In a Land of Awe: Finding Reverence in the Search for Wild Horses

by Chad Hanson

Overview

A stirring invitation to awe—and to what it means to be wild.

Out on the edges of our frantic twenty-first-century nation, bands of wild horses stand nestled together, calmly nuzzling each other to maintain the bonds of family. Prairie hills unfurl around them, and the sky provides their shelter. In the same states where factories churn, offices bustle, and cell phones demand our attention, remote places of solace and beauty rest, mostly undiscovered, in a parallel world that lies closer than we often imagine.

Through the lens of the wild mustang, social scientist and poet Chad Hanson gives us new ways to see and meaningfully engage our world as we enter new considerations about how we understand animals and our landscapes, our history, and ourselves. What is a wild animal? How do feelings of reverence reconnect us with nature? What can we learn from our wisdom traditions? And in the end, what would it look like if we managed public land with the common good in mind? With wisdom gathered from the histories of the American West, geography, philosophy, theology, and sociology, we meet awe anew. In the tradition of the great literary and nature writers, In a Land of Awe serves as a plea for what we stand to lose if we don't find the courage to protect the planet's most beautiful, and vulnerable, others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506482194
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	09/13/2022
Pages:	219
Sales rank:	254,116
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chad Hanson serves as a member of the faculty in Sociology and Religion at Casper College. He is co-founder of the Wyoming Mustang Institute, which works through research and advocacy to ensure healthy and stable wild horse populations on public land. Hanson is also the author of several books, including Trout Streams of the Heart and This Human Shape. He divides his time between Casper, Wyoming, and the Red Feather Lakes region of Colorado.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Landscapes with Wild Horses 1

Searching for Equus 15

Souls of Wildness 33

I've Come to Look for America 47

Dakota Winter 61

The Horse with a Thousand Names 81

Finding Reverence in Roosevelt 97

Enchanted by a Ghost Town 123

After the Roundup 145

Coda: Steppes of Everlasting Bliss 171

Appendix I Deconstructing Wild Horse Myths 189

Appendix II Mustang Groups and Rescue Centers 197

Appendix III Sources and Suggestions for Further Exploration 208

Acknowledgments 218

About the Author 219

Editorial Reviews

"This book is a meditation on the connection between ourselves and the boundless (and yet withering) nature around us." —Colorado Sun

"A paean to the wild horse in the United States. Philosophical and engagingly aesthetic, yet supported by research and historical information...highly recommended." —Library Journal

"In a Land of Awe serves as an urgent appeal to understand the worth and dignity of wild horses." —Animal Welfare Institute

"In a Land of Awe is the author's voyage of discovery—part poetry, part history, part philosophy, part adventure. Wild horses are transformative, and Chad Hanson describes how they transformed him from avid cyclist and fly fisherman to wild horse watcher, admirer, and advocate. So beautifully written it will transport the reader, as it did for this wild horse lover." —Ginger Kathrens, founder of the Cloud Foundation, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, wild horse adopter, and documentarian

"Chad Hanson has written a wonderful book exploring his fascination with the wild horses of the American West, taking readers on a journey inside the lives of these magnificent animals and the wild places where they still live. Weaving together sociology, ecology, and history, Hanson explores the importance of a reverence for nature to human psychology, why wild horses inspire awe, and why saving them is essential to preserving the last vestiges of all that is wild in the West. An excellent read!" —Suzanne Roy, executive director, American Wild Horse Campaign

"Chad Hanson brings us into his encounters with wild horses so that we may examine the value of wildness in our lives, and the immense crater that will remain if it disappears. This examination of why and how wild horses enrich our society and our souls makes us consider what is really important." —Carol J. Walker, author of Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses

"Tearfully delicate and deeply sincere, In a Land of Awe paints a lyrical portrait of what it feels like to experience the rich textures of the American West. It's a journey story that naturally intertwines the nuances of the issues it explores. Not only will readers be inspired to care; they'll be compelled to go out into nature in search of wonder and wild horses." —Ashley Avis, founder of Winterstone Pictures, president of the Wild Beauty Foundation, and writer/director of Disney's Black Beauty

"Hanson sets out to find the soul of the American West, through the majesty of open spaces and the magic of the wild horses that inhabit them. In a Land of Awe takes the reader on a journey through the human psyche and through enigmatic Western landscapes, with lyrical storytelling peppered with penetrating insights. A page-turner." —Erik Molvar, author and conservation professional

"In a Land of Awe offers a close look at the mysterious and fascinating world of wild horses. Walk with Chad Hanson on this journey. Find truth, beauty, and maybe even yourself on the way." —Clare Staples, founder and president, Skydog Ranch & Sanctuary

"Horses are amazingly sensitive sentient beings. Chad Hanson's beautifully written and highly personal In a Land of Awe does an outstanding job of informing readers about the awe-inspiring lives of wild horses in the West: their families and their futures. Readers will come away feeling deeply connected or reconnected with horses and their homes." —Marc Bekoff, PhD, author of Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence and A Dog's World: Imagining the Lives of Dogs in a World without Humans

From the Publisher

08/01/2022

Hanson (sociology and religion, Casper Coll.; This Human Shape) provides this well-reasoned, often poetic title, a paean to the wild horse in the United States. Based on the author's extensive experiences, especially in the West, this book is often philosophical and engagingly aesthetic, yet supported by research and historical information. Widespread beliefs hold wild horses as unnatural residents of wild areas, competitors of native animals, and destructive to vegetation. Hanson convincingly refutes what he considers to be these myths. He argues that horses originated in the Americas and should once again be considered a native resident of natural areas. The author reveals that many reside in areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, yet they are a small fraction compared to the unnatural livestock permitted in those places. Horses have a huge supportive following and have been the inspiration for naming sports teams and automobiles. This book should be well-received by such horse buffs. It is a compelling mix of personal anecdotes with references to classic and authoritative writings. The three useful, informative appendices list seven wild horse myths, 25 horse-interest organizations, and 113 references. VERDICT Highly recommended for public libraries and lower-level undergraduate academic ones.—Henry T. Armistead

Library Journal