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America's Wild Horses: The History of the Western Mustang
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.
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.
- GenresHistory
148 pages, Hardcover
Published April 18, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 5, 2017
Author and photographer Steve Price infuses the history of the American mustang with romantic and tragic details in this book. In addition to events and dates, readers will gain a sense of the ambitions and dynamics that drove the history of the American West.
Most readers are aware that horses disappeared from the Americas at the end of the last Ice Age. They did not return until 1493 when Columbus made his second voyage to the New World. The story does not end there, however. Spanish breeders made improvements in stamina and toughness by importing and breeding Barberry Arabians with their Spanish stock. These improvements might well have been accidental. Restrictions on importation and exportation of horses motivated these breeders. In 1507 Spain banned the export of its horses; in 1523 the export of mares from the Spanish provincial islands was banned.
Price has visited many of the early Spanish historical sites mentioned in his book. These visits enrich his descriptions of the terrain and conditions that must have been encountered five centuries ago. One such visit frames the story of October 1598 when an expedition led by Don Juan de Onate lost nearly 3 dozen horses during a blizzard. He writes: “According to park officials who have also studied the disappearance of Onate's animals, the area then was essentially a high desert grassland with a light pine-oak community growing on the north side. It is easy to believe the horses stampeded on that stormy night, possibly because of mountain lions, known to live in the area today, or for any number of other reasons, and by the time their disappearance was discovered, not only had all sign of them been covered by the blowing snow, but the snow was also too deep and the temperature too cold for the men to try to follow them.” (p.23)
Price's account of the interaction between Native American tribes and horses is equally interesting. Horses were useful. But more significantly, they also symbolized wealth and promoted status. By 1760 all of the Plains tribes had horses. A single event that occurred a century earlier accelerated this expansion. On August 10, 1680, thousands of mustangs were abandoned during the Pueblo Revolt. Price traces documentary evidence of their appearance through trade and warfare between a succession of tribes.
He also acknowledges the charismatic power of the horse. Various tribes valued specific coloration. The Comanches were partial to the “Medicine Hat” or “War Bonnet” — a white body with a dark patch on its ears and the top of its head. They believed such a horse was endowed with magical properties. The Nez Perce were partial to the Appaloosa. Navajo oral history established a place for the horse among its gods.
Today, the Spanish Mustang exists not as a separate breed, but as a reminder of survival and resilience. Their history is the history especially of the Apaches, Navajo, Utes, and Comanches. It's a history of warfare, trade, changing political authorities, greed, destitution, cruelty and compassion. DNA markers collected from a herd can give some indication of genetic heritage. However, Dr. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M University points to physical features pointing to a Spanish heritage. Size, coloration, the presence of a narrow black stripe down its back are some of the more obvious markers.
Of special interest is the history of horse advocacy. Efforts of people like Velma Johnston, Robert E. Brislawn, and Walter S. Baring Jr. led ultimately to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burros Act signed on December 17, 1971. Price does not dwell on the subsequent politics involved in diluting this Act. Instead, he mentions a few successes: Off-range pastures on private land; eco-sanctuaries; and prisoner rehabilitation programs. The book concludes with a visit to the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Range near Lovell, Wyoming. I found these chapters particularly appealing. They are a rebuke to periodic complaints that protecting wild horses is too expensive and economically burdensome.
I read the hard cover edition of the book. It is printed on heavy stock and Price's photographs are beautiful.
NOTES:
Web site for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range:
http://www.pryormustangs.org/tours.shtml
This book contains surprising little gems. Here is a youtube video of Ian Tyson's song, “La Primera.” The lyrics are included in the book. I still remember Tyson from the folksong duo, Ian and Sylvia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULutI...
Obituary of Hope Ryden, whose ABC documentary is mentioned in the book
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/bo... I don't have a link to her film, but by using the search term “wild horse documentaries” a number of interesting videos about wild horses are available online.
A myth about the Navajo sun god and his five horses:
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/songh...
Most readers are aware that horses disappeared from the Americas at the end of the last Ice Age. They did not return until 1493 when Columbus made his second voyage to the New World. The story does not end there, however. Spanish breeders made improvements in stamina and toughness by importing and breeding Barberry Arabians with their Spanish stock. These improvements might well have been accidental. Restrictions on importation and exportation of horses motivated these breeders. In 1507 Spain banned the export of its horses; in 1523 the export of mares from the Spanish provincial islands was banned.
Price has visited many of the early Spanish historical sites mentioned in his book. These visits enrich his descriptions of the terrain and conditions that must have been encountered five centuries ago. One such visit frames the story of October 1598 when an expedition led by Don Juan de Onate lost nearly 3 dozen horses during a blizzard. He writes: “According to park officials who have also studied the disappearance of Onate's animals, the area then was essentially a high desert grassland with a light pine-oak community growing on the north side. It is easy to believe the horses stampeded on that stormy night, possibly because of mountain lions, known to live in the area today, or for any number of other reasons, and by the time their disappearance was discovered, not only had all sign of them been covered by the blowing snow, but the snow was also too deep and the temperature too cold for the men to try to follow them.” (p.23)
Price's account of the interaction between Native American tribes and horses is equally interesting. Horses were useful. But more significantly, they also symbolized wealth and promoted status. By 1760 all of the Plains tribes had horses. A single event that occurred a century earlier accelerated this expansion. On August 10, 1680, thousands of mustangs were abandoned during the Pueblo Revolt. Price traces documentary evidence of their appearance through trade and warfare between a succession of tribes.
He also acknowledges the charismatic power of the horse. Various tribes valued specific coloration. The Comanches were partial to the “Medicine Hat” or “War Bonnet” — a white body with a dark patch on its ears and the top of its head. They believed such a horse was endowed with magical properties. The Nez Perce were partial to the Appaloosa. Navajo oral history established a place for the horse among its gods.
Today, the Spanish Mustang exists not as a separate breed, but as a reminder of survival and resilience. Their history is the history especially of the Apaches, Navajo, Utes, and Comanches. It's a history of warfare, trade, changing political authorities, greed, destitution, cruelty and compassion. DNA markers collected from a herd can give some indication of genetic heritage. However, Dr. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M University points to physical features pointing to a Spanish heritage. Size, coloration, the presence of a narrow black stripe down its back are some of the more obvious markers.
Of special interest is the history of horse advocacy. Efforts of people like Velma Johnston, Robert E. Brislawn, and Walter S. Baring Jr. led ultimately to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burros Act signed on December 17, 1971. Price does not dwell on the subsequent politics involved in diluting this Act. Instead, he mentions a few successes: Off-range pastures on private land; eco-sanctuaries; and prisoner rehabilitation programs. The book concludes with a visit to the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Range near Lovell, Wyoming. I found these chapters particularly appealing. They are a rebuke to periodic complaints that protecting wild horses is too expensive and economically burdensome.
I read the hard cover edition of the book. It is printed on heavy stock and Price's photographs are beautiful.
NOTES:
Web site for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range:
http://www.pryormustangs.org/tours.shtml
This book contains surprising little gems. Here is a youtube video of Ian Tyson's song, “La Primera.” The lyrics are included in the book. I still remember Tyson from the folksong duo, Ian and Sylvia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULutI...
Obituary of Hope Ryden, whose ABC documentary is mentioned in the book
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/bo... I don't have a link to her film, but by using the search term “wild horse documentaries” a number of interesting videos about wild horses are available online.
A myth about the Navajo sun god and his five horses:
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/songh...
July 3, 2017
Author Steve Price manages to convey a considerable amount of history from the Spanish landing in South America until present time 2016, in a short and concise manner. Photo in the book are beautiful and add to the splendor. Recommend to all horse lovers or anyone looking to further there mustang knowledge.
April 16, 2020
The history of the western mustang is the history of the west. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It is so well written and has a lot of beautiful photographs. I learned a lot I didn’t know about these wild horses and the history of the west. I was left inspired to learn even more. I was also left with the desire to visit many of the places that were written about in the book. As a native of west Texas with ancestral lines dating far back into the history and people of New Mexico, Old Mexico and the greater southwest, I have always felt blessed to have been born and raised in these rugged lands. Learning about the Spanish Mustang in the amazing book made me feel even more blessed.
January 22, 2022
Exceptional!
I've been a horse lover for as long as I can remember and I've been riding for 50+ years. I rescued a little horse about 10 years ago the day before she was scheduled to go on a trailer headed for a slaughterhouse. She was only four years old. I did not know of her bloodline so I had her DNA evaluated through Texas A & M. The results were amazing and I believe she is at least two-thirds Spanish Mustang. This book brought a lot on insight into her heritage. She is now 15 and I wouldn't part with her for anything in the world. I named her Jewel because that's what she is.
I've been a horse lover for as long as I can remember and I've been riding for 50+ years. I rescued a little horse about 10 years ago the day before she was scheduled to go on a trailer headed for a slaughterhouse. She was only four years old. I did not know of her bloodline so I had her DNA evaluated through Texas A & M. The results were amazing and I believe she is at least two-thirds Spanish Mustang. This book brought a lot on insight into her heritage. She is now 15 and I wouldn't part with her for anything in the world. I named her Jewel because that's what she is.
August 11, 2020
I ordered this book through our local library, thinking to enjoy the beautiful photos. But I quickly got sucked in. In discussing the history of the mustang, the author went into depth about different tribes throughout US, the role of horses by explorers, mountain men, Westward migration, and the military. Though there were times hard to read about, like all of history, I learned a lot. This was a well researched work, and a subject the author deeply cared about. Very interesting and well written.
June 27, 2024
Very interesting history of have the horses came to America, a history of some of Indian tribes, and also how some tribes became powerful because of the horses.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews