These horse rescues will make you believe in miracles ✨ When a family of wild horses got captured and separated, one woman dedicated her life to tracking each one down so they could be free together again ❤️
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00The day we rescued Dream, I remember I cried and I kept saying, I'm so sorry.
00:26You could see how weak she was, but you could see a tiny spark of life in her eyes.
00:31I felt like she wants to fight and she wants to come back.
00:39And that little light just grew and grew and grew every day.
00:44I just sat on her hay tub and I stroked her neck and told her that everything was going
00:49to be all right.
00:50She was safe now.
00:51I wonder what she's thinking, I wonder what she's remembering.
01:00She was a branded Mustang and was probably the most emaciated, skinniest horse that we
01:07had ever taken in, but we just jumped in with both feet and we took all the precautions
01:12that we could.
01:13There's a beautiful board with the times of her feeds.
01:19The Dream team, please read Dream's schedule for feeds.
01:25Every day was a reward.
01:26Hello.
01:27Are you feeling pretty, girl?
01:28I used to get out of bed the minute the sun came up and I would walk down and if I didn't
01:35see her, I would be like, dreamy dream, good morning dreamer, hi pretty girl.
01:43And she started waiting for me at the fence.
01:45Good morning.
01:46Hello, good morning.
01:47The sun's coming out just for you, my girl, just for you, hello, good morning.
01:57It was probably the biggest connection I've ever had with a horse.
02:01It almost felt like we were going through this together.
02:04By six months, she really was looking almost back to normal.
02:10Hello, girlie, hello, dreamy, hello, dreamy, oh, you're such a good girl.
02:16Shall I show everyone how well you're looking?
02:18Shall we show everyone?
02:20She's just really come back to life in such an extraordinary way.
02:25All the little firsts, the first time that she could have as much hay as she wanted.
02:30Here's Dream this morning, stop dropping all your hay, you silly girl.
02:34Or the first time that she rolled and got back up.
02:40And the first time that she ran.
02:48All of those things were so meaningful, they were steps in her recovery.
02:53Once she got her energy back, it was almost like she didn't know what to do with it.
02:58It was kind of hard to contain her for a little while, but we just did it.
03:02We let her get it all out.
03:04Joe Pesci was a young donkey that we rescued from Texas.
03:09From the first time that Dream met him, she was madly in love.
03:14It was like her entire life now revolved around Joe.
03:18Suddenly he had this helicopter mom that would follow him everywhere.
03:22She just loved him.
03:23I think she's a bit of a caretaker herself.
03:27She's a miracle.
03:28She has such a special place in my heart.
03:30All the horses here have stories, but there's something about Dream's spirit
03:35that just inspires us to rescue more and to do it for Dream.
03:39Because she loves her life so much, it's a gift that we want to give other horses.
03:44Dream did so much to change me inside.
03:48To almost open my heart even wider.
03:50To kind of fill me with more compassion and love towards these horses.
03:55And just vow to do more to help them.
03:57We opened the trailer door and he ran out.
04:05I just remember Phoenix looking around, seeing the trees and the grass
04:10and sniffing the air.
04:12That was a really emotional moment for me.
04:15We were giving him back his freedom.
04:17So they say a horse that rolls all the way over three times, and he did it four.
04:21I think we knew that about Phoenix already.
04:23He just went and proved it.
04:27I saw this photograph of Phoenix jumping over a barrier
04:31and I'd never seen anything like that.
04:33I decided to find and adopt him.
04:35A whole year later, I was finally able to adopt him.
04:39But I couldn't find their mare, who was also missing.
04:42So I decided to adopt him.
04:44And I was able to do it.
04:47I was finally able to adopt him.
04:49But I couldn't find their mare, who was also in the picture.
04:52I always looked for his mare and I never saw her.
04:56The first week, we brought a whole bunch of boys in for Phoenix.
05:02He made friends.
05:03But he was always a little standoffish.
05:05He never really pushed himself to the front.
05:07I always felt like there was a little bit of loss with him.
05:10Because when he jumped the fence and could have just run away free,
05:15he came back to look for his family.
05:17He didn't want to leave them there.
05:19But in the end, he lost them anyway.
05:21I was sad that he didn't have any of them.
05:25I would go up to Phoenix and he would be staring off,
05:29like he was looking for something.
05:31Scanning the horizon, he was still searching,
05:33thinking he might see his family.
05:37A couple of months ago, someone had sent me a picture of a horse.
05:40I stopped and I looked.
05:42I had the picture of Phoenix's mare on one side
05:45and her picture on the other side.
05:46I'm looking here and looking there.
05:48Oh, she has brown ears.
05:49Oh, she has brown from her knees down.
05:51It's her.
05:52A horse I never thought I'd see again.
05:54It was like seeing a ghost.
05:56After two years of looking for this horse.
05:59So that's where she got her name.
06:02We waited a couple of weeks and then we brought Ghost down
06:05and we opened the gate.
06:07Phoenix was on the other side of the hill.
06:09But he heard her and he came trotting over the hill.
06:13You hear him call to her when he first sees her.
06:16He looked at her and it was almost like he couldn't believe it.
06:21They both bend their necks into each other,
06:24breathing each other in,
06:26just to make sure it's really you.
06:34Oh my gosh.
06:36Oh my gosh, Phoenix and Ghost back together again.
06:39I had tears pouring down my face
06:41because these wild horses had been separated for two years
06:44and in that moment it was like they had never been apart.
06:48It's Phoenix and Ghost. Ghost is sticking close to Phoenix.
06:54It's like they've never been apart.
06:56To a wild horse's family is everything.
06:59The bonds that they form are so precious and so deep.
07:02There isn't any doubt that they know and love each other.
07:06They constantly touch their nose to each other
07:10just to check they're still there almost,
07:12like they don't believe this is real.
07:15I see such confidence in Phoenix's walk.
07:18I see all that sadness has gone.
07:20I'm happier knowing that Phoenix and Ghost are together forever.
07:25They get to grow old together and that's the best thing.
07:40This helicopter was chasing this wild horse and his family
07:45to capture and take away their freedom forever.
07:48Blue Zeus was at the head. They ran in a line.
07:53It was very difficult to watch these horses lose their freedom.
07:57I felt heartbroken.
08:03Blue Zeus was a wild horse who lived on the ranges
08:07of Wyoming. I followed him and his family for years.
08:11That was the epitome of a wild horse family
08:15that were so bonded and so loving.
08:18You could feel how much his family meant to him.
08:22He fought for his mares and was the most loving
08:26and gentle father to his babies.
08:29Having a wild horse sanctuary, I always had this feeling
08:34in my heart, as long as Blue Zeus and his family
08:37were wild and free, then we had something to fight for.
08:41I never really let myself become attached to a wild horse
08:45because I knew that there was always the possibility
08:49that he could be rounded up with his family.
08:52But none of them touched my heart like Blue Zeus.
08:55I bought six-foot-tall print of him, a wild photographer,
08:59and I would look at him as I walked out.
09:02He was what we were fighting for here at SkyDog.
09:06Keep horses wild and free.
09:08Do you see them?
09:10There's Cotton, and Gigi, and Ladybug.
09:14Hi, guys!
09:18Then everything changed.
09:20Blue Zeus and his family was captured by the Bureau of Land Management
09:24as our public lands are cleared of wild horses
09:27in favor of livestock.
09:29They were then branded and sent to different off-range facilities
09:33to spend the rest of their lives in a dirt pen.
09:37I made a promise in my mind that I would do everything
09:41to get him out of there.
09:44Every day, I continued to write and email and call
09:48and ask to be allowed to see him.
09:51For days, I prayed that he would survive.
09:56Then we finally got notification
09:59that there was to be an adoption event.
10:04He had a lot of cuts and marks on him,
10:07but it was him.
10:09Even though he was a shadow of his former self,
10:12he still had this nobility and pride.
10:18I was the only person in the world
10:21who was able to see Blue Zeus.
10:24I was the only person to bid on him,
10:27and I wrote $25, which is the lowest you can go.
10:35I remember this extraordinary feeling of thinking,
10:38$25 wouldn't even buy a picture of him,
10:42but I just bought the horse.
10:44How on earth can his life be reduced to that?
10:48He jumped into that trailer, and he didn't look back
10:52as if he knew he was going to a better place.
10:58When we got to my sanctuary, he jumped out.
11:01He was off.
11:03Just to see him be back in a place with land to roam on,
11:06it meant the world to me.
11:08Oh, my God!
11:11But it really was the start of the next part of the journey.
11:15He often would be standing by himself
11:18and just gaze out to the horizon.
11:21I always felt that there was a huge part of him missing,
11:24so I made him a promise I would bring him his family back,
11:27and it became my life mission.
11:30The task went back to emailing and calling and writing
11:33and asking to get into the facility until we were allowed to.
11:37You won't be standing alone very much longer
11:41because we're bringing your family home.
11:44I know you lost them,
11:47but we're going to bring them home,
11:50and we're going to make life happier for you.
11:53So just hang in there.
11:56Two months later, we were able to find all of his family.
11:59I was in disbelief.
12:02It was magnificent.
12:05I couldn't wait to reunite them at SkyDog.
12:08Here he comes. Here he comes.
12:11There's Blue Zeus.
12:14He knew who he was running to.
12:18Oh, my gosh.
12:21He ran, and they all followed him in a line.
12:24Look at him go.
12:27High-trotting, family running after him.
12:30Look how proud.
12:33Saying hello to each one of his mares.
12:36They're like, Dad, where have you been?
12:39You got your family back.
12:42It was the most special experience
12:45It was the most spectacular dance
12:48that I've ever seen.
12:51I remember thinking, what an enormous thing we've done
12:54to reunite such a large family
12:57and watch them live out the rest of their days.
13:00It was like a dream coming true.
13:03I didn't know that I was ever going to be able to keep that promise to Blue Zeus,
13:06but the fact that I was and have
13:09means the world to me.
13:13They're never going to be chased again.
13:16They're never going to be separated again.
13:19Blue Zeus will always be my North Star.
13:22He's my spiritual teacher.
13:25He's taught me values of patience and determination
13:28and living in the moment and not giving up.
13:31It's amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind to it.
13:43When I went to see them
13:46for the very first time,
13:49I was so struck by how shut down they were.
13:52They had been taken from the wild
13:55to the kill pen
13:58and they had learned to survive
14:01by just checking out and sleeping.
14:04We had to rescue them.
14:07This one horse would turn her ears to me.
14:10She seemed to be hanging on to every word
14:13and I felt like she was the most connected.
14:16She was a really red looking horse
14:19so I just thought of the name Ladybug.
14:22Hi Ladybug.
14:25Such a good girl.
14:28These horses jumped on that trailer
14:31as if they knew they were going to a better place.
14:34We drove all the way from Colorado to Oregon
14:37and they traveled so well.
14:40They were the perfect horses to haul.
14:43Hey guys, how are you doing?
14:46You're traveling so well, aren't you?
14:49You're traveling so well.
14:52Here comes Ladybug and here comes Goose.
14:55Next day the vet came out to examine them.
14:58They were all very thin and had ribs showing.
15:01Once we built them up and got their health back
15:05we turned them out with a herd
15:08so that they could get back a taste of the freedom they'd lost.
15:11But then the most extraordinary thing happened.
15:14The vet called me up and said Ladybug is pregnant.
15:17We all got incredibly excited
15:20that Ladybug was going to be a mom
15:23and she could have her baby in peace.
15:26Hi Ladybug.
15:29You're back wild.
15:32I had to go out and check on her and see if she had grown anymore.
15:35The most beautiful transformation was
15:38that Ladybug went from being a completely wild horse
15:41that had never been touched
15:44and now will come close and sees humans
15:47as kind and gentle and as friends.
15:50Hi Ladybug.
15:53The morning that the baby was born
15:56I had to look twice.
16:00I was really confused because I was looking at the baby
16:03and it had really big ears
16:06and then I realized it was a mule.
16:09Good morning Ladybug and Firefly.
16:12Good morning Ladybug and Firefly.
16:15Good morning buddy.
16:18Good morning little man.
16:21Good morning.
16:24I think having Firefly really was
16:27the final piece of the puzzle for Ladybug.
16:30There's a certain part of her that understands
16:33the life that she has to bring her baby Firefly up in
16:36is so different from the one that she lived before
16:39and Firefly will never know fear.
16:42He's got all the love and the care that he needs.
16:45He runs around as if the whole world is his playground
16:48and it's a beautiful thing to watch.
16:51It's the greatest reward
16:54seeing this baby run free with his mom
16:57and to give her back all the things that she valued
17:00which was family and freedom.
17:09The day Goliath arrived at our sanctuary
17:12we were all so excited to see how he would react
17:15when he sees his love after having been separated
17:19for over six months.
17:22We opened the gates for Red Lady
17:25and she trotted out.
17:28It was extraordinary because somehow she knew
17:31Oh my gosh!
17:34Goliath came running and the first thing he did
17:37was touch his nose to her belly.
17:40Oh my gosh!
17:43That moment I understood that he knew
17:46and she was going to have their baby.
17:49It was just a glorious sight.
17:56So I just found out that Goliath and his family
17:59have been captured.
18:02I just don't know how to feel or react right now.
18:05I'm just devastated.
18:08When I heard Goliath and his family had been captured
18:11it was really heartbreaking.
18:15We had to remove wild horses and make room
18:18for cattle and sheep.
18:21I knew I had to find Goliath and give him back his freedom
18:24and his family.
18:29There were many challenges during the process.
18:32We weren't entirely sure if we would be able to find
18:35any of his family.
18:38Three weeks later we won the bid for Goliath.
18:41We loaded him onto the trailer
18:44and he set off across four states to us.
18:50So I have some incredibly good news for everyone this morning.
18:53The lady who adopted Goliath's lead mare
18:56wants to actually send her to Skydog
18:59to reunite with Goliath.
19:02It's just incredible news.
19:05So we made plans to transport Red Lady
19:08to our sanctuary in Oregon.
19:11Here he comes. Here he comes.
19:14Oh my gosh.
19:17Oh my gosh.
19:23Hi. Good morning. Congratulations my boy.
19:26Oh you've had a beautiful son.
19:29Two months after Bodhi was born
19:32Hi little baby.
19:35Oh what you doing in there?
19:39It was a wonderful happy ending for both of them.
19:42Not only they had been reunited
19:45but now they really were a family.
19:48Hi little Bodhi.
19:53Hi. Where's your good boy Bodhi?
19:56Hi Bodhi. Oh so handsome.
19:59Thank you Bodhi.
20:02Later on we rescued a zonkey named ZZ
20:05who was going to a canned hunt ranch in Texas.
20:08Hi ZZ.
20:11He is a zonkey.
20:14He's a cross between a zebra and a donkey.
20:17Aren't you?
20:20Look at all those stripes.
20:23We were worried that obviously
20:26we didn't have another animal like him
20:29but one day I noticed Bodhi and ZZ play fighting
20:32and it was very unusual.
20:36It never happened one time
20:39but then every time I drove by
20:42ZZ and Bodhi would be playing and playing and playing.
20:45They would both go down on their knees
20:48and nip each other up their necks.
20:51It's really wonderful because Bodhi didn't have a friend
20:54that he could learn to play fight with
20:57which mustangs do in the wild
21:00but he had found it in ZZ.
21:03That's what inspires me.
21:11Rescuing Goliath and Red Lady
21:14and watching the very obvious love
21:17that they have for each other
21:20confirmed to me everything I'd ever thought
21:23about wild horse family.
21:26It is so important to these horses
21:29to stay with their families
21:32and Red Lady really inspired every family
21:35that we've reunited since.
21:41He's running to his family.