03/20/2026
I have only ever printed two of my own photos for my wife and I to keep for ourselves, and this is one of them. I don’t even want the other one anymore. My wife is the heartbeat of everything we experienced together with the wild horses. We discovered our love for wild horses because my wife has always loved horses and we were living in Nevada at that time, and Nevada has more wild horses than any other state in the country. I was just about as interested in horses as I was in learning how to properly pet a badger. Wild horses are so, so different, though. I immediately fell in love with the dynamics involved in the wild, among family members, between stallions, and between various bands of wild horses. I almost instantly developed a very soulful connection with them that I can only explain as being based on nothing more than mutual respect and good vibes. We seem to understand each other. My wife purchased a camera and lens for me because she knew I wouldn’t buy it for myself. I didn’t know the first thing about photography, and I didn’t know anything about horses, or wildlife photography etiquette. (Trust me when I tell you that photography etiquette is created, and enforced, by some people who get pretty froggy if you compromise an unwritten rule that they created!) My wife has always been so supportive and encouraging, most importantly she’s very honest with me when I ask her thoughts on various photos. If I hear anything close to “it’s not one of my favorites”, then I know she’s being brutally honest! My wife also encouraged me to accept the offer from Clare, the founder of Skydog Sanctuary, made for us to visit the sanctuary in Oregon. It’s because of my wife that I had developed such an interest in wild horses, and now we became interested in Skydog, as well. We visited a few more times prior to falling in love with Bend, Oregon and moving there. Clare couldn’t have been more gracious, giving us a free pass to visit anytime we wanted and we had access to the entire 9,000 acres of some of the most magnificent scenery we’ve ever seen! In addition to the rescued horses living there, the property is a paradise for anyone who loves the West and the wilderness. We enjoyed countless beautiful moments together there, and we have memories to last a lifetime! My wife encouraged every single step of the way, and even drove my Jeep Wrangler an hour and twenty minutes each way to Skydog after I was no longer able to drive, but she also drove off pavement for more than half the way, which was something she was not too fond of! She’s the one behind the scenes of everything, but in this photograph she is in the spotlight! “Phoebe” is a rescued horse living at Skydog and she has not only become comfortable with humans, but somewhat overly enthusiastic with trying to get my attention when I’m trying to photograph someone else! I don’t like being approached by any horse, but especially when I’m devoting my attention through one eye while looking through my camera lens! Phoebe nipping at my shoulder at a moment like this just about as freaked out as I’ve ever been, so my wife would always run interference for me by keeping Phoebe occupied. In the process the two of them developed such a warm and beautiful relationship that has become my favorite memory of everything my wife and I experienced together in the world of wild horses! She’s the reason for most everything beautiful in my life, and I absolutely love this photo of her! It highlights her inner beauty, honesty, kindness, and love!
