National Geographic The Noble Horse
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He gives us his all. |
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Speed. |
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Endurance. |
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Power. |
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Yet his wild spirit |
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Spark of ancient myth... |
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pride of king and conqueror... |
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...he was the backbone |
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History was forged |
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Even now, he still lays claim |
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- with all the bold beauty |
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that is the horse. |
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Summer |
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sets off fireworks in the |
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Spurred by heat and hunger, |
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wild horses converge |
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and sparks begin to fly. |
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Stallions spar |
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and court young mares |
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in a drama as old as the hills. |
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The mustang has become a symbol |
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But some say he's a newcomer |
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even a trespasser. |
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The truth |
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is tangled in the long and |
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It began some |
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in the forests of North America. |
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Living on leaves, |
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a creature the size of a fox |
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walks the underbrush |
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In time, |
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forests give way |
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Legs grow long, |
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and toes become nimble hooves |
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built for speed. |
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About a million years ago, |
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the first true horses |
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spread across land bridges |
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Their numbers swell, |
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then slowly decline |
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perhaps due to climate change, |
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or the impact of a |
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To Ice Age hunters, |
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the herds must have seemed |
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But by 8,000 years ago, |
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horses were extinct |
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and dwindling elsewhere |
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Then somewhere on the steppes |
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at least 4,000 years ago, |
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the horse inspired someone |
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It may have begun |
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or a reckless teenage prank. |
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But some brave soul |
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and changed the world forever. |
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The horse utterly changed our |
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He carried us forward |
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and made our world smaller. |
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Great equestrian cultures arose |
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Today, most have vanished. |
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But here on the steppes |
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little has changed |
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since the time when the horse |
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Nomads still measure |
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and move vast herds |
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Small but hardy, |
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Mongolian horses endure |
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and grow a thick winter coat. |
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When pasture is meager, |
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they can survive |
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Mongolian nomads also |
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goats and cows, |
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but horses |
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Revered, |
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they are largely reserved |
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and one other important role. |
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Mongolia's national drink, |
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is fermented mare's milk. |
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Life in the saddle begins early |
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"A Mongolian without a horse |
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In July, |
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thousands of nomads |
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set up camp on the edge |
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Ulan Bator. |
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They come to celebrate Naadam, |
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an ancient religious festival. |
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National competitions of |
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including two days |
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One of the country's top |
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Khen Medekh |
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traveled over a week |
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to take part in what will be |
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From a herd of 400 head, |
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he has brought |
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Also in tow are |
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for good reason. |
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Riders must be under 12 |
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Training, however, |
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is no child's play. |
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It's what Khen Medekh lives for |
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Horse training is a passion. |
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My father was a great trainer |
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It's the same for |
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We compete at Naadam |
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to see who has the best horse, |
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and because we're so proud of |
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A fine racehorse |
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is a symbol of good luck |
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On the day of the first race, |
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preparations begin at dawn. |
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Hats and bright silks |
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spot their little jockeys |
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The distinguishing mark of |
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is a leather tail wrap |
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always wound clockwise. |
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Forelocks are also bound. |
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Khen Medekh enhances |
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bearing Mongolia's |
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He has high hopes for |
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With an offering of mare's milk |
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Khen Medekh's wife |
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invokes the sacred powers |
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to bless horses and riders. |
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A circle of incense purifies. |
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A drop of airag protects |
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An ancient Buddhist chant |
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Some 500 riders will compete |
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Parents on horseback |
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By tradition, |
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they circle clockwise |
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at a staging area |
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But the running of the race |
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The starting point lies |
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in the open steppe. |
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To reach that point at a walk |
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will take the racers |
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which leaves time to kill |
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Nomads like Khen Medekh |
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take the moment to catch up |
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and trading partners. |
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For people who live much |
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in relative isolation, |
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there's also |
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of new faces. |
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For now, |
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small talk belies the drama |
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as 500 horses reach |
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and the race begins. |
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Long before they can see |
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spectators crowd |
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According to myth, |
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the dust kicked up |
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showers happiness |
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on all those it touches. |
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Front-runners have been |
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By Western standards, |
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this might qualify as |
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but these are the descendants |
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who forged the largest land |
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on horseback. |
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The blue sash of victory |
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goes to the first five horses |
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A flash of green tells |
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his granddaughter has placed. |
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But a riderless horse |
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sends him off in search of |
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After an initial flurry, |
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racers trickle in for |
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Herd instinct alone will keep |
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even one that lacks the fitness |
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for a long-distance run. |
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For some, |
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the strain is too much. |
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When a horse dies |
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the trainer is dishonored. |
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But the child who has lost |
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reaps only heartbreak. |
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A fall near the starting point |
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dashed the hopes of |
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His horse is safe, |
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his bruises minor. |
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But his six-year-old pride |
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until the races are over. |
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Naadam concludes in |
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with a parade of champions. |
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Khen Medekh is twice a winner. |
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His grandchildren take |
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through their victory laps. |
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A herald sings the praises of |
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medals and mare's milk |
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But for each little rider, |
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the highlight is a kiss from |
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No other nation makes more |
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Fiery steed, |
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faithful servant, |
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he is all good things to |
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In return, |
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they may succeed in saving the |
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on earth |
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Before the rise |
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his kind ranged throughout |
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Alert and aggressive, |
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they were elusive prey |
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with their camouflage of |
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their upright, |
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These horses were already rare |
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when Russian explorer |
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Nikolai Przewalski returned |
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He carried a skull and hide |
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that would prompt the |
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In a race for specimens, |
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stallions were slaughtered |
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Mares were killed to |
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Dozens died en route to zoos |
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and animal collectors |
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Przewalski's horses |
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in the 1960s. |
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A decade later, |
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fewer than 300 survived |
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in captivity only. |
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This endangered species was |
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In 1992, |
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16 Przewalski's horses from |
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touched down in Ulan Bator. |
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Their journey was |
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of Dutch conservationists |
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Transports were blessed with |
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as the horses arrived at |
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established in their honor. |
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The homecoming |
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Their name for the horses |
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The word also means spirit. |
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Today, |
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some 80 free spirits roam |
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under watchful eyes. |
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Park rangers closely track |
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and behavior. |
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Breeding success is high: |
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two generations have been born |
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To increase the gene pool, |
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horses are still brought in |
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But prospects for |
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are promising. |
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Mongolia's preservation |
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seems a fitting tribute |
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to an animal who has given us |
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Domesticated, the horse |
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but in the process, |
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he was also transformed. |
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The legendary Arab is just one |
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some honed for work, |
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some for sport, |
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others for sheer show. |
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The Spanish horse |
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boasts one of |
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His speed and stamina were |
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The famous Spanish Riding |
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was founded in his name. |
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A dancer's grace made him |
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and earned him the title: |
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"Royal Horse of Europe." |
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Today, he inspires |
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at the Royal Andulusian School |
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in the town of Jerez, |
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in southern Spain. |
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Few gain admission here: |
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only first-rate horses, |
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A strict curriculum has produced |
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The school also keeps |
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Once a week, |
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the public is invited in, |
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to enjoy the splendors |
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In 18th century costume, |
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riders recreate the height of |
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as it was practiced throughout |
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Most spectacular |
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are the |
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Horses naturally leap and kick |
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Centuries ago, |
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cavalry mounts were trained to |
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Eventually |
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each gesture became an end |
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as formal as ballet. |
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A supreme effort, |
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virtually in place |
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Few can perform |
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with the power and precision |
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The purity of the breed is |
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yet his bloodlines extend |
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for this |
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was the horse |
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Some 500 years ago, |
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Spanish explorers rode upon |
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Some native people |
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for a single fearsome creature |
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But soon, |
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they would make the horse |
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Through stealth and trade, |
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Native Americans embraced |
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It was said |
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"they came to each other |
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Some called him "Sky Dog." |
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He opened vast horizons |
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and haunted their visions |
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But this cult of the horse |
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By the 19th century, |
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Native Americans |
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and livelihood. |
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Their beloved Sky Dogs |
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or simply set loose. |
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Scores of Indian ponies |
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already thriving |
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By 1900, |
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over a million horses |
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But not for long. |
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To make way for cattle |
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public lands were cleared |
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considered worthless pests. |
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They were slaughtered |
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for pet food, fertilizer, |
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and mere sport. |
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In the 1950s, |
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public outcry denounced |
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Still, |
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numbers had dropped |
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when a federal law was finally |
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as a "living symbol of the |
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Today, |
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the Bureau of Land Management |
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on public lands in 10 states. |
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On the Montana-Wyoming border, |
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the Pryor Mountain Wild |
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is home to a herd of about 160 |
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Most live in small family |
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their foals |
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His role |
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and protect |
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This stallion, known as Raven, |
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is one of the most dominant |
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A heap of fresh droppings |
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alerts him that potential |
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A band of |
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prompts Raven to move his |
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Then he advances |
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and confrontation |
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Raven may be outnumbered, |
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but at ten years old, |
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his maturity and experience |
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As he enters the fray, |
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his band stays put on |
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Most clashes between stallions |
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are more about asserting rank |
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and serious injuries are rare. |
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In the end, |
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the bachelors move on |
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and Raven returns to his mares |
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Occasionally, |
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even mature stallions |
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A stud named Starman |
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acts as a subordinate |
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or "lieutenant stallion" |
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who has a mare and foal |
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Flash tolerates |
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but allows him no access to |
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In summer, |
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a waterhole fed by |
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attracts this small band. |
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The mare enjoys |
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while her three-month old foal |
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But for now, |
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the water holds no appeal for |
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Starman |
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picks up the scent of |
00:30:27 |
and sets off in hot pursuit. |
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The mare's yearling son tries |
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but fails to impress |
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This mare's own stallion |
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a boon for Starman. |
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Still, |
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she rejects his advances. |
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In the end, |
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and Starman can only observe |
00:31:36 |
the tactics of |
00:32:04 |
At times, |
00:32:05 |
the Pryor Mountains seem |
00:32:12 |
Though much of the terrain |
00:32:14 |
and winters are harsh, |
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summer pastures can be glorious |
00:32:31 |
The horses have few predators |
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most were eliminated by |
00:32:40 |
With high fertility rates, |
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the horses' numbers can increase by 10, |
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even 20 percent a year. |
00:32:50 |
And that means trouble |
00:33:00 |
In the last three decades, |
00:33:01 |
the Bureau of Land Management |
00:33:03 |
has removed more than 100,000 |
00:33:10 |
The round ups are intended to |
00:33:13 |
from overgrazing |
00:33:15 |
and ensure the health of |
00:33:27 |
Excess animals are placed |
00:33:30 |
but supply far exceeds |
00:33:34 |
Horses deemed "unadoptable" |
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live out their days |
00:33:42 |
Even now, |
00:33:43 |
the fate of America's |
00:33:46 |
remains an open-ended question |
00:33:54 |
Some 4,000 years |
00:33:57 |
have failed to deprive the |
00:34:02 |
His natural impulse |
00:34:03 |
is to flee the company |
00:34:07 |
Bryan Neubert makes a living, |
00:34:09 |
not "breaking" |
00:34:11 |
but-in his words- |
00:34:17 |
This two-year-old quarter |
00:34:20 |
born on the open range, |
00:34:22 |
has never been handled. |
00:34:25 |
On his ranch in |
00:34:28 |
Bryan is about to |
00:34:40 |
Bryan |
00:34:41 |
will chase the horse until |
00:34:45 |
The goal is capture |
00:34:49 |
and keep it. |
00:34:50 |
I'll ask again now. Good. |
00:34:53 |
Now let's see if he leaves |
00:34:55 |
or if he leaves with |
00:34:59 |
See, here's the... |
00:35:01 |
the first little part |
00:35:02 |
is gonna happen here in |
00:35:09 |
Subtle shifts of body language |
00:35:12 |
keep the horse focused |
00:35:15 |
If his attention wanders, |
00:35:16 |
I might see if I can get |
00:35:19 |
As long as he's doing that, |
00:35:23 |
I'll take another step. |
00:35:28 |
And I'll take another one here |
00:35:32 |
He's having trouble with it, |
00:35:39 |
He's gonna have to leave here |
00:35:42 |
And I'll try to direct him back |
00:35:43 |
There, he adjusted in |
00:35:45 |
that's what I'm gonna |
00:35:54 |
Within about 15 minutes, |
00:35:56 |
the young stallion has |
00:36:00 |
Now Bryan presents |
00:36:04 |
I might do just a little |
00:36:05 |
and see if he can stand that. |
00:36:08 |
And I'll see about, |
00:36:09 |
see if I can put that on there |
00:36:13 |
And I'll just, |
00:36:16 |
just let that go. |
00:36:18 |
And it's kinda scary. |
00:36:21 |
You can see that it's |
00:36:27 |
I'll just put |
00:36:28 |
just a little pressure till, |
00:36:30 |
till he finds his way |
00:36:34 |
See, he keeps thinking |
00:36:37 |
but the answer's right there. |
00:36:43 |
The horse turns to Bryan |
00:36:47 |
a critical breakthrough. |
00:36:52 |
Now he might reach for me. |
00:36:59 |
Let's see if, |
00:37:02 |
he'll come in here. I'll see if |
00:37:05 |
without scaring him. |
00:37:07 |
See how he's reaching for me? |
00:37:10 |
Now here's a spot where you |
00:37:12 |
'cause some of them, |
00:37:14 |
they'll take a run at you. |
00:37:18 |
Now, I'll just wait here |
00:37:20 |
Like that. |
00:37:21 |
See him smelling me? |
00:37:25 |
There's the first, |
00:37:26 |
second |
00:37:28 |
time he's ever |
00:37:30 |
been touched by a human |
00:37:34 |
Now, again, let's see |
00:37:36 |
will disappear. I'll just keep |
00:37:41 |
and I'll see if he'll reach |
00:37:46 |
And pretty soon I'll reach |
00:37:50 |
We sorta met one another. |
00:37:56 |
Little bit of touching there. |
00:38:04 |
Little bit more here. |
00:38:06 |
See, he's finding out he can |
00:38:09 |
In a horse, |
00:38:11 |
there's a spot |
00:38:14 |
they can just turn |
00:38:17 |
You can see in their eye |
00:38:20 |
a change that comes over them |
00:38:23 |
and they'll begin to |
00:38:24 |
and their eyes'll soften |
00:38:25 |
and you can just see |
00:38:27 |
beginning to trust you |
00:38:28 |
move right on and really |
00:38:32 |
I'll get my weight shifted back |
00:38:35 |
He's feeling a whole lot |
00:38:38 |
he's finding out I can touch |
00:38:45 |
Less than half an hour after |
00:38:48 |
Bryan tests the saddle. |
00:38:50 |
Very important to swing this on |
00:38:53 |
so that it doesn't hit him. |
00:39:00 |
I'll just grab it, gradually |
00:39:02 |
just lays right over on |
00:39:08 |
I don't mind seeing one buck |
00:39:10 |
because being a prey animal, |
00:39:13 |
that's his responsibility to |
00:39:17 |
That's where the predator has |
00:39:19 |
If he can get above |
00:39:23 |
then he can have himself |
00:39:27 |
Pretty dreamy now, |
00:39:28 |
but we'll see what |
00:39:31 |
he feels that saddle on there |
00:39:33 |
I'd rather he test the saddle |
00:39:35 |
before I get on than after |
00:39:38 |
Now I'm gonna move him off, |
00:39:42 |
if I can. |
00:39:43 |
I'm not trying to |
00:40:09 |
Okay, |
00:40:09 |
maybe I'll give him |
00:40:13 |
Did you get scared? |
00:40:30 |
It's been less than two hours |
00:40:34 |
a fairly routine |
00:40:37 |
He'll leave the saddle in place |
00:40:41 |
then give the young stallion |
00:40:43 |
a well-earned rest |
00:40:51 |
Yesterday's fear gives way to |
00:40:56 |
Today will be another |
00:41:02 |
Social animals feel safest |
00:41:05 |
As a comfort to |
00:41:08 |
Bryan has corralled |
00:41:22 |
See, if he wiggles, |
00:41:24 |
I'll just wait here |
00:41:29 |
Pet him over here as |
00:41:38 |
get myself kinda set |
00:41:45 |
Might let him go right out |
00:41:47 |
And I'll just ask him to go. |
00:41:49 |
If he gets upset, |
00:41:52 |
wants to run, |
00:42:19 |
People ask me about |
00:42:21 |
this new way of working |
00:42:24 |
Far as I know, |
00:42:25 |
long as there's been horses |
00:42:29 |
interacting with one another. |
00:42:30 |
I don't know how the |
00:42:34 |
the horse for the first time |
00:42:36 |
something working for him. |
00:42:43 |
I'll get a little bolder |
00:42:44 |
as he gets a little more |
00:42:47 |
confidence. |
00:42:49 |
I'll ask him here |
00:42:51 |
to come back to me |
00:42:54 |
and he did. |
00:42:56 |
The young stallion's |
00:42:58 |
lasts no more than 15 minutes |
00:43:00 |
and prompts a simple reward. |
00:43:07 |
Hey kid. |
00:43:10 |
This just kinda soothes |
00:43:12 |
give them a little hugging. |
00:43:14 |
a place where they, |
00:43:16 |
a lot of them just can't stand |
00:43:20 |
And if you can show them |
00:43:23 |
to be this close, |
00:43:27 |
soothing kind of thing. |
00:43:33 |
They really have to trust ya. |
00:43:44 |
By day three, |
00:43:45 |
it's time to abandon |
00:43:50 |
A whole new life is beginning |
00:43:56 |
He's gettin' so he trusts me |
00:43:59 |
I see. |
00:44:03 |
And Bryan |
00:44:05 |
is left to ponder |
00:44:08 |
about the nature of horses. |
00:44:11 |
I often wonder: |
00:44:14 |
allow somebody to get up |
00:44:16 |
and guide them around? |
00:44:18 |
They'll take us |
00:44:19 |
miles and miles till |
00:44:21 |
you know, tired. Pull wagons and |
00:44:24 |
pack loads and all kinds |
00:44:26 |
when actually they could |
00:44:28 |
or buck us off any time. |
00:44:31 |
And yet they'll just work |
00:44:33 |
if it's presented to them in |
00:44:37 |
Pretty special animal, really. |
00:44:42 |
Special, indeed. |
00:44:47 |
No more than 60 years before |
00:44:50 |
the world was driven |
00:44:54 |
Every sector of the economy |
00:44:59 |
transport and trade, |
00:45:01 |
industry and agriculture. |
00:45:06 |
No creature served us better |
00:45:10 |
or its occasional overthrow. |
00:45:15 |
For millennia, the warhorse |
00:45:20 |
If not for a horse, |
00:45:22 |
would Alexander |
00:45:28 |
Who can imagine Attila the Hun |
00:45:30 |
or Napoleon on foot? |
00:45:34 |
Over a million horses served |
00:45:39 |
Nearly a third died. |
00:45:42 |
In World War II, |
00:45:44 |
tens of thousands perished in |
00:45:52 |
The Age of Horsepower |
00:45:58 |
And yet there are more horses |
00:46:00 |
than during the 1800s |
00:46:03 |
some 62 million. |
00:46:07 |
In an Age of Technology, |
00:46:10 |
perhaps we yearn all the more |
00:46:25 |
The horse is no longer |
00:46:29 |
But he can still change lives |
00:46:31 |
one at a time. |
00:46:35 |
In central Georgia, |
00:46:37 |
Carol Wooley has loved horses |
00:46:42 |
In 1995, |
00:46:43 |
a friend told her about |
00:46:46 |
who had seen better days as |
00:46:50 |
His name was Carousel, |
00:46:52 |
and he needed a home. |
00:46:54 |
Carousel was in his mid |
00:46:57 |
a little lame, |
00:46:58 |
in fact,100 pounds |
00:47:01 |
He was a little swayback, |
00:47:03 |
just a good quiet lesson pony |
00:47:07 |
Carol took good care of him. |
00:47:09 |
Local children rode him. |
00:47:11 |
Soon |
00:47:12 |
Carousel was a favorite. |
00:47:17 |
In 1996, |
00:47:19 |
two weeks after the summer |
00:47:21 |
the Paralympics came to Atlanta |
00:47:24 |
Some 3,500 athletes attended. |
00:47:29 |
For the first time, |
00:47:30 |
equestrian events were included |
00:47:33 |
Sixteen nations sent teams. |
00:47:38 |
It was up to event organizers |
00:47:39 |
to provide horses |
00:47:43 |
with a wide range |
00:47:51 |
Each would be judged |
00:47:53 |
smoothness, and harmony |
00:47:56 |
while performing a set pattern |
00:48:00 |
A call went out to horse |
00:48:03 |
well-trained mounts. |
00:48:06 |
Carol Wooley volunteered |
00:48:10 |
but Games Officials were |
00:48:13 |
She thought twice |
00:48:15 |
then sent for old Carousel |
00:48:19 |
After a check-up, |
00:48:20 |
he was quickly put to the test |
00:48:26 |
And later in the day |
00:48:29 |
and I met Brita Anderson |
00:48:31 |
who's a very small woman |
00:48:34 |
and I thought to myself, |
00:48:36 |
"There's no way she |
00:48:39 |
She spoke English quite well, |
00:48:42 |
and I asked her, "Have you ever |
00:48:44 |
And she smiled |
00:48:46 |
"Many times." |
00:48:50 |
Far from falling, |
00:48:52 |
on the day of competition, |
00:48:53 |
Brita and Carousel took Carol |
00:49:01 |
Brita and Carousel |
00:49:05 |
He knew exactly |
00:49:07 |
and she knew how to get |
00:49:11 |
And he loved her. |
00:49:12 |
I'm still not sure |
00:49:14 |
but they just were |
00:49:23 |
The judges agreed. |
00:49:26 |
The pair took first place |
00:49:29 |
and received the highest score |
00:49:31 |
of all the competitors. |
00:49:38 |
From Denmark, |
00:49:40 |
Brita Anderson |
00:49:42 |
riding Midland's Carousel, |
00:49:45 |
owned by Carol Wooley. |
00:49:49 |
When they won the gold medal, |
00:49:53 |
this little pony and a horse |
00:49:57 |
and a world-class rider, |
00:50:00 |
and the thought that |
00:50:02 |
and they earned it, |
00:50:03 |
it was probably one of |
00:50:16 |
By the time she returned home, |
00:50:18 |
Carol had decided to start |
00:50:30 |
Horseback riding |
00:50:32 |
and muscle tone, |
00:50:34 |
as well as a sense |
00:50:36 |
and self-esteem in people with |
00:50:41 |
For Carol |
00:50:42 |
there's no greater reward |
00:50:44 |
than to see someone like |
00:50:48 |
take her first ride. |
00:50:49 |
You're riding, kid! |
00:50:54 |
When you take a child |
00:50:56 |
and put him on a horse, |
00:51:00 |
The walk of a horse mimics |
00:51:02 |
the same movement |
00:51:03 |
you get to actually walk on |
00:51:07 |
it gives them freedom |
00:51:10 |
it gives them control |
00:51:12 |
that they may have never known |
00:51:13 |
before. They can control |
00:51:21 |
Carol runs the school |
00:51:23 |
donations and volunteers. |
00:51:26 |
And Carousel heads her fleet |
00:51:29 |
past their prime. |
00:51:33 |
In August of 1998, |
00:51:35 |
at a regional show for riders |
00:51:39 |
Carol decides to send Carousel |
00:51:43 |
one last time. |
00:51:47 |
Nine-year-old Shawn Donalson, |
00:51:49 |
one of Carol's top students, |
00:51:51 |
has never competed before. |
00:51:54 |
It's a breathless moment |
00:51:56 |
for his parents. |
00:52:02 |
Make the old man proud. |
00:52:04 |
He's got a good horse. |
00:52:07 |
Knows what to do. |
00:52:09 |
Young boy and old horse |
00:52:13 |
and take a blue ribbon. |
00:52:15 |
In first place, |
00:52:16 |
Shawn Donalson. |
00:52:18 |
A first for Shawn, |
00:52:19 |
a final trophy for Carousel. |
00:52:31 |
The competition concludes |
00:52:35 |
As a symbol of retirement, |
00:52:37 |
Carol removes the saddle |
00:52:40 |
of unknown breeding |
00:52:42 |
who has meant so much |
00:52:50 |
To him |
00:52:52 |
go the full laurels |
00:52:58 |
He was quite calm and stood |
00:53:02 |
He half way, |
00:53:04 |
that we were doing |
00:53:08 |
I was a little surprised |
00:53:09 |
that he didn't mind us |
00:53:11 |
He acted like, well, those were |
00:53:15 |
I think, he enjoyed it really. |
00:53:20 |
He wasn't just an old sway |
00:53:25 |
He was everybody's dream |
00:53:39 |
He served everyone |
00:53:41 |
every place he's been. |
00:53:43 |
He's done everything |
00:53:46 |
all of his life. |
00:53:48 |
To me, he symbolizes |
00:53:51 |
that have worked hard |
00:53:53 |
and have given us |
00:53:57 |
He's a fairly tale of a horse |
00:53:59 |
But there's probably |
00:53:59 |
thousands of them out there |
00:54:03 |
I guess he's the poster child |
00:54:30 |
For all they have done for us, |
00:54:33 |
for all that they are, |
00:54:35 |
may they always |
00:54:38 |
each and every one. |