The Wild Herd: A Vanishing American Treasure

On the surface, this is a stunning photo exploration of the wild horses living at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. But at a deeper level, it is also an illuminating study of the human-like interactions among the bands of horses, as they move through the seasons and colors of the year and through the natural flow of their life cycles as well.

At the heart of The Wild Herds is a passionate love affair. At the age of 3, Deb Kalas was swept into the world of horses, and right away she had a deep respect for their raw beauty and power, and she also had a keen sense of their guiding intelligence and family dynamics. Over the years, her love and understanding of horses only deepened.

Then in 2014 Deb made her first trip to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and there, for the first time, she encountered herds of horses running wild and free, as Nature intended, and then and there her life was profoundly changed. With abandon, she threw herself into photographing the wild herds and discovering how their habits and interactions move through the seasons.

Soon Deb’s work turned into a life mission: To help all of us understand the essence and spirit of these magnificent animals living in the wild. This book eloquently draws together her decades of work, photographing and learning, and through these pages Deb Kalas delivers us a call to action, a silent prayer that we as a people can find the wisdom and the resolve to come together to protect this unique and endangered part of our American heritage.