Land of the Horse: the Art and Photography of Absaraka

The Land of the Horse: the Art and Photography of Absaraka spans over two-hundred years of history through visuals from one area in the American West. The book shows the evolution of the horse culture in Absaraka and what is now southeastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming. From drawings scratched on rock by Native Americans to elaborate painted landscapes, to a photo snapped in time, the images here are both enduring and very private. The central figure here is the horse--which was raised on the rich grasslands east of the Bighorn Mountains--through the Plains Indian wars, involving five tribes and the United States Army, through the cattle wars, to the United States Remount and two world wars, the areas horses loyally served and died from the Little Bighorn, to the battle fields of France. Glimpses of the great horse festivals and rodeos are represented here through the lenses of over a dozen well known and private individuals. In each visual, the artist or photographer has a history of their own in Absaraka that gives them their own perspective on the broad subject matter, be it the panic of a surprise cavalry attack on a peaceful Indian village or the majesty of man against beast in the far away rodeo arenas like Madison Square Garden. Across the vast grasslands the horse flourished as war horses, equestrian athletes and companions. These are images of an amazing history between man and horse.