Dreamchaser PMU Rescue and Rehabilitation

It’s all about the love at Dreamchaser PMU Horse Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc.

Dreamchaser rescues premarin horses & foals, abused and abandoned horses and those headed to slaughter. They also provide sanctuary to many other rescued animals including donkeys, llamas, goats and pigs.

In 2001, Susan Thompson and her daughter Jamie purchased land in New River, Arizona, fenced it, and had an 8 stall, mare motel built, figuring that they could board two or three horses in addition to caring for their own.  Susan, who had taken the drug Premarin for 28 years received a Horse Health newsletter which had an article on FoalQuest, a Canadian organization rescuing premarin foals.  Susan was no different than millions of women who blindly took a drug recommended by her doctor, with no questions asked.  She had no idea what went on in the PMU industry - that mares stood in straight stalls through most of their pregnancies, and foals were considered by-products to be slaughtered.

Susan immediately contacted FQ, and she and Jamie decided to adopt (and pay for) a foal.  However, by the time the adoption deadline closed, with the fate of the foals not being adopted going to slaughter, they had adopted three. Their foals arrived in Nevada (the pick up point) on October 31, 2001.  No sooner had they gotten home with their three ‘wild things’ than the bottom fell out of the Premarin industry and Wyeth suddenly cut contracts with many of the ranchers in Alberta, Canada.  Susan and Jamie quickly adopted two heavily pregnant mares that arrived in Nevada on February 8, 2002.  Their journey of rescuing horses had begun.

In 2006, Dreamchaser became a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization.

Over the years Dreamchaser has continued to save PMU mares and foals and has rescued many other abused and abandoned horses. This includes the 2010 rescue of 12 severely neglected horses from a property in El Mirage and the recent rescue of Promise and Journey, who were found in very bad shape, wandering the desert near Cave Creek after being abandoned. 

As a rescue and rehabilitation center, Dreamchaser occasionally accepts animals other than horses. Currently, our “family” includes mini horses, mini burros, llamas, an African Sulcata tortoise, Barbados sheep, dwarf Nigerian goats, Chinese crested chickens, ducks, rabbits, and a Welsh pony!

Dreamchaser operates differently than most rescuers of Premarin horses.  The horses are purchased from kill auctions and transported to the ranch, where Jamie and Susan gentle each and every one, including the mares, which are usually pregnant with foals at their sides.  This process can take months, as it is done on the horses’ timetable, not theirs.  Susan and Jamie train quietly and gently, relying on 35 years of experience with horses and a lot of common sense.  No weanlings are adopted out until they are haltered and leading, up to date on all shots and de-worming, and will pick up their feet for the farrier.   This ensures a good foundation, and prevents adoptive families from ending up with a foal they can’t deal with or handle easily.  Dreamchaser’s ultimate goal is to place the weanlings in ‘forever’ homes.

The broodmares are another story.  They are as wild as the foals.  Susan and Jamie diligently work with the mares until they will accept haltering.   The mares may have a whole host of different issues and it takes lots of time for them to bond with their "predator" saviours.   The mares are never adopted out, but will remain at Dreamchaser as sanctuary horses for the rest of their lives. 

In the fall of 2014 Dreamchaser moved to Missouri. Susan wanted the sanctuary horses to live more natural lives in pastures where they could eat grass.  There is a lot to do on the 80+ acres of Ozark hill country but the horses are enjoying it very much!

In order to continue this good work, we need your help. If you love horses, please consider making a tax deductible donation to Dreamchaser Horse Rescue. Thanks so much for your continuing support!