1
00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:09,967
He gives us his all.

2
00:00:10,276 --> 00:00:11,607
Speed.

3
00:00:12,178 --> 00:00:13,509
Endurance.

4
00:00:13,813 --> 00:00:15,110
Power.

5
00:00:18,918 --> 00:00:22,183
Yet his wild spirit
burns bright.

6
00:00:30,096 --> 00:00:32,758
Spark of ancient myth...

7
00:00:34,434 --> 00:00:37,130
pride of king and conqueror...

8
00:00:37,704 --> 00:00:40,639
...he was the backbone
of civilization.

9
00:00:41,775 --> 00:00:45,506
History was forged
to the beat of his hooves.

10
00:00:46,346 --> 00:00:50,146
Even now, he still lays claim
to the heart

11
00:00:50,717 --> 00:00:53,379
- with all the bold beauty

12
00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:56,085
that is the horse.

13
00:01:53,613 --> 00:01:54,375
Summer

14
00:01:54,414 --> 00:01:57,906
sets off fireworks in the
mountains of southern Montana.

15
00:01:58,751 --> 00:02:00,878
Spurred by heat and hunger,

16
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,378
wild horses converge
on the cool green heights,

17
00:02:04,424 --> 00:02:06,824
and sparks begin to fly.

18
00:02:29,115 --> 00:02:30,980
Stallions spar

19
00:02:31,017 --> 00:02:32,882
and court young mares

20
00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,888
in a drama as old as the hills.

21
00:02:54,874 --> 00:02:58,401
The mustang has become a symbol
of the American West.

22
00:02:58,711 --> 00:03:01,646
But some say he"s a newcomer
to these parts,

23
00:03:02,215 --> 00:03:04,080
even a trespasser.

24
00:03:04,384 --> 00:03:05,476
The truth

25
00:03:05,785 --> 00:03:10,051
is tangled in the long and
winding history of his kind.

26
00:03:12,525 --> 00:03:15,119
It began some
60 million years ago,

27
00:03:15,161 --> 00:03:17,527
in the forests of North America.

28
00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:21,524
Living on leaves,

29
00:03:21,568 --> 00:03:23,661
a creature the size of a fox

30
00:03:23,703 --> 00:03:26,866
walks the underbrush
on padded toes.

31
00:03:29,576 --> 00:03:30,338
In time,

32
00:03:30,376 --> 00:03:33,004
forests give way
to grassy plains.

33
00:03:35,181 --> 00:03:36,478
Legs grow long,

34
00:03:36,516 --> 00:03:39,815
and toes become nimble hooves
in a body

35
00:03:39,852 --> 00:03:41,945
built for speed.

36
00:03:44,657 --> 00:03:46,215
About a million years ago,

37
00:03:46,259 --> 00:03:47,920
the first true horses

38
00:03:47,961 --> 00:03:51,158
spread across land bridges
to Asia and Europe.

39
00:03:51,464 --> 00:03:53,227
Their numbers swell,

40
00:03:53,266 --> 00:03:55,359
then slowly decline

41
00:03:55,935 --> 00:03:58,028
perhaps due to climate change,

42
00:03:58,071 --> 00:04:01,268
or the impact of a
two-legged predator.

43
00:04:04,844 --> 00:04:05,868
To Ice Age hunters,

44
00:04:05,912 --> 00:04:08,676
the herds must have seemed
inexhaustible.

45
00:04:08,715 --> 00:04:11,206
But by 8,000 years ago,

46
00:04:11,251 --> 00:04:14,152
horses were extinct
in the Americas

47
00:04:14,187 --> 00:04:17,884
and dwindling elsewhere
into memory and myth.

48
00:04:23,529 --> 00:04:26,430
Then somewhere on the steppes
of Eurasia,

49
00:04:26,466 --> 00:04:29,299
at least 4,000 years ago,

50
00:04:29,335 --> 00:04:33,829
the horse inspired someone
as more than just a meal.

51
00:04:37,610 --> 00:04:40,238
It may have begun
as a shaman"s ritual,

52
00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:42,646
or a reckless teenage prank.

53
00:04:44,550 --> 00:04:47,986
But some brave soul
took a quantum leap

54
00:04:48,021 --> 00:04:50,649
and changed the world forever.

55
00:04:58,164 --> 00:05:02,396
The horse utterly changed our
sense of distance and speed.

56
00:05:02,969 --> 00:05:06,132
He carried us forward
in space and time,

57
00:05:06,172 --> 00:05:08,265
and made our world smaller.

58
00:05:10,443 --> 00:05:15,107
Great equestrian cultures arose
and thundered across antiquity

59
00:05:16,516 --> 00:05:18,814
Today, most have vanished.

60
00:05:18,851 --> 00:05:21,547
But here on the steppes
of Mongolia,

61
00:05:21,587 --> 00:05:22,611
little has changed

62
00:05:22,655 --> 00:05:26,113
since the time when the horse
became a way of life.

63
00:05:27,794 --> 00:05:31,025
Nomads still measure
their wealth in livestock

64
00:05:31,064 --> 00:05:34,295
and move vast herds
with the seasons.

65
00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:40,804
Small but hardy,

66
00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:43,775
Mongolian horses endure
a harsh climate,

67
00:05:43,810 --> 00:05:46,438
and grow a thick winter coat.

68
00:05:46,479 --> 00:05:48,071
When pasture is meager,

69
00:05:48,114 --> 00:05:50,776
they can survive
on very little.

70
00:05:55,688 --> 00:05:58,350
Mongolian nomads also
herd sheep,

71
00:05:58,391 --> 00:06:00,325
goats and cows,

72
00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,022
but horses
are their greatest pride.

73
00:06:03,596 --> 00:06:04,620
Revered,

74
00:06:04,664 --> 00:06:07,326
they are largely reserved
for riding

75
00:06:07,367 --> 00:06:10,234
and one other important role.

76
00:06:10,269 --> 00:06:13,204
Mongolia"s national drink,
called airag,

77
00:06:13,239 --> 00:06:15,901
is fermented mare"s milk.

78
00:06:18,878 --> 00:06:23,474
Life in the saddle begins early
in keeping with a local proverb:

79
00:06:23,783 --> 00:06:28,584
"A Mongolian without a horse
is like a bird without wings."

80
00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:34,522
In July,

81
00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:35,891
thousands of nomads

82
00:06:35,928 --> 00:06:38,055
set up camp on the edge
of the capital city,

83
00:06:38,097 --> 00:06:39,928
Ulan Bator.

84
00:06:40,767 --> 00:06:42,894
They come to celebrate Naadam,

85
00:06:42,935 --> 00:06:45,403
an ancient religious festival.

86
00:06:49,475 --> 00:06:52,672
National competitions of
traditional sports are held,

87
00:06:52,712 --> 00:06:55,977
including two days
of horse racing.

88
00:06:57,083 --> 00:06:59,381
One of the country"s top
horse breeders,

89
00:06:59,419 --> 00:07:00,716
Khen Medekh

90
00:07:00,753 --> 00:07:02,152
traveled over a week

91
00:07:02,188 --> 00:07:05,919
to take part in what will be
his 30th Naadam.

92
00:07:07,293 --> 00:07:09,955
From a herd of 400 head,

93
00:07:09,996 --> 00:07:13,523
he has brought
his 12 fastest horses.

94
00:07:14,634 --> 00:07:17,569
Also in tow are
his grandchildren

95
00:07:17,603 --> 00:07:19,070
for good reason.

96
00:07:19,105 --> 00:07:22,700
Riders must be under 12
to compete at Naadam.

97
00:07:23,309 --> 00:07:24,105
Training, however,

98
00:07:24,143 --> 00:07:26,304
is no child"s play.

99
00:07:26,345 --> 00:07:29,280
It"s what Khen Medekh lives for

100
00:07:47,733 --> 00:07:50,133
Horse training is a passion.

101
00:07:50,169 --> 00:07:53,900
My father was a great trainer
and he passed that on to me.

102
00:07:53,940 --> 00:07:57,137
It"s the same for
most Mongolian people.

103
00:07:57,977 --> 00:07:59,308
We compete at Naadam

104
00:07:59,345 --> 00:08:01,506
to see who has the best horse,

105
00:08:01,547 --> 00:08:04,846
and because we"re so proud of
our horses.

106
00:08:04,884 --> 00:08:06,749
A fine racehorse

107
00:08:06,786 --> 00:08:11,120
is a symbol of good luck
and happiness.

108
00:08:15,228 --> 00:08:17,059
On the day of the first race,

109
00:08:17,096 --> 00:08:19,462
preparations begin at dawn.

110
00:08:20,032 --> 00:08:22,660
Hats and bright silks
will help families

111
00:08:22,702 --> 00:08:25,603
spot their little jockeys
at a distance.

112
00:08:28,841 --> 00:08:30,934
The distinguishing mark of
a racehorse

113
00:08:30,977 --> 00:08:32,808
is a leather tail wrap

114
00:08:32,845 --> 00:08:35,746
always wound clockwise.

115
00:08:36,582 --> 00:08:39,210
Forelocks are also bound.

116
00:08:41,921 --> 00:08:45,084
Khen Medekh enhances
the look with a charm

117
00:08:45,124 --> 00:08:48,389
bearing Mongolia"s
national emblem.

118
00:08:48,427 --> 00:08:51,624
He has high hopes for
this young stallion.

119
00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,800
With an offering of mare"s milk

120
00:08:56,836 --> 00:08:57,860
Khen Medekh"s wife

121
00:08:57,904 --> 00:09:00,566
invokes the sacred powers
of nature

122
00:09:00,606 --> 00:09:03,871
to bless horses and riders.

123
00:09:07,747 --> 00:09:11,183
A circle of incense purifies.

124
00:09:14,153 --> 00:09:17,589
A drop of airag protects
from harm.

125
00:09:22,962 --> 00:09:27,456
An ancient Buddhist chant
rings out for luck.

126
00:09:36,976 --> 00:09:41,470
Some 500 riders will compete
in the first race.

127
00:09:42,848 --> 00:09:46,011
Parents on horseback
swell their ranks.

128
00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:47,681
By tradition,

129
00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,017
they circle clockwise

130
00:09:49,055 --> 00:09:52,218
at a staging area
near the finish line.

131
00:10:05,071 --> 00:10:08,507
But the running of the race
is not yet at hand.

132
00:10:09,342 --> 00:10:12,778
The starting point lies
more than 15 miles away

133
00:10:12,812 --> 00:10:14,837
in the open steppe.

134
00:10:15,147 --> 00:10:17,274
To reach that point at a walk

135
00:10:17,316 --> 00:10:20,513
will take the racers
some three hours

136
00:10:21,354 --> 00:10:24,346
which leaves time to kill
for everyone else.

137
00:10:24,657 --> 00:10:26,750
Nomads like Khen Medekh

138
00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:29,192
take the moment to catch up
with old friends

139
00:10:29,228 --> 00:10:31,355
and trading partners.

140
00:10:32,465 --> 00:10:34,330
For people who live much
of the year

141
00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:36,494
in relative isolation,

142
00:10:36,802 --> 00:10:39,737
there"s also
the irresistible allure

143
00:10:39,772 --> 00:10:41,603
of new faces.

144
00:10:47,913 --> 00:10:48,675
For now,

145
00:10:48,714 --> 00:10:53,014
small talk belies the drama
that"s erupting miles away,

146
00:10:53,853 --> 00:10:57,846
as 500 horses reach
the starting point

147
00:10:57,890 --> 00:11:00,620
and the race begins.

148
00:12:32,952 --> 00:12:35,079
Long before they can see
the racers,

149
00:12:35,121 --> 00:12:37,817
spectators crowd
the finish line.

150
00:12:39,225 --> 00:12:41,056
According to myth,

151
00:12:41,093 --> 00:12:44,028
the dust kicked up
by winning horses

152
00:12:44,063 --> 00:12:46,258
showers happiness
and prosperity

153
00:12:46,298 --> 00:12:48,960
on all those it touches.

154
00:13:05,217 --> 00:13:09,210
Front-runners have been
galloping for nearly 30 minutes

155
00:13:09,255 --> 00:13:10,051
By Western standards,

156
00:13:10,089 --> 00:13:13,547
this might qualify as
an extreme sport

157
00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:17,652
but these are the descendants
of Genghis Khan,

158
00:13:17,696 --> 00:13:21,723
who forged the largest land
empire ever known

159
00:13:21,767 --> 00:13:23,359
on horseback.

160
00:13:32,411 --> 00:13:34,003
The blue sash of victory

161
00:13:34,046 --> 00:13:36,708
goes to the first five horses

162
00:13:40,252 --> 00:13:42,152
A flash of green tells
Khen Medekh

163
00:13:42,188 --> 00:13:44,588
his granddaughter has placed.

164
00:13:46,192 --> 00:13:47,523
But a riderless horse

165
00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:50,757
sends him off in search of
his youngest grandson.

166
00:13:57,670 --> 00:13:59,262
After an initial flurry,

167
00:13:59,305 --> 00:14:02,763
racers trickle in for
another hour.

168
00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,938
Herd instinct alone will keep
a horse going

169
00:14:11,984 --> 00:14:14,919
even one that lacks the fitness
and conditioning required

170
00:14:14,954 --> 00:14:17,013
for a long-distance run.

171
00:14:18,924 --> 00:14:20,255
For some,

172
00:14:20,292 --> 00:14:22,157
the strain is too much.

173
00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:48,081
When a horse dies
on the racetrack,

174
00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,520
the trainer is dishonored.

175
00:14:53,559 --> 00:14:56,858
But the child who has lost
a beloved pet

176
00:14:56,896 --> 00:14:59,296
reaps only heartbreak.

177
00:15:20,886 --> 00:15:22,979
A fall near the starting point

178
00:15:23,022 --> 00:15:26,185
dashed the hopes of
Khen Medekh"s grandson.

179
00:15:27,293 --> 00:15:29,124
His horse is safe,

180
00:15:29,161 --> 00:15:31,254
his bruises minor.

181
00:15:31,597 --> 00:15:34,191
But his six-year-old pride
will sting

182
00:15:34,233 --> 00:15:36,326
until the races are over.

183
00:15:44,643 --> 00:15:47,544
Naadam concludes in
the National Stadium,

184
00:15:47,579 --> 00:15:49,672
with a parade of champions.

185
00:15:51,317 --> 00:15:53,751
Khen Medekh is twice a winner.

186
00:15:54,286 --> 00:15:56,413
His grandchildren take
two of his horses

187
00:15:56,455 --> 00:15:58,889
through their victory laps.

188
00:16:04,330 --> 00:16:08,096
A herald sings the praises of
the winning horses;

189
00:16:11,670 --> 00:16:14,605
medals and mare"s milk
do them honor.

190
00:16:19,845 --> 00:16:21,403
But for each little rider,

191
00:16:21,447 --> 00:16:25,747
the highlight is a kiss from
the President of Mongolia.

192
00:16:33,726 --> 00:16:36,661
No other nation makes more
of the horse.

193
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,597
Fiery steed,

194
00:16:43,635 --> 00:16:45,500
faithful servant,

195
00:16:45,971 --> 00:16:49,964
he is all good things to
the Mongolian people.

196
00:16:50,542 --> 00:16:52,134
In return,

197
00:16:52,177 --> 00:16:56,944
they may succeed in saving the
last truly wild horse

198
00:16:56,982 --> 00:16:58,813
on earth

199
00:17:01,420 --> 00:17:03,786
Before the rise
of civilization,

200
00:17:03,822 --> 00:17:07,781
his kind ranged throughout
Asia and Europe.

201
00:17:08,093 --> 00:17:09,685
Alert and aggressive,

202
00:17:09,728 --> 00:17:11,025
they were elusive prey

203
00:17:11,063 --> 00:17:13,657
with their camouflage of
tawny coat,

204
00:17:13,699 --> 00:17:16,862
their upright,
two-toned mane.

205
00:17:17,369 --> 00:17:21,066
These horses were already rare
in 1878,

206
00:17:21,106 --> 00:17:22,403
when Russian explorer

207
00:17:22,441 --> 00:17:26,309
Nikolai Przewalski returned
from Mongolia.

208
00:17:26,345 --> 00:17:27,972
He carried a skull and hide

209
00:17:28,013 --> 00:17:31,972
that would prompt the
announcement of a new species.

210
00:17:38,157 --> 00:17:39,988
In a race for specimens,

211
00:17:40,025 --> 00:17:43,290
stallions were slaughtered
to subdue mares.

212
00:17:43,662 --> 00:17:46,324
Mares were killed to
secure foals.

213
00:17:46,365 --> 00:17:48,765
Dozens died en route to zoos

214
00:17:48,801 --> 00:17:51,463
and animal collectors
in the West.

215
00:17:56,642 --> 00:17:59,076
Przewalski"s horses
were last sighted in the wild

216
00:17:59,111 --> 00:18:01,238
in the 1960s.

217
00:18:01,547 --> 00:18:02,878
A decade later,

218
00:18:02,915 --> 00:18:05,748
fewer than 300 survived

219
00:18:05,784 --> 00:18:07,877
in captivity only.

220
00:18:09,021 --> 00:18:13,617
This endangered species was
declared extinct in the wild.

221
00:18:19,064 --> 00:18:20,361
In 1992,

222
00:18:20,399 --> 00:18:24,165
16 Przewalski"s horses from
European reserves

223
00:18:24,203 --> 00:18:27,172
touched down in Ulan Bator.

224
00:18:29,908 --> 00:18:31,773
Their journey was
the crowning achievement

225
00:18:31,810 --> 00:18:36,304
of Dutch conservationists
and Mongolian authorities.

226
00:18:37,216 --> 00:18:39,878
Transports were blessed with
mare"s milk

227
00:18:39,918 --> 00:18:43,115
as the horses arrived at
a nature reserve

228
00:18:43,155 --> 00:18:45,248
established in their honor.

229
00:18:46,658 --> 00:18:49,855
The homecoming
delighted local people.

230
00:18:50,162 --> 00:18:53,325
Their name for the horses
is takhi.

231
00:18:53,365 --> 00:18:55,993
The word also means spirit.

232
00:19:04,209 --> 00:19:04,971
Today,

233
00:19:05,010 --> 00:19:10,107
some 80 free spirits roam
120,000 acres

234
00:19:10,149 --> 00:19:12,549
under watchful eyes.

235
00:19:17,156 --> 00:19:20,353
Park rangers closely track
the animals" health

236
00:19:20,392 --> 00:19:22,519
and behavior.

237
00:19:24,730 --> 00:19:27,130
Breeding success is high:

238
00:19:27,166 --> 00:19:30,135
Two generations have been born
in the reserve.

239
00:19:31,503 --> 00:19:33,095
To increase the gene pool,

240
00:19:33,138 --> 00:19:36,335
horses are still brought in
from the west.

241
00:19:39,678 --> 00:19:42,875
But prospects for
self-sustaining population

242
00:19:42,915 --> 00:19:45,042
are promising.

243
00:19:48,587 --> 00:19:51,021
Mongolia"s preservation
of the takhi

244
00:19:51,056 --> 00:19:52,523
seems a fitting tribute

245
00:19:52,558 --> 00:19:55,755
to an animal who has given us
so much.

246
00:20:00,632 --> 00:20:05,228
Domesticated, the horse
revolutionized our world

247
00:20:05,270 --> 00:20:07,033
but in the process,

248
00:20:07,072 --> 00:20:09,802
he was also transformed.

249
00:20:13,879 --> 00:20:19,249
The legendary Arab is just one
of more than 150 breeds

250
00:20:19,284 --> 00:20:21,115
some honed for work,

251
00:20:21,153 --> 00:20:23,553
some for sport,

252
00:20:23,589 --> 00:20:26,786
others for sheer show.

253
00:21:56,248 --> 00:21:57,545
The Spanish horse

254
00:21:57,582 --> 00:22:00,779
boasts one of
the oldest pedigrees.

255
00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:05,112
His speed and stamina were
praised by the Romans.

256
00:22:05,691 --> 00:22:07,921
The famous Spanish Riding
School in Vienna

257
00:22:07,959 --> 00:22:09,859
was founded in his name.

258
00:22:10,996 --> 00:22:14,591
A dancer"s grace made him
a favorite of monarchs,

259
00:22:14,633 --> 00:22:16,498
and earned him the title:

260
00:22:16,535 --> 00:22:18,628
"Royal Horse of Europe."

261
00:22:20,839 --> 00:22:24,900
Today, he inspires
a new generation

262
00:22:24,943 --> 00:22:28,674
at the Royal Andulusian School
of Equestrian Art

263
00:22:28,714 --> 00:22:30,045
in the town of Jerez,

264
00:22:30,082 --> 00:22:32,175
in southern Spain.

265
00:22:34,453 --> 00:22:36,853
Few gain admission here:

266
00:22:37,422 --> 00:22:41,153
Only first-rate horses,
trainers and students.

267
00:22:42,527 --> 00:22:47,430
A strict curriculum has produced
several Olympic competitors.

268
00:22:47,999 --> 00:22:50,900
The school also keeps
tradition alive.

269
00:22:51,203 --> 00:22:52,261
Once a week,

270
00:22:52,304 --> 00:22:54,204
the public is invited in,

271
00:22:54,239 --> 00:22:58,232
to enjoy the splendors
of another age.

272
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,514
In 18th century costume,

273
00:23:04,549 --> 00:23:08,280
riders recreate the height of
classical horsemanship,

274
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,551
as it was practiced throughout
the courts of Europe.

275
00:23:17,796 --> 00:23:19,627
Most spectacular

276
00:23:19,664 --> 00:23:22,326
are the
"airs above the ground."

277
00:23:32,144 --> 00:23:35,602
Horses naturally leap and kick
when fighting.

278
00:23:35,647 --> 00:23:36,409
Centuries ago,

279
00:23:36,448 --> 00:23:40,782
cavalry mounts were trained to
perform these moves in battle.

280
00:23:50,562 --> 00:23:51,324
Eventually

281
00:23:51,363 --> 00:23:54,230
each gesture became an end
in itself

282
00:23:54,966 --> 00:23:56,797
as formal as ballet.

283
00:23:58,437 --> 00:24:00,064
A supreme effort,

284
00:24:03,842 --> 00:24:06,743
virtually in place

285
00:24:19,858 --> 00:24:22,224
Few can perform
this exacting dance

286
00:24:22,260 --> 00:24:25,696
with the power and precision
of the Spanish horse.

287
00:24:27,599 --> 00:24:31,558
The purity of the breed is
proudly protected in Spain,

288
00:24:31,603 --> 00:24:34,766
yet his bloodlines extend
far and wide

289
00:24:35,340 --> 00:24:36,329
for this

290
00:24:36,374 --> 00:24:40,105
was the horse
who once conquered a new world.

291
00:24:43,882 --> 00:24:45,975
Some 500 years ago,

292
00:24:46,017 --> 00:24:50,249
Spanish explorers rode upon
the shores of the Americas.

293
00:24:51,356 --> 00:24:54,223
Some native people
mistook man and mount

294
00:24:54,259 --> 00:24:56,921
for a single fearsome creature

295
00:24:58,830 --> 00:24:59,956
But soon,

296
00:24:59,998 --> 00:25:03,434
they would make the horse
their own.

297
00:25:11,042 --> 00:25:13,442
Through stealth and trade,

298
00:25:13,478 --> 00:25:16,936
Native Americans embraced
the horse.

299
00:25:17,782 --> 00:25:19,647
It was said

300
00:25:19,684 --> 00:25:23,950
"they came to each other
like long lost brothers."

301
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,295
Some called him "Sky Dog."

302
00:25:33,064 --> 00:25:36,591
He opened vast horizons
in this life,

303
00:25:36,635 --> 00:25:40,093
and haunted their visions
of the afterlife.

304
00:25:43,108 --> 00:25:46,737
But this cult of the horse
would not last.

305
00:25:47,279 --> 00:25:48,576
By the 19th century,

306
00:25:48,613 --> 00:25:51,013
Native Americans
had been robbed of land

307
00:25:51,049 --> 00:25:52,880
and livelihood.

308
00:25:54,553 --> 00:25:57,545
Their beloved Sky Dogs
were shot,

309
00:25:57,589 --> 00:26:00,023
or simply set loose.

310
00:26:00,692 --> 00:26:04,958
Scores of Indian ponies
joined strays and runaways

311
00:26:04,996 --> 00:26:07,362
already thriving
in the wilderness.

312
00:26:08,233 --> 00:26:10,064
By 1900,

313
00:26:10,101 --> 00:26:14,435
over a million horses
roamed the American West.

314
00:26:16,107 --> 00:26:18,473
But not for long.

315
00:26:18,810 --> 00:26:21,438
To make way for cattle
and sheep,

316
00:26:21,479 --> 00:26:23,674
public lands were cleared
of animals

317
00:26:23,715 --> 00:26:26,411
considered worthless pests.

318
00:26:28,086 --> 00:26:30,213
They were slaughtered
by the thousands

319
00:26:30,255 --> 00:26:32,348
for pet food, fertilizer,

320
00:26:33,191 --> 00:26:35,318
and mere sport.

321
00:26:38,496 --> 00:26:39,793
In the 1950s,

322
00:26:39,831 --> 00:26:42,766
public outcry denounced
the abuses.

323
00:26:42,801 --> 00:26:43,290
Still,

324
00:26:43,335 --> 00:26:47,863
numbers had dropped
below 20,000 by 1971,

325
00:26:47,906 --> 00:26:53,469
when a federal law was finally
passed to protect the wild horse

326
00:26:54,045 --> 00:26:59,073
as a "living symbol of the
pioneer spirit of the West."

327
00:27:04,456 --> 00:27:04,945
Today,

328
00:27:04,990 --> 00:27:09,450
the Bureau of Land Management
oversees some 45,000 horses

329
00:27:09,494 --> 00:27:12,657
on public lands in 10 states.

330
00:27:14,566 --> 00:27:17,194
On the Montana-Wyoming border,

331
00:27:17,235 --> 00:27:19,328
the Pryor Mountain Wild
Horse Range

332
00:27:19,371 --> 00:27:22,932
is home to a herd of about 160

333
00:27:22,974 --> 00:27:26,967
Most live in small family
groups of several mares,

334
00:27:27,012 --> 00:27:30,539
their foals
and a single dominant stallion

335
00:27:32,984 --> 00:27:35,384
His role
is to guard his "harem"

336
00:27:35,420 --> 00:27:38,082
and protect
his growing offspring.

337
00:27:43,962 --> 00:27:45,793
This stallion, known as Raven,

338
00:27:45,830 --> 00:27:48,765
is one of the most dominant
on the range.

339
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,997
A heap of fresh droppings
called a "stud pile"

340
00:27:52,037 --> 00:27:55,837
alerts him that potential
rivals may be in the vicinity.

341
00:28:02,947 --> 00:28:05,074
A band of
young bachelor stallions

342
00:28:05,116 --> 00:28:08,847
prompts Raven to move his
family to a safe distance.

343
00:28:13,391 --> 00:28:16,019
Then he advances
on the intruders

344
00:28:16,061 --> 00:28:18,723
and confrontation
becomes inevitable.

345
00:28:23,501 --> 00:28:25,628
Raven may be outnumbered,

346
00:28:25,670 --> 00:28:26,694
but at ten years old,

347
00:28:26,738 --> 00:28:31,300
his maturity and experience
give him the advantage.

348
00:28:40,285 --> 00:28:42,150
As he enters the fray,

349
00:28:42,187 --> 00:28:45,384
his band stays put on
the sidelines.

350
00:28:48,660 --> 00:28:50,218
Most clashes between stallions

351
00:28:50,261 --> 00:28:53,788
are more about asserting rank
than inflicting harm,

352
00:28:54,099 --> 00:28:56,761
and serious injuries are rare.

353
00:29:01,773 --> 00:29:02,569
In the end,

354
00:29:02,607 --> 00:29:06,600
the bachelors move on
unscathed but chastened,

355
00:29:06,911 --> 00:29:10,642
and Raven returns to his mares

356
00:29:18,857 --> 00:29:19,881
Occasionally,

357
00:29:19,924 --> 00:29:23,121
even mature stallions
form malliances.

358
00:29:23,762 --> 00:29:26,162
A stud named Starman

359
00:29:26,197 --> 00:29:27,687
acts as a subordinate

360
00:29:27,732 --> 00:29:29,996
or "lieutenant stallion"
to Flash,

361
00:29:30,602 --> 00:29:33,264
who has a mare and foal
of his own.

362
00:29:33,838 --> 00:29:37,035
Flash tolerates
Starman"s presence,

363
00:29:37,075 --> 00:29:40,875
but allows him no access to
his lone mare.

364
00:29:44,315 --> 00:29:44,940
In summer,

365
00:29:44,983 --> 00:29:48,441
a waterhole fed by
melting snow banks

366
00:29:48,486 --> 00:29:50,886
attracts this small band.

367
00:30:08,439 --> 00:30:11,272
The mare enjoys
a soothing mud bath,

368
00:30:11,309 --> 00:30:15,075
while her three-month old foal
plays with the idea.

369
00:30:17,816 --> 00:30:18,874
But for now,

370
00:30:18,917 --> 00:30:23,115
the water holds no appeal for
Flash"s lieutenant stallion.

371
00:30:23,955 --> 00:30:25,252
Starman

372
00:30:25,290 --> 00:30:27,952
picks up the scent of
another mare,

373
00:30:27,992 --> 00:30:30,722
and sets off in hot pursuit.

374
00:30:33,164 --> 00:30:36,656
The mare"s yearling son tries
to intercept Starman,

375
00:30:36,701 --> 00:30:40,501
but fails to impress
such a mature stallion.

376
00:30:56,721 --> 00:30:59,986
This mare"s own stallion
must be just out of sight

377
00:31:00,024 --> 00:31:02,356
a boon for Starman.

378
00:31:03,761 --> 00:31:04,523
Still,

379
00:31:04,562 --> 00:31:06,962
she rejects his advances.

380
00:31:31,723 --> 00:31:34,385
In the end,
she gets away,

381
00:31:34,425 --> 00:31:36,256
and Starman can only observe

382
00:31:36,294 --> 00:31:40,526
the tactics of
more successful suitor.

383
00:32:04,455 --> 00:32:05,217
At times,

384
00:32:05,256 --> 00:32:09,488
the Pryor Mountains seem
heaven-on-earth for horses.

385
00:32:12,063 --> 00:32:14,156
Though much of the terrain
is arid

386
00:32:14,198 --> 00:32:16,029
and winters are harsh,

387
00:32:16,067 --> 00:32:19,230
summer pastures can be glorious

388
00:32:31,683 --> 00:32:34,379
The horses have few predators
to fear:

389
00:32:34,419 --> 00:32:38,651
Most were eliminated by
ranching and land development.

390
00:32:40,825 --> 00:32:42,190
With high fertility rates,

391
00:32:42,226 --> 00:32:45,423
the horses" numbers can increase by 10,

392
00:32:45,463 --> 00:32:47,556
even 20 percent a year.

393
00:32:50,835 --> 00:32:54,601
And that means trouble
in paradise.

394
00:33:00,111 --> 00:33:01,703
In the last three decades,

395
00:33:01,746 --> 00:33:03,577
the Bureau of Land Management

396
00:33:03,614 --> 00:33:08,984
has removed more than 100,000
wild horses from the range.

397
00:33:10,688 --> 00:33:13,623
The round ups are intended to
protect public lands

398
00:33:13,658 --> 00:33:15,250
from overgrazing

399
00:33:15,293 --> 00:33:18,490
and ensure the health of
the herds.

400
00:33:27,205 --> 00:33:30,697
Excess animals are placed
in adoption programs,

401
00:33:30,742 --> 00:33:34,143
but supply far exceeds
public demand.

402
00:33:34,712 --> 00:33:37,374
Horses deemed "unadoptable"

403
00:33:37,415 --> 00:33:39,815
live out their days
in holding pens.

404
00:33:42,353 --> 00:33:43,650
Even now,

405
00:33:43,688 --> 00:33:46,316
the fate of America"s
wild horses

406
00:33:46,357 --> 00:33:49,554
remains an open-ended question

407
00:33:54,132 --> 00:33:57,124
Some 4,000 years
of domestication

408
00:33:57,168 --> 00:34:01,434
have failed to deprive the
horse of his wild instincts.

409
00:34:02,006 --> 00:34:03,337
His natural impulse

410
00:34:03,374 --> 00:34:06,309
is to flee the company
of humans.

411
00:34:07,678 --> 00:34:09,873
Bryan Neubert makes a living,

412
00:34:09,914 --> 00:34:11,211
not "breaking"

413
00:34:11,249 --> 00:34:15,413
but-in his words-
"starting" wild or green horses

414
00:34:17,622 --> 00:34:20,557
This two-year-old quarter
horse stud,

415
00:34:20,591 --> 00:34:22,388
born on the open range,

416
00:34:22,427 --> 00:34:24,292
has never been handled.

417
00:34:25,663 --> 00:34:28,097
On his ranch in
northern California,

418
00:34:28,132 --> 00:34:31,898
Bryan is about to
make first contact.

419
00:34:40,545 --> 00:34:41,603
Bryan

420
00:34:41,646 --> 00:34:45,639
will chase the horse until
he turns to face his pursuer.

421
00:34:45,683 --> 00:34:49,210
The goal is capture
the animal"s attention

422
00:34:49,253 --> 00:34:50,515
and keep it.

423
00:34:50,555 --> 00:34:52,682
L"ll ask again now. Good.

424
00:34:53,524 --> 00:34:55,924
Now let"s see if he leaves
with the hindquarters

425
00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,394
or if he leaves with
the whole horse.

426
00:34:59,497 --> 00:35:01,294
See, here"s the...

427
00:35:01,332 --> 00:35:02,094
the first little part

428
00:35:02,133 --> 00:35:04,533
is gonna happen here in
just a second, I think.

429
00:35:09,707 --> 00:35:12,073
Subtle shifts of body language

430
00:35:12,110 --> 00:35:14,840
keep the horse focussed
on Bryan.

431
00:35:15,113 --> 00:35:16,341
If his attention wanders,

432
00:35:16,380 --> 00:35:19,247
I might see if I can get
another step closer.

433
00:35:19,283 --> 00:35:22,446
As long as he"s doing that,
l"ll just let that soak in.

434
00:35:23,554 --> 00:35:25,579
L"ll take another step.

435
00:35:28,025 --> 00:35:30,653
And l"ll take another one here

436
00:35:32,563 --> 00:35:34,929
He"s having trouble with it,
but he"s trying.

437
00:35:39,804 --> 00:35:42,136
He"s gonna have to leave here
pretty soon.

438
00:35:42,173 --> 00:35:43,936
And l"ll try to direct him back

439
00:35:43,975 --> 00:35:45,374
There, he adjusted in
the rear quarters,

440
00:35:45,409 --> 00:35:47,502
that"s what l"m gonna
need here.

441
00:35:54,385 --> 00:35:56,478
Within about 15 minutes,

442
00:35:56,521 --> 00:36:00,218
the young stallion has
mastered the maneuver.

443
00:36:00,258 --> 00:36:03,386
Now Bryan presents
a new challenge.

444
00:36:04,195 --> 00:36:05,685
I might do just a little
swinging here

445
00:36:05,730 --> 00:36:08,358
and see if he can stand that.

446
00:36:08,966 --> 00:36:09,728
And l"ll see about,

447
00:36:09,767 --> 00:36:13,259
see if I can put that on there
without hitting him in the face

448
00:36:13,304 --> 00:36:16,296
And l"ll just,
as I come forward,

449
00:36:16,340 --> 00:36:18,205
just let that go.

450
00:36:18,242 --> 00:36:20,176
And it"s kinda scary.

451
00:36:21,579 --> 00:36:24,810
You can see that it"s
troubling to him a little.

452
00:36:27,285 --> 00:36:28,582
L"ll just put

453
00:36:28,619 --> 00:36:30,883
just a little pressure till,

454
00:36:30,922 --> 00:36:34,221
till he finds his way
toward me

455
00:36:34,258 --> 00:36:37,421
See, he keeps thinking
his answer is out of here,

456
00:36:37,461 --> 00:36:39,554
but the answer"s right there.

457
00:36:43,801 --> 00:36:47,703
The horse turns to Bryan
for reassurance

458
00:36:47,738 --> 00:36:50,400
a critical breakthrough.

459
00:36:52,109 --> 00:36:53,974
Now he might reach for me.

460
00:36:59,383 --> 00:37:01,044
Let"s see if,

461
00:37:02,153 --> 00:37:05,782
he"ll come in here. L"ll see if
I can get another half a step

462
00:37:05,823 --> 00:37:07,450
without scaring him.

463
00:37:07,758 --> 00:37:09,623
See how he"s reaching for me?

464
00:37:10,194 --> 00:37:12,355
Now here"s a spot where you
want to watch their ears,

465
00:37:12,396 --> 00:37:13,693
"cause some of them,

466
00:37:14,265 --> 00:37:15,823
they"ll take a run at you.

467
00:37:18,002 --> 00:37:20,095
Now, l"ll just wait here
till he reaches.

468
00:37:20,938 --> 00:37:21,529
Like that.

469
00:37:21,572 --> 00:37:23,631
See him smelling me?

470
00:37:25,076 --> 00:37:26,407
There"s the first,

471
00:37:26,444 --> 00:37:27,638
second

472
00:37:28,212 --> 00:37:29,645
time he"s ever

473
00:37:30,481 --> 00:37:34,076
been touched by a human
or he touched a human, I guess

474
00:37:34,118 --> 00:37:36,518
Now, again, let"s see
if this head shaking

475
00:37:36,821 --> 00:37:41,588
will disappear. L"ll just keep
a little tension there,

476
00:37:41,626 --> 00:37:45,118
and l"ll see if he"ll reach
for me.

477
00:37:46,797 --> 00:37:50,289
And pretty soon l"ll reach
for him, like right there.

478
00:37:50,334 --> 00:37:52,199
We sorta met one another.

479
00:37:56,007 --> 00:37:58,134
Little bit of touching there.

480
00:38:04,382 --> 00:38:06,213
Little bit more here.

481
00:38:06,250 --> 00:38:09,447
See, he"s finding out he can
touch me and reach for me now.

482
00:38:09,754 --> 00:38:11,381
In a horse,

483
00:38:11,422 --> 00:38:14,585
there"s a spot
in there where

484
00:38:14,625 --> 00:38:17,719
they can just turn
loose emotionally.

485
00:38:17,762 --> 00:38:20,822
You can see in their eye
and their face

486
00:38:20,865 --> 00:38:22,958
a change that comes over them

487
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:24,399
and they"ll begin to
drop their head

488
00:38:24,435 --> 00:38:25,697
and their eyes"ll soften

489
00:38:25,736 --> 00:38:27,431
and you can just see
that they"re

490
00:38:27,471 --> 00:38:28,938
beginning to trust you
and then you can

491
00:38:28,973 --> 00:38:31,965
move right on and really
advance then.

492
00:38:32,009 --> 00:38:34,102
L"ll get my weight shifted back

493
00:38:35,513 --> 00:38:38,949
He"s feeling a whole lot
better about things now,

494
00:38:38,983 --> 00:38:41,713
he"s finding out I can touch
him and he won"t get hurt.

495
00:38:45,256 --> 00:38:48,191
Less than half an hour after
the first touch,

496
00:38:48,225 --> 00:38:50,750
Bryan tests the saddle.

497
00:38:50,795 --> 00:38:53,923
Very important to swing this on

498
00:38:53,964 --> 00:38:56,091
so that it doesn"t hit him.

499
00:39:00,438 --> 00:39:02,838
L"ll just grab it, gradually

500
00:39:02,873 --> 00:39:06,400
just lays right over on
their back like that.

501
00:39:08,879 --> 00:39:10,710
I don"t mind seeing one buck
with the saddle,

502
00:39:10,748 --> 00:39:13,683
because being a prey animal,

503
00:39:13,718 --> 00:39:17,347
that"s his responsibility to
not let anything stay up there

504
00:39:17,388 --> 00:39:19,788
That"s where the predator has
the best advantage.

505
00:39:19,824 --> 00:39:23,021
If he can get above
and stay with him,

506
00:39:23,060 --> 00:39:25,722
then he can have himself
a meal.

507
00:39:27,331 --> 00:39:28,730
Pretty dreamy now,

508
00:39:28,766 --> 00:39:31,166
but we"ll see what
he"s like when

509
00:39:31,202 --> 00:39:33,602
he feels that saddle on there

510
00:39:33,637 --> 00:39:35,195
l"d rather he test the saddle

511
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:38,902
before I get on than after
I got up there.

512
00:39:38,943 --> 00:39:42,879
Now l"m gonna move him off,
but ever so softly,

513
00:39:42,913 --> 00:39:43,675
if I can.

514
00:39:43,714 --> 00:39:46,080
L"m not trying to
make him buck.

515
00:40:09,407 --> 00:40:09,896
Okay,

516
00:40:09,940 --> 00:40:12,306
maybe l"ll give him
a little consoling.

517
00:40:13,411 --> 00:40:16,005
Did you get scared...?

518
00:40:30,995 --> 00:40:34,692
Lt"s been less than two hours
since Bryan began work

519
00:40:34,732 --> 00:40:37,360
a fairly routine
"first session".

520
00:40:37,935 --> 00:40:41,632
He"ll leave the saddle in place
for a few more hours,

521
00:40:41,672 --> 00:40:42,969
then give the young stallion

522
00:40:43,007 --> 00:40:46,340
a well-earned rest
until morning.

523
00:40:51,715 --> 00:40:55,674
Yesterday"s fear gives way to
recognition and trust.

524
00:40:56,253 --> 00:40:59,154
Today will be another
turning point.

525
00:41:02,526 --> 00:41:05,689
Social animals feel safest
in a group.

526
00:41:05,863 --> 00:41:08,661
As a comfort to
the young stallion,

527
00:41:08,699 --> 00:41:11,600
Bryan has corralled
several other horses.

528
00:41:22,513 --> 00:41:23,810
See, if he wiggles,

529
00:41:24,648 --> 00:41:28,607
l"ll just wait here
till he stands put.

530
00:41:29,987 --> 00:41:34,754
Pet him over here as
if it was my leg and maybe...

531
00:41:38,462 --> 00:41:44,025
get myself kinda set
here before he gets untracked.

532
00:41:45,135 --> 00:41:47,933
Might let him go right out
that way.

533
00:41:47,972 --> 00:41:49,564
And l"ll just ask him to go.

534
00:41:49,607 --> 00:41:52,804
If he gets upset,
if he gets scared,

535
00:41:52,843 --> 00:41:55,573
wants to run,
l"ll just try to go with him.

536
00:42:19,003 --> 00:42:21,665
People ask me about

537
00:42:21,705 --> 00:42:24,037
this new way of working
with horses.

538
00:42:24,074 --> 00:42:25,939
Far as I know,
it"s been around as

539
00:42:25,976 --> 00:42:29,036
long as there"s been horses
and men

540
00:42:29,079 --> 00:42:30,410
interacting with one another.

541
00:42:30,447 --> 00:42:34,781
I don"t know how the
first man could ever get on

542
00:42:34,818 --> 00:42:36,683
the horse for the first time
without having

543
00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:38,654
something working for him.

544
00:42:43,561 --> 00:42:44,323
L"ll get a little bolder

545
00:42:44,361 --> 00:42:46,056
as he gets a little more

546
00:42:47,164 --> 00:42:48,461
confidence.

547
00:42:49,567 --> 00:42:51,398
L"ll ask him here

548
00:42:51,435 --> 00:42:53,960
to come back to me
with this rein alittle,

549
00:42:54,004 --> 00:42:55,562
and he did.

550
00:42:56,373 --> 00:42:58,466
The young stallion"s
first ride

551
00:42:58,509 --> 00:43:00,704
lasts no more than 15 minutes

552
00:43:00,744 --> 00:43:03,144
and prompts a simple reward.

553
00:43:07,885 --> 00:43:09,477
Hey kid.

554
00:43:10,387 --> 00:43:12,480
This just kinda soothes
them sometimes,

555
00:43:12,523 --> 00:43:14,923
give them a little hugging.
This is

556
00:43:14,959 --> 00:43:16,517
a place where they,

557
00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:20,052
a lot of them just can"t stand
to have you that close.

558
00:43:20,097 --> 00:43:23,260
And if you can show them
that it"s okay

559
00:43:23,300 --> 00:43:27,760
to be this close,
why it"s a real relaxing,

560
00:43:27,805 --> 00:43:29,932
soothing kind of thing.

561
00:43:33,577 --> 00:43:35,704
They really have to trust ya.

562
00:43:44,121 --> 00:43:45,213
By day three,

563
00:43:45,255 --> 00:43:49,521
it"s time to abandon
the security of the corral.

564
00:43:50,394 --> 00:43:53,852
A whole new life is beginning
for the young stallion.

565
00:43:56,567 --> 00:43:58,967
He"s gettin" so he trusts me
a whole lot more today,

566
00:43:59,003 --> 00:44:00,595
I see.

567
00:44:03,874 --> 00:44:05,239
And Bryan

568
00:44:05,275 --> 00:44:08,472
is left to ponder
an age-old mystery

569
00:44:08,512 --> 00:44:11,174
about the nature of horses.

570
00:44:11,515 --> 00:44:14,450
I often wonder:
How in the world would they

571
00:44:14,485 --> 00:44:16,749
allow somebody to get up
on their back

572
00:44:16,787 --> 00:44:18,084
and guide them around?

573
00:44:18,122 --> 00:44:19,453
They"ll take us

574
00:44:19,490 --> 00:44:21,617
miles and miles till
they"re totally,

575
00:44:21,659 --> 00:44:24,025
you know, tired. Pull wagons and

576
00:44:24,061 --> 00:44:26,256
pack loads and all kinds
of things,

577
00:44:26,296 --> 00:44:28,958
when actually they could
kick us or hurt us

578
00:44:28,999 --> 00:44:31,467
or buck us off any time.

579
00:44:31,502 --> 00:44:33,527
And yet they"ll just work
their hearts out for us,

580
00:44:33,570 --> 00:44:36,767
if it"s presented to them in
a way that they can understand

581
00:44:37,341 --> 00:44:40,003
Pretty special animal, really.

582
00:44:42,479 --> 00:44:44,606
Special, indeed.

583
00:44:47,051 --> 00:44:50,543
No more than 60 years before
the first moon landing,

584
00:44:50,587 --> 00:44:54,045
the world was driven
by horse power.

585
00:44:54,958 --> 00:44:58,485
Every sector of the economy
relied on him:

586
00:44:59,063 --> 00:45:00,928
Transport and trade,

587
00:45:01,231 --> 00:45:03,324
industry and agriculture.

588
00:45:06,003 --> 00:45:10,064
No creature served us better
in the building of civilization

589
00:45:10,374 --> 00:45:13,036
or its occasional overthrow.

590
00:45:15,679 --> 00:45:18,876
For millennia, the warhorse
prevailed in battle.

591
00:45:20,818 --> 00:45:22,911
If not for a horse,

592
00:45:22,953 --> 00:45:25,421
would Alexander
have been great?

593
00:45:28,692 --> 00:45:30,819
Who can imagine Attila the Hun

594
00:45:30,861 --> 00:45:33,295
or Napoleon on foot?

595
00:45:34,932 --> 00:45:38,424
Over a million horses served
in World War I.

596
00:45:39,269 --> 00:45:41,134
Nearly a third died.

597
00:45:42,372 --> 00:45:43,964
In World War II,

598
00:45:44,007 --> 00:45:48,341
tens of thousands perished in
a battle of bullets and bombs.

599
00:45:52,716 --> 00:45:55,913
The Age of Horsepower
was over

600
00:45:58,355 --> 00:46:00,755
And yet there are more horses
in the world today

601
00:46:00,791 --> 00:46:03,191
than during the 1800s

602
00:46:03,494 --> 00:46:05,621
some 62 million.

603
00:46:07,631 --> 00:46:09,758
In an Age of Technology,

604
00:46:10,067 --> 00:46:14,902
perhaps we yearn all the more
for the touch of something wild

605
00:46:25,883 --> 00:46:28,784
The horse is no longer
changing our world.

606
00:46:29,086 --> 00:46:31,714
But he can still change lives

607
00:46:31,755 --> 00:46:34,121
one at a time.

608
00:46:35,492 --> 00:46:37,426
In central Georgia,

609
00:46:37,461 --> 00:46:41,192
Carol Wooley has loved horses
since she was a child.

610
00:46:42,065 --> 00:46:43,362
In 1995,

611
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:46,335
a friend told her about
an old school horse

612
00:46:46,370 --> 00:46:49,567
who had seen better days as
a fox hunter and jumper.

613
00:46:50,274 --> 00:46:52,367
His name was Carousel,

614
00:46:52,409 --> 00:46:54,240
and he needed a home.

615
00:46:54,645 --> 00:46:57,273
Carousel was in his mid
to late 20s,

616
00:46:57,581 --> 00:46:58,605
a little lame,

617
00:46:58,916 --> 00:47:00,747
in fact,100 pounds
over weight.

618
00:47:01,318 --> 00:47:03,149
He was a little swayback,

619
00:47:03,187 --> 00:47:06,554
just a good quiet lesson pony

620
00:47:07,391 --> 00:47:09,723
Carol took good care of him.

621
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:11,728
Local children rode him.

622
00:47:11,762 --> 00:47:12,786
Soon

623
00:47:12,830 --> 00:47:14,923
Carousel was a favorite.

624
00:47:17,501 --> 00:47:19,059
In 1996,

625
00:47:19,102 --> 00:47:21,730
two weeks after the summer
Olympic Games,

626
00:47:21,772 --> 00:47:24,400
the Paralympics came to Atlanta

627
00:47:24,708 --> 00:47:28,144
Some 3,500 athletes attended.

628
00:47:29,780 --> 00:47:30,804
For the first time,

629
00:47:30,848 --> 00:47:32,941
equestrian events were included

630
00:47:33,250 --> 00:47:35,616
Sixteen nations sent teams.

631
00:47:38,422 --> 00:47:39,684
It was up to event organizers

632
00:47:39,723 --> 00:47:43,181
to provide horses
for 62 athletes

633
00:47:43,227 --> 00:47:45,889
with a wide range
of disabilities.

634
00:47:51,802 --> 00:47:53,702
Each would be judged
on precision,

635
00:47:53,737 --> 00:47:56,763
smoothness, and harmony
of horse and rider,

636
00:47:56,807 --> 00:47:59,799
while performing a set pattern
in the arena.

637
00:48:00,644 --> 00:48:03,306
A call went out to horse
owners for calm,

638
00:48:03,347 --> 00:48:05,474
well-trained mounts.

639
00:48:06,450 --> 00:48:10,181
Carol Wooley volunteered
two of her younger horses,

640
00:48:10,220 --> 00:48:13,417
but Games Officials were
desperate for more.

641
00:48:13,724 --> 00:48:15,055
She thought twice

642
00:48:15,092 --> 00:48:17,720
then sent for old Carousel
as well.

643
00:48:19,663 --> 00:48:20,687
After a check-up,

644
00:48:20,731 --> 00:48:23,131
he was quickly put to the test

645
00:48:26,670 --> 00:48:29,901
And later in the day
they called him for Denmark,

646
00:48:29,940 --> 00:48:31,840
and I met Brita Anderson

647
00:48:31,875 --> 00:48:34,810
who"s a very small woman
in a wheelchair,

648
00:48:34,845 --> 00:48:36,005
and I thought to myself,

649
00:48:36,046 --> 00:48:38,742
"There"s no way she
is going to ride this pony."

650
00:48:39,583 --> 00:48:41,983
She spoke English quite well,

651
00:48:42,019 --> 00:48:44,954
and I asked her,"Have you ever
fallen off a horse?"

652
00:48:44,988 --> 00:48:46,956
And she smiled
and looked at me and says,

653
00:48:46,990 --> 00:48:48,548
"Many times."

654
00:48:50,193 --> 00:48:52,024
Far from falling,

655
00:48:52,062 --> 00:48:53,893
on the day of competition,

656
00:48:53,931 --> 00:48:57,367
Brita and Carousel took Carol
by surprise.

657
00:49:01,672 --> 00:49:05,631
Brita and Carousel
made a connection.

658
00:49:05,943 --> 00:49:07,535
He knew exactly
what she wanted

659
00:49:07,577 --> 00:49:10,569
and she knew how to get
the most out of him.

660
00:49:11,248 --> 00:49:12,715
And he loved her.

661
00:49:12,749 --> 00:49:14,774
L"m still not sure
how she did it,

662
00:49:14,818 --> 00:49:17,719
but they just were
a perfect match.

663
00:49:23,894 --> 00:49:25,452
The judges agreed.

664
00:49:26,296 --> 00:49:29,129
The pair took first place
in their division,

665
00:49:29,166 --> 00:49:31,100
and received the highest score

666
00:49:31,134 --> 00:49:32,965
of all the competitors.

667
00:49:38,909 --> 00:49:40,740
From Denmark,

668
00:49:40,777 --> 00:49:42,642
Brita Anderson

669
00:49:42,679 --> 00:49:45,239
riding Midland"s Carousel,

670
00:49:45,282 --> 00:49:48,445
owned by Carol Wooley.

671
00:49:49,820 --> 00:49:52,983
When they won the gold medal,
it was

672
00:49:53,023 --> 00:49:56,982
this little pony and a horse
trainer from no where

673
00:49:57,294 --> 00:50:00,457
and a world-class rider,

674
00:50:00,764 --> 00:50:02,732
and the thought that
they actually won that gold

675
00:50:02,766 --> 00:50:03,858
and they earned it,

676
00:50:03,900 --> 00:50:07,961
it was probably one of
the high points in my life.

677
00:50:16,380 --> 00:50:18,473
By the time she returned home,

678
00:50:18,515 --> 00:50:22,542
Carol had decided to start
a therapeutic riding school.

679
00:50:30,394 --> 00:50:32,862
Horseback riding
can improve balance

680
00:50:32,896 --> 00:50:34,124
and muscle tone,

681
00:50:34,164 --> 00:50:36,632
as well as a sense
of independence

682
00:50:36,666 --> 00:50:41,194
and self-esteem in people with
all sorts of disabilities.

683
00:50:41,772 --> 00:50:42,830
For Carol

684
00:50:42,873 --> 00:50:44,431
there"s no greater reward

685
00:50:44,474 --> 00:50:48,205
than to see someone like
13-year-old Sara

686
00:50:48,245 --> 00:50:49,610
take her first ride.

687
00:50:49,646 --> 00:50:53,639
You"re riding, kid!
You"re riding!

688
00:50:54,751 --> 00:50:56,616
When you take a child
out of a wheelchair

689
00:50:56,653 --> 00:50:58,780
and put him on a horse,
he"s immediately taller.

690
00:51:00,157 --> 00:51:02,557
The walk of a horse mimics

691
00:51:02,592 --> 00:51:03,889
the same movement

692
00:51:03,927 --> 00:51:06,327
you get to actually walk on
your own legs,

693
00:51:07,164 --> 00:51:09,826
it gives them freedom
of mobility,

694
00:51:10,133 --> 00:51:12,260
it gives them control
over something

695
00:51:12,302 --> 00:51:13,894
that they may have never known

696
00:51:13,937 --> 00:51:16,633
before. They can control
where they"re going.

697
00:51:21,278 --> 00:51:23,473
Carol runs the school
on grants,

698
00:51:23,513 --> 00:51:26,175
donations and volunteers.

699
00:51:26,817 --> 00:51:29,752
And Carousel heads her fleet
of gentle horses

700
00:51:29,786 --> 00:51:31,686
past their prime.

701
00:51:33,356 --> 00:51:35,483
In August of 1998,

702
00:51:35,525 --> 00:51:39,256
at a regional show for riders
with disabilities,

703
00:51:39,563 --> 00:51:43,021
Carol decides to send Carousel
into the arena

704
00:51:43,066 --> 00:51:44,931
one last time.

705
00:51:47,404 --> 00:51:49,497
Nine-year-old Shawn Donalson,

706
00:51:49,539 --> 00:51:51,666
one of Carol"s top students,

707
00:51:51,708 --> 00:51:54,108
has never competed before.

708
00:51:54,411 --> 00:51:56,845
It"s a breathless moment

709
00:51:56,880 --> 00:51:58,211
for his parents.

710
00:52:02,252 --> 00:52:04,083
Make the old man proud.

711
00:52:04,921 --> 00:52:06,752
He"s got a good horse.

712
00:52:07,858 --> 00:52:08,825
Knows what to do.

713
00:52:09,126 --> 00:52:13,119
Young boy and old horse
are picture-perfect,

714
00:52:13,163 --> 00:52:15,028
and take a blue ribbon.

715
00:52:15,065 --> 00:52:16,123
In first place,

716
00:52:16,166 --> 00:52:17,997
Shawn Donalson.

717
00:52:18,034 --> 00:52:19,661
A first for Shawn,

718
00:52:19,703 --> 00:52:22,365
a final trophy for Carousel.

719
00:52:31,581 --> 00:52:34,778
The competition concludes
with a ceremony.

720
00:52:35,085 --> 00:52:37,485
As a symbol of retirement,

721
00:52:37,521 --> 00:52:40,456
Carol removes the saddle
from a little horse

722
00:52:40,490 --> 00:52:42,082
of unknown breeding

723
00:52:42,392 --> 00:52:45,088
who has meant so much
to so many.

724
00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:52,131
To him

725
00:52:52,169 --> 00:52:55,400
go the full laurels
of a champion.

726
00:52:58,708 --> 00:53:02,644
He was quite calm and stood
through everything.

727
00:53:02,679 --> 00:53:04,806
He half way,
I think, understood

728
00:53:04,848 --> 00:53:06,941
that we were doing
an honor to him.

729
00:53:08,418 --> 00:53:09,442
I was a little surprised

730
00:53:09,486 --> 00:53:11,147
that he didn"t mind us
putting flowers on him.

731
00:53:11,188 --> 00:53:14,385
He acted like, well, those were
his flowers. This was fine.

732
00:53:15,225 --> 00:53:17,090
I think, he enjoyed it really.

733
00:53:20,697 --> 00:53:24,155
He wasn"t just an old sway
backed horse with a gray face.

734
00:53:25,535 --> 00:53:28,527
He was everybody"s dream
of a horse.

735
00:53:39,416 --> 00:53:41,816
He served everyone
that"s ever owned him,

736
00:53:41,851 --> 00:53:43,409
every place he"s been.

737
00:53:43,987 --> 00:53:46,455
He"s done everything
we"ve asked him to do

738
00:53:46,489 --> 00:53:48,081
all of his life.

739
00:53:48,925 --> 00:53:51,587
To me, he symbolizes
all the horses

740
00:53:51,628 --> 00:53:53,528
that have worked hard
all their lives

741
00:53:53,563 --> 00:53:55,690
and have given us
so much pleasure.

742
00:53:57,067 --> 00:53:59,035
He"s a fairly tale of a horse

743
00:53:59,069 --> 00:53:59,933
But there"s probably

744
00:53:59,970 --> 00:54:02,530
thousands of them out there
just like him.

745
00:54:03,139 --> 00:54:06,370
I guess he"s the poster child
for all of them.

746
00:54:30,300 --> 00:54:32,393
For all they have done for us,

747
00:54:33,236 --> 00:54:34,828
for all that they are,

748
00:54:35,672 --> 00:54:38,072
may they always
have green pastures

749
00:54:38,908 --> 00:54:41,900
each and every one.