The Legacy of Free-Roaming Horses in America

Abstract

In my thesis, I aim to determine whether the free-roaming horse can be considered a historical or therapeutic treasure to modern-day citizens of North America. I examine the characteristics of the animal and how it can be related to the continent by comparing its different treatments from mainly early white- and Native American perspectives. In Chapter 1, I analyze the place of the wild horse within American storytelling. In Chapter 2, I write about the horse effigy stick, which serves as physical evidence of the mustang's role in Native American history. In Chapter 3, I discuss my experiences studying horses in Hungary’s Bábolna, and in Chapter 4, I write about the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, which explores the cultural differences in our relationship with nature and animals.