FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES OCTOBER 2013 79
Camera Lens
By Dani Moritz
Nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” Sable Island is most well
known for the number of wooden ships its dense fog and frequent storms
have claimed long ago. But, centuries worth of shipwrecked vessels upon its
surrounding shores are not the only thing this island is famous for.
On this Canadian island, you will also find upward of 400 wild horses –
which are believed to be descendants from the horses that came to the island
with settlers in the mid-1700s. What you won’t find are very many people. With
less than a half-dozen permanent residents, few visitors are allowed to step
foot on the island.
Debra Garside, of Water Valley, Alberta, is one visitor who has been allowed
to frequent Sable Island – and through her visits she has managed to capture
the spirit of the wild horses through the lens of her camera.
This is a first hand account by Debra of a day photographing Sable Island
and the horses who roam its lands. Debra’s words describing her adventure
are in italics.
An Early Start
Debra’s day begins early – as she prepares for her journey. The island is
not easy to photograph. The dense fog, the troublesome terrain, the constant
threat of the howling wind all could be detrimental. Yet, Debra must always
make the best of what Mother Nature hands her.
My alarm goes off at 4:00 a.m. I crawl out of my sleeping bag and peer out
of the second story window of the Canadian Coast Guard staff house. The
yard lights glow diffusely through the dense fog and everything is covered with
heavy dew – another typical early morning on Sable Island.
I wonder what this must have been like for the early mariners, with no
modern navigational equipment. Over 300 ships were wrecked on this island
and many lives and much cargo were lost. The station, where I am based,
was part of a facility that was established on this remote island back in 1801 to
help save crew and cargo of the many ill-fated ships. The island was dubbed
“Graveyard of the Atlantic” and even to this day the turbulent weather in this
area strikes fear into the hearts of sailors. Remnants of the renowned Andrea
Gail (“The Perfect Storm”) touched these shores not so long ago.
I sleepily descend the stairs, enter the austere kitchen and begin preparing
breakfast. I want to be well fuelled for what I expect to be another strenuous
day of hiking the sand dunes and heathlands. I had prepared lunch and
my camera gear the night before, so that my morning departure from base
would be swift. While the weather did not appear favourable for photography,
experience reminds me that this can change at any moment, especially on
Sable Island where the easterly winds are unrelenting.
Her Journey Begins
It is not terribly long before Debra’s subjects appear. With a wide range of
genetic origins, several types of horses can be spotted. Debra says some
resemble Arabian breeding, others of old European bloodstock and some
resemble Thoroughbreds. However, all the horses appear to be bays, browns,
palominos, chestnuts and blacks – as horses of color were bred out long ago
Continued on page 80
A first person account of photographing
the mysterious Graveyard of the Atlantic
These are the photos of the four stallions Debra
photographed that morning.
All photos by Debra Garside
