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On March 8, Unbridled Sanctuary commemorated a life that nearly vanished into the shadows of neglect.

 Miss Libby, a valiant New York-bred Thoroughbred mare, embraced her 15th year under a mantle of love and protection, a stark contrast to the ordeals that once shadowed her existence. Her life story, fraught with challenges, is not just a testament to survival but also illuminates the fragile fate of many equine souls.

Born in Saratoga at McMahon Thoroughbreds, Miss Libby was a home-bred; McMahon owned her mother (dam), Via Mizner, and stood her father (sire) Desert Warrior at stud for a $5,000 breeding fee. Miss Libby was bred to sell, race, and earn monetary awards. Before the age of two, Miss Libby was sold through public auctions three times for $63,100.

With a spirit as unyielding as the wind, Miss Libby graced the racetracks of Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga 40 times. She served four different trainers with her whole heart, giving all that was asked of her in rhythm with the applause that once echoed her name. She knew the taste of victory and the glow of the spotlight. When she could no longer race, her earnings tallied $66,581.

Yet, as the seasons changed, so did her fortunes. The cheers faded into silence and the limelight dimmed, leaving her to face a future uncertain and fraught with peril.

Within four months of her final race, Miss Libby was impregnated in the same breeding shed in which she was conceived in Saratoga. Mated with McMahon’s stallion Teuflesberg, her role shifted from competitor to mother, where she devoted herself to nurturing her foals with the same resolve and strength that marked her racing days. But this phase, too, was transient, and her worth, once celebrated in accolades and awards, was cruelly diminished to the flesh on her bones.

After giving birth to three foals for McMahon, Miss Libby was sold to a breeder in West Virginia for whom she carried and nurtured a fourth foal, a colt who became known as Angela’s Romeo. To date, he has won $71,214. No longer wanted, Miss Libby was priced by the pound and sold to a horse meat broker. On the broker’s lot, her life hung in the balance.

Rescued on the eve of Christmas 2023, Miss Libby’s transition from the brink of despair to Unbridled Sanctuary was laden with an overwhelming anxiety. The starvation, the scars of cruelty, and the fear induced by the chaos she suffered in the slaughter pipeline presented in a palpable terror of the unknown. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces and environments, she braced herself for more of the hardship she had come to expect.

Yet, as time unfolded, with each passing day, consistent care and the tender touch of compassionate hands began to soothe Miss Libby. Her fears gradually gave way to a cautious optimism. Nourishment replenished her weakened body, kindness calmed her battered spirit, and, slowly, the world no longer seemed an endless cycle of flight and fright.

In the Sanctuary’s embrace, Miss Libby’s gentle and sweet nature, once overshadowed by survival’s demands, has begun to flourish. The anxiety that once clouded her eyes has been replaced by a softness. Today, thriving under the compassionate care of volunteers at Unbridled Sanctuary, alongside Marrazano, another soul rescued from a similar fate, Miss Libby finds friendship and solace. Yet, her story remains a stark reminder of the many birthdays that might not be celebrated without intervention — a call to acknowledge the inherent worth of these sentient beings.

What does the treatment of horses like Miss Libby reveal about our societal values? When we prioritize their utility over their protection and welfare, we perpetuate a cycle of use and discard that mirrors broader issues of consumption and disposability.

The celebration of Miss Libby’s 15th year of life is a clarion call for action, urging us to reconsider the ethical implications of the equine industry and our responsibility towards these creatures who naturally live beyond 30 years.

Unbridled is home to 60 equine residents. Their lives, rich in complexity and emotion, merit not just our recognition but our dedicated protection. Each, like Miss Libby, demonstrates the urgent need for realistic funding and support mechanisms that ensure their lifetime protection. Through their real rescue stories, Unbridled tasks the status quo to rise higher in the creation of a world where every horse is seen, heard and protected, irrespective of their utility to us.

Let Miss Libby’s story open a window to a deeper empathy and understanding, reminding us of the silent voices in our care. Her journey, marked by circumstances of which she had no power to choose, mirrors the vulnerability of all equine beings — creatures of profound emotion, personality and intelligence, who perceive and feel their world intensely, yet rely on us for their fate.

As we consider Miss Libby, let us recognize the privilege and responsibility we hold. Engaging with these majestic beings offers us not just the joy of their company but the profound honor of safeguarding their well-being. In contemplating her story, may we find a quiet invitation to cherish and protect the silent whispers of horses, embracing the privilege of our role not as a burden but as a gift — a celebration of our shared journey.

Susan Kayne is the founder and president of Unbridled Sanctuary, an equine rescue on the border of Albany County and Greenville.