Wild horses: bold, elusive, independent. Above all, free. Or are
they? Most of us consider wild horses honoured emblems of our
Western spirit, but some see them as a resource to exploit or even
a pest to eliminate. Which are they? For Carol Walker, the
photographer and author of "Wild Hoofbeats", the answer begins not
in abstract argument over symbols and statistics, but with the
horses themselves. In images that move fleetly from the pages
straight into our hearts, Walker brings to brilliant life the
horses of the Adobe Town herd in Wyoming's Red Desert, and we gain
a priceless perspective on these graceful, courageous animals.
Walker gathered these dynamic images over years spent observing
(sometimes at a distance, often within a mere stride or two) the
bands of the Adobe Town herd. She emerged from her experience with
a sense of personal acquaintance with the horses, a deep respect
for their social allegiances and intelligence and a heart fully
engaged by their plight. As art, the photographs are elegant. As
documentary, they are evocative. In every respect, they are
indelibly memorable. But Walker doesn't offer just photographs. In
quiet, spare prose Walker invites us to journey with her as she
meets the horses in the initial blur of mass impression, then band
by band, and eventually, individual by individual. We come to
recognise each stallion and note as the seasons pass the new battle
scars, the special attention each gives to a favourite mare. We
understand which mare is tender, which is a disciplinarian with her
baby. And of course, we grow attached to the youngsters, first as
curious foals, finally as adults venturing into perilous
independence. In the final chapters, Walker takes us on the roundup
done by the Bureau of Land Management to control herd population,
and we hold our breath. Which ones return home to their family
bands, and which are separated forever? Ultimately, we are as
invested in these horses as if they are our own. So travel with
Carol Walker through "Wild Hoofbeats", savour every painterly image
and every poignant story, but beware: you cannot venture through
this book and emerge unchanged.
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