Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the people and rescues making a difference in the lives of animals. Hello everybody. Today we are joined with Rena Sweeney, and she is a board member with the Humane Society of Louisiana. And she is here today to talk about the Mardi Gras horse program. But before we get started with that, Rena, can you tell us a little bit about the Humane Society of Louisiana?

Of course. So we fight for animal rights. Rights here in our state. For all animals, not just dogs and cats, but farm animals, the wildlife. So we advocate for anything that falls into those categories, including dog fighting getting shelters for communities that don't have them. spay, neuters, vet care Anything you name it. That's really our goal is just to help benefit all the animals of Louisiana.

And how long has the Humane Society of Louisiana been around?

We have been around since the 80s and this program for the Mardi Gras horses was just started in 2017. So this is actually one of our newer programs.

I didn't know it was that new. I know I recently found out about the Mardi Gras horses. So I was really glad when you reached out to me about talking about the Mardi Gras horse program because it's kind of surprising

it is a lot of people don't know about it. And to be honest, we didn't know either until it came to our attention. And that's what prompted us to start the program. So I think you're right. It's just something that most people don't consider. You're out on a parade route, having fun. Someone's riding a horse. It just doesn't really dawn on you that, that person may not own that horse or the krewe itself own it or someone in the krewe own it and borrow it, so it took us by surprise as well.

Can you give us an overview of the program?

Yes. So the horses are brought in by a stable. And so Cascade Stables in Audubon Park goes to a broker and purchases horses for the Mardi Gras krewes to rent from them to use for the parades. And typically that's anywhere from maybe 15 to 20 horses per year that they supplement their own horses with. So they have horses, of course, that they use for that purpose, but They don't need that many horses year round. So they go to a broker and all the horses they have come from various backgrounds and it's just like any other rescue animal. You really don't know their history or why they ended up with a broker. It could be that there was some behavioral situation that the owner Just didn't have the ability or patience to deal with. Maybe the owner couldn't afford them or care for them any longer for whatever reason. So by whatever circumstances have happened in their life, they ended up with the broker and. When you're with a broker, your future is uncertain. You could get purchased and go to a loving family. You could get purchased for slaughter. There is a market for horse meat, especially in some of our neighboring countries, and so that is not uncommon as well. So, The stable purchases the horses and they house them and have them checked by a vet And use them in Mardi Gras and then typically they would get sold back to the broker So they're still in that cycle of uncertainty and when we found this out We decided to step in and create a program and work with the stable So that every year Instead of going back to the broker the stable works with us to help get all of these horses adopted into homes You And once they've entered the program, we have committed to them for life. So just like any other rescue group with a dog or a cat where we have the adopter sign a contract, and if they ever can't keep the horse in the future, for any reason, it comes back to us and we have several sanctuaries that we operate. So we can always put the horse there or try to get it rehomed into a new family. So that's sort of. The big overview.

Now just to understand everything. So in a Mardi Gras parade, you have the horses that are in the like the riding clubs. Sometimes you will have just krewe members riding horses. Because I know we'll see that where some of the dukes or something like that will ride a horse. So are those horses that are the ones that would be rented? And then going from parade to parade, is it the same horse that's rented kind of over and over?

They do rotate them so the same horse is not going to, be in back to back parades every day or anything like that. So they do rotate them so the horses are resting in between. But yes, the horses that you would see, like a duke or some of the royalty of the court riding on, With those big krewes, those are the horses that are rented from the stables. They don't own those horses. And most of the time you'll see them being walked by a handler because the people riding them don't really know how to ride. They're just sort of sitting there while the horse is being led by, the person from the stable.

And what about the riding krewes? Cause I know there's quite a few riding krewes where you'll see, people riding about 20 to 30 horses.

Well, my understanding is that most of those are owned. I honestly, I could not speak to all of them. There might be some that aren't, but I think typically those are people that own their horses and they're coming out as a group. They're, just like the krewe of Dolly is all. Dollywood Parton fans. These are all horse owners that get together. And so that would be my understanding of those. It's typically just the big krewes that are using the rental horses.

And how did it come to your attention?

Jeff Dorson, who started the Humane Society of Louisiana, along with Dana Nesbitt it came to their attention. I'll be honest, I don't know exactly how that came to be, but I'm on the board. I didn't say. It kind of word got passed on to us and it was something that we were all just completely floored about. We had no clue that that was happening. And we all live here and they're natives,

yeah.

It's shocking when you find out about it. It really is. I had absolutely no idea. We're really appreciative that this stable is willing to work with us. There are certainly. In the area. I'm sure many other stables that have to bring horses in or maybe do similar things. So we're very appreciative that this stable works with us to do the program. And we passed the hundred horse mark last year. So we are really, really excited about that. It's a lot of horses who've had their lives changed.

Are you fortunate enough to find homes for all of the horses?

Yes. We do on occasion have. So last year, for instance, we had like a horse that was sick and it went out to our sanctuary. But typically they're all in good condition. But again, once they enter the program, we're committed to them. So if a horse does come in from the broker and the vet or the stable deems that it's not. Able to be ridden in the parade for whatever reason, health or just temperament we are still committed to taking care of it. So we will get at veterinary care. If it needs to, it can live out at our sanctuary until we can find it a home, or if it just needs to be, what we call a pasture ornament and just live out its life, hanging out in the pasture and having a good time.

What is the adoption process? And how long too, is the whole process? When do you get involved with the stable and then when do the horses find a home?

It is super fast paced. This is definitely the fastest program I have ever been a part of. The stable typically starts bringing them in within a week. Four or five weeks ahead of Mardi Gras, and they come in groups. So, for instance, this year, we just got our first group of horses in, and there were seven of them, and we expect 20 total. So we'll still have probably another two groups of horses come in. So as soon as they get to the stable, they get their first bite. Brushed and cleaned up a little bit and a vet sees them and we photograph them and Start to get them posted so that people can begin sending in applications and Once an application has been received we do all the vet references. We check with your farrier check to make sure that you have a plan. You're not just thinking you're going to bring this horse home to, your house in Metairie and put it in the backyard. And so once we've confirmed all of those things that you either have the property or you have a stable you're going to use you have a vet and a farrier lined up or that you've used frequently your applications approved and then we work to get you matched up with the right horse. And that's really the most important part of the process because just like with any other Animal, a dog or a cat, maybe even more so in some cases, they're very smart and they have a lot of personality. And so it is really important to make sure that we match up. What's your lifestyle? What are you looking for in a horse? Are you just, are you willing to rescue an older horse that can just hang out on your ranch and be a buddy to your other horse? Or are you looking for something to ride and what's your skill level? So it's very involved and we're lucky to have a lot of. Horse knowledgeable people that volunteer with our program. Some of whom have adopted from us in the past and then loved it so much that they wanted to come back and volunteer. And once your application's approved and we've matched you with a horse they pay a deposit to the stable itself. And then after Mardi Gras, we give the horses some time to rest. They get a couple of days off and then towards the end of Mardi Gras week, people come. To the stable and start picking up their horses to take them home.

You said that they'll do a deposit to the stable. So the adoption fee essentially goes to the stable, is that correct?

Yes, really the, that fee you're paying You're covering the cost of, the horse being purchased from the broker. Right. This is not, definitely not a moneymaker for the humane society. We, we're doing this as a labor of love for our community and the horses that, Help run this huge festival in our city. So, we're not making anything off it. We're all run by volunteers, and we're just giving our time and trying to help the horses out. And the stable is really just looking to recover what they've paid the broker to get the horse. And the horses have been vetted and of course, fed and cared for while they're there. So all the way around, it's a labor of love just to make sure that these horses are kind of out of the system and don't end up back there again.

And what is that fee usually?

It depends on the horse, many different factors age and, breed, how big it is, all of those things. But usually it's anywhere from maybe 700 to 1500 or 1600. It just, like I said, it kind of depends.

Now if the horses like in years past weren't adopted, then essentially what would have happened is the broker would have just bought them back for that price. Is that how it normally worked before y'all got involved?

Yes, exactly. And again, then when they're with the broker, anything could happen to them. So the, at this point though, like I said, once they enter the program, they're taking care of for life. So if they don't get adopted for some reason, Then they'll go live at our sanctuary and then the Humane Society of Louisiana now owns them and is housing and feeding and caring for them until we can find someone to adopt them or if they're not adoptable for whatever reason just to let them live out their life there.

And what about your sanctuaries? Where are your sanctuaries located?

They're both out in rural parts of the state, closer to the Mississippi border, and we have all different animals, dogs, cats, farm animals. As you can imagine, servicing the entire state, we get a lot of calls for farm animals. Animals as well, because many parts of our state are very rural, so we just have kind of a big conglomeration of animals out there that our staff takes care of and just make sure that they're all living their best life

now at the sanctuaries. Is that something like the general public could go visit or make an appointment to visit? Or is that just strictly just to house the animals?

It's to house the animals, but they certainly, if they were interested in going out they could reach out to us to come see them, but they're not open on a regular basis. As like an attraction or something where people can buy a ticket and come in.

I believe I may have met a couple of your horses. Because we have our rescue is in Mount Hermon. Yes. And I know a couple miles from us Oh, yeah. There's a few horses. One of

our sanctuaries is in Mount Hermon. Yes.

There's about a half dozen horses. I think three or four donkeys are currently out there and they're all beautiful animals.

And we do have donkeys. The horses in New Orleans are at Cascade stable. And so usually once the people that are interested in adopting are approved for an application, they can go out to the stable at that point and meet the horses and see them in person and kind of check them out and make a final determination, which one they think they'd like to adopt.

How long will the stable hold them before they have to be out of the stable?

Typically, we like to have them all out of the stable within a week or so of Mardi Gras. They are taking up, obviously, their own space from their facility to house the extra horses. So, within a week or so, we try to have them all either in their new homes or moved out to our sanctuaries.

Is the, amount of horses that they get kind of a consistent number or does that kind of change depending on like the size of the parades and new parades or stuff like that?

Yeah, it does change. Some years we've had less, 12-15 this year, they expected maybe 20 or 21 horses were going to be needed, so it does fluctuate per year. This is definitely one of the bigger years that we've seen, but since covid, I do feel like the number of horses needed has been on the higher end.

Now the COVID year, I would imagine that's a year that was skipped because of COVID.

Yes, that's correct. They, they didn't have horses that year and, and so the program was kind of at a standstill. So, since 2017 including a break for COVID, we still have adopted out over 100 horses, so.

Wow, that's a lot.

Yeah.

Yeah, because I would imagine it's a lot harder to find them homes than it would be to find a dog or a cat to

it is. I think it's, it's very involved. However, I will say we have been very lucky that a lot of people in our community, just like you guys have helped us get the word out. So we've slowly seen. Our following increase over the last few years and last year, we just, we had so many applications. We were really struggling to get through them all and process them. And so, luckily, this year, we have extra volunteers on hand that are helping us do that because it is such a fast paced system. We only have a few weeks to get 20 horses adopted. And that's, considering someone might be interested in one horse. But then we realized it's not a good fit for them. And that's really the only horse they were interested in. And so then we go back to the drawing board and it's, it's pretty involved. It's a lot of work and it, it does move quickly. So it's a labor of love.

I know a lot of people that wind up buying a large track of land and they'll decide, Oh, I think I want a horse. Right. And then they'll wind up realizing how much vet care can go into a horse, how much hands on work go into a horse, and then they wind up backing out. And I can see that being problems.

Yeah. It's like I said, that's kind of the hardest part about making sure you have the best fit. That's the hardest part of the adoption process. And we obviously want everyone to have the right horse for them. But if for some reason that doesn't work out, then again, we're committed to the horse. So, we would take the horse back. We just want to make sure that they never end up back in the situation where, they don't have an owner and they're with a broker again.

Now, you said that you had like a lot of applications last year. Do you keep those applications on file for the following year if it's like a good application or do they have to apply again?

They do have to reapply. They You know, situations change. Circumstances change. So if someone comes back and wants a horse for a second year, even if they had an application in previously, we just asked them to fill out another application just so that we have all their current information and. Pictures of their land or property and all of that.

Have you had anybody from the city requesting a horse? I'm just curious.

Yes, we definitely have people that live in urban areas, not even just New Orleans. We've, I mean, we've had people from all over the United States and we are open to that as well. Of course they have to arrange for the transport, which can be costly, but. Otherwise, we are definitely open to people that live in suburban areas. Typically when they do, they'll house their horse at a local stable and, go, go visit it every day or every other day, take it for rides. So that's no problem either. Just as long as we know the horse is going someplace where it's going to be loved and cared for. No high rise apartments.

Well, I know that there's a couple of smaller towns around us like Harahan, where you can still own a horse if you got a big enough piece of land, but that's getting a lot smaller and harder to do, but I've seen a couple of horses out and for listeners that don't realize where Harahan's at, but I can't see it being very conducive for horses, but. People seem to do it.

Yeah. And for a long time in Kenner, they had stables at the end of the lake. It was just a last couple of years, really, when they got rid of those

yeah, there are definitely still some pockets of land and especially like on the North shore, there are areas where you can be, in, in what seems to be a pretty populated area and still have a good chunk of land too.

Well, I'm glad to hear that y'all started this program for the horses though. Cause like I said, I had no idea and when I heard about it, it was, very upsetting. Very, very upsetting.

Yeah. It's like I said, it's something that we didn't even know about and we've been doing this since the late eighties. And so I think it's just not well known and every year with the coverage that we get, we have more and more. Information out there for the public to kind of see and understand. But it's something that at this point is so ingrained in the culture that it's really not going to change unless it's a cultural change, unless the krewes themselves decide we're not going to use horses anymore. Until that day comes, if ever, the horses are going to be in demand and it's going to keep happening. So we're really hoping to be able to continue the program. It is difficult because like I said, it's, It's a loss for us. We are putting money into the program. And we're not making anything off of it, but we really are trying to keep it volunteer based so that we can all help the horses and be able to continue to do this every year.

Like you said, it, would be a cultural change Has there been any talks with any of the krewes

That's been a discussion in the past for sure. I think that, that's something that the krewes themselves probably would need to internally make the decision that they would want to not do that anymore.

How do people see the horses that are available for adoption?

They can go to our website, mardigrashorses. com. And we also have a Facebook page. It is linked through our website as well, but it's a Humane Society of Louisiana's. It's Mardi Gras horse adoption, and either of those places they can see the horses, they can put in an application, they can message us to ask questions, and just if you're interested, don't wait, because the horses go quickly like I've mentioned, it's a very fast paced program, so if you think you might be interested, go ahead and just put an application in and get the ball rolling.

are the horses up on the website now, or they get listed later on?

They are, they, we just got them listed today, actually. So this is perfect timing. Yes. So the horses the first seven that we have are up on the website right now. I'll give a little shout out to Daphne. She's my, my current favorite. I love that horse. She's very sweet. She's a beauty too. These horses you'll see also on our website, a. Testimonial from someone that adopted last year and just seeing the difference of the before and after photos when they come in from the broker, they're almost always skinny, sometimes, a little ragged and just need a little TLC. And of course, they're at the stable for such a short period of time during Mardi Gras that they're getting fed and, cleaned up, but you really see the difference when you come back later and they've been in their home and they've had a stable loving environment and have been fed well for the last year and had vet care. And so seeing those before and after photos is really satisfying to see just what, what some love and time can do in an animal's life.

Okay, let me ask you this. For someone who's very new to horses and they're just wondering what would be the annual expense to take care of a horse? But what would they expect to, to try to spend per year?

I think that would vary widely based on, if you were housing it at a stable or yourself at home. But you know, that's something that we do encourage people to look into. We also recommend that these not be your first horse that you ever own. We really prefer for them to go to somebody that's already familiar with horses, whether they have them currently or have had them in the past because, they are rescues. So we also encourage All of our adopters to hire a trainer and work with the horses once they get them home, give them some time to unwind and settle in, just like you might adopt a dog and bring it home and it might be skittish or scared and take a little bit to settle in and become comfortable. Horses are the same way. So we really Prefer to have people that are horse knowledgeable and have either worked with them in the past or own them in the past or currently, and that's typically the best situation. And they are social. So having more than one just like with cats, more than one is always great because then they'll have a buddy as well.

Where did you say we could see the before and after pictures? Because I've seen the pictures of the horses up for adoption. And I'd love to go look at some of the after photos. Because, when, when you see them get into a loving home, you, like you said, you can definitely see the difference in the animal.

Yeah, our website, MardiGrasHorses. com We have, we have one story up there now. The website is very new, so we are working on getting more success stories up there as we speak. But Jasmine is featured on there right now, and you can just see straight away when, even if you aren't familiar with horses, you can see straight away, just glancing at the photo. How beautiful her coat looks and she's filled out and has a little more meat on her bones. And she is just kind of living her best life with a horse buddy just hanging out in the pasture and having a good time and a good life being loved. She's not really working or anything. She's just having a nice, cozy, cush, posh life now.

So she's a happy horse now she

is

no idea on her history then other than she just came from the broker.

No, yeah, that's I think probably the most frustrating part for everyone us as well as adopters because There are so many unknowns. Sometimes, they they come in and Just like again a dog or a cat They might be a little skittish with one thing or another and that's why it really can take time to get to know them and their preferences and maybe you need to saddle them a certain way or let them run and get some energy out before you try to ride them. They have personalities. And so, just like humans and dogs, cats, any other animal, the owner gets to know them and we'll kind of figure all of those things out and what works best with their horse. But it is frustrating because we don't have any of that history to know what they've been through or what their personality is like, and unfortunately. Like where a dog or a cat maybe would have been in a foster family or even in the shelter for a while. And the shelter workers or the foster would know a little bit more about their personality or preferences. We don't really have that option. And so it is more difficult. And that's why we really encourage people to give the animals some time to settle in when they get at home. Don't don't bring it home, load it off the trailer and try to throw a saddle on and ride. And also to have a trainer that they trust and can work with in case the horse just needs, it may not have ever even had any training. We really don't know.

Yeah. I mean, it's the same thing with any animal that you adopt too. You have to be willing to give it time to settle in.

Yeah.

Before we end the episode, is there anything else that you would like to add?

We would love to continue to spread the word. So even if someone isn't in a position to adopt a horse, please go to our Facebook page and help share and like our posts. All of that helps tremendously with getting the word out there. And you never know when a friend of yours knows somebody looking for a horse or something like that. So we appreciate all of the support whether it's a donation or even just a like and a share and a comment on an online post.

We'll definitely include all your links in the description, too, so they can go to the Facebook page as well as to the, to the website. We would love for you to come back on either you or Jeff, or you or Jeff together to talk about the other programs with the Humane Society of Louisiana, too.

We would love that. Thank you so much.

Great. Great. Yeah. Cause I know y'all do great work. I've known Jeff for a long time. I've known you for a long time and you do have some wonderful programs. So there's a lot more than just the, Mardi Gras horse program. This is just one that's very important too though. Because it is something that I find when more people learn about it, it is something that is shocking when you hear about it.

So, yeah, and again, I think it's just a cultural situation at this point that if people aren't speaking out or if the krewes themselves don't decide to make that change, then it's not ever going to change. And we are seeing more krewes leaning towards sustainable throws and things of that nature. So, the day may come, but unfortunately we're not There yet, so we still need to help get these horses into some homes.

Well, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today and explain the program and we can't wait to have y'all back on to discuss the other programs.

Yeah, we really appreciate your help. Thank you so much.

You're welcome And that's all the time we have for today's episode. If you are in animal rescue, or if you know someone that has a story that should be told, please contact us. We would love to have you or them on the show Thanks for listening, and please join us next week as we continue to explore the world of animal rescue.