The Onaqui 8

Red Bird Trust: 10-03-2022

For the month of October we are so excited to be able to share some gorgeous and emotion filled images by the lovely Kisa Kavass who was so incredibly generous in donating her time and talents to make the trip to Falcon Missouri to learn more about Dreamchasers PMU Sanctuary and the 8 Onaqui that they provided respite to after the 2021 roundup and the one more mare that came 8 months later to be reunited with her 2021 yearling filly Clover.

Kisa is not only an amazing photographer, but she is a phenomenal writer and story teller as well so we asked that she share some of her experience so we could all follow along in the journey. And the journey starts here…..

“The drive to Falcon, Missouri takes one along winding back country roads, undulating through the hilly green landscape. Turning off from the pavement onto a dirt gravel road, one is lead across a small bridge over a crystal clear creek and then after a mile or two, the horse rescue and sanctuary named Dreamchaser sits amongst the hills on beautiful grassy pastures.

Originally founded by Susan Thompson in Arizona in 2002, she later moved herself, her daughter and all the horses she had in her care at that time to Falcon, Missouri. Her dream of having the horses grazing free on green grass had finally come true. Susan founded the rescue in order to help the mares and foals that exist in the horrible Premarin cycle of breeding, birthing and then later death. Premarin is a well distributed drug, using the urine of pregnant mares, for hormone replacement therapy in women, such as in cases of menopause and hysterectomies. After discovering the torture that these Premarin mares were under in these money making labs and the fact that the foals were regularly sent to slaughter, her mission was not only to save horses but to educate women to the reality of Premarin and its side effects.”

 

Red Birds Trust: 10-11-2022

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We have been waiting (not so patiently) to be able to share the next installment of the feature with narrative and visual delights by Kisa Kavass and finally the day has come!

Red Birds Trust worked closely with Dreamchasers for many months prior to the online auction of the Onaqui to help to choose those mares and foals who would really benefit from reunification and also a very emaciated, darling little buckskin mare from the South Herd that needed extra TLC. She spent most of her time in a medical pen along with a large bay roan mare from the south herd. The roan was being treated regularly for an abscess on a front hoof that eventually healed perfectly (Denali = Mystique's mom) and the buckskin named Pollyanna very slowly put on a little bit of weight but didn't truly begin to recover and shine until she arrived home at Dreamchasers at the end of January (Maui/Lazy Lightening's mom).

Please join us in following along with the heartwarming growth and success of these Onaqui mares and their foals as they continue their lives together in Falcon, Missouri....

Kisa’s story of her time continued…

“Driving up to the cozy house I am greeted by Julie, who has been so much of the success of Dreamchaser since the rescue moved to Missouri. She is dedicated to this rescue and sanctuary and you can see it in her face, her eyes. The camaraderie that is seen between Susan and Julie easily transfers to the others working there and I believe is the reason that the horses feel at ease, it is the soul of the herd.

It is no wonder that when Susan heard about the plight of the Onaqui mustangs, she made room for them. So they joined Dreamchasers and have acclimated so well and look healthy and the best word is happy. They are comfortable and safe in large stalls in the beautiful barn and are turned out to round pens each day until they will soon be able to be out in the pastures with the other horses. The work involved in making sure that they will have a safe future involves some socialization, patience and routine so that they become good members of the Dreamchasers herd of animals.”

More to come next week about the lives and love that goes into making this sanctuary a great success!