Research and Publications

"Horses were first introduced to SCI in the 1830's. A feral horse population developed by 1984, after cessation of ranching operations. This wild population provided a unique opportunity.."

How this unique herd originated- and how horse lovers are trying to save it.

"Following the 1999 tragedy at Columbine High, Christina Nooner took Jane Paulie's advice to heart..."

"When the island of Santa Cruz is mentioned, many people (especially ALBC members) think of the famous sheep originating from that island. What few people know is...."

"...Historically the horses on Santa Cruz Island were managed in a semi-feral system that allowed the hers to self select for.."

Colonial Spanish Horses are of great historic importance in the New World, and are one of only a very few genetically unique horse breeds worldwide. They have both local and global importance for genetic conservation.

"Horses have been a part of the cultural landscape of the Channel Islands since the mid 19th century. They are first recorded as having been introduced to Santa Cruz Island in 1830. Horses today are found only on Santa Rosa and Santa Catalina islands."

"IT'S HOT AT EL CAMPEON FARMS, even for early August. A hard wind accompanies the heat, blowing through the Conejo Valley, where this horse ranch sits in Southern California. Abby Followwill is saddled on a horse named Vince. His golden-brown coat and blond mane stand out against the saturated blue sky and dusty corral where Followwill is training with him."

"On a misty morning in Hidden Valley, a lone rider mounted a small horse and entered an arena nestled below an oak-studded hillside.

Calm, patient and sure-footed, Cochise, a 19-year-old gelding, followed commands with ease as his rider Hayley Pelton prompted him through a series of obstacles."

"It's a fifteen minute ride by airplane from the mainland to Santa Cruz Island. This is another way of saying that a small twin-engined aircraft is a remarkably efficient time machine. In those fifteen minutes we travel back a century...."