My name is Sandy Sharkey.
There were many things I loved about being a morning show radio announcer in my hometown (Ottawa Canada) for over 25 years. It combined my passion for music, laughter, people, animals, and the important connection to community and the role of media to help those in need.
But while most people work from 9am to 5am, my job hours were 5am to 9am. Which meant that I was free to pursue my other passion:
Photography.
More specifically, photographing wild horses.
The sheer beauty of wild horses takes my breath away. Powerful stallions with rock star manes, inquisitive mares and fuzzy foals soon became my favourite beings to photograph.
But I soon realized that my photographs could tell an important story. Right now in North America, wild horses everywhere are under siege (with the exception of Canada’s Sable Island). Government roundups by helicopter remove thousands of wild horses from the only home they’ve ever known: the mountains, the desert, the forest. Once-spirited wild horses are separated from their families and stockpiled into holding facilities with a very grim future.
I have traveled over 14,000 miles by road to photograph and document wild horses throughout North America. In 2017 I was a citizen scientist to document the rare wild Przewalski’s horses of Mongolia. I’ve also photographed the Kaimanawa wild horses of New Zealand, Garrano wild horses of Portugal, and the iconic Camargue horses of southern France. Through public speaking engagements and the creation of the ‘Find Wild Horses, Find Yourself’ campaign, I do what I can to raise awareness about the issues facing wild horses. My goal is to capture the beauty and unbridled freedom of the wild horse, and to encourage others to find the ‘wild horse experience’ for themselves. It’s my honour to bring people into the wilderness to breathe in the beauty of wild horses.
Seeing wild horses can change people’s lives. Domestic horses will also help you discover the life you were meant to live. ‘Find Wild Horses, Find Yourself’ is a series of equine wilderness retreats I’m proud to host with equine therapy coach Debbie Draves Legg, including retreats in Alberta Canada, Patagonia and Portugal. Feel free to email me anytime to find out details: sandy@sandysharkey.com
If your lifelong dream is to see the wild horses of Sable Island, feel free to reach out. Working as a guide with Kattuk Expeditions is wonderful and I’m happy to share any details regarding upcoming trips.
I am deeply honoured to be an artisan ambassador for the Wild Beauty Foundation, dedicated to the protection of wild and domestic horses in North America.
For more information about the issues facing wild horses, please see:
www.americanwildhorsecampaign.org
and in Canada,
https://www.facebook.com/helpalbertawildiessociety
p.s. I am honoured to have my wild horse images hanging on walls in homes and businesses throughout North America. Your purchase of a print allows me to continue my work raising awareness for these magnificent animals.
Wild horses. Long may you run!
