“My reality now has surpassed that original dream, and what a blessing that is.”
― Clare Staples: Wild Horses of Skydog Blue Zeus and Families
One of my recent changes this year was my switch from scrolling TikTok before bed to reading. I love settling in to read a chapter or two before bed now. This next book I read FAST. It was captivating, beautiful, feel-good, and an easy read.
I’m talking about Wild Horses of Skydog: Blue Zeus and Families.
You get get your copy directly here at Trafalgar Square books!
When I get to the end of my day I am exhausted but my mind is often in a whirlwind. I’m thinking and planning about the next day and what needs to be done. I’m thinking about random things that irk me. I think about ways I want to fix the world. You know…the ramblings of a sleepy exhausted overthinker. So in opening a book, I take my mind somewhere…
An ideal before-bed book is an easy read. Something that doesn’t require a ton of processing on my part. It is also something interesting enough to hold my attention but not completely unsettling.
Wild Horses of Skydog is exactly this book. It was my perfect before-bed read!
Clare Staples spends a brief period talking about the beginnings of her life. I was interested to learn that she grew up in horses and led quite a glamorous life before beginning Skydog. Clare hustles through her own intro; giving us just enough to know that she’s a true horseperson and does know what she’s doing. She quickly diverts us and gets to what we all want to learn about. The horses that live on the Skydog Sanctuary. To me this quick intro makes Clare seem modest and humble…she has a love for horses and was willing to give up all the glamour to live a life of servitude….but also doesn’t hog the spotlight about it.
“Buddy’s wisdom and strength gave me purpose, happiness, filled the hole I had been trying to fill with people, places, and things for years.”
― Clare Staples: Wild Horses of Skydog Blue Zeus and Families
Skydog is a very unique type of rescue. They are on a mission to provide a safe place for the diminishing American Mustang. Tens of thousands of mustangs are taken from the wild and held in claustrophobic pens for years. Skydog aims to restore the wild herds. Clare and the Sanctuary work hard to rescue families. The stallion (gelded) and his mares…as many family units as possible.
The ranch has 2 locations in Malibu, CA, and Bend, OR… totaling over 9000 acres. They are home to over 260 wild mustangs and 60 burros.
The book is large, but the reading is easy. In each chapter to learn the story about a special equine at the ranch (and their friends). You also get many stunning photos. Many of the photos are credited to Jamie Baldanza and Steve Rymers. The photos are captivating, and I spent time examining each one.
Some of the families included Blue Zeus, of course, as well as Phoenix, Goliath, Red Lady, Blaze, and the Pine Nuts. I’m in awe of the fact some of these horses were rescued for only $25.
It was also interesting to learn that the Trainer Incentive Program lured so many bad eggs. To me, it was a seemingly great program to help encourage people to love a Mustang. Instead, trainers would collect their funds and dump the horse to slaughter. It sickens me that people would do that. The program’s intent is for the good.
I also was unsettled learning about the culture around Mustang pens and people. How the workers can have so much contempt for the horses. Somehow I’m not surprised but it saddens me to learn there is so much hatred for Mustangs and holding them in pens. It upsets me that ranchers are so greedy that mustangs need to lose their homes to make room for cattle to graze the land. I’ve seen photos, and I never imagined them being great…but somehow hearing a first-person account of the conditions and treatment of the horses woke me up to it. It’s easy to be complacent and naive when you’re in NY loving on your thoroughbred and have never seen the Wild West or the holding pens imprisoning our wild horses.
“Unfortunately, what I often saw in the wranglers who worked there was disrespect, cruelty, mistreatment, and disdain for the wild horses in their “care.”
― Clare Staples: Wild Horses of Skydog Blue Zeus and Families
I was also saddened at the thought of any group of people…particularly other rescues…being so evil as to block Skydog from doing their work. It makes no sense to me that people can be so vicious. So vile. Clare presented the situation most tactfully and provided no details…the drama seeker I am wants details…the know the nitty gritty…but that is NOT what this book is about and Clare did well to move on. Very classy.
Each of the twenty-one chapters inside describes the background of one (or a few) horses that reside at Skydog Sanctuary. It’s literally impossible to choose just one favorite story.
One that stood out was Maggie and the orphans. The sanctuary took in four orphaned foals from a gather. They were injured, malnourished, and in need of proper care…and a mom. Magnolia lost her foal to illness at one of the corrals. Clare and her team introduced Maggie to the orphans and you can conjure the rest of that story.
Of course, there’s the story of Blue Zeus…it gives me chills. How such a magnificent creature was valued so low by mankind. Clare saw this sentient being and saw the loneliness. Clare’s tireless search to find his family. The goosebumps when she finally found them. It’s the story you wish for; knowing that this family band is happy and reunited…and once again freely roaming American soil as nature intended.
Not all the stories are quite as happy, but each one gives life and meaning to Skydog Sanctuary.
Shortly after I finished the book I looked the sanctuary up on Facebook. I visited the website and learned that the sanctuary rarely opens to visitors, and only to partners at that. It makes sense as offering tours and accommodating guests drains human and financial resources. It’s still very nice to see the posts about these horses and I enjoyed getting to know them in the book.
With 260 horses and 60 burros I hope we get a sequel.
Final Word:
Clare did a remarkable job of sharing perspectives that I had not yet considered despite my previous admiration for American Mustangs. It breaks my hear to think that so many live their entire lives in a pen scared, hurt, and unloved. It upsets me to think the wranglers see their jobs as menial and the horses as useless. It enrages me to think of ever seeing a horse with the fire taken from their spirit.
This is a very worthwhile book for any reader. It’s an easy read and beautiful. You get 21 stories of some resident equines at Skydog. You get 183 stunningly beautiful photos.
At the end of the book Clare offers ways to help the Wild Horses of America. Some of these include merchandise from SkydogRanch.org (all proceeds go toward maintaining the ranch and saving more equines. You can research more at americanwildhorsecampaign.org. Adopt a mustang, I know a few friends with one and they are outstanding partners!
Buy this book for yourself, your kids, your mom. Anyone can appreciate it. Get talking about it. Talk about the wild horses of America. Let the world know so we can help them to survive. They are the symbol of our American spirit, it seems so common sense to preserve that. Let’s not wait until it’s too late. Until all of our spirit is gone.
“What a gift it is to see these horses well and healthy, on land without a fence, as far as the eye can see. It will never get old, the thrill will never wear off, and my happiness is found in the peace in their eyes.”
― Clare Staples: Wild Horses of Skydog Blue Zeus and Families
I also want to add that I buy most of my horse books from Trafalgar Square Books. I’m excited to say that I am an affiliate with the publisher, and so proud to be. Trafalgar Square embodies the spirit of horse people…. they ARE horse people. The operation is based in an old barn in Vermont and run by only a few people…people you can talk to and meet in person at events. It’s not a big corporate conglomerate, and for that I am grateful. This happens to be one of such books. You can find your copy through my affiliate link here, it’ll let TSB know I sent you!
The Green Horseman 
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