A PASSION FOR HORSES
Thanks to my wonderful family, since birth horses have been a part of my life. I currently have a sorrel quarter horse who's well-being is a top priority. But I also found great satisfaction in traveling to areas with horses that still run wild and free. These are the most exhilarating times out with the camera so it only made sense that I give back to the wild horses since they have given me so much enjoyment.

While there are dozens of meaningful and worthy wild horse organizations to note, one private not-for-profit organization stole my heart. A five hour drive from home, it has become an annual tradition to visit and support the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota.

THE BLACK HILLS WILD HORSE SANCTUARY
A celebrity in the old west rodeo, rancher, wildlife conservationist, photographer, and author, Dayton O. Hyde, will probably be best memorialized one day with his 11,000 acre wild horse sanctuary in the southwest Black Hills of South Dakota. A chance to tour this wild horse paradise with the likes of an old character like Dayton Hyde, a man who has been best of friends with rodeo and TV stars like Slim Pickens, is an experience in and of itself. Read Dayton's book, "The Pastures of Beyond" and relive the thrill and hardship of the old west, and you'll understand why a visit to this special wild horse sanctuary is hard to top. It's nature and carefree times at their best. Or try Dayton's new book, "All the Wild Horses," a complete history of wild horse breeds around the world.

When many people think of wild horses, they think of starving and struggling animals with shrinking range, or horses that have lost their freedom and end up living in dreadful conditions. Not at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary (BHWHS). Here you find happy and healthy bands of wild horses with plenty of room to roam. The only thin or unhealthy animals you will find have just arrived from a BLM feed lot or ones that are coming to the end of their natural life cycle.

The wild bands roam the rolling hills and canyons and live like wild horses were meant to live. One visit to a BLM feed lot, and you'll know why a hard core cowboy's heart broke and caused him to change direction in his life in 1988 and to devote his future to wild american horses and mustangs. Since I have no children, the wild horses of the BHWHS sanctuary are my children now and my estate will go to them. In the meantime, 20-100% of all of my image sales from the sanctuary are donated back to them.

I encourage you to visit this amazing place. Your visit is tax deductible and will provide a rewarding experience. You can visit for a day. Take a 1 hour to a full day adventure tour. And if you plan well in advance, you can stay overnight in a quaint but modern cabin. This remote area of the Black Hills is just gorgeous and you'll see why movies like "Crazy Horse" and parts of "Hidalgo" were filmed here. The Native Americans still come here for annual rituals on Sundance Hill.

Click here to learn more about the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, plan a trip, buy merchandise, sponsor a wild horse to ensure it's good health, or to make a donation—please tell them Karen Parker sent you.