Did you know that the Onaqui Wild Horse Herd was featured in Disney's Black Beauty? Spoiler alert...Beauty comes from the WILD! The film was inspired by Anna Sewell’s classic and was beautifully retold by Ashley Avis, who in my humble opinion, took the timeless story and masterfully wove in current issues that wild horses face today. Some of the filming was done within Dugway Utah, where the Onaqui horses call home. If you look closely, you may even recognize some of the horses. Ms. Avis not only wrote this film, but was the director, and the passion behind the lens.
The journey of the film was the reason The Wild Beauty Foundation came to be. Their mission is dedicated to the protection of the horses of our time, by bringing unique awareness to key issues through their entertainment and educational platforms, and also through the #IStandWithWildHorses campaign.
As you may or may not know, roughly 80,000 horses currently roam free in the Western United States. However, these horses are being rounded up in large numbers by helicopters, taken away from their families, and losing their freedom. Even as I type this, the Onaqui Herd-- the herd that was filmed for Black Beauty, and the herd that is featured in many of my images, is slated to be rounded up starting 12 July 2021. Devastating is an understatement.
Want to help? I strongly support several nonprofits that focus on wild horse advocacy, and #IStandWithWildHorses. We need to be their voice.
Learn more at The Wild Beauty Foundation and enjoy Black Beauty. You won’t be disappointed!