Equine Advocates Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary in Chatham, New York

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, I had the pleasure of visiting Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary as part of the Chatham New York Second Annual Drive & Bike Open Farm Tour. I was unaware of the existence of Safe Home until a few days before the open house, but an unexpected encounter with a handsome gentleman would change all that.

Strolling along the village streets of Chatham, New York one sunny autumn afternoon, I spotted a picture of Charlie in a local shop window and my heart skipped a beat. I didn't know much about Charlie, there was just a photo and some information, but I felt an immediate connection with him. Could it be a case of love at first sight? I was determined to meet this handsome stranger and find out more about him.

The warm yet blustery day I saw Charlie's photo was the beginning of my excellent equine adventure. Charlie, known by his full name of Charlie Horse, is a beautiful Arabian with a white face, gray muzzle, and a soulful expression. He's one of the lucky residents of Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary, a horse rescue facility operated by a nonprofit equine rescue organization called Equine Advocates, located a few miles north of the village of Chatham, New York.

I was quite smitten with Charlie (and all the other rescued equines shown in the Equine Advocates display in a Chatham shop window) so I was determined to find this equine sanctuary. I left the Chatham village and drove north on Route 66 until I could see the sign for "Equine Advocates." Approaching the equine rescue I could see a number of horses standing in a field; their beauty, innocence and grace touched my heart deeply, and I vowed to attend the next Equine Advocates open house.

When I arrive at Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary on an unusually hot, late September afternoon, I am greeted by several friendly, equine-loving volunteers. I begin my visit at the Equine Advocates Humane Education Center, which holds symposiums, workshops, seminars and lectures to educate visitors about equine care, humane treatment of horses and important equine issues. After I receive some information about the organization and a map of the facilities, I set off to explore the sanctuary.

As I tour Safe Home I meet Susan Wagner, who is walking Bobby, a rescued New York City carriage horse and a newer resident of the sanctuary. Wagner is the founder and president of Equine Advocates, a nonprofit that saves horses, ponies, mules and donkeys from slaughter and abuse. She explains that when she began the organization in 1996, she worked out of her New York City apartment. The Equine Advocates organization has grown over the years and now includes Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary, a 140-acre equine rescue facility established in 2004 that is a shining example of how horses should be treated.

The sanctuary is designed to provide the best possible experience for these rescued animals that have been through so much in their lives and deserve a safe haven. I was impressed by the care that went into constructing the facilities at Safe Home, and the barns and paddock areas are beautifully done. Each animal living at the sanctuary has a clean and spacious stall and enjoys fresh water, plenty of food, proper veterinary and dental care, the attention of caring human beings, and the company of other equines.

Equines are herd animals so the many residents of Safe Home hang out together all day in the many fields at the sanctuary. The animals here form strong bonds with each other, and when Charlie Horse leaves the barn for a moment to get a bath from two volunteers, a rescued Appaloosa named Dallas keeps calling out to him until Charlie returns to the barn for feeding time.

Charlie and Dallas are inseparable and they are also close with Bobby; these geldings spend their days together in the "Mellow Fellows Field" with seven other horses. I come upon a group of beautiful horses basking in the sun, and they are quite eager to greet me: Melanie, a lovely and gentle PMU offspring; her mother Peggy, a rescued PMU mare; and Ella and Jasmine, also rescued PMU horses (I learn that many rescued PMU mares and their foals live together at Safe Home). Pregnant Mares Urine (or PMU) horses are those rescued from PMU industry factory farms where mares are held in inhumane conditions and repeatedly impregnated for their urine, which is used to make drugs like Premarin.

All the horses in the field are quite open and friendly but Melanie takes a real shine to me. Eager for attention, she follows my every move as I walk along. Despite all the many horrors these animals have endured, the horses enjoy the attention of visitors, which is a testament to the loving care they receive at Safe Home when they are rescued by Equine Advocates. My heart melts as Melanie puts her head over the fence and touches her nose to mine (she has the softest muzzle I've ever felt).

I want to linger a while longer with sweet Melanie, but there are so many horses to meet at the sanctuary, and I only have a few hours, so I move on toward an enclosure occupied by a few of the more unusual residents of Safe Home. The sanctuary also cares for an alpaca, and a few pygmy goats, as well as donkeys and mules; together with the horses and ponies, there are almost one hundred animals living at the facility.

Every horse in residence at Equine Advocates Safe Home has a story, and photos and information about how each equine was rescued are posted near the barn stalls and paddocks. Horses come to Safe Home in a variety of ways: some are mares and foals that were rescued from PMU farms; some like Clive, Marty and Beau were badly mistreated horses seized in animal cruelty cases; some were saved from equine slaughter operations; and some were rescued from animal parks.

A visit to Equine Advocates Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary is as educational as it is inspiring. EquineAdvocates.org is an excellent resource to learn more about equine rescue and ways you can help horses. From the brochures I receive before my tour and Equine Advocates' informative website, I learn more about the many ways that equines are mistreated and abused and how the organization works to rescue them from neglect, cruelty and slaughter.

There are many ways to get involved with Equine Advocates and help rescue horses. Make a tax deductible donation to support Equine Advocates or consider sponsoring one of the rescued equines at Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary (sponsorships start at fifty dollars a month and sponsors come from all over the country). Dedicate a bench, or purchase the Equine Advocates children's book Do Horses Sleep Standing Up? that promotes humane education.

Equine Advocates also seeks volunteers who love horses and there are many ways to donate your time. The organization also welcomes donations of goods; call or check out the Equine Advocates website for more information about what is needed and how to volunteer or donate your services.

Broadway and television actress Bebe Neuwirth is a supporter of Equine Advocates, and in the summer of 2009, she received the Equine Advocates Safe Home Equine Protection Award for her strong public stance opposing horse slaughter (movie star and horse lover Bo Derek, also passionately opposed to horse slaughter, received the award in 2010).

As I am about to leave the sanctuary I take one last walk through the barn where Charlie Horse and Dallas are eating some hay, along with fellow residents Clifford and the stunning Ally, a rescued Thoroughbred and former show horse who had been abandoned and left in a stall for over a year. I see former carriage horse Bobby surrounded by visitors young and old, and he soaks up the attention. A young Equine Advocates volunteer relates Bobby's story and answers questions from visitors.

Bobby was recently rescued by Equine Advocates from impending slaughter and he has blossomed under their care. It's hard to imagine that relaxed and peaceful Bobby has know anything but safety and loving attention; however, the scars on his face and neck tell a different story, one of harsh treatment and neglect he endured as a New York City carriage horse.

Fortunately for horses like Bobby, there is a sanctuary like Safe Home and a rescue organization like Equine Advocates. If you love have a fondness for animals and love horses, and you are concerned for their welfare, you'll sleep better at night knowing that Equine Advocates is here, rescuing endangered equines, promoting the humane and responsible treatment of horses, and educating the public.

Equine Advocates Safe Home Equine Rescue & Sanctuary welcomes visitors by appointment only; however, the organization sometimes has open houses where visitors can tour the facilities and meet the residents. For more information about Equine Advocates and to find out ways to get involved, call them at (518) 245-1599 or visit the website: www.equineadvocates.org.

Sources:

Equine Advocates Official Site:

http://www.equineadvocates.org

Chatham Agricultural Partnership:

http://www.ChathamKeepFarming.org