Marjorie MorningStar

This beautiful, gentle mare was close to 30 years old when we saw her all alone at a kill pen in Oklahoma. Blind in one eye with a coat in sad condition, her hooves were so long that she was tripping over them. The scars on her face suggest a halter was left on constantly, forcing her skin to grow into it. This is nothing short of abuse and horrible neglect. It breaks my heart to know how little she was valued or cared for.

The second I saw her, I knew we had to get her out of there - and quickly - before she caught some respiratory disease or worse. It rips my heart out to see the vulnerability, helplessness, and dignity in a horse that faces cruelty. This terribly thin, weak old girl allowed a man hop up on her back and took a couple of steps to oblige him. We could not turn away and hope that someone else would save her. Senior mustangs are a critical rescue priority for us.

The wonderful Steve Egner safely delivered Marjorie. His kind and gentle soul calms his passengers. Followers are as happy to see him as they are to see the animals when the trailer pulls into the ranch. It’s a great honor to have him in the Skydog family.

I’m so grateful for the farrier wizardry skills of our Equine Manager. Janelle usually waits a few days to let a horse settle before trimming their feet, but she was so concerned about Marjorie’s hooves that she got right to them. Trimmed feet not only brought her immediate relief, they are a symbol of her new life with all the love and care we can give her.

I have always loved the book Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk.  It's a magical name for a magical mare, especially one so bright and sweet.  She looks elderly, but acts younger and is happy to be handled by kind people. She’s gentle, affectionate, very kind, and loves being petted and stroked.

We placed her in a pen next to Violet and Rosa. They became fenceline friends, but Marjorie still needed time to herself to rest. When she was ready, we introduced her to their pen. Each mare let her pass by slowly, turning to follow her without any challenge. At sunset, Violet was standing watch beside her and it wasn’t long before they were grooming each other. Marjorie and Violet bonded so strongly that Rosa became something of a third wheel, so we moved her find a doting friend of her own. 

Marjorie’s bad eye was bothering her. She had surgery to remove it so it can’t cause her any more pain. During recovery, she was a little sad in the barn, but she healed quickly and was reunited with Violet. Silver had temporarily moved in with Violet to keep her company during her friend’s medical absence. We thought the stud pile he left in their pen might stir things up, but it didn’t. They settled right back down together. It warms my heart to see two old mares finding such happiness together after long years of hard work and neglect.

#skydogmarjorie

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.