An Animal's Indomitable Spirit Alters Human Destiny
In The Nature Premier of Horses, November 14, 1999 on PBS.

They have transported us, fed us, amused us, worked for us, fought battles for us. Their beauty, grace and fiery spirit have inspired us. Many centuries ago, their speed and endurance altered human perceptions of distance, and permitted physical achievements that otherwise would have been impossible. To a degree unmatched by any other animal, the horse has profoundly influenced the course of civilization.

Thirteen/WNETís Nature Series, in a co-production with National Geographic Television, spans the globe to trace the evolution and history of the wild horse and its domestication, and explore its many past and present roles in human society, in the premiere of Horses, Sunday, November 14 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). The program is narrated by actress Sally Kellerman.

'Nature', now in its 18th season, is produced for PBS by Thirteen/WNET in New York. Fred Kaufman is executive producer. William Grant is executive in charge.

'Horses' is the first in a planned series of collaborations between the 'Nature' series and National Geographic Television over the next few years. The horse presents a fascinating paradox: that of an animal with an enduringly wild spirit that nevertheless accommodates the human will to an amazing degree. In linking its destiny with mankindís, the horse surrendered its freedom. Today, only one true species of wild equine is known to exist. But although the "wild" horse is rare, the number of horses "in the wild" is growing steadily today, as the result of an international effort to reestablish places where the animal can roam free.

The 'Przewalski' Horses of Mongolia
'Horses' visits the mountainous steppes of Mongolia, where the only known species of wild horse still exists. Although scientists had assumed for centuries that the wild horse was extinct, a Russian explorer, Nikolai Przewalski, discovered the existence of a herd in a remote region of Mongolia in 1878.

The revelation proved to be unfortunate for the "Przewalski" horses, as they came to be known. For many decades, the animals were harassed for their foals and taken away for zoos and wealthy collectors, until none were left in the wild and fewer than 300 were known to be in captivity. But those practices ended late in this century, when international conservationists helped a Mongolian group establish a 120,000-acre reserve. The descendants of Mongolian Przewalskis are being reintroduced to the reserve, and the herd also is growing naturally.

Visiting with nomadic Mongolian herdsman during Nadaam, the national religious festival, imparts a sense of the horseís place in Mongolian culture. In a land where the descendants of Genghis Khan learn to ride almost from infancy, cameras capture the excitement and exhilaration of the horse races for children under 12 that are a centerpiece of the festival. Riding -- and, for adults, training -- a prize-winning horse is among the most coveted achievements in Mongolian society.

From 'High School' To the High Prairie
Other highlights of the program include visits to the famed Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, Spain, for a thrilling look at the extraordinary Spanish riding horses; and to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range on the Montana-Wyoming border, where cameras follow a family of mares and foals and their dominant stallion, who spends much of his time warding off young "bachelor" stallions. In addition, by means of a dramatic reenactment, the program reminds viewers of the vital role that horses have played in the lives of indigenous Americans.

A Horse Whisperer
'Horses' explains how the animals learn and develop socially, and provides insight into the way they interact with humans. Of special interest is the bond they develop with people often referred to as horse whisperers, horse communicators or gentlers. At a ranch in northern California, viewers watch as trainer Bryan Neubert goes through the difficult process of "starting" a horse that was born on the open range and has never before been handled by a human, calling into play his broad experience with gestures and body language as well as his riding abilities. Horse whispering is an ancient practice, the program points out, but what is new is that the practitioners are "codifying their techniques" and spreading them worldwide.

'Horses' recounts how the horse became extinct in North America thousands of years ago but was reintroduced by the Spanish conquistadors and quickly embraced by native tribes. The program also shows how abuses of horses in the wild in the U.S. during the 19th and 20th centuries have been brought to a halt. "Feral" horses, so called because they are neither domesticated nor true wild horses, are growing in numbers in the Western U.S., protected by a law signed by President Nixon in 1971.

Theraputic Riding
Finally, in a small town near Atlanta, cameras visit the Carousel Riding Center, one of about 500 riding centers in North America that provide horses for "therapeutic riding" by persons with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. In addition to its physical benefits, therapeutic riding helps impart a sense of independence and raise the level of self-esteem among the disabled. The Carousel Center is named after the kind and gentle horse that helped a young Danish woman, who has no use of her legs, win the riding event in the 1996 Paralympics.

'Horses' is a co-production of Thirteen/WNET and National Geographic Television, in association with Trebitsch Produktion International, GmbH. Narrator: Sally Kellerman. Written, produced and directed by Gail Willumsen. Associate producer: Jane Peyton.

'Nature' has won nearly 200 honors from the television industry, parents groups, the international wildlife film community and environmental organizations, including the only award ever given to a TV program by the Sierra Club. The series is made possible in part by Park Foundation. Major corporate support is provided by Canon U.S.A., Inc., Ford Motor Company and TIAA-CREF. Additional support is provided by the nationís public television stations.

The series is closed captioned for the hearing-impaired and distributed with Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for the sight-impaired.

To see a video clip of 'Horses' and for more information about 'Nature' visit
http://www.wnet.org/nature
To order the Home Video version of 'Horses' contact National Geographic, at 1-800-627-5162. The cost is $19.95.
This web companion to the weekly series contains in-depth information and colorful graphics for each program.

Thirteen/WNET in New York is one of the key providers of programming for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, American Masters, Great Performance and Charlie Rose, as well as the work of Bill Moyers, to audiences nationwide. As the flagship broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen/WNET reaches millions of viewers each week airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions, such as City Arts and Reel New York. With educational and community outreach projects that enhance the value of its productions, Thirteen/WNET takes television "out of the box". And as broadcast and digital media converge, Thirteen/WNET is blazing trails in the creation of Web sites, CD-ROMs, educational software and other cutting-edge media products. Additional information about Thirteen/WNET can be found at wNetStation at:
www.wnet.org

Press Contacts:
Bob Rumerman
Donna Peltier
Jill Sooley
LVM Group Inc.
(212) 751-2800
bob@LVMgroup.com

Roslyn Kay
Thirteen/WNET
(212) 560-3016
kay@wnet.org