Around the farm

New trails is a rescue that helps any horse in need.

All of the horses on our farm are rescued from a direct ship kill pen.  Many were sick and thin and needed months of re-feeding and rehabilitation to help them heal.  We only allow adoptions for horses that are well rehabilitated, adjusted, and have had 6 months to a year to just be a horse on the farm and relax. Those who are too “broken” to find a new home remain on the property as sanctuary horses.

So what is the kill pen and how do horses get there?

A kill pen has a direct contract with slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico to ship a certain number of horses to them per month.

Horses are taken to auction when their “useful” life is over due to age, injury or sickness. Wild mustangs are also notorious for ending up in this situation due to being sold to inexperienced owners who cannot train them.  Kill buyers attend these auctions and are able to buy these horses for a low price.  The horses are then weighed and priced per pound.  Awaiting shipment they are crammed into small pens and given just enough hay and water to sustain them to make the long journey to their death.

What can you do to help?

New Trails is a strong advocate for the SafeAct.  In the United States horses are considered domesticated pets and slaughter has been banned, this has opened the borders for the horses to be shipped to Canada and Mexico.  If the SafeAct is passed shipping horses to other countries would also be banned.