At 26, a friendly old chestnut horse who spent his life as a kids’ horse is Humanity For Horses oldest rescue.
Nineteen horses were saved by the Duncan-based horse rescue this weekend with funds donated by supporters including Canadian singer Jann Arden.
“We could have taken a lot more had we not been you know outbid. But yeah it’s a sad state of affairs,” Arden told CHEK News.
“It’s heart-wrenching,” said Humanity for Horses Rebecca Sanesh.
“You have blind horses, you have injured horses, you have babies.
Arden’s donation alone saved eight horses.
“We were able to rescue eight horses, which is better than nothing,” said Arden.
“But you know it really is amazing to me, that people would rather see these healthy beautiful animals go to a slaughterhouse floor than be rescued.
Arden is teaming up with Humanity for Horses and the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition to push for an end to horse slaughter and the shipment of live horses to Japan for meat.
They protested at Calgary’s Airport Tuesday as crates filled with horses for export were loaded onto planes.
“This is agriculture in a very sinister light,” said Arden.
“It’s not the agriculture of our grandparents or the pioneers that built the west.”
With the Duncan rescue now full, Humanity for Horses is now looking for homes for the 19 saved from slaughter this past weekend.
“The youngest is about six or seven months old,” said Sanesh.
“And the oldest is 26 so we have everything in between we have retired, we have kids horses,” she said.
With funds already donated to save the 19 horses, they will be adopted out for free. A contract must be signed that the horses will be going forever homes and the adopter will pay for shipping since they are all still in Alberta.
Skye Ryan
