It’s hard keeping one’s ladies in line. They’re independent thinkers, those girls, and though a stallion can mostly get them lined out in the “right” direction, they do like to dawdle here and there and everywhere.
Here, Storm was on the march to collect a couple of wayward grazers as they made their way (I think) toward and in the direction of – eventually – water. He was well aware of a band just leaving the water source, not too far away, and that might have lent a little urgency to his mission. I was with them until the sun did hit the horizon, and though they moved to the other side of a big arroyo, they didn’t seem in too big a hurry to challenge the other band on the path to evening water.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Tough time finding water these days. Let’s have rain!
Rain, rain, rain! Please!!!
Thank goodness for those independent thinkers !! Keeps Storm on his toes 🙂
They definitely do! 🙂
Oh the trouble a guy has with His girls!
They like to remind him who’s really in charge. 😉
Love the cycle of Spring’s life
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I sure wish we had more rain in our spring cycles. 🙂
Storm has his hands full!
And his hooves, too. 😉
There are those in my circle, whom I love, who have spent 50+ years, building up a Remuda of mares and AQHA bred horses – and I’ve never forgotten the Dad/Grandpa telling me so long ago, “Yes, Stallion important, but the ‘lead mare’ is the one who really sets the tone/lead of the band” – have you found that to be true, in the wild bands? I think I may have asked before, but couldn’t find either the ‘asking’ or the answer for the question – I’m just curious – 😀
So true, yes! The handsome, flashy stallions get the notice and the compliments and the oohs and ahhs … but yes, it’s the mares who are the quiet leaders. 🙂 Sometimes, it’s fairly subtle, the relationship between the stallion and his mares, and other times, it’s a bit more obvious. Like us, they’re all individuals in their personalities. Storm is a good stallion/leader, but he still has definite ideas about where he wants his girls to go at particular times – like when another stallion/band is on the horizon. And his mares are pretty good about going where he wants them to go … and still ending up where they want to be (!). Some stallions are micromanagers; we have one who’s a bachelor now (he’s also older). And in some cases, some separate bands will stick together because the mares are friends or at least friendly. We’ve had two such instances in Spring Creek Basin (at least … during my time with them). The second band has split and mostly gone their separate ways now, just in the last couple of months (which might have to do with spring and hormones :)). They’d been together for at least a year-plus. The previous two bands were together for at least a couple of years.
Thank you!!! I am just curious when I learn something in one facet of life and then later, run across another relates theme and I soooo! Appreciate you sharing your observations! I just love the whole macro and micro connections and dances. A source of endless fascination for me!!!
Thank YOU for the prompt. 🙂 I love these horses SO much and am – still – endlessly fascinated by them. I’ve been visiting them for almost 20 years now (next year) and documenting them for 14 … and still, I can’t imagine my life without them. They have enriched my life beyond measure! 🙂