Overview
When horses outlive their usefulness to humans, they are often treated as disposable — auctioned off and sent to the slaughterhouse. But thanks to the work of rescue organizations and horse sanctuaries, many of these formerly unwanted horses are enjoying genuine appreciation and newfound freedom. The horses in this book were abused, neglected, abandoned, rejected. They are lame, old, blind, or just unattractive according to modern ideas of beauty. Some are crossbreeds with no clearly defined bloodline. Others are wild horses that have been forced off public lands. They are enjoying a second chance to live a meaningful and dignified life. They are here to teach us different measures of value, measures we have almost forgotten.
To document these remarkable creatures, acclaimed equine photographer Tony Stromberg traveled to sanctuaries across North America. While many horse books focus on exotic, flashy breeds or famous thoroughbreds, Tony chose to capture the soul of “working-class” equines — many enjoying love and freedom for the first time. Through gorgeous photography, The Forgotten Horses reveals the profound spirit of these amazing animals and honors the people and sanctuaries that have offered them a well-deserved home.
Synopsis
When horses outlive their usefulness to humans, they are often treated as disposable — auctioned off and sent to the slaughterhouse. But thanks to the work of rescue organizations and horse sanctuaries, many of these formerly unwanted horses are enjoying genuine appreciation and newfound freedom. The horses in this book were abused, neglected, abandoned, rejected. They are lame, old, blind, or just unattractive according to modern ideas of beauty. Some are crossbreeds with no clearly defined bloodline. Others are wild horses that have been forced off public lands. They are enjoying a second chance to live a meaningful and dignified life. They are here to teach us different measures of value, measures we have almost forgotten.
To document these remarkable creatures, acclaimed equine photographer Tony Stromberg traveled to sanctuaries across North America. While many horse books focus on exotic, flashy breeds or famous thoroughbreds, Tony chose to capture the soul of “working-class” equines — many enjoying love and freedom for the first time. Through gorgeous photography, The Forgotten Horses reveals the profound spirit of these amazing animals and honors the people and sanctuaries that have offered them a well-deserved home.
Publishers Weekly
Stromberg's subjects are the "crooked, lame, ordinary, old, blind, uncontrollable, disrespectful" horses he has found in sanctuaries spread across the United States. They are abandoned pets, racing horses too old to run, candidates for Canadian or Mexican slaughterhouses or brood mares past their prime. Such animals might seem unlikely subjects for a lavish coffee-table book, and despite the sense of mission and urgency that informs this project, the final work is only partially successful. Just as Stromberg's prose tends to slip into clichés about urbanized culture's need for a connection to the wilderness or society's "mantra of disposability," his photographs often bathe his subjects in a yellow-gold light that becomes both repetitive and trivializing despite his high intentions. His horses look their best when they look their worst; in those photographs that emphasize their age and neglect, the issue-not the aesthetics-takes center stage. An appendix that lists 18 rescue services and sanctuaries reinforces the activist message of Stromberg's work. 200 color photos. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Stromberg's subjects are the "crooked, lame, ordinary, old, blind, uncontrollable, disrespectful" horses he has found in sanctuaries spread across the United States. They are abandoned pets, racing horses too old to run, candidates for Canadian or Mexican slaughterhouses or brood mares past their prime. Such animals might seem unlikely subjects for a lavish coffee-table book, and despite the sense of mission and urgency that informs this project, the final work is only partially successful. Just as Stromberg's prose tends to slip into clichés about urbanized culture's need for a connection to the wilderness or society's "mantra of disposability," his photographs often bathe his subjects in a yellow-gold light that becomes both repetitive and trivializing despite his high intentions. His horses look their best when they look their worst; in those photographs that emphasize their age and neglect, the issue-not the aesthetics-takes center stage. An appendix that lists 18 rescue services and sanctuaries reinforces the activist message of Stromberg's work. 200 color photos. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Library Journal
This large-format book features majestic color photographs of horses from different angles and perspectives, ranging from close-ups to action shots. Stromberg (Spirit Horses) endeavors to depict abused and neglected working animals rather than the oft-pictured sleek thoroughbreds and other purebreds; however, instead of focusing on rescue efforts or the mistreatment of horses, he portrays only healthy horses galloping across the open plains after their rescue and recovery. Robert Redford contributes a foreword of less than one page about how much he likes horses, and Stromberg discusses abused, neglected, and unwanted horses in a brief introduction. A more powerful book would have taken a before-and-after approach and pictured at least some of these old, lame, or unwanted horses before or just after their rescue. Ironically, pre-rehabilitation horses have been completely excluded from this photo-essay. This is little more than a nice coffee-table book filled with glamorous images. Appropriate for public libraries with popular collections about beautiful horses.
—Raymond Bial