About the Organization:
The Spirit Riders Foundation is a non-profit foundation that produces multimedia state of the art audio-visual programming to educate, enlighten, entertain and to create positive understanding, hope and action among people and cultures. These materials are designed to foster harmony and understanding by empowering the human spirit, mind and body.
The Foundation is housed in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Description of the problem:
In 1971 when Wild Horse Annie and countless others took massive action, the “Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act” was unanimously passed by Congress. Then, without a hearing or an opportunity for public review, Senator Conrad Burns from Montana slipped a rider into the 2005 Federal Appropriations Bill. “The Burns Bill” essentially legislates the slaughter of wild horses and burros, America’s national treasures. Until this bill is permanently repealed, American wild horses and burros will continue to be slaughtered, inhumanely treated, and headed for eventual extinction!
Today, over 20,000 wild horses are incarcerated in BLM holding facilities. Poor public policies, roughshod roundups and a government agency bent on removing wild horses and burros continue to threaten their very existence. Legislation must be passed to protect them and to preserve our Western heritage.
Through interviews with scientific experts, ranchers, politicians, wild horse owners, animal rights activists, and others, The American Wild Horse explores the issues, presents expert testimony, and encourages the viewer to act NOW by contacting his or her Congressional Representatives to pass H.R.503, and Senators to support S.311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. It shows why we must take immediate action today.
Description of the project / solution:
The American Wild Horse both educates and moves audiences to take immediate action to save America’s wild horses from slaughter, inhumane treatment and eventual extinction.
The goal of the film is to educate and influence specific behavior: legislative voting behavior on Capitol Hill for H.R.503 and S.311, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act: and massive action by the voting American public to assure those results.
We are seeking funding to update and add important new interviews, footage and information to the original film, Wild Horse Spirit, and to release it with the name, “The American Wild Horse”. We will create a 15-minute “short” and a 60-minute broadcast/feature version.
The American Wild Horse will be used to educate and motivate behavior for political action, and reach legislators and their publics via these means:
o Distribution on Capitol Hill. We have the commitment of humane organizations to use the film in lobbying activities and to facilitate a special event featuring a screening;
o Distribution via
o Clips for TV stations with interviews and B-roll
o PR awareness campaign
o Entry into film festivals
o TV and cable
