Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Spring is in the air, but it hasn’t quite sprung … as evidenced by the fresh coating of snow we have this morning. And the ponies are all still quite fuzzy, so I knew we were not quite done with this long winter.

The following pictures are from my visit last week with Steeldust’s band. The stallions were kicking up quite a fuss from the time I saw them initially to a few minutes after I arrived to visit them … then they apparently came to some agreement, and it was nap time!

Here we have Butch guarding Luna with Steeldust, Storm and Alpha in the background. I can’t quite explain the behavior here, even if Butch is NOT a son of Luna’s … because Luna hasn’t even foaled yet. However, she should be quite close. She’s “due” next week. Steeldust and his little mini-family were, with a nod to Storm’s name – the eye of it – they barely moved during the whole visit, even with stallions and the other horses swirling, literally, around them.

Daring Aspen, walking quite close to the band. Aspen isn’t even one of the two semi-permanent bachelors attached to this band. That’s Sundance, possibly Butch’s brother, trying to fend him off.

Now that’s Mouse in the background, and although it looks like he’s after Sundance, he’s just hurrying him on his way (after horses you’ll see in the next image) so he can deal with Aspen.

Sundance was happy when he got back with the girls – Kestrel, Mahogany and Sable.

Sundance and Butch were likely born into this band, and, for whatever reason, Steeldust seems to have no interest in kicking them out. So they have a free pass to wander within the band. Mouse is the lieutenant …

… and Comanche has his back as first sergeant. The pix are a little out of chronological order now, but it illustrates the hierarchy. Here, he’s chasing Aspen, the bay, and Hook, the grey at left. Aspen outranks Hook (but it should be noted that they both have stolen lovely Piedra from dun Hollywood – in two separate years). In the back at right is almost-2-year-old Pinon, still too young – mostly – to join in stallion games.

Hook. This pic and the next were taken before the above “chat” between Comanche, Aspen and Hook. Hook was minding his own business on the very outskirts of the band. Two youngsters were keeping him company … or he was keeping them company …

Ember, left, and Pinon are yearmates. Ember is about a month older than Pinon, and she calls the shots (her mother also outranks his mother), but one of the things I love about watching wild horses is evidenced right there in that image. It’s quiet. It’s not obvious, but it’s right there. It’s a deep bond between two horses that have known each other their entire lives, have grown up together, surrounded by adult horses that feed them, teach them, nurture them, include them. It’s a beautiful thing. It IS obvious.

Notice how Steeldust, Storm and Alpha have barely changed a step since the first photo. 🙂 Behind them: Kestrel, Sable and Mahogany. In the middle: Hannah and Sundance. Luna and Butch at right, and behind them, Mouse. They’re starting to settle down.

Sisters Kestrel and Ember, almost 3 and almost 2.

Luna, Hannah and Butch, shortly before Hannah laid down.

Baby girl down. (She’ll be a year old next week!)

Sundance standing with Sable and Mahogany. Sable will be a year old in a month.

SunnyD and Mouse

SunnyD at left, Sable lying down, mama Mahogany standing, Kestrel behind her, Aspen in the back.

Kestrel down … and here you can just see Ember’s ears behind her and Sable.

After SunnyD laid down.

Wider view … (no Aspen)

Four-square faces. 🙂 (And just the edge of Ember’s.)

Storm-chaser and his mama … my, what a big boy you are! He’ll be 2 in July. For the first time, I saw him make a half-hearted attempt to nurse, but she backed away from him, and he stretched and abandoned the attempt.

Sleepy Storm

Steeldust and mama Alpha

These next two pictures are the ones I “stitched” in Photoshop:

Left side …

… right side.

Luna is due next week … did I mention that? 🙂

Lovely Luna

I eventually got chilled by the relentless wind, so I tiptoed away. At the top of the ridge, I found a small group of muley does. I stopped, but when I moved again, they realized I was “not native” (!) and took off!

Down the other side, they found Bruiser, Cinch and Twister for me! From the top, I watched them, then saw the pintos … and watched Mesa go out for a chat with the boys. Ty was napping with Reya standing over him … Hmm … When he got up, though, they walked back toward the band. I’m kind of expecting almost-3-year-old Reya to have a baby this year. I didn’t go down to them for a closer look, though. I noticed water in the dugout pond, and by that time Steeldust’s band was grazing their way toward the ridge, so I thought they might be coming toward the water. I took another trail back to the base of Round Top.

An hour or so later …

While I visited with Grey/Traveler’s band, this was my last view of Steeldust’s band, on the ridge from which I saw the pintos, out on the other side. 🙂