Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

On my way to the interior basin, there are a couple of places I always look for horses from the Disappointment Road, which runs along the southwestern border until just past the Perkins corrals. This year, with the Round Top pond holding water and the horses able to drink there instead of searching for elusive salty seeps, I haven’t very often seen horses from the road, which means hikes into the McKenna Peaks Wilderness Study Area (non-motorized) to look for them – and why I don’t often see David’s band, the pinto band led by Kiowa or the new band of Ty, Chipeta and Puzzle. A couple of weeks ago, I saw David’s from afar and hiked in to see them (it’s always easier when you know their location, though it’s not a far “speculation hike” to get to a point where there’s a decent view), and that was the day I found Kiowa’s new baby. But I hadn’t seen Ty, Chipeta and Puzzle since earlier this spring, shortly after they made the split from the pinto band.

So when I spotted Ty and Chipeta from the road, that was a good enough excuse to park and climb through the fence and walk out to see them – plus, I couldn’t see Puzzle and wanted to make sure she was there. She was – napping.

Boy, has she grown!

If I didn’t know she was 9 – almost 10 – months old, I’d never guess (well, and if I didn’t know, I’d never guess she’d been born in September).

Would *you* ever believe she’s only 9.5 months old?! I never thought Chipeta was all that short until I saw her with her own less-than-year-old daughter!

Ty. He is a lesson in persistence, he is. He would seem to claim Chipeta only to lose her back to the band and Copper. But he seems to be keeping his little family far away from any temptations. He has also always had that short tail – I have no idea why.

Chipeta is clearly pregnant. Due Sept. 1, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she foals into August … and would be happier for her to have a slightly older foal by the time of the roundup. Mona, by contrast, is due the day the roundup starts – Sept. 15 – and yes, we have already talked about that with our BLM folks – and will continue to. Jif also is due anywhere from about late August to late September.

Because the Spring Creek Basin mustangs are documented and easily identified (individually AND by band), and because I know we have at least three mares due to foal very close to the roundup, and because, per BLM, we plan to be in radio contact with the helicopter pilot, we hope to convince him to ignore those horses and their very-young foals. Bait trapping would make this kind of selective removal much easier … but hopefully we’re moving in that direction now for next time.

Pretty Puzzle and mama Chipeta

We had company …

For Pat A: This was WAY south of where we saw the buck and does during the count – same guy? I keep seeing the does in the same general area – no fawns yet – and no buck, either.

I like the illusion of this photo, but in reality, there’s at least 2 feet of space between Puzzle and stepdaddy Ty. 🙂

Mama picked up a sprig of greasewood. She wasn’t terribly impressed with or worried about me, and I had a devil of a time getting both ears. 😉

That Puzzle is a pretty little (big!) girl, isn’t she?