their cheeks or tongues. This makes sure they can adequately chew without discomfort.

First, each equine is properly sedated, and then a speculum is used to keep their mouth open. Then, their mouth is flushed with an antiseptic solution to clean out any grass or grain. Their teeth are then floated and checked again. If they have any other dental issues, they’re treated as needed. Dental care is an essential part of an equine's overall healthcare!

09/06/2026

Pepper's feeling a little silly this Sunday 😛

This gorgeous Mule, born around 1992, was purchased by Equine Advocates at an Amish dispersal sale in 1999. She had been adopted when first rescued, but came back to us in 2010. This happened with every equine we adopted out in the early years of our organization before we had a place of our own. Thankfully, that changed in 2004 when we established our sanctuary in Chatham, New York. Since then, every animal we rescue remains with us for their entire life!

Pepper lives in a section of the sanctuary we call “Mule Town” with two other mules and a former Amish buggy horse.

09/05/2026

Smoothest intro ever! Poncho, retired Military Working Horse, and Darlene Love, rescued Amish buggy horse!

09/04/2026

We're running right into the holiday weekend like Onaqui 🐎 We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Onaqui (pronounced O-nah-kee) is a beautiful Wild Mustang who arrived at Equine Advocates in 2022. She had been rounded up and captured by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on July 16, 2021, on the public rangelands of Utah in the Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) located 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. During that brutal 5-day roundup, more than 300 wild horses lost their freedom and their families. Because we want everyone to know exactly who this mare is and where she came from, we decided to name her in honor of the Onaqui Mountains, where she once ran free, and the famous herd she came from.

She was sold at an online BLM auction to someone in this part of the country who could not work with Onaqui and, as a result, no longer wanted her. This was no surprise, as wild horses and burros do not belong in captivity, especially a mare of Onaqui’s age at her time of capture, which was estimated to be 16. It was inhumane to remove her from the range, and she should have been returned to the remaining members of her herd.

Luckily, we were able to welcome Onaqui to the sanctuary, where we have taken the time to work with her and gain her trust. She now spends her days with her pasture mate Tyler, a retired Military Working Horse.

09/03/2026

Our Memories of the Late Gloria Steinem Who Opposed the Cruel Treatment of Horses by the PMU Industry

When I heard the sad news this morning about the passing of activist, trailblazing journalist and author, Gloria Steinem, I immediately thought of her generosity in taking the time to add her important voice to our 2015 American Equine Summit - the main focus of which was the cruel treatment and slaughter of horses (primarily PMU Mares and PMU Foals) used to produce the ERT/HRT drugs (Premarin, Prempro, Premphase and Duavee) prescribed for women to treat the symptoms of menopause. Although she could not appear at the summit in person, she wrote an eloquent letter which was read aloud. Gloria Steinem meant so much to so many people. At this time of her passing, I would like to share our special memories of with all of you. Please click on the image below to read her letter.

(Also, please check out the comments below for a link to watch all the amazing presentations at our 2015 American Equine Summit.)

Gloria Steinem: Letter against PMUSpecial thanks to the one and only, Gloria Steinem, for her impassioned letter against the production and use of PMU drugs (print version).

09/02/2026

In Memoriam: Andrea Eastman

Tribute by Susan Wagner

Andrea Eastman was a humanitarian. She was also my friend.

She passed away exactly one week ago at the age of 86. What an incredible life she lived and what a tremendous difference she made!

Andrea’s amazing career in film and television as a high-powered agent to the stars and as a casting director for many wonderful films, including The Godfather, is legendary.

I did not become friends with Andrea because of her career in show business. I met her 30 years ago and quickly learned that she was as determined to end horse slaughter as I was. Also, like me, she had rescued horses from that horrific fate and was extremely active in exposing the cruelty involved in the Pregnant Mares’ Urine (PMU) industry in Canada. In 1996, a mutual friend introduced us. My organization, Equine Advocates, was brand new, and we didn't have much of a budget at the time. It wasn’t long before Andrea, along with some of her friends, organized two fundraisers at a magnificent estate in Bedford, NY to benefit several equine rescue organizations, including mine. She liked to help organizations that saved horses, and even though ours was very young, she believed in our mission. I cannot tell you how encouraging that was, especially at that time.

We shall never forget Andrea. We will continue to be inspired by her wild and wonderful spirit, her boundless energy, and her unwavering commitment to the people and animals she cared about and loved.

We sure are going to miss her!

Read Susan Wagner's full tribute: https://www.equineadvocates.org/in-memoriam-andrea-eastman/

09/01/2026

America's Wild Horses and Burros - Going! Going! Gone!

"America's Last Wild Horses" is a book by the late Hope Ryden, first published in 1970. Ms. Ryden who gave this amazing work its hauntingly prophetic title, continued her exhaustive research and published updated versions of her book over the years so that lawmakers and the American public could understand what was happening back then and take action so that the worst, meaning the eradication and extinction of these majestic animals would not happen. Articles in the NY Times and other publications are now covering this race to extinction (which did not start with this administration, but at this accelerated rate may very well end with it) - not just of our wild equine herds but for thousands of other species on our Public Lands which are supposed to be the Peoples' Lands, the Peoples' Horses, the Peoples' Wildlife, the Peoples' National Parks, etc. With precious parkland and millions of acres of our Public Lands being seized by our government and sold off to land developers and other special interests, it may be too late. We appreciate the journalists finally covering these issues in depth. I just wish they had seen the urgency of reporting on them sooner. In the meantime, our lawmakers need to feel intense pressure this election cycle and know that their apathy and lack of action that they think no one is noticing are completely unacceptable. They need to do their jobs which means carrying out the Will of the American People by protecting and preserving our Public Lands and the Wildlife who inhibit them. S.W.

Wild horses have been legally protected by Congress for over half a...

08/31/2026

From his hooves to his muzzle, Monty has such beautiful markings!

Monty, whose racing name was “Honor Mountain,” is a striking Thoroughbred Gelding born on May 18, 2002. After racing from 2005 to 2007, he was sent to be part of an equine studies program. However, in 2010, after he was no longer needed, Monty was about to go to auction along with two other thoroughbreds in the same program. They could have been sold for slaughter! When we found out, we contacted the school and purchased the three geldings privately for $300 each on the day they were to be auctioned off.

Monty is a wonderful horse whose life is as rich and meaningful as ever. He now lives out his days with a group of other rescued thoroughbreds. The other two horses rescued that day, Tim and Denny, reside in another part of the sanctuary.

Would you like to support Monty's care? Become his sponsor today: https://www.equineadvocates.org/support/monty/

08/29/2026

Run, Nemo, run! The average running speed of a horse is about 30 mph. A Quarter Horse, like Nemo, can reach up to 50+ mph! While this handsome rescued gelding isn't going that fast, he definitely has a case of the zoomies 🐎💨