Nobody's Horses: The Dramatic Rescue of the Wild Herd of White Sands, by Don Hoglund
Kelly Lemieux, Special to the News
Published September 7, 2006 at midnight
• 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 .
Featured
-
DNC in Denver
Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
-
The Crevasse
A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.
-
Deadly denial
Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.
-
Final Salute
The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.
-
'Colorado's burning'
Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.
-
Columbine shootings
Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.
-
The Crossing
Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.
-
Osveli's journey
Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.
-
Wake for an Indian warrior
Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.
