Priscilla, Dalton & Shasta

Priscilla is a gorgeous mare, whom we found in the horrible Fabrizius kill pen in Colorado. She was with Swayze. Both were listed as BLM mustangs, but the lot told us their brands didn’t show up because of their white necks (which isn’t unusual). It was winter and we couldn’t be sure, but we said yes to taking them both. She was not as skinny as Swayze as he was sick and collapsed during the haul. She traveled well, but was found to have strangles when she arrived. Both horses went through quarantine together and became as close as two horses can be. As they regained their health, Priscilla grew bigger and bigger until we realized it was more than good nutrition. Priscilla was pregnant. We had rescued not two but three horses from shipping to slaughter.

Priscilla gave birth to Dalton and was a wonderful mother. Sadly, Swayze loved her, but he didn’t like the foal. Priscilla became aggressive to protect her baby whenever Swayze came near them. It wasn’t safe for them to be together as a family, so we separated them and Priscilla got on with raising Dalton as a single mother.

One day, we decided to try adding Dalton and Priscilla to Bear’s herd, where the babies could play. They thrived. Dalton became best friends with Whisper. Priscilla fell head-over-hooves in love with Jackson over the fence. We let her go over to Buddy’s herd to be with him until he passed away.

In May 2024, a newborn mule, Shasta, needed a nurse mare when her mother was unable to do so. We needed one who was tame and had given birth before. We narrowed down the list and chose Priscilla. We took her to the clinic, where they started her on hormones, and soon Priscilla began lactating. This was our first experience with this situation and we had no idea what to expect.

“Priscilla is perfect,” texted the vet with a video of Shasta drinking from her nurse mother. Priscilla’s maternal instincts must have have sensed that this baby needed her in every way. She rose to the task of being a mama again with love and kindness. Gently, she helped Shasta latch on. Calmly, she groomed, nuzzled, and guided her, standing over Shasta as her eyelids grew heavy with sleep.

When they returned to Skydog, they had to be isolated until Shasta was clear of clostridium. Once cleared, mother and daughter enjoyed the company of other mothers and foals in the baby pen. When she was big enough to go out with a big herd, Dalton came running up to greet them. Priscilla protectively shooed him away, but it wasn’t long before Shasta was hanging out with her new big brother.

We will never know why Sierra stopped nursing her foal. Whatever the reason, mother and daughter are doing beautifully in their own herds now. Sierra carried Shasta to term despite cruelty, neglect, and the terrible stress of a kill pen. Priscilla nourished and nurtured her with everything a happy baby could need.  The stunning generosity and love shown by this maternal mare to another mare’s baby has been heartwarming, uplifting, and we are grateful to her.

#skydogpriscilla #skydogdalton #skydogshasta

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.