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Horses are good for the human mind and soul.  These majestic animals have been admired by mankind throughout the centuries.
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  Wanting a new equine art model here on our ranch, we began searching for a horse.  
  For years, we've known about a North Texas horse trader who hosts consignment auctions.   But they also purchase vast amounts of horses from many various private and public sources to resell online.  Each horse is given a tag id#, a short video, and an advertised slaughter ship date.  
  With each new group of horses listed, the public only has a few days to view and purchase.
 After their "last call" deadline, any remaining horses are shipped to Mexico slaughterhouses, who pay them per pound.    So either way, they sell all of the horses within a short time, and prepare for the next batch.  
  It's an on-going cycle.
  In late February, we began browsing through their current list which contained over 50 head.  There were various ages and breeds, including yearlings, 2 & 3 year olds, as well as aged horses.
  We noticed three older broodmares, advertised as having arrived together, and all bred to the same Quarter Horse palomino stud.  We also noticed all three of these mares were sore and limping, as if they had been run over a long distance. 
  The first mare #6593 was a gorgeous paint with good Quarter Horse confirmation and muscling. She was a looker, and I couldn't help but wonder if, at one time, she had been registered with papers.
  The second mare #6594, a golden palomino, was thinner, but nice.
  And the third mare was only advertised as #6532 Brown Mare.  They didn't have her breed type listed, but to me, she looked like she could be part Morgan.
  Out of the three broodmares, I felt the brown mare could easily be overlooked.  With so many horses to choose from, her chances of being purchased were probably slim.  She had no flashy white markings, and she was limping and sore.  
  But there was something about her profile photo that caught my attention.  
  It was her expressive and intelligent eye.
  I spent much time looking at all of the horses.  But again, I found myself going back to the brown mare.
 
  On Feb 26th, the kill buyer posted their “last call Feb 27th" deadline for this group.  
  These horses had less than 24 hours remaining for a chance at a second life, and a chance of escaping the horrid Mexico slaughter pipeline.  At that point, only a few had been purchased, as according to their updated list.  And all three pregnant mares were still available.

 We purchased the brown mare.     

   February 27, 2026 ...  

  The unsold horses have been removed from the barn pens to be transported to Mexico.
  And our brown mare is being transported to us here in Fredericksburg Texas.  
 

   Arriving later that day, she was dehydrated, injured, and nervous.  Scared of the unknown.   
   

   But she’s here ...

 

 

 Meet ZORA! 
An ancient name, meaning 'dawn', or a new beginning.

  She's gentle, and she has a good mind.

  One of a lucky few, this mare has found her forever home.  And when the wind blows just right, she'll be listening to the music coming from Luckenbach Texas!  She's on her way to healing, and living an entirely new life as our equine model for artists.    

I guess we can say that ART saved her life. 

Thank you for reading about Zora!   If you are an artist and would like more info, or if you have any questions, just let us know.

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