Blue

Blue is a Black Pony whose estimated birthdate is April 21, 2004. He had been used as a Camp Horse in Vermont, but the camp owner decided to get rid of him because he was not a good candidate for being ridden “English.” Instead of trying to find him a safe and kind home, that callous owner dumped him at a slaughter auction in Agawam, Massachusetts.

The sad truth is that many Camp Horses and Ponies that children fall in love with during the summer might not be alive the following year. This is often the case with seasonal riding camps that lease their horses from killer buyers and horse dealers to whom the camps return the animals at summer’s end. If they determine that any of those horses have outlived their usefulness or just don’t want them, they will sell them at low-end auctions where many end up being sold for slaughter. This “throw-away” mentality also applies to horses and ponies used at dude ranches, riding academies, riding schools, and other riding establishments where the care is often substandard, and the animals are neglected and overworked. Many are mishandled, ridden without proper and professional oversight, tethered in the hot sun all day without adequate water, and treated inhumanely. Parents need to do their research to make sure that they send their children to reputable riding camps and other places with riding programs that do not dispose of their animals at auction or place them in dangerous situations. At Equine Advocates, we focus on Responsible Horse Guardianship as part of our Humane Education Program, which is so important in preventing horses and other equines from falling through the cracks. 

Blue and his best friend, a Standard Donkey named Jasper, were both rescued at different auctions in 2017. They came to the sanctuary together on April 24, 2025.

Blue is proudly sponsored by supporters from Prospect Heights, Illinois and Hudson, New York.

More Sponsors Welcome!

Photo credit: Alex Valverde