Dickens, Palli & Monroe

The BLM dealt Dickens a cruel hand that no mustang should have to play. When we found him in a kill pen, he was 22 years old. Born in captivity in the Fallon BLM facility, he’d never known freedom on open space or the love and security that only comes from belonging to a wild herd. Prodded by his rider’s spurs, he looked sad and defeated as he went through the motions - a horse who had completely given up. 

Likely a work horse all his life, he was drained the the last of his strength, then sold for his meat price to squeeze every last penny out of his thankless existence. I immediately envisioned the retirement he deserves: grazing on rolling, green California hills with warm sand and shady oak gullies in the company of other seniors who understand exactly what he’s endured.

While I was sorting out how to save Dickens, someone sent me photos of Sundown - whose name we quickly changed to Palli - an emaciated Champagne Palomino with crusty eyes. He came from Twin Peaks, California - where Sunny, Birch and Ocean were all rounded up. At age 27, he was shut down, people shy, frightened, and wheezing like a freight train. 

Scared and confused, he startled easily at the pen as he couldn’t clearly see what was happening around him. I wanted him out of there and into the peace and quiet of sanctuary in Santa Ynez. He joined Dickens on the haul as his travel buddy. Our hauler, Steve Egner, filmed the most endearing moment when he leaned his head over Palli’s back for comfort in the trailer.

A third mustang was added to this freedom ride: Monroe, a 23-year-old mare from Coyote Lakes, Oregon. According to the lot, her body was covered with ticks. Her tummy looked big, so we thought she might be pregnant, but she wasn’t. We had planned to bring her back to her Oregon homeland, but it turned out she is very tame and will soak up all the TLC at our new ranch in Santa Ynez, where she is currently the only girl.

During Palli’s first two days at the ranch, one of the equine staff, Julianna, made it her mission to make friends and slip a halter over his bony head. She led him quietly to a small corral off the barn, were he wouldn’t have to compete for food with any horses, who were starved in the slaughter pipeline and fought for every scrap to survive. In his smaller space, he had an abundance of alfalfa and orchard hay, bran mashes with lots of water for hydration, senior grain with Amplify and Weight Gain, all of which are making him stronger and healthier. He’s getting Equiox for his arthritis and his eyes have been treated. He wears a fly mask to protect them on windy days. It’s a challenge taking in frail, senior horses, but Palli still has some fight him, so we will spare no expense for his comfort and well-being.

I feel giddy with happiness as I witness the transition from downtrodden, sad, lost beings into healthy, happy mustangs. Dickens stayed with Monroe and their ears move like radar when they hear the food cart approaching. As they graze on mustard plants in the pasture, yellow blossoms stick to their faces. Palli moved in with Silver, another gentle, white senior, who also likes to spend some of his time in the barn. In the morning, they shoot out of their pen like 2 year olds with a strong life force, overjoyed to be out on the grass.

#skydogdickens   #skydogpalli  #skydogmonroe

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 canned hunt ranches in Texas & Oklahoma, bringing an end to the BLM using Sale Authority to funnel wild equines into the slaughter pipeline, and stopping production of Premarin & other drugs made from pregnant mare urine.