The Horse Lover A Cowboy’s Quest to Save the Wild Mustangs

Hardcover/E-book 264 pages 6 x 9 inches Hardcover: $24.95 E-book: $9.99 Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

Publication Date: March 2014

ISBN-13: 978-0-8032-5335-3

Authors: H. Alan Day with Lynn Wiese Sneyd, foreword by Sandra Day O’Connor

 He already owned and managed two ranches and needed a third about as much as he needed a permanent migraine. That’s what Alan Day said every time his realtor pestered him to take a look at an old ranch in South Dakota. Finally Day relented and in short order, became the proud owner of that 35,000-acre “sea of grass.” But how to make the ranch profitable? An unusual opportunity soon dropped in Day’s lap. If he could wrangle the support of the Bureau of Land Management and get approval from Congress, he could establish the country’s first government-sponsored wild horse sanctuary. Day’s lobbying proved successful, and those pristine acres became Mustang Meadows Ranch, home to 1500 wild horses. The Horse Lover is Day’s personal history of the sanctuary’s vast enterprise, with its surprises and pleasure, its plentiful frustrations and heartbreak. Day’s deep connection with the animals is readily apparent, as is his maverick philosophy of horse-whispering that he used to train all 1500 horses. Woven into the narrative are Day’s recollections of cowboying adventures astride some of his best horses, all of which taught him indispensable lessons about loyalty, perseverance, and hope.

About the Authors  H. Alan Day Alan Day’s upbringing branded him a cowboy from the day he was born. He was part of the third generation to grow up on the 200,000-acre Lazy B cattle ranch straddling the high deserts of southern Arizona and New Mexico. The ranching and cowboy lifestyle appealed to him so greatly that after graduating from the University of Arizona, he returned to manage Lazy B for the next 40 years. During his career, he received numerous awards for his dedicated stewardship of the land. In the 1980’s, Alan purchased a cattle ranch in Nebraska and soon after, a ranch in South

Dakota. The latter became the first government-sponsored sanctuary for unadoptable wild horses. He developed and successfully used a herd modification-training program for his 2000 head of cattle and 1500 wild mustangs. Alan and his sister, Sandra Day O’Connor, co-authored the New York Times bestselling memoir, Lazy B, which chronicles the story of the Day family and growing up on a harsh yet beautiful southwestern ranch. Alan is a member of Western Writers of America. Now retired, he divides his time between Tucson and Pinetop, AZ.

Lynn Wiese Sneyd Lynn Wiese Sneyd founded and manages LWS Literary Services, an agency specializing in book publicity, ghostwriting, editing, query letters, and book proposals. Lynn is the author of Holistic Parenting: Raising Children to a New Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being and co-author of Healthy Solutions: A Guide to Simple Healing and Healthy Wisdom, winner of the Arizona Book Award for best health and wellness book. Lynn’s articles, essays and poetry have appeared in various publications around the country. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Arizona Authors

Association, Western Writers of American and the Society of Southwestern Authors, Lynn is a frequent presenter at writing conferences. She and her husband reside in Tucson, AZ, where they opted for two cats and a dog instead of a horse.

To learn more about Alan Day and his book, visit www.thehorselover.com .

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H. Alan Day

Sample Interview Questions    

1. When you started ranching in the Sand Hills of South Dakota, you already owned a 200,000-acre ranch in the southwest and a 45,000-acre ranch in Nebraska. What prompted you to buy a third ranch?

2. How difficult was it to persuade the government to sponsor a wild horse sanctuary?

3. Up to this point, you were strictly a cattle rancher. Do horses present the same challenges as cattle?

4. After the government approved the sanctuary, how did you feel knowing that you soon would be the recipient of and caregiver for 1500 wild horses?

5. What did your South Dakota neighbors think of your plan?

6. Did you have to prepare Mustang Meadows Ranch before you received the horses?

7. In the book, you mention horse training would be key to the sanctuary’s success. What made you think you could train a large herd of wild horses?

8. After you trained the horses, did they recognize you as individuals or acknowledge you in certain ways?

9. What it was like to work with the Bureau of Land Management?

10. What parts of ranching in South Dakota did you prefer to ranching in the southwest? And what at Lazy B, your southwest ranch, did you prefer to Mustang Meadows?

11. In addition to the story about the wild horses, you include stories about some of your favorite ranch horses. Why did you choose to include these?

12. Given the opportunity to manage a wild horse sanctuary, would you do it again?

Praise for The Horse Lover “With the assistance of literary publicist and author Sneyd, rancher Day . . . delivers a lively report of his four years tending 1,500 unadoptable wild mustangs. . . .In a warm, salt-of-the-earth manner—“Good luck had stuffed itself in my pocket long ago, and adventure had been my friend since I was old enough to scramble on the back of Chico...trying my five-year-old darnedest to keep up with the big cowboys”—Day recounts how he was able to get the BLM, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Congress to support the program.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The Horse Lover is a great American story, an inspiring tale of vision, courage, and hard-won wisdom. It’s told, in the best American storytelling tradition, with humor, grace, and without pretension. There are villains in this narrative—mindless bureaucrats, for the most part—but a hero as well. And every reader is sure to find a horse to fall in love with in these pages.” – Larry Watson, author of Montana 1948

“The Horse Lover is a definite read for all those who lover horses. Its story is exciting, a real page turner, featuring a life-and-death drama, plenty of action and even a touch of romance under the western stars. Cowboy Alan Day and co-author, Lynn Wiese, know mustangs and the West. Their book is sure to be instant wild horse classic in the spirit of J. Frank Dobie.” – J. Edward de Steiguer, author of Wild Horses of the West

“The Horse Lover is a very good illustration of the real western part our nation. Alan Day, a successful rancher, businessman, honest, forthright in dealings with neighbors, employees, business associates, and especially the Federal Government. I recommend this reading.” – Dennis DeConcini, United States Senator, Ret.

“The Horse Lover is a heart-warming story of a big-hearted man who embraces his dream of creating a wild horse sanctuary. For every American who is stirred by the sight of wild mustangs running free, here’s the inspiring saga of a man who changed his life to make it a reality. A book that will stir the soul of every horse lover and leave every one of them cheering.” – Allan J. Hamilton, MD, author of Zen Mind, Zen Horse