"Dream Chaser" is a horse rescue operation in New River, Arizona.

"Dream Chaser" is a horse rescue operation in New River, Arizona. Susan Thompson and her daughter Jaime get occasional help from a couple of volunteers, but mostly it’s just the two of them watching out for the 30 horses at their ranch. In the next week or so, another 25 horses will be arriving from Alberta, Canada rescued from slaughter.
They are known as PMU horses. PMU stands for pregnant mares’ urine, used to produce estrogen for the most popular drug in the United States to treat menopausal symptoms, Premarin. Thousands of mares stand in narrow stalls with urine collection devices strapped to them for months on end. The stalls are deliberately narrow to prevent pregnant mares from turning or lying down and detaching the collection cups. Their water intake may also be restricted to concentrate the estrogen in the urine, which can lead to swollen legs, sore hooves and other health problems. Many of these mares get little or no exercise for the six months they are forced to stand in the barns. And once they deliver their foals, they get a brief turn out to pasture with a stallion to get pregnant again.
In recent years publicity about the terrible conditions these horses had to endure have brought about changes in the drug industry. New drugs made from plants are becoming more popular and many of the PMU production facilities are being closed down. The result is a larger than usual inventory of PMU horses on the market.
Susan Thompson says, “ There was a window of opportunity to buy these horses before September 15th or they would all go to the slaughterhouse. I took as many as I could, 25, and they have all had their vet check and Coggins and are on the way here. They cost about $600 each to ship and between $500 to $1000 to purchase, depending on age and condition. Some are registered quarterhorses. Most have good breeding lines on their papers. The owners got smart about breeding horses people would want so they could sell the foals.””
The goal is to gentle these horses to the point they can be put into good homes. “Most are going to be pretty wild when we get them. They haven’t ever been ridden and will need some time to be gentled to the point they can be handled. We’re not looking to make a profit when we sell these horses, but just re-coop what we have invested so we can continue to rescue more horses.”
Thompson has been rescuing horses, birds and dogs for the last 5 years. “Just this last year we got the non-profit 501C3 status to allow us to get tax deductible donations. We could sure use some donations to keep these horses fed.”
“We are also looking for volunteers to help out with watering, grooming and walking the babies. I tend to do the feeding myself as I want to keep a close handle on what these horses are getting so as to keep them healthy,” says Thompson. “Anyone who loves horses has to be touched by the lives these horses have endured. We just want to give them a happy life now.”
The ranch is located off New River Road near 15th Avenue. Their number is 623-910-6530.