Beyond Rope and Fence

"Beyond Rope and Fence" by David Grew is an early 20th-century novel that follows the life of Queen, a young wild mare living on the Canadian prairies, and portrays her experiences with love, loss, and the instinct to survive. It examines the value of freedom and touches on how people and animals relate and the tough realities of prairie life and survival. Starting with the beautiful scenes of the Alberta prairies in autumn, the book introduces the life of ranch horses and main characters: a graceful buckskin mare and her carefree foal, Queen, who is not thinking about the looming dangers. As the story unfolds, the author writes about the harsh realities faced by wild horses, and the fear and pain spread among the creatures as ranchers round up the herds for branding. The book emphasizes the strong connection between Queen and her mother set against the alarming background of forced capture, highlighting the emotional impact of human actions on the natural world.