By: LiliAnn Paras | September 30, 2020 | Philanthropy , Meet Your Neighbor | Colts Neck , Fair Haven , Holmdel , Lincroft , Little Silver , Red Bank , Rumson , Sea Bright
FEATURED PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica Sanders
The horse is our state’s animal.
How appropriate that Monmouth’s own Jamie Baldanza photographs horses professionally and advocates for them passionately. Jamie’s involvement with horses is broad in scope, from documenting the plight of those bound for slaughter, to traveling across the world to Mongolia to cover the ancient endurance races still held today. But Jamie’s affinity for American Wild Mustangs catapulted her art and mission to new heights, culminating in the release this summer of the documentary, Wild Lands, Wild Horses, recognized in nine film festivals including a win at the Monmouth Film Festival. With fellow advocate Deb Lee Carson and a film crew, Jamie hiked and camped throughout America’s western public lands to track elusive Mustang herds and to get answers about their well-being and plans for their care. Jamie shares how a young horse-obsessed girl, became a photographer, director, co-writer, and co-star of a film series championing American Wild Mustangs.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie Baldanza
CM: How did your interest in wild horses and their preservation develop?
Jamie Baldanza (JB): As far back as I can remember, I would think only of horses: drawing them, talking about them, and begging my mom to stop her car if we passed one while driving. Being from the east coast, I had no clue about wild horses. It was when I started researching horse slaughter that I went down a rabbit hole learning about wild horses ending up in the slaughter pipeline. I wanted to learn more. And the best way to learn was to observe them in the wild! So, I picked up my camera and never looked back.
CM: How many wild horses are in the USA? What are the pressing issues?
JB: Approximately 95,000 wild horses and burros live in the wild and 50,000 in government holding facilities. The government plans to reduce the population to about 26,000, to address the sustainability of the range and range wars among livestock. There are layers and layers of very complex and emotionally charged issues and they vary greatly. The biggest threat at the moment is from the government roundups of wild horses roaming our public lands. They are herded by helicopters into a trap and are confined in holding pens. Some are available for public adoption.
CM: What was entailed in filming Wild Lands, Wild Horses?
JB: Filming in the wild is always at the mercy of wildlife, weather and sheer luck! The horses were spread out over 800,000 acres in mountains and high desert, where most roads required off-road vehicles. Our crew had to be extremely fit, sometimes carrying our gear for miles. Spotting wild horses is always a victory, but finding this herd was really special because it was not “famous” and is rarely documented. These horses are extremely wild, so hard to find and not habituated to humans at all. They would see us and run!
PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie Baldanza
CM: In your film you took a very balanced approach, interviewing groups with varying interests.
JB: As a horse advocate, this was difficult, but I truly want to learn. It was very important to keep an open mind and LISTEN. The big takeaway was that all sides can work together to fight for the same goals– we just have to drop our big fat egos and have a conversation.
CM: Were there any favorite horse encounters during filming?
JB: My absolute favorite was running into an older lone bachelor stallion by a lake. The sun was setting and we were peacefully observing him graze, when my camera man yelled, “There are two more horses over there!” We turned quickly to see two very young bachelor boys staring at us. They ran off and we were really sad, but… they came back and put on quite a show for us!
CM: What solutions would you like to see in wild horse management?
JB: I would like to find a FAIR balance between the land, the horses, and the livestock. Right now, it seems to favor livestock grazing, and the wild horses and our public lands are losing out. There is legislation that needs amending and if anyone wants to help the cause, please contact me– I’m a filmmaker not a policy writer! I would also love to see a higher adoption rate for the wild horses currently in holding. Come on NJ we can do better! Let’s get some more mustangs out here. I currently have four mustangs and one burro living with me. I will help in any way I can if readers are interested.
CM: Favorite quote?
JB: Be silly. Be honest. Be kind. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
To contact Jamie Baldanza, email jbaldanza@gmail.com.
See this story in print!
Colts Neck – Holmdel – Lincroft Edition – view here.
Rumson – Fair Haven – Little Silver – Red Bank – Locust – Sea Bright Edition – view here.
