“The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave.” — Ronald Duncan
Whether as friend, companion, worker, or wild and free, horses are, as stated above, noble and beautiful. I happened upon The Last Ark Orphanage rather by accident when searching for horse rescues (part personal and part research), and the first images I came across were difficult to view. They don't shy away from showing the suffering the horses endure, but it's worth watching as the triumphs come to light.
The Last Ark Orphanage
About The Last Ark Orphanage (from their website)
"The Last Ark Orphanage is a safe haven and sanctuary for animals and humans. Where horses that have endured abuse, neglect, trauma and suffering are given the space, freedom and love to heal and reconnect with the herd in the lap of nature herself.
Nestled within the blanket of a 400 acre native ecosystem in the Sierras of Uruguay, The Last Ark Orphanage homes rescued and rehabilitated horses.
(The following images are copyright by The Last Ark Orphanage, and used with permission.)
These horses would otherwise have ended up in the slaughterhouse for meat and human consumption - the horse meat industry having doubled in demand from three to six thousand horses per MONTH from 2021-2022 - after lives of slavery, maltreatment and abuse (the ‘Blood Mare’ industry that extracts the blood from artificially inseminated pregnant mares who are repeatedly impregnated and used until they either die or are sent to slaughter)." (The Last Ark Orphanage)
Visit The Last Ark Orphanage online ↓
“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and freedom.” —Sharon Ralls Lemon
A couple of weeks after I wrote the original post, prior to publishing it, I saw a notice on The Last Ark Orphanage IG page about the passing of Grace, who was truly a beautiful shining light. And then on February 16, Gaia, one of their beautiful spirits, welcomed a new life, and so the circle continues.
Their Instagram page shares truly inspiring messages, and for everyone who cherishes these remarkable souls, it is worth time to read and share.
There are many wonderful organizations around the world and amazing people behind them, who give so much of their time and resources to saving, nurturing, and loving horses. A simple search online will likely bring up a horse rescue near you, and even if donating with time and money is not an option, spreading the word so that others may discover and help will make a difference.
Since I'm in the Rockies, I'll share a few horse rescues found here, but again, there are so many all over the world.
I'm sorry to say that too many of the Rocky Mountain states do not have as strong of animal protection laws as they should, even sadder still considering how many glorious creatures—domestic and wild—live in these states (thank you Colorado for standing out from the rest). I'm not in favor of the many new laws we constantly find ourselves facing, except for when it comes to protecting those who cannot protect themselves: two-legged, four-legged, those in the sea and those in the air. Here's to hoping laws continue working in their favor, and that those who abuse them get their comeuppance.
Now, there was originally a Horses in Fiction section here, but after learning of Grace's passing, I opted to separate the posts. The Last Ark Orphange and the horses who live there don't need embellishment from fiction, so if you want to read that part, it's in a separate post: Horses in Fiction: From Black Beauty to Prince.