Synopses & Reviews
He already owned and managed two ranches and needed a third about as much as he needed a permanent migraine: thatand#8217;s what Alan Day said every time his friend pestered him about an old ranch in South Dakota. But in short order, he proudly owned 35,000 pristine grassy acres. The opportunity then dropped into his lap to establish a sanctuary for unadoptable wild horses previously warehoused by the Bureau of Land Management. After Day successfully lobbied Congress, those acres became Mustang Meadows Ranch, the first government-sponsored wild horse sanctuary established in the United States.
The Horse Lover is Dayand#8217;s personal history of the sanctuaryand#8217;s vast enterprise, with its surprises and pleasures and its plentiful dangers, frustrations, and heartbreak. Dayand#8217;s deep connection with the animals in his care is clear from the outset, as is his maverick philosophy of horse-whispering, with which he trained fifteen hundred wild horses. The Horse Lover weaves together Dayand#8217;s recollections of his cowboying adventures astride some of his best horses, all of which taught him indispensable lessons about loyalty, perseverance, and hope. This heartfelt memoir reveals the Herculean task of balancing the requirements of the government with the needs of wild horses.
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Review
"Mr. Dobie brings together all his findings in a single book of solid scholarship, documented to the hilt, and inspired by his unflagging enthusiasm for the wild free creatures of the West. The Mustangs will probably remain the standard work on the subject."—New York Times New York Times
Review
"This is a magnificent book, so packed with lore and legend that one is not conscious of the fact that it is history, too. Frank Dobie tells the story of the mustangs . . . The story too of the men, and the way of life the mustang brought into being."—New York Herald Tribune New York Herald Tribune
Review
"Day's poignant personal journey is one of both heartache and hope, a mirror of not just one man's desire to save a great American icon of freedom, the wild mustang, but a nation's."and#8212;Stuart Rosebrook, True West
Review
"An instant classic."and#8212;Nancy Bent, Booklist Starred Review
Review
andldquo;It is impossible to see a herd of wild horses running free without feeling a surge of excitement and enthusiasm for their vigor, power, and beauty. To watch them run with their manes and tails flying in the wind is to experience a sense of the ultimate freedom of motion.andrdquo;andmdash;From the foreword by Sandra Day Oandrsquo;Connor, former U.S. Supreme Court justice
Review
andldquo;A great American story, and an inspiring tale of vision, courage, and hard-won wisdom. Itandrsquo;s told with humor and grace and without pretension. And every reader is sure to find a horse to fall in love with in these pages.andrdquo;andmdash;Larry Watson, author of Montana 1948
Review
andldquo;A definite read for all those who love horses. Day and Sneydandrsquo;s book is sure to become an instant wild-horse classic in the spirit of J. Frank Dobie.andrdquo;andmdash;J. Edward de Steiguer, author of Wild Horses of the West
Review
andldquo;The Horse Lover is a very good illustration of the real western part of our nation. Day, a successful rancher and businessman, is honest and forthright in dealings with neighbors, employees, business associates, and especially the federal government. I recommend this reading.andrdquo;andmdash;Dennis DeConcini, former U.S. senator from Arizona
Synopsis
J. Frank Dobies history of the “mustang”—from the Spanish mesteña, an animal belonging to (but strayed from) the Mesta, a medieval association of Spanish farmers—tells of its impact on the Spanish, English, and Native cultures of the West.
Synopsis
J. Frank Dobie's history of the "mustang"--from the Spanish "mestena," an animal belonging to (but strayed from) the Mesta, a medieval association of Spanish farmers--tells of its impact on the Spanish, English, and Native cultures of the West.
About the Author
J. Frank Dobie (1888-1964) was for many years secretary-editor of the Texas Folklore Society, taught at universities in Texas and Oklahoma as well as in England, Germany, and Austria, and wrote seventeen books on Texas and southwestern life, including The Voice of the Coyote, available in a Bison Books edition. Dayton O. Hyde is a rancher, conservationist, photographer, and author of many books, including Don Coyote: The Good Times and Bad Times of a Much Maligned American Original and Island of the Loons. He is the founder of the Institute of Range and the American Mustang, which creates sanctuaries for wild horses in South Dakota.