LAKOTA

Lakota is a South Steens gelding, who was rounded up as a baby and then adopted out. His adopter sent him for training. He had a serious sheath infection, which was made worse by hornet bites. After training, he wasn't worked with, so he reverted to being semi-wild.

He was given for free to a woman, who wasn't told about his medical issues. Over time, the infection got worse and she didn’t have the funds to have it treated aggressively. People tried to retrain him, but he snapped and reacted aggressively, badly injuring several people. After doing so much to try to help him, his owner finally reached out to us. She absolutely loves him, but at the same time, she wants wav more for him than she knew she could give - and that's truly selfless.

Lakota wants to be free. After he receives vet care, we feel he has a good chance of that here at Skydog. We wanted to take him immediately as he had jumped out of his pen, wanting to get to other horses. We were afraid he might hurt himself, so we started fundraising immediately. Lakota is home thanks to every single one of you who understood his need and stepped up for him.

This beautiful boy seems a little shut down and overwhelmed to be here. He went straight to drinking and eating and was a calm and happy horse by the afternoon. The vet will see him and do a complete run down of blood work and examination to see where we can help him and what he needs. His sheath is very swollen and we hope that treatment will reduce the size and discomfort it causes him.

I have high hopes for him having met him. After spending some time getting to know him, I have fallen in love. He's sweet and gentle and so pretty.. He seems to sense he's in a good place, thanks to the energy of the horses on either side of him, Love and Buddy. I would love to introduce him to Wild Boy’s herd as there are so many horses he can befriend out there. But first things first. Let's get him diagnosed and begin his rehab to make him comfortable and pain free as soon as possible.

#skydoglakota

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.