At Mended Sparrow, Inc., our incredible horses—who serve as co-facilitators in our programs—each have a unique story. Every one of them came to us as a baby, ranging in age from just 2 days old to 9 months. Majority came from Canada, where the horse slaughter industry remains active. In 2023 alone, over 20,000 U.S. horses were exported for slaughter, while Canada slaughtered approximately 24,000 horses domestically. Among the most vulnerable are PMU (Pregnant Mare Urine) foals—babies born from mares used to produce hormone replacement drugs. These foals were often viewed as unwanted byproducts of the industry, with many ending up at auctions—just one step away from slaughter.

Several of the horses now in our care came from circumstances just like these. Some were PMU foals, others were born with serious medical conditions such as hernias or sarcoids, making them less likely to sell. One came to us severely underweight, with slipper hooves from a lack of care over its first winter of life. Many of our horses arrived with a combination of these challenges—young, vulnerable, medically compromised. Without intervention, they would have been just another horse sent to slaughter as a baby—or slowly lost to starvation.

At Mended Sparrow, we are honored to offer them a forever home—a place where they are not only safe but also deeply valued as teachers, companions, and powerful partners in human growth and connection.

We don’t pin their past to their profile, because their past is just that—the past. To stay present and move forward, we believe in giving others the space to do the same. Their strength is in how far they’ve come—and in how they help others do the same.

Each horse has reason for being here—co-facilitators in the work of growth, connection, and resilience—offering steady presence that allows transformation to unfold—not by their own power, but as part of something greater.

Meet the Horses—the steady, honest partners at the core of everything we do.