American cowboy Dayton O. Hyde fought the authorities and his neighbors, but he never gave up. He is well known as an author and conservationist, as well as an advocate for horses. Hyde founded the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota after putting in a great deal of effort and attention.
Before becoming a cowboy, Hyde was a rodeo photographer. He discovered wild horses being imprisoned by the federal government when he went to Nevada in 1987 to acquire cattle, the beginning of his quest to conserve wild Mustangs. Hyde was horrified to find wild horses imprisoned by the federal government when he arrived. In Hyde’s opinion, taking wild horses from their natural habitat and putting them in corrals was just too harsh.
Hyde, who has always loved horses from a young age, was resolved to assist these wild Mustangs. He set out to establish a refuge where these lovely animals may live in freedom. Hyde had to put up a good fight to get there, though, since it was not a simple trek.
Governor George Mickelson offered to show Hyde some acreage he could use as a refuge after hearing about Hyde’s concept. The property was located alongside the Cheyenne River in the Chilson Canyon in the Southern Black Hills. In spite of significant opposition from the neighborhood and local authorities, Hyde and Mickelson chose to partner and collaborate.
The trailer for the 2013 documentary Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde shows the cowboy saying, “If you say it can’t be done, then that’s the wrong thing to say.”
Hyde began to realize his idea when he established The Institute of Range and the American Mustang (IRAM) in 1988.
The IRAM, a nonprofit organization, preserves and protects America’s wild horses. As of that fall, horses began arriving at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
One of the first Mustangs to come to the sanctuary was Prairie Lark, an adorable two-year-old blue roan filly. Hyde and Prairie Lark explored the refuge together and released hundreds of horses.
In the end, Hyde dedicated his entire life to making sure those wild horses could gallop safely every day, protecting them from an uncertain future.
Hyde also stated that the sanctuary was run “seven days a week; without pay or vacations.”
Hyde lived a rich life before passing away on December 22, 2018, at the age of 93. He has received the monikers “themost deadly man in American conservation,” “the cowboy,” and “the warrior.”
Hyde’s legacy still lives on at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, a sprawling 11,000-acre site with hundreds of Mustangs roaming free.
IRAM continues to lead efforts to protect endangered lineages and bands including Spanish, Choctaw Indians, Curly Horses, and American Mustangs.
