The Rural We: Susan Wagner
The founder of Equine Advocates in Chatham, New York, has created a haven for horses.
Susan Wagner with Rain Man, a miniature horse she rescued in 1993, before founding Equine Advocates. "He is 31 now, and to have him still with me after all these years is wonderful and extremely gratifying, as he is a constant reminder of how and why I started this organization," she says.
Born in the Bronx, Susan Wagner rode her first horse at age five in Van Cortlandt Park. She grew up loving horses, and that passion eventually led her to rescuing horses who were neglected, abused, or destined for slaughter. Equine Advocates, celebrating its 25th year, has a sanctuary in Chatham, New York, and is home to 81 equines, including horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. The public is invited to visit the sanctuary during its monthly open days to meet the animals and learn their stories. The next open day is Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
I used to spend summer in the Catskills with my grandparents, and that’s when I noticed that the horses out there looked happier than the ones in a stall in the Bronx. That really had an impact on me about how horses should be treated.
My other love was theater — I was a theater major — but horses won out. I did a lot to gain experience with them, working in the racing industry, where I learned how to take care of them. That changed my life. After I left the racing industry, I worked for a zoological organization. One of the horses there was old and crabby, and not good with kids. A wild animal keeper said he would get rid of the horse, meaning it would go to slaughter and then to countries that eat horses. I’d never heard of horses going to slaughter. At that time, there were still horse slaughter plants in the U.S. It was a dirty little secret. They’re no longer in this country, but they still send horses to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.
Although I was living in Queens, I rescued that horse, Gandalf, and also picked up a miniature horse. I thought, I want to do some humane work. That was in 1993, and I founded Equine Advocates Rescue and Sanctuary in 1996. It was operated from an apartment in Queens for eight years. We had horses in six states in foster homes and boarding facilities.
In 2004 we acquired the property in Chatham. It’s a dream place with 140 acres. What I set out to do was bring attention to the horse slaughter industry and to end it. It’s a nonpartisan issue. People in general do not believe that horses should be slaughtered.
I’m proud of the work we’ve done. We’ve been accredited by several animal sanctuary and thoroughbred care associations and other organizations. We have a humane education center where we welcome groups and individuals to learn about equine issues. In 2019 we had over 800 students on the property for our humane education program. We all have to be responsible guardians for anyone under our care. Equine Advocates can give people the tools to rescue on their own.
Once horses are here, they stay here for life. We do not adopt them out. This is a sanctuary, and a place where people can come see how horses live and are treated well. One of our most successful programs is horse sponsorship. When you sponsor a horse, you can come and visit that horse at any time.
We’re in the midst of planning a 25th anniversary celebration, but in the meantime, we encourage people to come and visit during our public open days. It’s free, and you can take a self-guided tour. We have graphics and bios by each paddock so you can learn about each of the horses, where they came from, and why they needed to be rescued.
