Spanish Mustangs in the Great American West

Book excerpt: A stunning photographic legacy of the horse’s reintroduction to North America Horses are an integral part of the American experience. They are so tied with the development of the nation and its psyche, it is impossible to imagine history without them. Yet prior to the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 1500s, horses had been absent from North America for millennia. In this beautifully illustrated volume, celebrated equine photographer John S. Hockensmith reveals how the return of horses with the conquistadors both altered American Indian cultures and later supported the development of the United States. Gracing these pages are stunning full-color photographs of modern horses that carry the distinctive traits of their Spanish, Arab, and Barb forebears. Captured visually in the rugged Rocky Mountains or the rolling grassy plains of the West, these horses are our shared living legacy. From the tender private moments between mare and foal to the aggressive determination of clashing stallions, Hockensmith throws open a breathtaking window on these horses’ lives. Given the ongoing debate about the future of North America’s wild horses, many of which trace their ancestry to Spanish steeds and the early mustangs, this work will stand as a significant marker on the mutual path traveled by horse and human.