LOGLINE
A mostly unknown epidemic, this documentary sheds light on the thousands of horses that get caught every year in a trap of human neglect, despair, and greed. From the horse racing industry, to large and small breeders, down to the individual horse owner, when a horse becomes unwanted, humans have few choices and resources and the horse pays the price. Follow the stories of heroic horses as we uncover the plight of the throw away horse, the courageous people working tirelessly to save them, the critical need for industry and owner education, and the undying spirit of the world’s most loyal and majestic animal.
SYNOPSIS
Humans have a relationship with horses unlike that of any other animal. A companion or therapy animal for some, a source of income, entertainment, and even livelihood for others. They are invaluable as long as they can do their jobs and one has the space and resources to keep them. Unlike a dog or cat, when a horse becomes a burden, you can’t simply relinquish him at the local shelter or give her to a friend. This film enlightens the public about the brutal cycle of the unwanted horse, the massive human efforts it takes to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome them, and where our legal system falls short. It also shows the resiliency of these majestic creatures, the progress that has been made to help both horse and human, and ideas for where to go from here.
“In terms of the biggest issues facing horses today, the biggest one is that people don’t know there’s an issue. We get asked all the time “Why is there a need for horse rescues? What is a horse rescue?” There are over 7 million horses in the United States, and horses often change owners time after time after time. For whatever reason, they decide; maybe it’s financial, health problems, or relocation, we often have people going through divorce. Every time a horse changes owners, there’s a potential for them to fall through the cracks and fall into unsafe places.” – Katherine Gregory, Executive Director, Colorado Horse Rescue.
“I think the problem of the unwanted horse, much less the neglected and abused horse is huge. It’s much larger than resources available. Unlike cats and dogs, there is no public safety net for them. Horses fall through the cracks; the legal cracks as well. We’ve rescued them from owner surrenders, auctions, hoarding situations, state seizures, even horses that have been dropped off at BLM land and left to die.” – Kim Mosiman, President, Sound Equine Options.
“One of the great things about doing what we do is that we take these horses that are so out of their heads; they’re not connected to people and they’re scared. We bring them to our rescue and it doesn’t take very long for them to come around. The transformation is quite amazing.” – Brian Brockway, AHRE Equine Volunteer.