Wild horse workshop in Denver

14 05 2010

FYI …

BLM Press Release:  WHB Advisory Board Workshop & Meeting

Bureau of Land Management      Contact: Tom Gorey
For release: Thursday, May 13, 2010     (202-912-7420)

National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Will Conduct Public Workshop and Hold Meeting in June in Denver
The Bureau of Land Management announced today that the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will conduct a public workshop and hold a regular meeting in June at a two-day event in Denver.  The workshop on Monday, June 14, will provide the public with a unique opportunity to express their views, comments, and suggestions regarding Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s wild horse initiative, which he and BLM Director Bob Abbey announced last October.  The Board will hold a regular meeting on wild horse management issues on Tuesday, June 15.
The public workshop and the Board meeting will take place in Denver, Colorado, at the Magnolia Hotel, 818 17th St., Denver, CO 80202.  The hours of the Monday workshop are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time; the Tuesday Board meeting is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time.  The hotel’s phone number for reservations is 303-607-9000.  The business agendas for the public workshop and Board meeting can be found on page 26990 of the Thursday, May 13, Federal Register(http://frwebgate5.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/PDFgate.cgi?WAISdocID=762416245134+2+2+0&WAISaction=retrieve).
On Monday, June 14, the public will be able to provide feedback and input concerning Secretary Salazar’s initiative, the details of which can be accessed at the BLM’s website (www.blm.gov); the specific Web address is http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/national/initiative.html.
On Tuesday, June 15, the public may address the Advisory Board at an appropriate point in the agenda, which is expected to be about 3 p.m., local time.  Individuals who want to make a statement should register with the BLM by noon on the day of the meeting at the meeting site.  Depending on the number of speakers, the Board may limit the length of presentations, set at three minutes for previous meetings.  Speakers, who should address the specific wild horse and burro-related topics listed on the agenda, must submit a written statement of their comments, which may be sent electronically to the BLM by accessing the following Web address:  http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/wh_b_contact_us/enhanced_feedback_form.html.  Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the National Wild Horse and Burro Program, WO-260, Attention: Ramona DeLorme, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502-7147.  Written comments pertaining to the Advisory Board meeting should be submitted no later than close of business June 7.
For additional information about the meeting, please contact Ramona DeLorme, Wild Horse and Burro Administrative Assistant, at 775-861-6583.  Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may reach Ms. DeLorme at any time by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
The National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board provides input and advice to the BLM as it carries out its responsibilities under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.  This law mandates the protection, management, and control of these free-roaming animals in a manner that ensures healthy herds at levels consistent with the land’s capacity to support them.  The BLM manages about 37,000 wild horses and burros that roam BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states; the agency also feeds and cares for more than 35,000 horses and burros that are maintained in short-term corrals and long-term Midwestern pastures.
The Advisory Board meets at least twice a year and the BLM Director may call additional meetings when necessary.  Members serve without salary, but are reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses according to government travel regulations.
The BLM manages more land – 253 million acres – than any other Federal agency.  This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska.  The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.  The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.  The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands





Happy birthday, Pinon!

14 05 2010

Pinon’s estimated birthday was yesterday. He was named by fabulous wildlife photographer Claude Steelman, based in Durango. You may not know Claude’s name, but you’ve seen his photos – on the tails of Frontier Airlines planes. Remember the commercials not long ago about the talking snowshoe hare and bobcat (or lynx? uh oh, now I can’t recall)?

Pinon was born right before the count that year, and Claude was photographing his band when I arrived, so I asked him to suggest a name for the colt – and he came up with this perfect suggestion!

Definitely bay, so so light and baby soft.

One of my favorite images ever of a mare and her foal.

Such a good mama.

Pinon and Storm in September … Look how dark he got!

He’s almost a year old here …

Now he’s with a new, small band, and I think his personality will really shine. He got a little taste of stallion duties the other day when Hook left the youngsters on their own to try to steal Kestrel away. Ember above is his year-mate – a month older than him, and Hannah is Ember’s little sister.

Happy birthday, steady boy – shine on!





Positively pony time

13 05 2010

Remember this?:

That was last week.

This is now!:

Welcome, Gideon, to your world! (from Emmy Lou Harris’ “Red Dirt Girls”) This is the first time Luna has had a colt since I’ve known her – and no, he doesn’t match the colt of my dream …

But this little one almost does:

I found Kestrel first and her nearly-brand-new buckskin filly! I named her Winona, which means “first-born daughter.” Coincidentally, she may share her birthday with my grandpa – my dad’s dad – who lived with my grandma in a town called Winona all their married lives.

Yesterday was simply gorgeous from about daybreak till about 2 p.m., when the clouds just took over and hogged the formerly turquoise sky. No rain till about midnight last night, though, which was good for my visit … but a real bummer for the dozen or so people who had signed up for the wild horse tour today as part of the Mesa Verde Ute Mountain Ute Birding Festival. We did see a little yellow bird (goldfinch?), but, because of rain, we couldn’t even drive into the basin and therefore didn’t see a single horse. Last year, I was so happy to be able to show folks all the “northern” horses … but this year, it just wasn’t to be. Interestingly, the very first time I went out to see the horses, it was with a smallish group, and it also rained, and we also couldn’t even drive in and didn’t see horses. I went back later by myself … and the rest, as they say, is history!

Hopefully, if any of you are reading this after the fact, you’ll be able to “virtually” see some of the horses I saw yesterday and early this morning.

Kestrel’s was the first new foal I saw yesterday, but her group wasn’t the first of the day. Pinon was leading Ember and Hannah along a ridge down by Spring Creek … and Hook was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t believe he’d gone off and left them, but that’s exactly what he did. Where did I find him? Running circles around Kestrel and filly, fended off by Comanche, with Sundance, Mahogany (close but not yet), Sable, Mouse and Aspen right nearby. What a goofy boy. Like he has any chance of getting one little mare of two mares guarded by four stallions! This morning, he had reunited with his flock, and all was well.

Isn’t she divine? Almost the spitting image of her mother – and her grandmother!

Just a little bitty thing

She doesn’t seem to have a speck of white on her unless it’s just hard to see right now on her light coat.

Kestrel has never really taken on any babysitting duties that I could see, but she is a doting mother.

So where was Steeldust? Well, the Steeldust-led big band is no more. Not only have youngsters Pinon, Ember and Hannah gone off to seek their fortunes with Hook, Steeldust and Alpha and Storm have followed Luna and Butch. I’m not sure who Winona’s sire is … possibly Mouse, who I noticed was very interested in Ember last year. Kestrel never seemed to draw the same attention, so daddy is just unknown.

But I am assuming Steeldust is Gideon’s sire, as I assume he’s at least Hannah’s sire and possibly Ember’s.

The little guy is the same color as Tenaz, Piedra’s son. The edges of his mane and tail look dark here, so I’m guessing they’ll darken – like their legs – and both boys will be bay.

Grey/Traveler’s band was close by …

… as was Bounce’s band. No baby yet for Alegre, and she doesn’t look like she’s close, despite being a week past her due date. All the bands were very cordial of each other, and there was no interaction at all.

Seven’s – I saw later – also were in the vicinity. I watched them nap this morning, but no pix because I couldn’t get into position to take pix without suddenly “appearing” on them, so I didn’t take any and just crept away. Right after that, I realized I was in trouble of getting rained upon – I did – so I boogied out of there! But that was today.

Here are more pix from yesterday:

The always lovely Alpha …

Alpha and her almost-2-year-old son, Storm sharing a scratch …

Storm looking for a little snack while Steeldust looks on … but I think that free lunch is about at an end. The PZP-22 did work on Alpha (and only on Alpha), so we may be looking for another July baby from the girl.

He’s just as sweet as can be …

!! And look how big her “baby” boy is!

Gideon nursing with Terra, Gemma and Houdini in the background.

Speaking of Gemma, here’s the 3-week-old girl:

To give you an idea of her size, here she is with mama Houdini:

She’s a big girl!

Daddy Grey/Traveler with his 2-year-old “baby” girl, Terra.

Gideon

He’s going to be cheeky, like big sister Hannah … I can see it coming.

And he’s off!

Keep those legs untangled, mister!

Didja see me, Mama? I was RACIN’!

Every growing little boy (and girl) needs plenty of milk …

… and plenty of shut-eye.

🙂

Babies have lots o’ itchies!

No question this little girl will turn grey.

Big sister is going grey, too.

Daddy, of course, is pure silver!

Isn’t he gorgeous??

I took some also of Bounce’s family members, and at the end of the day, I found and took pix of Chrome’s band. I’ll have those up later.

It’s still one-day-spring, the-next-day-winter in Colorado on the Western Slope (and I think the Denver area got slammed Tuesday with snow?), so these babies have to be tough right out of the womb. Good thing they have excellent mamas watching over them. 🙂





Luna on pony time

11 05 2010

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! 🙂





Meet Hook’s band

10 05 2010

There they are, the basin’s newest band! Left to right: Pinon (2-year-old colt), Hook, Ember (2-year-old filly) and Hannah (yearling filly and Em’s sister)

Pinon, Ember and Hook

Pinon and Hook

Pinon and Hannah with big-country home in the background – looking basically eastish.

Ember and Hannah napping in the wind. Those long legs have Hannah almost as tall as her big sister!

Hook

He tried his “big mean stallion” routine, but they weren’t too worried.

These babies have known me literally all their lives, and their daily routine has involved several stallions in/with the band, so they don’t ruffle easily.

He actually led them back to the big band later this day … but they stayed together – seemingly of their own desire – and they were all separate again at the end of the day.

Changes …





Happy (belated) Mother’s Day!

10 05 2010

Bliss and happiness to mothers, great and small, your children love you all!

I think one reason so many of us are drawn to horses in general and wild horses specifically is that they DO have these special bonds that link them as closely as any human mother and child. We see that. We relate to that. We understand it in a way we can’t articulate but that we *recognize* deeply and truly.

Thank you, mothers, for your love and lessons. The greatest gift we can give you is to go forth and pass on all you have given us.

From last week … Thanks to Lynn and Kathy for this little one’s name: Piedra and her second son, Tenaz. “Tenacious” in Spanish, and she does seem to be very cautious with this one, Sage’s little brother, her second foal.





Happy birthday, Sable!

7 05 2010

Mahogany wasn’t due last year till mid-May, around the time of the Four Corners Back Country Horsemen’s annual count – when Pinon was born the year before. So it was an amazing little surprise to find this little blaze-black beauty last year right after I found Whisper.

Look at that glossy black coat! I was pretty sure she was true black, and so she is.

Don’t you want to just run your hands all over her baby-soft, sable-black beautiful coat?

With mama Mahogany and big brother Pinon.

I adore this one … I’m starting to think Mahogany may be a bit older than I originally thought. Like all the mamas, she takes exceptionally good care of her babies.

Ahhhhh …

Happy birthday, black beauty girl!





Happy birthday, Whisper!

7 05 2010

After his sister, Gaia, was born Earth Day the year before, it felt like eons waiting for this little mister to make his appearance in the world on May 6 last year.

Handsome little smoky black fellow!

Just that great big star and little bitty snip for markings – and he had daddy Bounce’s big trot right from the beginning!

He and sister Gaia have been close pals right from the beginning, too.

Such a *little brother*!

And so loved. 🙂

He shares Sage’s sense of humor … must be an inside joke!

And he’s kind of a tree-hugger … If you can’t spot him with his family, look under any nearby trees, and I bet you’ll find him!

Very confident, the young mister and losing daddy’s black in favor of mama’s grey …

But still seeks mama’s comfort. 🙂

Always a stinker!

And look how big he is? Taken early April.

Happy birthday, big little brother boy!





Everyone should have these

3 05 2010

Mid-morning naps!

Trying to find some time to get to some photos I’ve taken in the last few weeks that haven’t seen beyond my memory card or hard drive. This was such a lovely morning, two, maybe three weeks ago now. Corona was half-heartedly poking at Kreacher while he tried to nap among his girls. He was almost completely unperturbed. Their faces were close, but she was almost totally in his shadow from the rising sun.

He is soooo good with her … but I can’t help but remember how good Duke also was with her.

I was so intent on capturing Kreach and his lovely stepdaughter through the lens that it took me a minute to realize Kootenai had laid down just beyond them.

Do you want to sit down? Relax? Take a little mid-morning nap?

I did exactly that. I joined them … they joined me …?

Mona laid down, too.

Corona came over for a mid-morning snack, then she laid down, three!

Little peek-a-boo miss. Can you see her wavy forelock?

Are you sleepy yet? 🙂

Kootenai, who had been napping longest, eventually got up and stretched – arched her neck and stretched one hind leg waaaay back – and walked over to stand behind these two. Kreach thought Raven was being neglected, so he walked over to her, but she gave him the cold shoulder and walked off to graze. I could have stayed there forever in that long, perfect moment under the morning sun, but I left the girls to their naps and carried away that beautiful morning as memory … and pictures to share.





Two in one

2 05 2010

Happy May 2 – snow on the ground!

On to Steeldust’s band … which is kinda splitting at the seams these days. For the sake of convenience, I’m still referring to them collectively …

I think I mentioned that Hook – as of last week – was perfectly content and quite separate with Ember (2-year-old filly), Pinon (2-year-old colt) and Hannah (yearling filly). Hook had been a bachelor for as long as I’d known him. He appeared briefly this winter with Piedra and Sage (Hollywood’s mare and yearling son), then back with bachelor pal Aspen as hangers-on to Steeldust’s band.

I will take the opportunity to mention that this is at least the third time I’ve seen the “low man on the bachelor totem pole” end up with a band of his own (Copper took over the pinto band, Kreacher got the introduced girls; Duke was sort of in the upper ranks of the Bachelor 7 when he got Raven last year). However it worked, it worked.

Mouse and Comanche are still with “Steeldust’s band,” but Mouse is now apparently Sundance’s lieutenant keeping Aspen away, and Comanche is low man – as he was before Aspen and Hook came back. (Poor guy … but maybe some of the low-man luck will rub off on him!) Butch is glued to Luna, who stays with Alpha – or vice versa – they stay together – and Steeldust is glued to Alpha – and Storm, of course, still is glued – quite literally – to mama (he’s still nursing!).

So there I’ve *told* you what’s going on (via my observation; no doubt to the ponies it’s much more). Ready to *see* it?

I first saw them down in a “valley,” then Luna started walking along the arroyo. They went out of sight, and I waited awhile but didn’t see them reappear, so I walked out to the edge of a hill and found them like this: By a dry section of arroyo. One little puddle of water. It seemed as windy there as anywhere else, but there they were, napping. Front left, Luna; front right, Butch. Back left to right: Steeldust, Alpha and Storm.

And here’s Sundance and the gang, just to the right of Steeldust’s. Left to right: Mahogany, Kestrel, Sable, Sundance, Mouse and Aspen.

Then I saw this critter:

He was on my side of the arroyo from the horses, and I think he saw me just a second before I saw him – we looked at each other for another second, then he was off!

I like to see the pronghorn antelope. They sometimes act as sentinels for a band. One “barked” at me once, to alert the horses I was there. I think that was Steeldust’s band, too, and they weren’t worried, which seemed to bother the poor prongs.

The horses are watching the pronghorn, but Luna is watching something else …

… something that made SD a little restless. I also included this pic because I love the “frosted” effect of Storm’s winter coat as he sheds his baby red for big-boy grey.

Off he went across the arroyo to tell Comanche in no uncertain terms that his proximity was unwelcome!

And trotting back to his lady before Butch could get any ideas (too late for the ideas part …). And I included this photo in part to show how scarred Steeldust is. I’ve seen pix of grey stallions from other herds looking mightily battle-scarred, but not so many of our stallions show that degree of scarring – except this boy. (Mesa, the solid bay stallion with the pintos, shows a fair amount of scarring, and Aspen does, a bit, too, but they really show up on SD.)

Comanche was unperturbed and settled in for a nap of his own.

You have to use your imagination here a little, but he is definitely nursing – she finally took a step forward, raised her hind leg when he tried to go back for seconds – and he smacked his lips while enjoying up the last delicious yumminess of mama’s milk!

Love this. 🙂

Different angle on SunnyD’s: Aspen behind Mouse, Sable, Mahogany facing away, Kestrel and Sundance.

Butch and Luna at left; Sable, Mahogany, Kestrel, Sundance and Mouse clustering against the wind, and Aspen.

Together … separate.

Instead of getting kicked out of the band, Butch and Sundance seem to have figured out ways to stay … We’ll just have to stay tuned, won’t we!?