A story about the horses America leaves behind and how we can change it
by Teri Kinne
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 10/14/2025
Filmmaker, musician, and advocate Theresa Demarest brings compassion and clarity to her latest documentary, Throw Away Horses, layered exploration of the modern-day horse and the people whose lives intertwine with theirs. Through intimate interviews, photographs, and a mix of archival and newly filmed footage, Demarest reveals the beauty, complexity, and sometimes tragic realities of “less desired” horses in contemporary America.
At the heart of Throw Away Horses is Demarest’s own transformative relationship with a horse named Tehya. “Horses, I would soon learn, are prey animals and we humans are predators,” she explains. “So when I show up with my lead rope, with the intention of taking her out of a safe place, I might as well be an alligator inviting her to dinner.” This striking realization anchors the film’s core message: that understanding between species requires patience, empathy, and humility.
Theresa Demarest’s journey into filmmaking began with a single horse and a handheld camera. “When I got my horse Tehya, I didn’t know anything about horses,” she said. “We don’t ride them to school anymore, we don’t use them for farm work, and people have forgotten.” That awakening became her classroom and her calling. She immersed herself in Natural Horsemanship, studying the body language and instincts of prey animals. “If a horse moves your feet, she’s in charge,” she explained. “So I had to learn to stand still, while she was rearing, to earn her trust. Once I did, she looked up at me as if to say, ‘Okay, now what was it you wanted?’”
Through that process, Demarest began to see parallels between horses and humans. “A horse who grows up isolated doesn’t know social cues and gets beat up when it joins a herd,” she said. “It’s the same with people.”
Her film highlights stories like that of Amira, a dappled gray horse with a troubled past, and her new caretaker, an Iraqi veteran. The two beings rebuild trust together. Demarest’s approach, she said, was to educate audiences, She wanted to deliver facts about the crisis facing horses while giving viewers enough hope to stay open to the message.
Demarest’s belief in the healing power of horses runs deep. “When you put your hands on a horse, it’s like a bubble forms around you—it’s just you and that horse,” she said. “Their life depends on you, and your life depends on them.” Demarest described equine therapy programs where veterans or trauma survivors lie quietly in a pasture while horses approach, nudge, and stand beside them in silent understanding. “They just do it,” she said. “They know us.” That quiet empathy is at the heart of Throw Away Horses.
Set to screen at Le Femme Film Festival October 18 at noon at Regal Cinemas, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, Throw Away Horses also streams online from October 16–19, 2025
Now in its 21st year, the LA Femme International Film Festival continues its mission to celebrate, support, and advance content created by women producers, writers, and directors from around the world. Founded in 2005, the festival was born from a need to amplify women behind the camera and has since helped launch and support the careers of more than 3,000 artists. Each year, LA Femme brings together filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences for a dynamic weekend of screenings, panels, and networking events in a nurturing indie environment.
The 2025 festival runs October 16–19 with both in-person and virtual screenings hosted through Eventive. With its long-standing motto “By Women, for Everyone,” LA Femme continues to expand opportunities for women in film through education, mentorship, and international exposure. As the festival looks toward the future, its commitment remains clear—creating space for women’s stories to reach global audiences and for female creators to emerge as leaders in the entertainment industry. More information and tickets are available at LaFemme.org.
We spoke more to Demarest in an exclusive interview:
