Wild, Wild Horses: The Struggle for Freedom and Awareness

There are only 32,000 wild horses left running free, while more than 50,000 are held in captivity following aggressive roundups, often conducted by helicopter. The Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Bellevue is hosting a screening of the documentary American Mustang to promote a deeper understanding of the challenges facing wild horses in America today. The screening will take place at the Community School Theater in Sun Valley on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $15 for adults and $10 for children.

Producer Ellie Phipps Price, who has loved horses from a young age, was inspired to take action after reading an article in Vanity Fair titled "Galloping Scared," which exposed the complex politics and, according to some, failed government programs threatening wild horse herds. In 2009, Price attended an auction in Fallon, Nevada, where she purchased 170 wild horses destined for slaughter in Canada.

Price's vision led to the creation of American Mustang, a documentary hybrid that weaves a narrative about a girl observing a cowboy gentle a mustang, illustrating the process of taking a horse from the wild and attempting to domesticate it.

Cheryl Bennett, executive director of Swiftsure Ranch, highlighted the stark contrast between the treatment of captured horses and domesticated ones. Captured horses are often confined in holding pens, separated from their families and stripped of their freedom.

"We have two mustangs in our program who are wonderful animals with very useful lives," Bennett said. "My hope is that any mustang in captivity finds a useful role and is a loved animal!"

The film features perspectives from various stakeholders, including ranchers, wild horse advocates, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), wildlife biologists, and American citizens who value these horses in the wild. It is family-friendly and avoids graphic scenes of roundups, making it accessible to all audiences.

Price hopes viewers will be inspired to take a stand and find better ways to manage wild horses on public lands. "Call your elected representatives, demand meetings with them, write letters to the editor, adopt a mustang, support organizations fighting for the horses, and tell people about this movie," she urged.

Price will lead a Q&A session following the screening.

Originally Posted By The Express