Nemo

Nemo is a Chestnut Quarter Horse Gelding whose estimated birthdate is June 14, 2001. He worked for twelve years as a camp horse at a now-defunct upstate New York dude ranch where conditions were cruel and pathetically substandard. He and the other horses at this ranch were reportedly tethered and tacked up for hours in the hot sun during the summer months. Nemo has permanent scars on both sides of his mouth from the severe equipment he was forced to wear during trail rides. It is not known where most of those other horses went when this dude ranch shut down in the spring of 2022, but we were told that some ended up at a low-end horse auction where horse dealers and killer buyers could bid on them. Nemo’s life was saved due to the kindness and compassion of one individual who got him out of there, thus saving him from ending up on the auction block. He arrived at the sanctuary on December 18, 2022.

Over the years, Equine Advocates has rescued and provided sanctuary for many camp horses. Every spring, we revive our campaign urging parents to thoroughly research summer riding camps, dude ranches, riding academies, national children’s organizations, and resorts that offer horseback riding, as well as school and therapeutic riding programs to make sure that none of these places lease their horses from killer buyers and other nefarious individuals who send horses to auction and into the slaughter pipeline. There are very good riding programs out there for both children and adults, but one must take the time to do the research and ask the right questions so that the unethical and inhumane treatment of horses is not supported by unsuspecting parents who just are not aware of how some of these places operate. It is also a serious safety issue for children who ride horses who are not fed and cared for properly. Rescuing a camp or school horse is one of the best and most rewarding experiences one can have because they generally are wonderful and safe to ride for both kids and adults.

Fortunately, Nemo will spend the rest of his life here at Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary. His story will be a way to educate visitors and the public about the sad fate of equines used at many dude ranches, summer camps, and riding programs. It is part of our mission to better inform people on how to avoid the bad places like the one Nemo came from and locate the reputable ones where horses receive good care and are not disposed of at auction when the summer season is over or simply outlive their usefulness.

Nemo is proudly sponsored by supporters from Sun Lakes, Arizona; South Bend, Indiana; Ithaca, New York; New Paltz, New York; Rensselaer, New York and Austin, Texas.

More Sponsors Welcome!