Star Valley Organization Rescues Endangered
Horses
By Mitzi Brabb
2/17/10
The expression “ignorance is
bliss” can be said to apply to several facets of life,
but if people become better educated about just a few of the
things they are currently blind to, a remedy for some of the
more horrific things going on in the world today may be found.
Jean Gross, founder of the New Hope
PMU Equine Rescue located in Star Valley, is one such voice of
hope in Rim Country. She advocates for better education
and a more sympathetic attitude with regard to horses that are
in danger of ending up at slaughterhouses. Gross is but
one voice attempting to make a difference by preventing the
cruelty of horses; an issue that most people today admit to
knowing very little about.
Although there are many equine rescue
facilities throughout the United States that take in abused,
neglected, or mistreated horses, New Hope primarily rescues
horses from the Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) industry that are
destined for one of a half dozen slaughterhouses in Canada.
Many people are unaware that estrogen
hormones extracted from the urine of pregnant mares have for
decades been used to develop women's hormone replacement
therapy drugs including Premarin and Prempro. Millions of
women worldwide take these medications, manufactured by the
pharmaceutical giant Wyeth, to help alleviate the symptoms of
menopause. Although there are now at least a dozen
alternative medications on the market, Premarin and Prempro are
still a popular choice prescribed to women seeking relief of
symptoms. Unfortunately, the foals produced by the pregnant
mares being used to produce these hormones are the unwanted
by-products of this business model.
According to the New Hope website,
approximately 6,000 such foals are born each spring, most of
whom face an uncertain future after they are weaned. They
often end up at auction or a feedlot due to a shortage of
private buyers. Sadly, many if not most of the foals sent to
these places wind up at the slaughterhouses.
Some of the fillies (female foals)
are kept for replacements for the mares that are too old to
reproduce. After the fillies are weaned, the cycle
continues. The mares are rebred and brought back into the
barns, where they are reattached to the urine-collection
apparatuses for the next eight months. When the mares are
no longer able to reproduce they are also sent out to auction
where they too face a potential massacre.
The Animal Welfare Institute claims
that on average every five minutes an American horse is
slaughtered for human consumption. 2,903 horses have been
slaughtered in 2010 alone.
Many people in this country who
advocate for the humane treatment of horses believed they had
prevailed when the last of the horse slaughterhouses in the
United States was closed in August of 2007. Unfortunately
the problem simply shifted to new geographic locations, and it
isn’t even close to being resolved.
“It’s actually worse now
because the horses have to travel further to the
slaughterhouses, which are based in Canada and Mexico,”
said Gross.
The Animal Welfare Institute reports,
“The suffering begins long before our horses even reach
the slaughterhouse. Conditions of transport are
appalling, with horses regularly hauled to our domestic borders
on journeys lasting more than 24 hours. Deprived of food,
water or rest, the horses are forced onto double-decked cattle
trailers with ceilings so low that they injure their heads.
Not only are these double-deckers inhumane, but they are
also dangerous and have been involved in a number of tragic
accidents.”
In addition to the PMU foals bought
by “kill buyers,” a term widely used by rescue
organizations, these buyers also cheaply purchase other horses
at auction that they later sell to slaughterhouses. The
basic truth here is that no horse sold at auction is guaranteed
a good home, and many actually meet a perilous end.
Though it would surprise most who believe that only old
and ill horses end up at slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada,
the truth is that upwards of 90 percent of such horses are
young and healthy.
Numerous equine rescue advocates
claim that many of the horses purchased at Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) auctions end up at slaughterhouses as well.
The BLM checks up on their adopted horses a year after
they are placed, but many people have trouble working with
these wild animals, and they are ultimately sold again at
public auctions. It is possible that these owners are
blissfully ignorant of what becomes of the horses they
innocently deliver up to auction. Equine rescue groups
are urging these owners, and anyone else no longer able to keep
a horse, to try and place them at rescue facilities instead.
The New Hope PMU Equine Rescue is an
example of such a facility, and is dedicated to saving at-risk
horses from dangerous situations. They are an all-volunteer,
nonprofit organization that rescues mistreated horses. They
provide care and training before adopting these horses out into
the good, loving homes they deserve.
As expressed in their mission
statement, “New Hope volunteers dedicate ourselves to
educating people on the care, medical needs, and other aspects
of horse ownership, thereby improving the lives of the horses
and their owners. We believe that horses hold a special
place in God's World, and that helping them is a noble
effort.”
They have helped 21 horses since
starting up in April of 2007. Gross explained that the
average cost of care for a rescued horse is $175 per month, and
that through fundraising efforts, grants, and community
support, New Hope is currently caring for seven rescued horses
and three burros at their facility. Other funding comes from
memberships, adoptions, sponsorships, and even some gift items
sold on their website.
Although this type of rescue
organization can be a costly venture, working as a labor of
love seems to be the ultimate key to success. At least,
that’s the belief of Jean Gross and her husband Bob.
“We love horses and don’t
like to see the slaughter of horses,” said Gross.
“We are doing our part to help them have the lives
they deserve.”
New Hope has two horses ready for
immediate adoption, a three-year-old mare, and a four-year-old
gelding. Both are gentle, loving animals looking for a
new home.
For more information about their
program and how to support their cause, or just to obtain
information on current legislation about the prevention of
equine cruelty, visit the New Hope PMU Equine Rescue website at
www.newhopepmuequinerescue.org or call them at (928) 468-1514.