Skywalker does everything to the beat of his own usually very deliberate drum.
While the band he follows along with was napping in the sunshine on top of a finger of a ridge connected to bachelor ridge, Skywalker was half napping, half browsing just below them. When I was ready to leave the up-top band, I looked over the edge and could see that he was making his way toward the trail to the top (you can see where he was by his hoofprints at the top of the image) … but slowly. I called down to him that I was planning to head down the trail and asked if that was OK, but Skywalker was already formulating his own plan. I stood back so he could command the trail. If the angle looks weird, it’s because I was looking nearly straight down at him; the trail there is pretty steep.
Here, I’m down, and he’s up. It was so steep that even he took a couple of rest breaks during his climb. 🙂 The ponies would never admit it, but they really are close cousins to mountain goats.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Great photos TJ!!! I just love Skywalker. He is so handsome.
He’s a pretty chill dude. 🙂
Love your unspoken / sometimes spoken communication with him !
I talk to them all the time. His second pause in climbing brought him to just above eye level with the ground where I was standing. I had backed away and crouched down to talk to him, and he calmly took it all in until it was time to move on. I wasn’t offended at his silence. His proximity was comforting (to me, at least!). 🙂
😍 This is just so cool, TJ – a close encounter with my handsome boy, Skywalker!
Love Skywalker!