Review of Mustang DVD!

Wild Horses in Winds of Change

By Mara LeGrand

DVD – Skydancer Productions LLC, 2011

30 minutes - DVD $20.00

Available at: http://wildhorsesinwindsofchange.com/purchase/

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

How can they be other than legend, nature at her most elegant? They speak of our most cherished longing. They speak of freedom. ~ Mara LeGrand

The opening scenes of Wild Horses in Winds of Change take us on an unforgettable journey into the souls of mustangs, portraying their freedom, sensitivity and delightful family units. It is a trail interwoven with our own freedom. This award-winning documentary stimulates awareness, offers fresh understanding of the wild horse crisis, and is a film for all who care about our planet’s fate.

The stunning photography cuts abruptly to the current reality of wild horse lives. These “dolphins of the land” are driven from their natural habitat by the Bureau of Land Management helicopters into holding pens to be held indefinitely in cramped conditions. Many die of untreated disease or turn up in slaughter pipelines. Their protection, enshrined by law in 1971,originally won by Wild Horse Annie and huge public outcry, has been lost.

Can we re-direct the path of wild horse injustice and extermination we are currently following?

Yes we can, according to LeGrand, “We should be able to find solutions for all the problems we’ve created for Nature and its inhabitants.”

Wild Horse experts and long-time advocates Mary Ann Simonds and Karen Sussman are the main storytellers of this film, observing that these horses are born, raised and survive in the wild and have always existed here. Yet based on outdated myths and attitudes, we don’t study them as we do other wild species.

While there is a need for more unbiased studies, LeGrand meticulously illustrates that archeology, molecular biology and paleontology already make a plausible claim that the horse is indigenous to North America. An animated map is woven into the film, along with footage of ice age, desert and plains horses, explaining exactly how they belong in our ecosystem like other wildlife.

Viewers are skillfully shown what is being lost, what urgently needs to change and what can be done to help. This outstanding film reflects LeGrand’s mission of calling people to action for the health of the planet and its inhabitants. The next steps clearly belong to us.

Mara LeGrand, PhD. is an award winning photojournalist, screenwriter, and film director. She brings wisdom from her international career in holistic health to her films and offers compelling presentations to accompany screenings. More information, including the film trailer, is available at: http://www.wildhorsesinwindsofchange.com