Wild Horses

Besides being the title of one of the all-time great Rolling Stones songs (willlld horrrses/couldn't draaag me awaaay--you missed the audio on that one, but my dog Sagen was so moved he provided back-up harmony. Of course, he also does that when screeching fireworks go off...), Wild Horses is now a wonderfully refreshing audio-visual experience of horses in the wild from master photographer Peter Roberts. Narrative-free, the program--and I like the way the video jacket puts this--embarks on a "journey with a herd of wild horses for a summer of good company, forage, drink, fights and romance," accompanied by the exceptionally well-cued music of Ron Riddle. Viewers will see such tender sights as a new foal finding its land legs and an adult stallion marking fecal or "stud" piles (the accompanying booklet explains this; I won't go into it here), as well as footage of horses running wild, grooming, partaking of mineral licks and watering holes, and emblazoned against a glorious backdrop sunset. Now, there's also a little hanky panky, but it's PG stuff, seen from a distance. As in other Roberts entries (see Loons and Eagles [VL-4/90]), the editing and cinematography are top-notch. Equestrian fans will definitely enjoy this one. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)