Each year, thousands of American horses and burros are removed from the wild, disappearing from the landscapes they have roamed for generations. Though mustangs remain an iconic symbol of the American West, their numbers continue to decline as protections struggle to keep pace with the realities th ey face. As 2026 begins, coinciding with the Year of the Horse on the Chinese zodiac — a symbol traditionally associated with strength, freedom and movement — renewed attention is focused on federal efforts to protect America’s horses and burros.  Central to that push is the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, bipartisan legislation that would permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and halt the export of American horses to foreign slaughterhouses.  The bill, introduced in both the House (H.R.1661) and Senate (S.775), would extend existing animal-protection law to include equines and prohibit knowingly shipping, transporting, selling or donating horses and other equines to be slaughtered for meat — a loophole that currently allows tens of thousands of U.S. horses to be sent abroad for slaughter each year. The system reaches beyond mustangs, including former racehorses, lesson ponies, show jumpers, pregnant mares and foals, many of them once cared for, later unknowingly funneled into the slaughter pipeline. “It feels like there’s more energy and more belief that it can pass,” said filmmaker Ashley Avis. “People are putting pressure on their members of Congress, saying, ‘We need to pass this.’” Avis has spent much of the past decade using storytelling as a tool for advocacy, particularly around the protection of horses. She wrote and directed “Black Beauty,” released on Disney plus in 2020, before turning her focus to documentary filmmaking with “Wild Beauty,” a project that examined the treatment of wild horses in the United States.  Through that work, Avis became increasingly involved in advocacy efforts, including investigating the horse slaughter pipeline and founding the Wild Beauty Foundation, which now leads the Lost Horses campaign launching during the Sundance Film Festival. The campaign features an ensemble of artists, athletes and advocates each sharing personal stories that reflect the deep bond between humans and horses and what is lost when that bond is broken. A series of short-form films will be rolled out, digital and traditional public service announcements, and live events highlighting a wide range of equine experiences, from wild mustangs and rescue horses to lesson ponies and Olympic athletes.  The campaign’s launch culminated Friday afternoon with the debut of a its PSA anthem set to Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For,” personally approved for use by the artist. Avis has also partnered with local rescue organizations in the Wasatch Back to help ground the campaign in on-the-ground work. Deborah West, founder of Liberty Sanctuary in Heber City, said her involvement began after learning about the Lost Horses campaign and reaching out to offer support.  “It didn’t just come to us out of the blue,” she said. “This has been something we’ve been working on for years.” Liberty has spent years advocating around the SAFE Act and saw the campaign as an opportunity to align national storytelling with local rescue and education efforts, West said.  “I’m a big fan of Ashley’s work,” she added. “Her documentary ‘Wild Beauty’ is just incredible. … I love her style of storytelling.” West said Liberty has supported the campaign both financially and through hands-on collaboration, viewing artists and filmmakers as powerful messengers for the American horse and an essential part of building broader public understanding. West said she sees art and film as powerful tools for reaching audiences who may not yet be aware of the issue, noting that storytelling can help broaden understanding beyond those already engaged in equine advocacy.  “Our purpose is really to educate people about what’s going on,” West said. “We’re here to support, to educate and be of service.” For Avis, the campaign is the result of years spent exploring how storytelling can move audiences beyond awareness and toward action. “It’s been extraordinary,” Avis said, “this journey in learning how storytelling can really fuel change and how cinema can affect advocacy and the ripple effects of putting out something important into the world.” Filmmaker Ashley Avis Credit: Photo courtesy of The Wild Beauty Foundation The Lost Horses campaign is designed to humanize or, as Avis frames it, individualize the issue. Rather than focusing solely on statistics, the campaign highlights the stories of individual horses through short cinematic vignettes. “Most people don’t even know that horses are being sent to slaughter, or that about 20,000 of them per year are shipped across our borders,” Avis said. “And when people hear the word ‘slaughter,’ they assume these horses are old or sick, and that’s simply not true.” According to data cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Avis said roughly 92% of horses sent to slaughter are in good condition, meaning many could go on to second careers in therapy programs, sanctuaries, or other forms of care. Launching the campaign during Sundance was intentional, Avis said, pointing to the festival’s unique ability to generate conversation and attention around social issues. “There’s a magic here during this festival,” she said. “People are open. They’re talking. And with this being Sundance’s last year in Park City, it felt like the right moment and place to launch something like this.” Beyond the Sundance launch, the campaign is already feeding into legislative momentum. Avis said the SAFE Act reached a House majority at the end of the last congressional session, and organizers are now focused on building pressure in the Senate. “Obviously, there’s so much going on in the world right now,” she said, “but this is a little corner that matters, and I’m hopeful that people will get behind it, especially 2026, the year the horse. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing if this passes this year, and that’s our intent.” As part of the campaign’s next phase, organizers are planning a fly-in day to Washington, D.C. on March 26, where advocates will meet with members of Congress. Avis also highlighted a children’s and teens’ letter-writing initiative, encouraging young people to share why horses matter to them. “We’ve seen that when kids’ voices are brought into congressional offices, they cut through in a different way,” she said. Avis said one letter writing participant will be selected to travel to Washington, D.C., where the letters will be delivered to members of Congress as part of the campaign’s ongoing advocacy around the SAFE Act. The Lost Horses website includes additional tools for public involvement, including social media actions, downloadable materials and an automated system that allows users to contact their representatives in minutes by simply inputting their name and address. “If taking one small step could save one horse’s life,” Avis said, “would you do it?” Despite the heaviness of global headlines, Avis said she believes advocacy is sustained by remembering what is still worth protecting. “There’s still so much beauty in the world,” she said. “As long as we have a voice, we have to keep fighting.” To learn more and obtain resources for getting involved, see losthorses.org. The post The Lost Horses campaign focuses lens on what’s at stake for America’s horses appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less