Wild Horses of the West presents the history of wild horses from prehistoric times to the present. Amply-illustrated, it recounts the compelling story of their re-introduction to North America by the Spanish in 1493, their unprecedented impact on Indian culture, their exciting role in settling the West, and the present-day plight of wild horses in the American West.
Following is a passage from Wild Horses of the West,
“Wild horses, with swiftness, strength and freedom, have always had the power to evoke passion. From Lascaux's cave artists in southwestern France fifteen thousand years ago to modern Americans, the image of wild horses running free on the open plain has inspired the human spirit and captured the soul like few things in nature .... Yet while wild horses may be an inspiration to many, to others (especially those who rely on America's western federal lands for their livelihood) they are a curse on the land.”
This embodies the idea behind for the book: the history of the horse, the passion the wild horse invokes in many people, and that there are others who just want them eliminated from the western scene.
Here’s what reviewers have said:
● Wild Horses of the West said Professor Steve Fountain is, “a sweeping account of horses in North America; its author is to be congratulated on his in-depth coverage.”
● Noted western historian Professor Dan Flores said Wild Horses of the West contained, “original and probing research; among the best wild horse books presently on the market.
● Wild horse activist Dr. Pat Fazio called it “one of the most carefully researched and documented books on wild horses that America has yet produced.”
● Wrote author Mim Eichler Rivas, “Ed de Steiguer writes with an unabashed love for the land conjuring up of times and places past…”
Since its release, Wild Horses of the West has received six awards for literary merit and design. Among these awards are: Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association, IPPY Gold Medal for Best Original Non-Fiction in the West and Mountain States, and Choice Magazine Award as an Outstanding Academic Title.
