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by Clare Staples (Author)
A stunning tribute to the guardians, heartbreakers, and rebels--the "Wild Boys" of Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary
Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary, founded by Clare Staples, covers over 9,000 acres in Malibu, California, and Bend, Oregon, where wild horse advocates work tirelessly to save captured Mustangs and return them to freedom. To date, Skydog has rescued over 300 wild horses and 50 donkeys and mules, with a special focus on finding and reuniting bonded families who may have once roamed the American West together but were separated during the roundup process. Gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of dramatic photographs, The Wild Boys of Skydog features more than fifty horses who once, as stallions, roamed western public lands. They lived freely, loving and protecting their bonded partners and family bands until roundup separated them from their herds and forced them into captivity, and often abuse and neglect. Staples recounts their tales of lost liberty and the dramatic extent to which some Mustangs will go to flee captivity or rejoin their family bands. The Skydog team identifies, locates, and secures captured wild horses--often saving them from notorious kill pens--ensuring their lifelong freedom at the sanctuary and, when possible, in the company of their original wild herdmates. Incredibly moving and inspiring, The Wild Boys of Skydog illuminates the plight of wild herds, showcasing their beauty and resilience and honoring the iconic inhabitants of the American West. A percentage of all sales goes toward supporting Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary.Author Biography
Clare Staples is the founder and president of Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary in Malibu, California, and Bend, Oregon, which provides long-term homes for formerly free-roaming wild horses gathered from the American West by the United States government. Staples is a lifelong wild horse advocate, managing the Sanctuary with a passion and commitment that has helped make her one of the world's leading voices on the plight of Mustangs and the myriad social and political issues that surround them (skydogranch.org). Jamie Baldanza has been a horse lover since birth. After fourteen years as an art and creative director in advertising, Baldanza left New York City to follow her passion: photographing wild horses all across the Western United States. She created her own production company, This Mustang Life, which concentrates on bringing animal causes to the public through film and photography. She is the director of the docuseries Wild Lands, Wild Horses and a short film called Pass the SAFE Act Now. Steve Rymers is a photographer who followed a family of Mustangs he had been photographing in the wild to Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary when they were rescued after a Bureau of Land Management roundup. Rymers now regularly returns to the Sanctuary to photograph the herds and donates all the images he takes to use in promotional efforts that support the Sanctuary's mission.
