It's a surprise that Dayton O'Hyde is not the household name he deserves to be. This is a beautifully shot, beautifully scored tale of an amazing man whose tireless efforts to preserve the habitat of the old American-West has allowed once-endangered wild horses to flourish. Despite his age, Dayton O'Hyde continues his daily struggle against big corporations that want to use the vast expanses of unspoilt wilderness for commercial purposes, and does this in his own inimitable cowboy-style. This man should take his place alongside other legends of the equine world, such as horse-whisperers Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, as a man who truly understands and appreciates these magnificent beasts. A must see.
2 Reviews
Remarkable Documentary Filled With Surprises
larrys38 March 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I was just fascinated by this remarkable doc, directed by Suzanne Mitchell, which seemed to offer up more and more surprises as it progressed.
It centers on the life and works of David O. Hyde, who decades before while passing the government Wild Horse Holding Facility, in Nevada, noticed the horrific conditions these wild horses were being held in. He decided then and there to make it his life's mission to find land and create a wild horse sanctuary. He describes in the film some of the battles that had to be fought with the government and neighboring ranchers before he could buy the land and firmly establish the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, in South Dakota, which now has some 500 horses roaming over its' 12,000 acres.
However, we learn this effort by Hyde is only part of his story. In a homespun, honest, and often self-deprecating way he describes his life as a WW2 combat soldier, best-selling author, cowboy, rancher, and most recently his community activism fighting proposed uranium mining in the area and possibly on his land. The movie gives us home movies of the times he describes, plus still photographs and interviews with family and friends.
People travel from all over the world to see the spectacle of these horses running free. At times, some of the horses will even approach the visitors and interact with them. I loved to watch these horses, many of whom would have been eventually slaughtered, in their new environment of freedom and protection. Obviously, this is not an action flick, but if you like nature and a remarkable personal story you probably will like this film quite a lot. I was engrossed and interested throughout.
It centers on the life and works of David O. Hyde, who decades before while passing the government Wild Horse Holding Facility, in Nevada, noticed the horrific conditions these wild horses were being held in. He decided then and there to make it his life's mission to find land and create a wild horse sanctuary. He describes in the film some of the battles that had to be fought with the government and neighboring ranchers before he could buy the land and firmly establish the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, in South Dakota, which now has some 500 horses roaming over its' 12,000 acres.
However, we learn this effort by Hyde is only part of his story. In a homespun, honest, and often self-deprecating way he describes his life as a WW2 combat soldier, best-selling author, cowboy, rancher, and most recently his community activism fighting proposed uranium mining in the area and possibly on his land. The movie gives us home movies of the times he describes, plus still photographs and interviews with family and friends.
People travel from all over the world to see the spectacle of these horses running free. At times, some of the horses will even approach the visitors and interact with them. I loved to watch these horses, many of whom would have been eventually slaughtered, in their new environment of freedom and protection. Obviously, this is not an action flick, but if you like nature and a remarkable personal story you probably will like this film quite a lot. I was engrossed and interested throughout.
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