Mustang, Dear Readers, San Domingo

San Domingo, Medicine Hat Stallion
Rand McNally, Chicago, 1972, illus Robert Lougheed

This is a story combining early life on the American prairie, the history of the Pony Express and the Brislawn mustangs. Peter Lundy is the son of Jethro Lundy, a trader of horses, oxen and mules for those travelling to the new West. Jethro is a hard father but when he trades a horse for an Indian pony with the rare medicine hat markings, the mare foals a similarly marked foal which Peter names San Domingo. He discovers the mare was stolen from Indians, and that their chief, Red Cloud, values her highly. Peter trades with the chief to keep the foal. Peter raises San Domingo to be an outstanding mount who lives up to the legend of the Medicine Hat markings of being an invincible mount. Meanwhile, Peter makes the acquaintance of Mr. Brislawn, an Irishman, who loves horses and is trying to find horses of pure Spanish Barb blood in the mustang herds and determines the San Domingo is one of them. These are horses that show the blood of the original andalusian mounts brought from Spain by the early conquistadores and have bred true in the wild rather than cross with tame horses lost by the pioneers.

However, Peter and San Domingo are parted when Jethro trades his son's horse to the newly formed Pony Express leaving Peter with no option except to join the Pony Express as a rider in order to be with his beloved mount. They have adventures carrying the mail until an Indian raid proves deadly to San Domingo though Peter survives the attack since Domingo's "big medicine" as a medicine hat horse saves his rider's life. Peter leaves the Pony Express and works with Mr. Brislawn helping him tame his Spanish mustangs until a letter from his estranged father, Jethro, brings him back to make peace with his family.

[Info by Fran Fignar]

Dear Readers and Riders
Rand McNally, Chicago, 1969, illus Wesley Dennis, Robert Lougheed and black and white photographs
While this isn't a story, if there's any way you can get a copy of this book, do so. It's a collection of letters to Marguerite Henry and her answers to readers asking questions about all of her books which had been published up to this time. It's a fascinating collection of background facts!

For example, Wesley Dennis was the one who gave Marguerite Henry the idea of writing King of the Wind. At the time, a friend of Mr. Dennis' was planning to write the story but he said he knew the lady would never do so. Marguerite Henry contacted her and eventually got permission to do the story - and history was made. There are pictures of the real Misty, the real Brighty, Marguerite Henry's Brighty which was used in the movie, her morgan horse, Friday, Gibson White and Rosalind, the real Gaudenzia, the actors from the MISTY movie, Wild Horse Annie and much more!

[Info by Fran Fignar]

Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West

Rand McNally, Chicago, 1966, illus Robert Hougheed

This is the story of Annie Bronn who became known as "Wild Horse Annie". Overcoming polio in her youth, Annie grew up in the west loving the wild horses which roamed free. However, many ranchers resented the wild horses which grazed feed they felt was needed for cattle and it was considered sport to round up the wild herds and ship them off to slaughter. One day, Annie found herself following a truck load of wild horses and saw blood dripping from the truck. She followed the load and saw the terrible state the horses were in. This began a campaign to stop the slaughter of the wild mustangs which led her all the way to Washington D.C. and Congress. The publicity she created eventually brought about a Bill to protect the free roaming wild horses from slaughter and provide a public refuge for them. (However, as a note, the battle still goes on as ranchers still feel the horses destroy too much forage and water needed for cattle and other animals. Many mustangs have been adopted across the country but there are many older horses that are unadoptable that are kept in government holding facilities at considerable cost. There doesn't seem to be any easy solution.)

Info from Fran Fignar