Wide Open Spaces

After finishing the reading, I found the section about Table Cloth, the free-spirited steer, particularly interesting. I admire his determination to get freedom and to stay that way. Dobie refers to these "outlaws" as, "magnificent preserves of their freedom" (154). Table Cloth earned his freedom, after fifteen years no one had been able to bring him in. My favorite quote from this section is, "Among his kind he was rarer than cow-man out of debt, as outstanding as Bugger Red among riders of pitching horses. By God, he deserved to live among the cedars and canyons he loved so well" (153). It is a rare thing to find a steer that manages to obtain and keep freedom for so long. It is only natural for him to get to live among his natural habitat, where he belongs. In keeping with the theme of freedom, Mustangs are another animal that embraces its freedom. "No one who conceives him as only a potential servant to man can apprehend the mustang. The true conceiver must be a true lover of freedom- a person who yearns to extend freedom to all life" (168). Mustangs are beautiful, spirited and lively creatures. Dobie argues that after they have been tamed and their spirit broken, they are no longer beautiful. He portrays the taming of horses as a cruel and terrible practice. He says, "One out of every three mustangs captured in southwest Texas was expected to die before they were tamed. The process of breaking often broke the spirits of the other two" (168-169). Reading this section on mustangs reminded me of a cartoon movie I used to watch when I was little called Spirit. The main character is a wild horse and in the clip below he is captured and they try to "break his spirit."

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2mppbi9QX4

Sources(pictures):
http://mylifestylevisions.com/page/3/
http://www.freespiritart.com/horse-mustang.php
http://www.muralsforkids.com/product_info.php?products_id=1487