Wild Horses I Have Known - Couverture rigide

Ryden, Hope

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0395775205 ISBN 13 : 9780395775202

Editeur : Clarion Books, 1999

Synopsis

Naturalist Hope Ryden's stunning photographs accompany clear, conversational essays telling of her observations and experiences as she tracked the mustangs of the West. Wild horses evolved and roamed in North America until becoming extinct ten thousand years ago. Not until the early sixteenth century, when the conquistadors brought tough mounts to carry them as they explore what is now Mexico and the Southwest, did the horse reappear on American soil. Hope Ryden describes how the Plains Indians adopted the horse, which transformed their culture. But many of their horses escaped into the wild and reverted to primitive behaviors-such as forming tight-knit social groups with complicated social hierarchies-that enabled them to thrive and survive. Horse lovers and history buffs, as well as all who relish a good true-life adventure, will be fascinated and moved by this compelling portrait of a national treasure. Bibliography.

A propos du livre

Revue de presse

"...superior pictures and riveting text." School Library Journal, Starred

Ryden's newest nature book is a delight--not just for horse fanciers, but for anyone interested in animal behavior. Years spent studying the wild mustangs of the Pryor Mountains have given her insight into how the animals interact, and her ability to get close to the horses provided opportunities for shooting dozens of spectacular color photographs. Writing in a conversational (though never flippant) tone, she conveys the fascination of being able to closely observe individual animals, such as Old Nellie, the cagey head female of one stallion's "harem." She also gives readers plenty of action--close encounters with skittish horses and stallions battling for dominance. Her final chapter covers the sad history of the over-hunted creatures. The pictures, which are separated from the main text, are a nice large size, and smaller captioned photos at the back show different types of coat and mane coloration. Sources appended.
Booklist, ALA

A carefully crafted book that features abundant use of strikingly beautiful photographs, simply framed and captioned, of western U.S. mustangs presently living as wild horses. In a clean, succinct introduction, the author traces the history of wild horses and explains the controversy over assigning mustangs to the "wild" category since they were once domesticated and later returned to a wild state. The following sections of text become more conversational as the author relates her personal observations and encounters with the mustangs on the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Wyoming. Much of the text is drawn from Ryden's thirty-plus years of mustang study, although other sources are cited. A nice combination of elegance and sound information about this distinct group of horses that includes their habits, evolution of the breed, and the history of its presence in North America.
Horn Book

Ryden (Wild Horse Summer, 1997, etc.) photographs the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains and chronicles their ancient origins, how they live, their colors and markings, and how she and others have fought to get the federal legislation that protects such horses from those who would hunt them down or take away their habitat. In passing she describes some of the mustangs she came to know, if from a distance: Lonesome, The Black King, Buck, Old Nellie, and others. The complex structure of their male-female relationships are described in detail as part of the larger social formation that ensures food and space for all, improving the chances of the animals' survival in an extraordinarily harsh environment. Stunning full-color photographs show the mustangs running free, one of the last species that does; Ryden makes a convincing case for guaranteeing that they always will.
Kirkus Reviews

Présentation de l'éditeur

Naturalist Hope Ryden's stunning photographs accompany clear, conversational essays telling of her observations and experiences as she tracked the mustangs of the West. Wild horses evolved and roamed in North America until becoming extinct ten thousand years ago. Not until the early sixteenth century, when the conquistadors brought tough mounts to carry them as they explore what is now Mexico and the Southwest, did the horse reappear on American soil. Hope Ryden describes how the Plains Indians adopted the horse, which transformed their culture. But many of their horses escaped into the wild and reverted to primitive behaviors-such as forming tight-knit social groups with complicated social hierarchies-that enabled them to thrive and survive. Horse lovers and history buffs, as well as all who relish a good true-life adventure, will be fascinated and moved by this compelling portrait of a national treasure. Bibliography.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Clarion Books
• Date d'édition: 1999
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0395775205
• ISBN 13: 9780395775202
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 96
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible