NOBODY’S HORSES: The Dramatic Rescue of the Wild Herd of White Sands

ISBN: 0-7432-9088-7 Publication Date: September 2006 Authors: Don Höglund

Imprint: Free Press/$25.

We are pleased to share the following advance praise for NOBODY’S HORSES:

“America’s wild horses are a historic legacy that dates back to the first days of Spanish exploration. Private landowners and public land managers alike will learn from the unique perspectives in Nobody’s Horses.”—Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico and author of Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life

“This moving, first-hand account of Dr. Höglund's efforts to save the White Sands herd is a compelling ‘must-read’ for anyone who loves wild horses or wild places."—Tom Groneberg, author of The Secret Life of Cowboys

“Equine veterinarian, cowboy, and author Don Höglund recounts an exciting tale of horse rescue. This true story reads like a cross between The Dirty Dozen and The Horse Whisperer. Two hooves up.”—Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of The Dog Who Loved Too Much

“As fast and dramatic as a herd of wild horses, Höglund's book will sweep you up and carry you at a gallop to its bittersweet, compelling ending. Höglund is an American hero, and his knowledge and passion for horses shine off every page. If you love horses just a smidgeon as much as he does, once you start it you won't be able to put it down. What a joy.”—Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, author of the national bestseller, The Other End of the Leash, co-host of public radio’s “Calling All Pets,” associate adjunct professor of zoology at University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Nobody’s Horses are everybody’s horses. Protect them.  This book comes from the heart of a veterinarian who gave an oath, and meant it.”—Michael Ackerman, DVM, Manager, Lextron Animal Health, Inc.

“Nobody’s Horses is a story born out of a veterinarian’s passion for animals and speaks to all Americans. The wild horse has a prestigious place in our past, our present, and should be firmly protected for future generations.”—Jay Brown, DVM, President, Vetgate USA

Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

Review - Nobody's Horses: The Dramatic Rescue of the Wild Herd of White Sands, by Don Hoglund

 

By Kelly Lemieux, Special to the Rocky Mountain News
September 7, 2006

• Nonfiction. By Don Hoglund. Free Press, 251 pages, $25. Grade: A-

Book in a nutshell: Former Colorado resident, vet and avowed horse lover Hoglund has written an impassioned ode to the wild horse, which our overcultivated society has forgotten still roam patches of the old frontier. Here, the author narrates how he was hired by the federal government to remove an 1,800-strong herd of horses living in some of the most inhospitable real estate America has to offer, the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Somehow the horses - descended from the rides of ranchers and Wild West outlaws - managed to scratch out an existence, their migration patterns built around paltry watering holes and rough foliage. A die-out of several dozen horses around a dried-up watering hole got Hoglund involved with the project.

Their environment was just one of the challenges the horses faced. Their territory, which the herds' stallions fought over with teeth and hooves, happened to be in the middle of a top-secret Department of Defense weapons testing range, where ground and air munitions, radiation and secret tests were a constant hazard.

Hoglund assembled a team of rough riders to track, herd and corral the horses, put them through an array of tests and vaccinations and find them homes, all while not breaking their free spirits.

Best tidbit: In one breathtaking scene, the author is overseeing a transfer of the mustangs between pens. Suddenly, the horses turn and stampede, dust swirling, the musky scent of the horses overwhelming him. A mare smashes a hoof into his leg, breaking the bone.

Pros: The writing is vivid and romantic, with panoramic details capturing the aroma of the Southwest.

Cons: The story occasionally bogs down in repeated descriptions of wranglings and vaccinations.

Final word: Every Wild West aficionado will love this well-rendered account about a proud way of life many thought dead, but which still exists in nooks and crannies hidden from modern view .