Bruce

Giving Tuesday 2025

In Honor of Springsteen

The 1st save of Giving Tuesday 2025 is Bruce.

On Thanksgiving morning this year, I lost a very special horse, a heart horse called Springsteen. He had been my riding horse. The joy we had together riding around the Hollwood hills was unmatched. “Just a bay”, as so many say, but there’s no such thing. He was beautiful, had so much heart, and was bonded to another kill pen save, Honey Palouse. Springsteen went down that morning. The vet came out and the crew did everything they could, but he got his angel wings that day and took flight. The best way to honor and remember Springsteen is to save another life in his memory: Bruce

There was so much to dislike about the video from the kill pen. A man riding on the back of nearly 30yo senior wearing a big that was too tight. “The more you ride him the better he'll get,” the trader said. When I saw this I wanted to yell, “Get off him!” Instead, we bailed him. In less than an hour, our donors had given enough to bring him to Skydog.

Bruce went to the new ranch in Santa Ynez, which is for seniors and horses with special needs that require - or want - more human attention. Bruce knew he was in a good place. He didn’t waste a minute coming out of the trailer when he saw the vibrant green pastures after the rain. His joy was matched by Bailey, who was so excited to welcome him, they raced across the pasture to the horses at the other end. He playfully tossed his head and pranced as he met Beau and Mr. Parker, while Bailey ran circles around them. You would never have guessed his age to see him go.

The next thing we knew, all three elderly mustangs were rolling on the ground together. They only do that when they feel comfortable in their surroundings. For Bruce, it was also a ritual bath of sorts that cleansed off the stench of the slaughter pipeline. He knew he was home the moment his feet touched the ground and couldn’t be happier about it.

#skydogbruce

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.