Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Our lovely buckskin mare Luna was due to foal around April 8. She missed that date. She missed the week after that and the week after that. By now, I’m practically convinced she’s going to give birth to a Clydesdale (just kidding).

Luna has been dragging Steeldust’s band – and hangers-on – all over the basin for weeks now. And I don’t mean at a leisurely stroll. And not at an uncomfortable waddle. She is striding out – marching – follow the inner beat of her baby-drum. I’m not sure whether she’s looking for something in particular or trying to outwalk the glue-like advances of young Butch, or maybe she’s trying to outrun this crazy wind we’ve had – again – this spring (last year, we had 4-5 big bad dust storms? I think today is the third such day this year – I’m pretty sure Armageddon will look something like this). In any case, she’s a mama on a mission, and I’ve started thinking of her as simply that – “Mama.” As in, Where on Earth – or in the basin – is Mama today? Where did Mama take them now? I want Mama now! 🙂

Luna, of course, is on pony time. She may be the keeper of time in pony form, for all I know. She has the wisdom, for certain and for sure.

I watched her from the road last week as she walked directly toward me, then veered toward the road as if she was going to cross it, then walked on it toward me, then veered back off to the same side from which she’d come, then straight toward me, then back to the road – and across it – and out and around, and I thought they were leaving, then BACK toward me, then up through a little drainage between hills and onto a ridge, where she stopped – suddenly and stubbornly – and refused to move, even when first Butch, then Alpha and Steeldust, crowded her. Head up, eyes closed, nearly into the wind. Not even when Hook brought his little flock up behind her group. Not for quite a while.

When Luna is good and ready, we shall see her beautiful treasure – and nary a second before.

The anticipation is divine. It’s making me crazy! 🙂