In the Pryor Mountains, ranging along the state line between Montana and Wyoming, there lives a band of wild horses descended from the original Spanish horses brought over by the Conquistadors. This is the extraordinary photographic journal of the three years Pomeranz spent studying, admiring, and photographing these magnificent animals.
When the Spanish explorers brought horses to North America, the horses were, in a sense, returning home. Beginning with their origins fifty million years ago, the wild horse has been traced from North America through Asia to the plains of SpainÕs Andalusia and then back across the Atlantic to the ranges of the American West. When given the chance, these horses simply took up residence in the landscape that their ancestors had roamed so long ago. In Wild Horses of the West, J. Edward de Steiguer provides an entertaining and well-researched look at one of the most controversial animal welfare issues of our timeÑthe protection of free-roaming horses on the WestÕs public lands. This is the first book in decades to include the entire story of these magnificent animals, from their evolution and biology to their historical integration into conquistador, Native American, and cowboy cultures. And the story isnÕt over. De Steiguer goes on to address the modern issuesÑ ecology, conservation, and land managementÑsurrounding wild horses in the West today. Featuring stunning color photographs of wild horses, this extremely thorough and engaging blend of history, science, and politics will appeal to students of the American West, conservation activists, and anyone interested in the beauty and power of these striking animals.
“A fascinating narrative with all the grace and power embodied in the wild horses that once populated the Western range . . . [A] magnificently told saga.” —Albuquerque Journal A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of the Year Mustang is the sweeping story of the wild horse in the culture, history, and popular imagination of the American West. It follows the wild horse across time, from its evolutionary origins on this continent to its return with the conquistadors, its bloody battles on the old frontier, its iconic status in Buffalo Bill shows and early westerns, and its plight today as it makes its last stand on the vanishing range. With the Bureau of Land Management proposing to euthanize thousands of horses and ever-encroaching development threatening the land, the mustang’s position has never been more perilous. But as Stillman reveals, the horses are still running wild despite all the obstacles, with spirit unbroken. Hailed by critics nationwide, Mustang is “brisk, smart, thorough, and surprising” (Atlantic Monthly). “Like the best nonfiction writers of our time (Jon Krakauer and Bruce Chatwin come to mind), Stillman’s prose is inviting, her voice authoritative and her vision imaginative and impressively broad.” —Los Angeles Times “Powerful . . . Stillman’s talent as a writer makes this impossible [to stop reading], to the mustang’s benefit.” —Orion “A circumspect writer passionate about her purpose can produce a significant gift for readers. Stillman’s wonderful chronicle of America’s mustangs is an excellent example.” —The Seattle Times
From acclaimed master of mystery Dick Francis comes a thrilling novel about the illusion of film and the reality of murder—a New York Times notable book. Thomas Lyon has finally been given the chance to direct a potential blockbuster, based on the true story of an unsolved crime that rocked the horseracing world twenty-six years ago. But a cryptic deathbed confession, an assault on an elderly woman, and a frightening threat lead Lyon to pick up the thread of this unfinished tale—and follow it through to its perilous end...
Captivating photographs and stories of the wild horses of the west. Take an intimate look at the majestic equines who roam the public lands of the Mountain West: Wild Horses of the West provides a front row seat to a world rarely glimpsed by most people. Stories highlight specific horses known in these areas as The Old Man, One-Ear, and the Cremello Brothers whom the photographer, Jan Drake, has been following with her camera for years. More than 200 color photographs are divided into sections including Family Bands, Mares & Foals, Fighting Mustangs, Stallions & Bachelors, and Cedar Mountain Mustangs. Jan Drake is a long-time photographer based in Park City, Utah. She oversees the equestrian center at the National Ability Center (NAC) where adaptive horseback riding, trail riding, equine-assisted learning, and hippotherapy is made available to all ages and abilities. As an annual fundraiser for the NAC, Drake guides private groups on photography excursions to see wild horses of the West up close. She also volunteers regularly with the nonprofit Intermountain Wild Horse and Burros Advisors. This is her first book.
Wild horses have been an important part of wildlife on Earth for centuries, yet many herds now face serious threats -- and very few people can claim to have seen them galloping free across the plains, or scaling mountain passes. Kelly Wilson has. For this book, she spent years researching the world's wildest herds, travelling the globe and living among them. From the remote forests of Canada and snow-capped mountains of America, to the unforgiving deserts of Australia and windswept beaches of New Zealand, Kelly has captured a raw and honest portrayal of these animals -- their rugged beauty, their unique way of life, and the harsh, yet picturesque landscapes they call home. Live the adventure alongside her, as Kelly looks into the secret lives of wild horses, how their populations are managed, and the many hardships they must overcome in their fight for survival.
A vivid first-person study of a notorious equine ritual—from the perspective of the wild horses who are its targets Wild horses still roam the mountains of Galicia, Spain. But each year, in a ritual dating to the 1500s called rapa das bestas, villagers herd these “beasts” together and shave their manes and tails. Shaving the Beasts is a firsthand account of how the horses experience this traumatic rite, producing a profound revelation about the durability of sociality in the face of violent domination. John Hartigan Jr. constructs an engrossing, day-by-day narrative chronicling the complex, nuanced social lives of wild horses and the impact of their traumatic ritual shearing every summer. His story generates intimate, individual portraits of these creatures while analyzing the social practices—like grazing and grooming—that are the building blocks of equine society. Shaving the Beasts culminates in a searing portrayal of the inspiring resilience these creatures display as they endure and recover from rapa das bestas. Turning away from “thick” description to “thin,” Hartigan moves toward a more observational form of study, focusing on behaviors over interpretations. This vivid approach provides new and important contributions to the study of animal behavior. Ultimately, he comes away with profound, penetrating insights into multispecies interactions and a strong alternative to humancentric ethnographic practices.
Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: A Way Forward reviews the science that underpins the Bureau of Land Management's oversight of free-ranging horses and burros on federal public lands in the western United States, concluding that constructive changes could be implemented. The Wild Horse and Burro Program has not used scientifically rigorous methods to estimate the population sizes of horses and burros, to model the effects of management actions on the animals, or to assess the availability and use of forage on rangelands. Evidence suggests that horse populations are growing by 15 to 20 percent each year, a level that is unsustainable for maintaining healthy horse populations as well as healthy ecosystems. Promising fertility-control methods are available to help limit this population growth, however. In addition, science-based methods exist for improving population estimates, predicting the effects of management practices in order to maintain genetically diverse, healthy populations, and estimating the productivity of rangelands. Greater transparency in how science-based methods are used to inform management decisions may help increase public confidence in the Wild Horse and Burro Program.
There is no creature that quite embodies the beauty and grandeur of the American West as does the wild horse. For thousands of years, the horse has roamed the plains and valleys of the American continent, free of the encumbrances of man or the saddle. In America’s Wild Horses, award-winning photographer and lifelong horse lover Steven Price celebrates the timeless magnificence of the American mustang. Meticulously researched, Price offers a cultural history of the American wild horse that is unparalleled in its exquisite detail and poignant prose. Beginning with chapters on prehistoric equines, Price sweeps through all the most important historical epochs in the history of the American mustang. Detailed accounts of horse-breeding in the Southwest, Native American horsemanship, and mustangs in the golden age of the iconic American cowboys each detail the profound impact that the wild horse has had in shaping American culture. Later chapters chronicle the legacy of the horse in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, specifically emphasizing the legal and scientific measures that are being taken by horse-lovers across the country to ensure that later generations will also be able to witness the majesty of the wild horse. Featuring dozens of stunning photographs by the author, and interspersed with firsthand interviews with some of the most renowned horse experts today, America’s Wild Horses is a required read for all equine lovers.