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Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs: The Life of Velma Johnston
The true story of the intrepid woman whose life-long determination to protect America’s mustangs captured the heart of the country.
In 1950, Velma Johnston was a thirty-eight-year-old secretary enroute to work near Reno, Nevada, when she came upon a truck of battered wild horses that had been rounded up and were to be slaughtered for pet food. Shocked and angered by this gruesome discovery, she vowed to find a way to stop the cruel round-ups, a resolution that led to a life-long battle that would pit her against ranchers and powerful politicians—but eventually win her support and admiration around the world. This is the first biography to tell her courageous true story.
Like Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, or Temple Grandin, Velma Johnston dedicated her life to public awareness and protection of animals. Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs follows Velma from her childhood, in which she was disfigured by polio, to her dangerous vigilante-style missions to free captured horses and document round-ups, through the innovative and exhaustive grassroots campaign which earned her the nickname “Wild Horse Annie” and led to Congress passing the “Wild Horse Annie Bill,” to her friendship with renowned children’s author and horse-lover Marguerite Henry.
A powerful combination of adventure, history, and biography, Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs beautifully captures the romance and magic of wild horses and the character of the strong-willed woman who made their survival her legacy.
In 1950, Velma Johnston was a thirty-eight-year-old secretary enroute to work near Reno, Nevada, when she came upon a truck of battered wild horses that had been rounded up and were to be slaughtered for pet food. Shocked and angered by this gruesome discovery, she vowed to find a way to stop the cruel round-ups, a resolution that led to a life-long battle that would pit her against ranchers and powerful politicians—but eventually win her support and admiration around the world. This is the first biography to tell her courageous true story.
Like Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, or Temple Grandin, Velma Johnston dedicated her life to public awareness and protection of animals. Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs follows Velma from her childhood, in which she was disfigured by polio, to her dangerous vigilante-style missions to free captured horses and document round-ups, through the innovative and exhaustive grassroots campaign which earned her the nickname “Wild Horse Annie” and led to Congress passing the “Wild Horse Annie Bill,” to her friendship with renowned children’s author and horse-lover Marguerite Henry.
A powerful combination of adventure, history, and biography, Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs beautifully captures the romance and magic of wild horses and the character of the strong-willed woman who made their survival her legacy.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 18, 2010
I first read about Velma "Wild Horse Annie" Johnston in the pages of Marguerite Henry's "Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West." I dreamed of having a mustang like Velma's Hobo.
As an adult, I've been honored to be face-to-face with famous mustangs like Rowdy Yates and Shy Boy, and to scratch between the ears of numerous BLM adoptees. Without Velma Johnston's work, none of those events would have happened.
David Cruise and Allison Griffiths present a no-holds barred look at the woman who dared to stand up on behalf of creatures that many people in her time and locale considered to be a tremendous nuisance.
Johnston, daughter and wife of Nevada ranchers, was appalled at the airplane roundups of mustangs that led to the mutilated horses' slaughter at rendering plants for pet food manufacturers. She began a one woman letter-writing campaign that eventually led to laws preserving space for mustangs and making it unlawful to hunt them in fashions that had been commonplace and cruel.
Johnston survived a disfiguring bout with polio and was devastatingly shy, yet found herself speaking before Congress on numerous occasions to champion her "wild ones," as she called them.
Those of us who love the American mustang in all its colors and iterations owe a tremendous debt to "Wild Horse Annie" and all of her hard work. Highly recommended for horse lovers in particular and those concerned with animal welfare in general.
As an adult, I've been honored to be face-to-face with famous mustangs like Rowdy Yates and Shy Boy, and to scratch between the ears of numerous BLM adoptees. Without Velma Johnston's work, none of those events would have happened.
David Cruise and Allison Griffiths present a no-holds barred look at the woman who dared to stand up on behalf of creatures that many people in her time and locale considered to be a tremendous nuisance.
Johnston, daughter and wife of Nevada ranchers, was appalled at the airplane roundups of mustangs that led to the mutilated horses' slaughter at rendering plants for pet food manufacturers. She began a one woman letter-writing campaign that eventually led to laws preserving space for mustangs and making it unlawful to hunt them in fashions that had been commonplace and cruel.
Johnston survived a disfiguring bout with polio and was devastatingly shy, yet found herself speaking before Congress on numerous occasions to champion her "wild ones," as she called them.
Those of us who love the American mustang in all its colors and iterations owe a tremendous debt to "Wild Horse Annie" and all of her hard work. Highly recommended for horse lovers in particular and those concerned with animal welfare in general.
July 7, 2011
I began this book a bit amazed that I'd not heard of Velma Johnston prior to this. When I was further into the book and realized that Marguerite Henry actually wrote a book about Johnston for adolescents (Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West) that I'd not heard of (much less read) I was even more amazed.
I think it's fair to say Johnston is a big part of the reason the mustangs were not wiped out in this country in the 20th century. It is also safe to say that the mustangs need someone with Johnston's singleminded determination to save them in the 21st century, when the Bureau of Land Management is again employing many of the same tactics to "control" the herds that remain.
Cruise and Griffiths do a good job highlighting the life of Velma Johnston and detailing the amazing work she did to gain popular and political support for this county's wild horses. At the same time, the authors do not shy away from discussing some of Johnston's less thoughtful behaviors. The end result is a look into the life of an amazing, yet human, woman. If you have any interest in the American West, horses, or animal protection, this is worth the time.
I think it's fair to say Johnston is a big part of the reason the mustangs were not wiped out in this country in the 20th century. It is also safe to say that the mustangs need someone with Johnston's singleminded determination to save them in the 21st century, when the Bureau of Land Management is again employing many of the same tactics to "control" the herds that remain.
Cruise and Griffiths do a good job highlighting the life of Velma Johnston and detailing the amazing work she did to gain popular and political support for this county's wild horses. At the same time, the authors do not shy away from discussing some of Johnston's less thoughtful behaviors. The end result is a look into the life of an amazing, yet human, woman. If you have any interest in the American West, horses, or animal protection, this is worth the time.
December 30, 2010
Author David Cruise says: "We all love David and Goliath stories." Velma slew two Goliaths, at least; the cattlemen of Nevada who conspired with the United States Bureau of Land Management to stop Velma. The second Goliath: a virulent polio virus. Both of these 'Goliaths' are accustomed to having their way. Neither had met Velma Johnston before.
A must read for anyone, Wild Horse Annie is a love story, a social history of the heart of the 20th century, a pre-women’s liberation woman's story, an animal activist saga, a political drama and to me most importantly, the story of Velma Johnston.
I have never met a human being more determined either in real life or in fiction. Her spirit soars from the pages. We meet her at age twelve emerging from a body cast designed to ward off bone disfiguring polio. Polio would be no match for Velma. A steely resolve emanating from somewhere deep in her soul armed Velma with a lifelong capacity to ignore pain.
One day Velma, a life long horsewoman, happens to witness a truckload of injured wild mustangs being carted off to the dog food factory. Her life would never be the same. With her husband Charlie’s support, she began a crusade to end the cruel methods used to capture wild mustangs. Twenty-one years after that fateful meeting, Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act regulating how permits to capture the horses were issued as well as governing the methods used to round them up. But this is just like saying the Grand Canyon is big. The sub story and the soul of the book are about Velma’s grittiness and her refusal to be turned back. Constantly battling pain and fatigue from her bout with polio, Velma worked full time throughout her struggle as the main bread winner in her family. She devoted evenings and weekends to the battle. In between she found time to entertain, hosting lavish themed parties at the ranch she shared with Charlie. Well into the morning hours they would drink and laugh and gather around the piano. Velma loved people ‘almost’ as much as she loved horses and she loved life more than anything.
Velma Johnston deserves a place of honor in American history.
We are all indebted to David Cruise and Alison Griffiths for 'unearthing' her story after all these years. It does seem timely in an age when there are so few heroes to look up to and admire. Perhaps the book and the talked about movie will re-ignite our passion and our belief that individuals can make a difference
A must read for anyone, Wild Horse Annie is a love story, a social history of the heart of the 20th century, a pre-women’s liberation woman's story, an animal activist saga, a political drama and to me most importantly, the story of Velma Johnston.
I have never met a human being more determined either in real life or in fiction. Her spirit soars from the pages. We meet her at age twelve emerging from a body cast designed to ward off bone disfiguring polio. Polio would be no match for Velma. A steely resolve emanating from somewhere deep in her soul armed Velma with a lifelong capacity to ignore pain.
One day Velma, a life long horsewoman, happens to witness a truckload of injured wild mustangs being carted off to the dog food factory. Her life would never be the same. With her husband Charlie’s support, she began a crusade to end the cruel methods used to capture wild mustangs. Twenty-one years after that fateful meeting, Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act regulating how permits to capture the horses were issued as well as governing the methods used to round them up. But this is just like saying the Grand Canyon is big. The sub story and the soul of the book are about Velma’s grittiness and her refusal to be turned back. Constantly battling pain and fatigue from her bout with polio, Velma worked full time throughout her struggle as the main bread winner in her family. She devoted evenings and weekends to the battle. In between she found time to entertain, hosting lavish themed parties at the ranch she shared with Charlie. Well into the morning hours they would drink and laugh and gather around the piano. Velma loved people ‘almost’ as much as she loved horses and she loved life more than anything.
Velma Johnston deserves a place of honor in American history.
We are all indebted to David Cruise and Alison Griffiths for 'unearthing' her story after all these years. It does seem timely in an age when there are so few heroes to look up to and admire. Perhaps the book and the talked about movie will re-ignite our passion and our belief that individuals can make a difference
March 8, 2014
At the library with my daughter recently, I was browsing up and down the shelves when the title of this book caught my eye. I didn't think I'd ever heard of Wild Horse Annie, but when I read the chapters about Velma's friendship with Marguerite Henry, who wrote a book about her, I realized I probably read said book many many years ago. That whole section of this book actually made me want to go back and reread all of Henry's books.
One day in 1950, Velma Johnston, a secretary, was driving on the roads of Reno, Nevada, when she came up behind a livestock trailer, and noticed there seemed to be blood dripping out of it. That drip of blood turned into a small stream, and dismayed, Velma followed the trailer until it stopped, intent on warning the driver that he needed to check his cargo. I can only imagine the horror she felt when she looked inside that trailer, because just reading the description of the damaged and mangled live horses it contained made my stomach feel queasy.
The book traces Velma's early childhood to her death in 1977. Along the way she contracts polio as a child, which permanently disfigures her, and meets and marries Charlie Johnston, who would be her staunch supporter and helper in her campaign to save the horses. In the early days of the fight she and Charlie snuck around at night, freeing wild horses from corrals or pens where they were being held while awaiting transport to a slaughterhouse. But she soon became involved in politics and pushing through new legislation to protect the horses. Besides trying to keep wild horses from being slaughtered for pet food, she particularly wanted it to be illegal for the horses to be rounded up by airplane or helicopter, which was a terrifying experience for the horses that resulted in physical injuries as they were forced to run at panicked speeds over rough terrain. It was a long battle with many ups and downs, and Velma was fighting for protection and humane treatment to the very end of her life.
Detailed and articulate without being dry, the authors' respect for their subject shines through in this well written account of the life of a truly incredible woman.
One day in 1950, Velma Johnston, a secretary, was driving on the roads of Reno, Nevada, when she came up behind a livestock trailer, and noticed there seemed to be blood dripping out of it. That drip of blood turned into a small stream, and dismayed, Velma followed the trailer until it stopped, intent on warning the driver that he needed to check his cargo. I can only imagine the horror she felt when she looked inside that trailer, because just reading the description of the damaged and mangled live horses it contained made my stomach feel queasy.
The book traces Velma's early childhood to her death in 1977. Along the way she contracts polio as a child, which permanently disfigures her, and meets and marries Charlie Johnston, who would be her staunch supporter and helper in her campaign to save the horses. In the early days of the fight she and Charlie snuck around at night, freeing wild horses from corrals or pens where they were being held while awaiting transport to a slaughterhouse. But she soon became involved in politics and pushing through new legislation to protect the horses. Besides trying to keep wild horses from being slaughtered for pet food, she particularly wanted it to be illegal for the horses to be rounded up by airplane or helicopter, which was a terrifying experience for the horses that resulted in physical injuries as they were forced to run at panicked speeds over rough terrain. It was a long battle with many ups and downs, and Velma was fighting for protection and humane treatment to the very end of her life.
Detailed and articulate without being dry, the authors' respect for their subject shines through in this well written account of the life of a truly incredible woman.
October 28, 2025
3.75 ★ // 3❤︎– Very good, has a few issues
I grew up on Marguerite Henry and her horse books. So when I discovered this book which was the true-life story behind "Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West," what can I say? I was hooked!
BOOKISH YAYS:
*I'm a horse girl, so it should be obvious what I loved most about this book :)
*themes of courage and how it only takes one voice to stand up and inspire a movement
*learning the true story of "Wild-Horse Annie" (Velma Johnson) was very inspiriting. The story is raw, real, and poignant. Stricken with polio at an early age, Velma didn't have an easy life. But she fought hard for what she believed in - like the cause of wild mustangs - and that is a lesson everyone can take away!
* I didn't know Marguerite Henry and Velma Johnson actually met in real-life to work together on Henry's book. I loved seeing their friendship and letters!
BOOKISH OKAYS:
* I did feel like sometimes the details in this story were repetitive and I skimmed a bit at the very end.
* there are mentions of times when her husband, Charlie Johnson, drank heavily. He never abused her and that's a true fact, but it wasn't something I felt added to the story.
* there may have been a few "cuss words" I can't remember, but I feel like it was under 5 times?
BOOKISH NAYS:
*mentions of two men who are "together" which didn't add anything to the story.
CONTENT:
Note: Due to the intense nature of this story (Velma was championing the cause of the wild mustangs, who were being brutally rounded up and killed for "dog meat" and other reasons), there are details about the treatment of these horses which may not be for sensitive readers. I would recommend this as 18+ Every detail in this book is meticulously fact-checked and eye-opening, but I would start by reading Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West if you want to know this story but aren't ready for some of the details!
I grew up on Marguerite Henry and her horse books. So when I discovered this book which was the true-life story behind "Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West," what can I say? I was hooked!
BOOKISH YAYS:
*I'm a horse girl, so it should be obvious what I loved most about this book :)
*themes of courage and how it only takes one voice to stand up and inspire a movement
*learning the true story of "Wild-Horse Annie" (Velma Johnson) was very inspiriting. The story is raw, real, and poignant. Stricken with polio at an early age, Velma didn't have an easy life. But she fought hard for what she believed in - like the cause of wild mustangs - and that is a lesson everyone can take away!
* I didn't know Marguerite Henry and Velma Johnson actually met in real-life to work together on Henry's book. I loved seeing their friendship and letters!
BOOKISH OKAYS:
* I did feel like sometimes the details in this story were repetitive and I skimmed a bit at the very end.
* there are mentions of times when her husband, Charlie Johnson, drank heavily. He never abused her and that's a true fact, but it wasn't something I felt added to the story.
* there may have been a few "cuss words" I can't remember, but I feel like it was under 5 times?
BOOKISH NAYS:
*mentions of two men who are "together" which didn't add anything to the story.
CONTENT:
Note: Due to the intense nature of this story (Velma was championing the cause of the wild mustangs, who were being brutally rounded up and killed for "dog meat" and other reasons), there are details about the treatment of these horses which may not be for sensitive readers. I would recommend this as 18+ Every detail in this book is meticulously fact-checked and eye-opening, but I would start by reading Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West if you want to know this story but aren't ready for some of the details!
June 14, 2020
Superb, in depth look at the grass roots movement to preserve wild horses and prevent commercial atrocities funded by the Bureau of Land Management's support of aerial, wholesale slaughter of these beautiful, wild, endangeed species of horses and one woman's compassion, vision, and perseverence against their elimination.
Very thorough, at times feeling bogged down in political labyrinth of bureaucracy jargon, but saved by biographical sketch of "Wild Horse Annie", Velma Johnston who stirred up our nation's compassion for animals tortured and killed to line pockets of pet food industrialists and their henchmen who in all levels of life and walks that target these poor creatures.
A must read for horse and animal rights supporters of all animals ..with the hope it may stir up champions to create a humane solution and permanent solution to combat continued atrocities and worst of all mismanagement.
I, the reader am compelled to feel stirred to ask during and while reading this book, if ONE woman could do souch alone, why isn't there yet a solution out of the millions of citizens in America to stop tje destruction and abusive tactics still levied oagainst the precious few thousand noble but battered wild horses in America?
Very thorough, at times feeling bogged down in political labyrinth of bureaucracy jargon, but saved by biographical sketch of "Wild Horse Annie", Velma Johnston who stirred up our nation's compassion for animals tortured and killed to line pockets of pet food industrialists and their henchmen who in all levels of life and walks that target these poor creatures.
A must read for horse and animal rights supporters of all animals ..with the hope it may stir up champions to create a humane solution and permanent solution to combat continued atrocities and worst of all mismanagement.
I, the reader am compelled to feel stirred to ask during and while reading this book, if ONE woman could do souch alone, why isn't there yet a solution out of the millions of citizens in America to stop tje destruction and abusive tactics still levied oagainst the precious few thousand noble but battered wild horses in America?
October 10, 2010
Non-fiction book about a remarkable woman who was one of the early advocates for saving the wild Mustangs of the West. Velma Johnston was a polio survivor, who not only managed a successful secretarial career; but spearheaded some of the earliest government Mustang preservation. Her story is sort of lost among all the governmental agencies except the BLM, who feared her efforts in achieving support for the Mustangs by getting some federal laws passed. The end of the book briefly describes Madeleine Pickens' latest effort to bring the Mutsangs plight to the American public. The saddest report is that nothing has really changed for these wild horses as they are mercilessly hunted by airplanes and driven into death traps for canneries. There is not even a humane law for killing them like cattle or other livestock as they are just maimed and mutilated by the chase and capture and not even killed after being injured. This is a for-profit based business which is basically sanctioned by the BLM and other large ranchers/landowners and what few laws are available are not enforced.
March 11, 2022
I had read Marguerite Henry's Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West years ago as a child. When I saw this book in my local store's bargain used book bin, I grabbed it. It was interesting to get the true story, not a fictionalized account. Velma Johnston certainly did not have an easy life. However, she pushed forward and worked for something dear to her heart. Her legacy lives on. However, as evidenced by the still occurring round ups in the Pryor Range, and elsewhere, there is still work to be done. This book highlights the inefficiencies of our government. They try to solve problems when there aren't any, and then work twice as hard when they create problems, while still trying to blame the horses for those problems. While parts of this book were a bit slow, it was still quite interesting.
June 4, 2020
Very informative and inspiring. Makes me really appreciative of the life of Velma Johnson and her husband for being compassionate, caring of these beautiful animals. Without Velma's passion and fight for the wild horses we would have no Mustangs left in the world. The breed would have been extinct long time ago! So very thankful for this courageous woman!
March 1, 2025
I read about Velma Johnston when I was a little girl and it was great to read a more complete story of life. The author clarifies some of the liberties Henry took in her story of Velma Johnston, and also explains more about the work that it took to get the mustangs some protection. Well written and engaging.
November 2, 2025
For my love of wild mustangs!
March 8, 2013
I never really intended to read the whole book, but I found the first half to be compelling. I lost steam near the midpoint and skipped most of the rest now. It seems weird to be reading about someone's disagreements with friends, and details of their correspondence and other minutia. I had no idea that mustangs had been hunted in this manner, so that part of the book was very enlightening, and Velma herself is a pretty interesting character, but perhaps only 100 pages worth of interesting.
June 10, 2010
I have noticed that books about horses mostly have one thing in common. They are not very well written. David Cruise clearly knows how to write. This could have been just another biography and sure, folks would have read it because of the subject matter. But it is obvious that Cruise not only did in depth research on his subject, he also delivers a compelling story.
December 14, 2010
I didn't know much - anything really - about Velma Johnson before reading this. It's an engaging biography, and is probably pretty accurate, as it includes information about her good and bad traits and behaviors.
December 7, 2012
I'm glad that I finally got around to reading this one. I was a little reluctant to pick it up for some reason, but the story was well worth it once I did. Velma Johnston was an amazing woman who defied the odds and stood up for what she believed in. We need more people like her in this world.
June 8, 2012
VERY INFORMATIVE!! EXPOSES THE CORRUPTION OF PEOPLE--GOVERNMENT!!!
November 29, 2016
I read this shortly after a book by Mitchell Bornstein. Both of which at some point, will checkout again.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews