Nothing makes us prouder than inspiring someone to speak out for horses, so we were especially grateful to receive this message that we share here by permission.
By Mia Rivera
Mia with Spirit. Photos courtesy of Mia Rivera.
I wanted to share something with you that happened recently because I genuinely believe my visit to Return to Freedom changed the course of my life.
When I came to the sanctuary and met Spirit, I left inspired, but I didn’t realize that day would plant a seed that would continue to grow. Seeing horses finally live in peace and freedom made me realize that they deserve so much more than the way our society often treats them. I left wanting to do more.
After my visit, I started using my YouTube platform to speak out for animals. I even made a statement against Cowtown Rodeo in one of my rodeo vlogs because I realized I couldn’t just stay silent anymore.
Then this past week happened.
On Friday, my friend Lauren texted me about protesters outside Parx Casino fighting for the racehorses. I remember replying, “I wish I had been there.”
The very next day, I went to Pride to support my best friend, Kristi. What should have been a celebration turned into chaos. We watched police shove people into barricades, swing batons, and force crowds backward with bicycles. Kristi and I were nearly trampled by a police horse while simply trying to cross the street. As everything unfolded, my eyes immediately went to the horses. As a lifelong horse girl, I saw terrified animals being used as weapons in a chaotic crowd. Then my attention shifted to the people being hurt around us. I was heartbroken and furious all at once.
The next day, Kristi and I saw that people were organizing a protest. I had just gotten off work and went to the library to study for my Praxis exam, but I couldn’t focus. My leg wouldn’t stop shaking. I kept thinking, How can I sit here studying while people were brutalized and no one is being held accountable? I called Kristi. We planned to go to a protest that was organized that same day.
I’ve never been to a protest before. As a Brown woman, I was terrified. I put my rosary around my neck and cried. I was scared of getting tear-gassed or murdered. But underneath that fear was a courage and anger I had never experienced before. Something inside me kept telling me that I needed to go. By the time we reached Center City, the protest had ended. So we created our own. We read victims’ testimonies on camera and somehow even ended up in the news. Then we sat outside City Hall and talked about what activism really means. I told Kristi that I loved my life too much to risk it. I’ve worked so hard for my master’s degree, my YouTube channel, and the future I dream of building. She reminded me that activism doesn’t only happen through marching in the streets. Using my platform is activism. Speaking up is activism. Educating family and friends is activism. Showing up every day as a future mental health professional and advocating for children is activism. For the first time, I felt empowered instead of helpless.
I also couldn’t shake the feeling that God protected us that night at Pride because He wasn’t finished with us. I believed He was going to use our voices for something greater.
Then everything fell into place. I searched for the Parx Casino protest Lauren had sent me and found Revolution Philadelphia. Through what felt like unbelievable synchronicity, I discovered that Philadelphia City Council would be discussing a ban on horse-drawn carriages on my only day off from work. Even crazier, there was also going to be a public hearing about the police response at Pride. The two causes closest to my heart, animal rights and human rights, were coming together in one place.
Kristi and I went to Dollar Tree, made protest signs, blasted “Man in the Mirror,” and marched to City Hall. I gave my first public speech, speaking about both horses and the LGBTQ+ community, two populations I care deeply about and believe deserve dignity and protection. I met directly with a council member who fought passionately to ban horse-drawn carriages, and that experience taught me something I’ll never forget: contacting our elected officials and using our voices truly matters. Change is possible when ordinary people decide to speak up.
And the craziest part? My first protest ever ended up being for horses.
Looking back, I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I think the day I visited Return to Freedom changed something inside me. It planted the belief that horses deserve freedom, compassion, and a voice. This week showed me that I can be part of giving them one.
So thank you. Thank you for the work you do every day, for saving horses, and for inspiring people like me. You didn’t just rescue horses, you inspired a new activist.