Mustang Movie a Fine Fit With SAFE Act Campaign

Years ago, I threw a leg over a great big living room sofa of a pony for a trail ride through the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, Calif., up there near Lassen Volcanic National Park. At one point, the lead wrangler pulled us riders to a stop in a stand of trees and said, "Hold still, be quiet, and watch." A few minutes later, they came running. Mustangs, wild horses, a pack of maybe 20 raced by in a blur of grays and bays, oblivious to our civilized presence. Then they were gone, taking our breath away. That memory, still vivid after all these years, is why I urge everyone within earshot of this column to watch this movie. It's called "The Mustang: America's Wild Horses." You will not spend a more rewarding, more inspiring 87 minutes in front of a screen this weekend, or any other. The panoramic film, directed by Steven Latham and Conrad Stanley, includes segments on mustang "makeovers," akin to the burgeoning Thoroughbred makeover world, as well as the use of adopted and trained mustangs in therapeutic programs aiding military veterans in their post-combat struggles with physical and psychological damage. "The Mustang: America's Wild Horses" boasts a core of heavyweight executive produces, including Robert Redford, who serves as narrator, and rock's own Patti Scialfa and her Olympic equestrian daughter, Jessica Springsteen (silver medal, team jumping, Tokyo 2020). They even got Jessica's dad to write and sing a song for the soundtrack, called "Chasin' Wild Horses." It's not exactly "Born to Run," but it's pretty darn good. There's not a Thoroughbred to be found, though. It's mustangs, wall-to-wall, an iconic brand more American than mother, jazz, and apple pie. We love our Thoroughbreds, to be sure. But there's nothing like a mustang to appreciate the deepest, prehistoric qualities of the genus Equus. That part of the Thorpedo Anna package they call a grizzly? That's the mustang in her, always busting to run free. Thoroughbreds are prep school and Ivy League, born with silver spoons and servants at the ready. Bred in captivity, monetized from day one, their numbers are controlled by economics. They race, they breed, and they perform for our pocketbooks and pleasure, romantic commodities who live in a twilight zone defined by a conflicting mix of dollars and good conscience. In contrast, mustangs are dropped in the rugged wilds of the American plains, unsheltered and on the move. Once they numbered in the millions and were harvested for use in the big cities, pulling cable cars and milk trucks, or on America's farms, dragging plows. When cars replaced horses, horses were sold for wars, and when the wars were over, mustangs were slaughtered for dog food, then fertilizer, until the United States population of wild horses roaming government land was less than 20,000, spread over millions of acres and being killed to near extinction. If it sounds like a tough life, it is, although nature has adapted the mustang to its hardscrabble conditions, while Thoroughbreds are pampered gladiators, never wanting for three squares a day. But wait. There is one other vital difference between today's American mustang and his posh Thoroughbred cousin: One can be sold off for slaughter across the border in Canada or Mexico, the other cannot. Half a century ago, in the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 passed by the U.S. Congress and signed with gusto by Richard Nixon, mustangs were declared "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people." The Act ended the killing of mustangs on government land, or harvesting them for slaughter, and the herds were rejuvenated. The same protection does not exist for America's privately owned racehorses, whether Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, or Quarters. Once deemed no longer an engine of profit, a racehorse can end up in a pipeline headed across the U.S. border to a slaughter-friendly nation, and there is nothing to legally stop the journey. Upwards of 80% of the polled American public opposes the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Apparently, they buy into the idea that horses, even with dollar signs dangling from their halters, are not to be considered a food crop, and to treat them that way as an afterthought of original intent is a cruel betrayal. Other cultures can have it their way, but if the Japanese and French want to eat Secretariat sushi and Tiznow tartare, let them grow their own. For more than 20 years, federal legislation to end all aspects of the slaughter trade has failed to move to the main floors of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The most recent version is the SAFE Act (Save America's Forgotten Equines) that went nowhere in the 118th Congress. Now, the 119th Congress has another chance. The SAFE Act of 2025 was introduced this month, once again with bipartisan sponsorship and support. Chris Heyde, whose Blue Marble Strategy has been a leading advocate to end all remnants of the U.S. horse slaughter trade, hopes the SAFE Act can be attached to the massive farm bill that currently occupies considerable Congressional attention. "There are a number of pathways to passage for the SAFE Act," Heyde said. "We know it's going to be difficult for a divided Congress to pass anything other than the most essential measures, but I remain positive because of the bipartisan support the issue has received. It's important for the public to keep the pressure on their representatives." There are about 19,000 horses exported annually to slaughter from the U.S. these days. The number has been considerably reduced over the decades, but it is still about 19,000 horses too many. The SAFE Act would cut the number to zero, unless someone wants to break the law. Conversely, the wild horse population has increased to some 70,000 on federal lands and another 60,000 in holding facilities run by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Neither the land nor the facilities can hope to humanely sustain such numbers. Since the 1971 legislation, the BLM has attempted to reduce the wild horse population through round-ups, adoption, and attrition, a strategy that has comprehensively failed. The only real solution is fertility control, an application of biological science and simple math that would lead to a manageable and stabilized population. "The Mustang: America's Wild Horses" presents the case for the annual darting of mustang mares with a vaccine that prevents pregnancy. It works, and it could be a solution to wild horse overpopulation if given the heroic commitment it deserves. An amount of federal funding has been approved, but now even that funding could be in jeopardy from the current administration's passion for downsizing government spending across the board. Return to Freedom, the California-based operator of wild horse sanctuaries in places like Lompoc and San Luis Obispo, is the one-stop resource for information about both the SAFE Act and mustang fertility control. Neda DeMayo, one of those angels among us, is the founder, president, and indefatigable force behind Return to Freedom's mission, which is prominently featured in the film. With a couple of clicks, you can find the site (https://returntofreedom.org), lobby your Congressional representative to support the SAFE Act and preserve funding for mustang population control, and then watch "The Mustang: America's Wild Horses." The Boss will approve.