Horse Girl: How Velma Bronn Johnston Became Wild Horse Annie and Outsmarted the Mustang Killers of the West

The American mustang--wild, wind-tossed, and thundering across the open West--might have vanished into myth if not for Velma Bronn Johnston. A shy woman who was left with physical effects from a childhood battle with polio, Johnston was living a quiet life on a struggling ranch near Reno, Nevada, when she discovered wild horses being brutally transported to slaughter. Outraged, she reported it--only to be offered a permit allowing her to do the same horrific deed. But instead of backing down, Johnston took a stand.

Her refusal to profit from cruelty launched her into a firestorm of activism, upending her life. Laughed at, threatened, and dismissed, she pressed on. When a rival mocked her as "Wild Horse Annie," she seized the name as a badge of honor and purpose. Embracing her new identity, she began to raid illegal holding pens under the cover of darkness, captivated the media, and became the voice of a movement. Her biggest allies? Schoolchildren across America, whose letter-writing campaign swept the country.

Johnston's commitment to these majestic animals was finally recognized in 1971 when Congress unanimously passed legislation to protect the nation's wild horses--an enduring victory for one determined woman and the animals she refused to abandon.

Award-winning author Terri Farley presents the captivating story of Horse Girl, revealing Velma Bronn Johnston in a new light through family photos and journal entries never before published. Farley's storytelling brings Johnston's unwavering courage into the spotlight, revealing a woman determined to protect the wild mustang--no matter the cost.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: University of Nevada Press
Published: 09/29/2026
ISBN: 9781647792640
Pages: 180