LARK & Bramble

Lark and Bramble were a very bonded pair of horses, whom we saved on Giving Tuesday 2022. I received a sad e-mail from a woman, whose parents had passed away, leaving behind their mostly wild horses. They had lived fairly free on their ranch for years and now had no place to go. The children were determined they wouldn't end up in a bad place. We said yes to taking them, keeping them together and safe.

When they arrived, Bramble was stoic, but we could see he had trouble putting weight on his front feet. Our vet gave us the bad news that he had severe and chronic laminitis. We were prepared and happy to treat him no matter the cost, but once we saw the inside of his foot, there was absolutely nothing we could do. The coffin bone had rotatedfar into the sole. The whole foot had sunk down into the hoof capsule. There was loss of bone and many other issues. We consulted with several vet hospitals and all agreed that there was only one choice and that was to release him from the terrible pain. This was the first time we had to do this for a new horse and was not a decision we took lightly. It was the right decision, but it was hard on all of us, especially as Lark depended on him.

Lark was eleven years old when we took her in. She was the 15th rescue from the South Steens herd, our 60th Oregon mustang, and the 50th beautiful bay to come to Skydog. We gave her all the time she needed to say goodbye to Bramble before gently moving her to the company of kind, new companions, Saint and Miss Hedy Lamarr. Lark has utterly blossomed and the three of them remain close friends today. When we brought her in to the barn to care for an abscess, her herd was overjoyed at her return. Lark honors Bramble’s life by living hers to the fullest in a wild herd. She races in the snow, drinks cool water at the creeks, and jumps across streams in the Aspen Grove. We wish Bramble could be with her, but we know he is also running free without pain or restrictions in the Skydog Spirit Herd.  

#skydoglark

American Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and two Senators to urge them to support these bills. You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2025 (H.R.1661 in the House and S.775 in the Senate). This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the “Farm Bill”. There are several important provisions for animals in that omnibus federal law, including the Cat and Dog Meat Trade Prohibition Act. It is currently illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell, or donate dogs and cats, or their parts, for human consumption. The SAFE Act would extend the ban to equines and shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 4356) The bill would eliminate the use of helicopters in rounding up wild horses and burros, and require a study into alternative methods for humanely gathering the animals.

Ejiao Act of 2025 (H.R. 5544). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches and stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs.