National Horse Day 2025: Honoring the Horses Who Found Home at Broken Arrow

Every year on December 13, horse lovers across the U.S. celebrate National Horse Day (also known as National Day of the Horse). It’s a day set aside to recognize how deeply horses have shaped our history, our economy, and our hearts.

At Broken Arrow Ranch & Sanctuary, National Horse Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a day to honor the horses who found their way here—often scared, sore, or forgotten—and to celebrate the quiet, daily work of giving them a safe, forever home.

Why National Horse Day Matters

National Horse Day was created to acknowledge all that horses have given us—transportation, farm work, sport, therapy, and companionship. But it’s also a reminder of something else: we owe them care, safety, and dignity in return.

For rescues and sanctuaries, this day shines a light on the horses who don’t always make it into the spotlight:

• Seniors who have “aged out” of riding

• Horses with chronic conditions or injuries

• Horses who ended up at auction or left to kill pens

These are the horses who often end up at places like Broken Arrow.

Our Story: From“Unwanted” to Family

When we first opened our gates in 2022, we didn’t set out to create a typical barn. We wanted a sanctuary—a place where horses could finally exhale and just be.

Over the years, we’ve watched more than one “unwanted” horse quietly rewrite their own story.

• There was Hope,  a bay Quarter Horse mare with a delicate star on her forehead, she arrived at Broken Arrow Ranch and Sanctuary in July 2022, carrying the weight of a sorrow no mother should bear.

• And Nala, whose story is one of both heartbreak and hope. After giving birth to Chief, she was sent back to the kill pen just two hours later, her body still weak from labor, her newborn foal at her side.

• And then there’s Lexi, whose journey to our sanctuary began in the Kansas kill pens, where she was rescued by an angel donor just before she was loaded onto a slaughter truck. Alongside Kalie, she spent a month in quarantine before making the long journey to Oregon, arriving in July 2022.

Now, these horses—and the others who’ve found their way here—are our family. They’re well-fed, carefully rehabbed, and treated every day with the kindness they always deserved.

What National Horse Day Looks Like at Broken Arrow

On December 13, there won’t be a parade here. Our celebration looks like:

• Extra grooming sessions and carrot pieces tucked into feed pans

• A little more time just standing in the pasture, listening to the sound of hay chewing and contented snorts

• Sharing photos and stories of the herd so people can see the faces behind the word “rescue”

We use this day to remember why we do this work: every horse here is an individual, not a number. They each have a past—but they also have a present and a future that matters.

How You Can Celebrate National Horse Day With Us

You don’t need to own a horse to be part of National Horse Day 2025. Here are a few simple ways to join us:

1. Sponsor a Horse
Choose a Broken Arrow resident—maybe Chief, Benson, or Shiloh—and help cover their ongoing care. Your support goes directly to hay, feed, vet and farrier care, and all the little things that keep them comfortable.

2. Make a One-Time Gift
Even a small donation can mean full hay nets, winter blankets that actually fit, or a much-needed vet visit. On a sanctuary budget, nothing is “small.”

3. Volunteer (If You’re Local)
From mucking and filling water troughs to grooming and helping with events, volunteers are a huge part of how we keep the herd happy and healthy.

4. Share Their Stories
Follow us on social media, share our posts on National Horse Day, and tell people why these horses matter to you. Awareness really does change outcomes.

A Day to Say “Thank You”

National Horse Day on December 13, 2025 is our chance to say thank you—to the horses who have pulled wagons and plows, carried us on their backs, helped us heal, and taught us to be softer, braver humans.

At Broken Arrow, our promise is simple:
If a horse lands here, they are home.

This National Horse Day, we invite you to stand with us—in the barn, online, or in spirit—and help us keep that promise, one rescued horse at a time.