May | 2011 | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Happy birthday, Sable!

7 05 2011

Sable is 2 today!

She’s an auntie (with Fierro there) …

… and a sister …

And I think she’s close to becoming a mom.

Hard to believe, eh?

Happy birthday, Sable-beautiful girl!

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Categories : Ember, Fierro, Hannah, Mahogany, Sable

Happy birthday, Whisper!

7 05 2011

Whisper was 2 yesterday!

He’s tall and handsome and takes as much after daddy Bounce as he does mama Alegre.

About a week old here.

With mama a couple of weeks ago! A few of his yearmates are off on their own already, but Whisper is still with mama and daddy.

And big sister Gaia went off with her own new family this winter. What a fabulous big sister she was to the little mister.

Playing with daddy Bounce.

Happy birthday, handsome boy – keep your sense of humor and don’t forget your lessons!

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Categories : Alegre, Bounce, Gaia, Whisper

‘Don’t be hasty!’

6 05 2011

I was wrong.

Luna’s foal is a he, not a she.

Not missing a beat, Aghavni renamed the little mister Varoujan – “VAR-oo-zhahn” – which means “male dove” in Armenian.

Luna and Varoujan catching a few winks at dawn.

Still a little bit of shadow from the east ridges, but mama and baby are in the spotlight! Brumley Point in the background.

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous morning that started out at about 25 degrees! Once the sun lit us, it warmed up quickly and became T-shirt and shorts weather.

While I did mention the Armenian (Aghavni) and Turkish (Servet) journalists visiting Durango and getting a taste of our small-town American journalism, I don’t think I posted a link to a story about them. The article is a good one, but it doesn’t begin to do justice to the depth of knowledge these two have. It has been fascinating having them in Durango. Our visit to the basin last week will stand out as – truly – one of the best!

Aghavni and Servet wrote stories for our paper about their countries’ reactions to the finding and killing of Osama bin Laden. With their professional backgrounds (to say the least), it’s possibly the most amazing occurrence of “it’s a small world” with that happening while they were in Durango I think I’ve ever known.

Aghavni’s story.

Servet’s story.

Our Varoujan … because the world needs more doves and because peace is worth sharing.

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Categories : Luna, Varoujan

A family for …

6 05 2011

One of the first groups of horses I saw this week was the new – and growing – boy band, led somewhat intermittently by Duke. He seems to let them go when they wander outside what I’ve come to think of as his territory … but he blew that theory out of the water this week by leaving the boys “home” and wandering (alone) halfway across the basin. When I first saw them, Duke and Twister were standing together and three boys were playing together.

Wait, three? Was Storm back with Cuatro and Ze? No, wrong coloring (and he’s still with Baylee and Tenaz). But from the distance, I couldn’t tell.

When I got to a better vantage point, I found Duke above Spring Creek (which is NOT a flowing creek in the usual sense of the word – it never flows continuously – it has some water seeping up in places), looking down into it, and I thought the boys had found water. I waited, Duke walked along the top, crossed, came up the other side … climbed a hill – alone. Change happens just that fast! With no two-legged the wiser. I have no idea where they went, whether they outran Duke … or whether he let them.

The next day, I spotted four boys waaaaaaay over on the western edge of the basin, and I started to have an idea about that fourth mystery horse. I found Duke later, alone, far from “home.”

The current make-up of the boy band is a 4-year-old and three 2-year-olds (one will be 2 in about a week).

And this is the new familia:

Though Iya looks like Bones in color and her big blaze exclusively, it tugs at my heart to see her with Poco and Roach – in *their* home territory. By a friend’s weekend photos, this happened sometime after Sunday morning. You know who that fourth horse is now, with the boys? I never got close enough to their end of the basin before they left to take pix, but Sage has joined the boy band. (Insert guitar riff here. 🙂 )

I’ve decided to name the colt Cougar after our encounter last week with a mountain lion just southeast of the basin. I hope it will serve him as a talisman of protection, rather than a jinx. It’s a bit of a tough-guy name for a baby, but it’s a great name for the stallion I hope he grows up to be …

Roach’s solo adventure of a week or so ago left him with a collection of healing scabs on his neck. And speaking of Roach … an odd happening with another stallion has me wondering whether Roach’s roach all those years ago may have been natural after all. I have no explanation for either. To come.

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Categories : Cougar, Iya, Poco, Roach

Promised

6 05 2011

Oh, to live like the ponies … in the moment, the future now. Roll with the flow. That’s how it goes when I’m in the basin … the only planning moving forward, one step ahead of the last.

Piedra and Briosa – last week. At the tail end of the wonderful long hike that introduced me to Coal for the first time, I caught up to a visit with Hollywood and his girls – with Bruiser and Milagro tagging along. She’s taking a sweet break here, but this little doll lives up to her name – “spirited”! I got to spend more time with them this weekend – what an absolute treat!

No new babies this week … but several are due within the next couple of weeks … some closer than others! The weather was spectacular. 4CBCH folks – cross your fingers, hold your prayers aloft – bring buckets of sunscreen and vats of water – and bug spray, the gnats are back! But if we have weather next week/end like this, what a glorious time we’ll have!

More changes to report ahead … promise.

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Categories : Briosa, Piedra

Scoping reminder

3 05 2011

This is what I need for myself – a reminder that we’re still in the scoping period ahead of the fall roundup for Spring Creek Basin.

To keep our current scoping process in front of people and continue to ask for your help to help us help the horses, I’m reposting links to the scoping request out now from the Dolores Public Lands Office ahead of our fall roundup. Send comments to Tom Rice, Associate Field Manager, Dolores Public Lands Office, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323. Comments, due May 12, may also be sent via email to trice@blm.gov

We want to make the roundup as gentle and safe for the horses as possible, and we also want to encourage BLM to implement an annual darting program with native PZP using volunteer darters. In the future, we want BLM to use bait trapping over helicopter-driven roundups. This is a win-win situation that will present a longer interval between roundups – and hopefully fewer horses at those times, hopefully create a little bit of a market for our Spring Creek Basin mustangs that are removed and ensure the herd’s sustainability long into the future – and present the most humane way possible to reduce numbers of horses to preserve the overall herd and the range the horses depend on for survival. It also encourages a necessary partnership between our advocate groups and BLM to share in the responsibilities of managing OUR herd.

To all of you who have sent your comments, thank you, thank you, thank you on behalf of our Spring Creek Basin mustangs.

This is the link to my post about points to make in your comments:

https://springcreekwild.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/scoping-comments-points-to-make/

This is the link to the scoping letter itself:

https://springcreekwild.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/scoping-is-out/

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Categories : Advocacy, Fertility control, PZP

Rounding out the split

2 05 2011

Bringing more details to the “As Spring Creek Basin Turns” opera, let’s recap the biggest “story line” lately.

Hollywood’s band once included Piedra, Baylee, Iya, her new colt, Sage and Tenaz. Then Comanche snapped up all but Piedra and her even newer filly, leaving them with down but not out Hollywood.

Then Comanche lost them – or let them go? – and he was back to normal with Kestrel and Winona.

But Baylee, Iya, the colt, Sage and Tenaz didn’t stay together – and why did they split and/or who stole whom?

Baylee (possibly Piedra’s sister … ever-so possibly … possibly not) and Tenaz (Piedra’s and Hollywood’s yearling son) are now with Storm.

This all happened within the last two weeks.

This, unfortunately, is the “best” image I have of Storm, Tenaz and Baylee all together. Baylee seems comfortable with Storm – as long as he keeps his distance. But the angle does show that, even with her being 4 years old now, I am not expecting a foal from this girl this year! Storm will be 3 in late July – his first band! I’m so proud (we’ll see how long he keeps them)! (Though Storm’s ears look a little back here, he’s just sniffing the youngster, who very soon after this wandered off with Baylee to graze together, while Storm stood and watched after them for a few moments, then wandered off in his own direction.)

Iya and her colt – Hollywood’s baby son – are now with Sage – Hollywood’s 2-year-old son – and those three are with … drum roll please ………..

Sage, colt and Iya at left … who’s that bay guy?

A better look … Does something tug at you, seeing that solid bay with a big-blaze grey?

And there’s the giveaway – Roach, Poco, Iya, baby and Sage.

Wow, huh? Roach in his customary lieutenant-stallion spot … Poco guarding the mare and foal … and Sage. He baby-clacked to Poco earlier, but given his repeated attempts to breed Iya the week before – and still with her and the baby – how easily will he give up his “role” in this little family? And how long will this association last? I like seeing Poco and Roach with company (and I like seeing Roach back with his buddy, Poco).

Sweet mama with her firstborn. I do have a name in mind for him … just holding it for a little bit longer …

To come: Pix of Hollywood, Piedra and Bri.

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Categories : Iya, Poco, Roach, Sage

Happy birthdays

1 05 2011

This spring will go down in record books as busy. Just darn busy. So I’m behind with birthday wishes for not one but a few – I’m sure they won’t mind.

April 26 – Corona

About a week ago. I still don’t know quite what her color is – I’m calling her pale palomino – but it’s a little “richer” this year with a bit of an apricot tinge.

As a baby with mama Raven … Daddy Corona from Sand Wash Basin is a handsome palomino.

Here’s a link to Nancy Roberts’ blog and a post about Corona’s band that includes pictures of our Corona’s newest little half-sister, who looks a lot like her!

She has a few of those darker “red” spots (her neck just above her shoulder) on her body and legs like tiny birthmarks. She definitely gets her wavy forelock, mane and tail from daddy, nicknamed “Fabio”! She’s now 2.

April 27 – Iya

I thought it was appropriate to celebrate Iya’s birthday with a photo of her and her firstborn, whose birthday was just two weeks earlier than her own!

Iya was born the spring after the roundup to mama Houdini (still in the basin, of course, with Grey/Traveler and their three youngest daughters) and, I think, the stallion she was with in the spring (with baby Two Boots) but escaped capture with – Junior. Iya is now 3.

With mama and sister Two Boots (who is now nearly unrecognizable from this photo!) two days after she was born.

Before the baby. Strong, curious and brave – and carrying on the tradition of being an excellent mama!

April 27 – Tenaz

Taken Wednesday – his birthday. 🙂 The little mister is the son of Piedra and Hollywood, and he’s now 1 year old. His band had some recent upheaval, and he’s now with “auntie” Baylee and young Storm (who will be 3 this summer).

As a baby with mama Piedra. She guarded him tenaciously, even more so (it seemed) than she did her firstborn, Sage. Hence his name Tenaz.

My camera adores him … I can’t begin to understand why … 🙂

*HE* clearly adores mistress Winona!

From birthday-day again.

Soooooo much like daddy!

April 29 – Sage

Sage is Piedra’s and Hollywood’s firstborn, now 2 years old.

He’s changed a bit. 🙂 He takes more after mama than he does daddy – the reverse of his little brother Tenaz.

He’s been a very good big brother.

Pondering his next move back in February.

With brother Tenaz at right, daddy, Iya and littlest brother in the background.

May 1 – Spook

Nothing like birthday look-backs to tell you how you’re doing on easily-accessible photos of certain horses. Once she has her baby, I’m sure that number will increase by leaps and bounds!

These were taken in March. I’ve seen the band most visits since then but mostly from afar as I just check for new little bodies. Here, Spook – black and white – is with Puzzle, Maiku and Milagro.

With little brother Maiku, who will celebrate his birthday in June. Spook is 3 today. She shares her birthday with Terra and my “little” brother, Jeff! (Happy birthday!!)

Her mama is Kiowa, and she was born the year after the roundup, so her sire is unknown. Kiowa and Chipeta, the two released pinto mares, both ended up with Bruiser – also released – after the roundup. From my photos of the roundup, the mares came in together in a large group – but not with Bruiser. (Yes, I removed that old bit of fence.) Spook, like older sister Reya (released with her mother), looks pregnant, so between anytime now and September, I’m expecting four foals in this band! If they stick together, Kiowa will have her foal and two grandbabies all together! This will also be Kiowa’s fifth foal since I started documenting … and she holds the distinction of still having most of her foals with her; almost-yearling Milagro recently took up with elder bachelor (and former lead stallion of this band) Bruiser.

A baby pic of Spook …

Spook, right, last summer with big sister Reya. Spook and Corazon – and Raven, from Sand Wash Basin – are our only black-and-white pintos. The others range from very dark bay to red-bay.

May 1 – Terra