Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

The basin is a magical place, but who knew we had unicorns!?

It snowed Thursday. (It’s May.) It snowed Friday. (It’s May in Colorado.)

I met photographer Pam Nickoles this weekend. She and her husband, Tom, came down from Golden to see our Spring Creek Basin horses. They’ve visited a lot of wild horses in places ranging from the Pryors to the Little Book Cliffs to the White Mountains in Wyoming to Corolla, Outer Banks, North Carolina. But they had never been to Spring Creek Basin. I had seen her Web site (http://www.nickolesphotography.com/index.html), and I contacted Pam and invited her to visit.

Despite the crazy weather, they were game to drive out to the basin this weekend, and I learned we have a lot in common in our philosophies about wild horses and photographing them. Pam has an awesome DVD out that pairs her gorgeous photography with music that celebrates our wild horses. Shameless plug, but, like with Claude, I like to celebrate the people who are using their photography to raise awareness of wild horses and lend their special talents toward their protection.

The basin got some rain out of the weather system, but it wasn’t enough to a) make the roads muddy or b) fill any of the water holes. In fact, the first one, down by the trap site, looks to be all but dry now, and another one up in the northeastern part of the herd area is bone dry. Good news, the fresh water from the catchment is now flowing into the water troughs! The horses just have to find it …

Pam and Tom got to see all the horses but the pinto family. Steeldust, lean and scarred and dogged by bachelors, was accommodating to visitors by being often by the road up in the northeastern area. Duke still is limping and alone, staying very near the northern-most intersection. The light wasn’t particularly nice to us, but with the horses so close to the road, we were able to get photos without bothering them much.

Bounce, Alegre and Gaia were in an area I call “north park.” A small pond behind them does still have water.

Right after we saw them, a law-enforcement officer for the BLM drove around and greeted us. I was happy to see him out there patrolling during the holiday weekend. He alerted us to Steeldust’s band farther around the loop. He had seen another vehicle, but we never saw another soul.

Grey/Traveler and his family were near Steeldust’s band and the bachelors. Here, he was preening after a little chat with Mouse before he returned to his band.

His family. It seems like Twister is growing right before my eyes. He’s still small, and his knee is still wonky.

Alpha’s still pregnant. Luna and baby Ember and yearling Kestrel.

Mama, baby, sister and half-sister.

Luna and Ember – she’s a month old!

Mahogany and Pinon in some of the rare sunshine we had. Pinon is a week old! Still haven’t definitively determined his (?) gender.

I hope this is a PG-enough photo of Hollywood breeding Piedra. She’s in Steeldust’s band, but Steeldust was completely, totally, absolutely UN-interested in these goings-on. However, the two young rose-grey stallions, Butch and Sundance, were completely, totally, absolutely jealous. However … Piedra would have nothing to do with them. That’s Sundance above, showing what HE thinks about the goings-on! So, my theory: Piedra must be Steeldust’s daughter?

Mama’s love.

Ember tried to get Pinon to play, but check out Mahogany. She walked over, and when she got close enough, gave a little ears-back flip of her head to Ember that sent her away. For you sharp-eyed folks, that’s just mud on Ember’s face.

From the road, Steeldust chased one of the bachelors up a hill and into the trees.

We also saw Poco, Bones and Roach, and they also were right – literally – on the road. There was a new comment about Bones’ hip when I got back this weekend – likely a fractured pelvis. Read it under the “Basin as world” post.

Roach isn’t usually this animated!