"The only thing that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke
"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency."
--Daniel Burnham, architect of first skyscraper,1864-1912
Six months ago, our first rescues, Beauty and Prancer, came under the care and responsibility of Equine Justice. They were saved from kill buyers at a public auction. Up to then, Equine Justice was an equine advocacy organization focused on educating the public on issues involving horses, especially their slaughter. After the arrival of Beauty and Prancer everything changed. Because it was inconceivable that those two incredible horses would have been brutally slaughtered for dining room tables in Europe, the existence of horse slaughter became very real for us, and the plight of unwanted and abused horses became embodied in their flesh and blood.
Beauty Prancer
Beauty and Prancer went through a grueling ordeal and the psychological healing and physical rehabilitation of the two horses became our immediate priority, and our singular focus since their arrival. You may have been wondering why you hadn't heard much from us; that's why. It's been quite a journey and we've been observing and learning, and discovering two horses who have so much more yet to offer and whose real potential has yet to be realized. See our video at http://www.equinejustice.org/News_Videos.html.
Our founder, Margo Dockendorf, has been working closely with horse trainer Dee Gleason on a daily basis at her Del Rio Farms, learning horsemanship that involves respect and understanding of the horse, and what it takes to run a ranch with 30 horses.
Economic conditions in this country have created a vast need for people and organizations able and willing to provide homes for unwanted, abused and neglected horses like Beauty and Prancer. Unfortunately, the need far exceeds the supply of such facilities. So, unwanted horses are being slaughtered cruelly and barbarically and their meat exported to Europe and elsewhere. It's tragic and should be criminal.
Equine Justice will continue to play a role in educating people about the slaughter of horses, and passionate advocates against the primitive practice. But now, our commitment has dramatically expanded. So, we proudly announce that Equine Justice is in the process of creating a rescue facility and permanent sanctuary for unwanted horses, with a particular emphasis on acquiring them at auction as a last line before they fall victim to kill buyers. It is how Equine Justice will give action in its stand against the barbaric practice of killing horses in a cruel manner.
The horses that come under our care and responsibility will receive veterinary care as needed, proper nutrition and the treatment and training needed to restore them to health and make them well again. But most of all, they will receive love, lots of love, healing love. They will be given not just a future but a new and better life in which to go forward into it. Some will be adopted out to people who know how to treat their horses and to love them. But no horse will be adopted until we are convinced the new owners will provide the horse with the life it deserves. Some horse are rendered permanently disabled or too traumatized by their prior abuse to find such a home. Horses, like people, aren't born messed up. They're made that way by humans. Those horses who are not adoptable will find a permanent sanctuary to live out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort. That place will be called Healing Hearts Equine Sanctuary and will be operated as part of Equine Justice's non-profit endeavors.
But that's not all. It's not just about the horses, but also about human beings.
A wonderful outcome of rehabilitating Beauty and Prancer has been discovering how they possess an enormous capacity to open hearts and facilitate healing in the people around them. We have directly experienced the incredible role many horses can play in healing emotional wounds and restoring the human spirit. And so, Healing Hearts Equine Sanctuary will also be a healing center for people seeking a restorative place to regain their humanity. Some horses rescued by Equine Justice who are particularly suitable will become healers themselves and will live out their lives doing what horses always done: helping human beings live better and richer lives.
We strongly subscribe to the notion that human beings aren't bodies with a spirit; we are spirits with human bodies. Healing Hearts Equine Sanctuary intends to reach out to human beings who've been scarred by the human experience: soldiers coming home from war, battered and abused women who have had their dignity and self-esteem torn from them, and children whose lives would be better guided by being in the wholesome presence of horses and other animals, or anyone simply wanting to feel the earth and the balance of nature, and experience a very special way of feeding their souls and connecting with themselves.
Modern living is incredibly complicated and stressful. The human spirit is being battered and bruised and people are feeling disconnected-- from themselves, their lives and the people around them. There is a great need for healing energy. Emotional health and spiritual well-being starts with the ability to feel connected with oneself and others. Without a sense of connection, human beings feel alone and isolated. Horses help create and restore that connection like no other creature on this planet. From feeling a connection with a horse, the human heart opens and the spirit that is the source of connection itself can flow and heal.
To achieve this, we will be drawing upon a variety of healing practices all centered around horses, especially Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning programs, but also other holistic, homeopathic and spiritual practices-- such as meditation, counseling, Yoga, Reiki, massage, aromatherapy, breath work, Acupuncture and Acupressure -- all designed to create balance and spiritual regeneration.
We are currently assembling a carefully chosen team of qualified and experienced people who will be at the heart of the endeavor. First among them are those who have the horse skills for evaluation and retraining where needed. We are also looking for suitable property large enough to accommodate at least 20 horses but the potential for more. Our search parameters have included enough pasture land to give the horses room to graze and just be themselves, but also land suitable for raising our own hay and to do some organic farming, since nutrition for horses and people is an essential part of well-being.
Equine Justice is open to establishing this sanctuary and wellness center anywhere in the US but we are focusing our search in the western part of the country, notably California and Oregon. We are performing our due diligence for the possible purchase of some property for sale not far from Portland, Oregon. We have visited that property and satisfied ourselves that it is very suitable for all that we want to do, but there are some zoning issues which may be problematic. It occupies 20 acres surrounded by old growth Cedar trees with a year-round creek and large stocked pond.
Standing alone, the setting promotes a strong sense of peace and tranquility, as well as the bounty and balance of nature. Add horses, other animals, an organic community garden and lavender field and it will become an oasis of serenity.
There will be pasture land for horses to graze and just be horses, a beautiful barn and indoor arena and the facilities needed to rehabilitate those injured and sick.
Equine Justice's founder has pledged her home in Southern California to make this dream happen. In real estate purchases, the details are endless and there's lots of ways something can fall through, and the current economic conditions present a challenge. This is why we are open to all possibilities.
If you share the dream, let us know. If you can help we gratefully accept whatever you can do. Our present focus is in obtaining land. We are committed to making Healing Hearts Equine Sanctuary a reality. If you aren't able to help now, but might know of someone who could, please forward this on to them. Funding for the operation will be through public and private grants, private donations and revenues from services and agricultural activities on the property. Equine Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and so all donations are tax deductible.
It's not just about the horses, it's about us. Healing Hearts Equine Sanctuary--saving horses and healing people.
