This portrait of handsome Maiku was taken a couple of weeks ago in the northwestern part of Spring Creek Basin. There are more trees in that area of the basin than many other parts, being a bit higher and getting more moisture. … I don’t spend a lot of time in that area because the horses aren’t there frequently, but it’s beautiful, and I love it when they ARE there.
While roaming around with them, I was kinda shocked at the sheer number of dead trees … like the one behind Maiku.
Not to belabor the point, but if we don’t get some winter soon (snow? please?!), we’re going to see a lot more trees succumb to drought. They’re kind of a big red flag.
Maiku’s name comes from the Ute language, as these are ancestral lands of the Ute people in addition to others such as the Navajo (Diné). I try to keep in mind that these lands have an extraordinarily long history intertwined with Native people, and hopefully we can protect at least some of them as much as possible and as their original stewards did and would.
On this website citing facts about Ute people, written mainly for school-age youngsters, I found this information about the Ute language: “maiku (pronounced similar to “my-kuh”) is a friendly greeting.” And I thought that was a great name for him as a uniquely patterned foal. I’ve since learned that it might be pronounced a bit closer to the name “Mike,” but I still pronounce it “my-kuh” when referring to our handsome little pinto stallion with the single white slash across his withers. 🙂 I wouldn’t say that he delivers especially friendly greetings to other bands – or visiting stallions! But he’s still very unique!
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Be still my heart ! I’ve always loved the look of this fella. He might be a bit smaller but seems to always have a regal look about him 👑
It’s that handsome bad-boy look through that luxurious forelock. 😉
I love his name! And its source, very interesting,TJ. And of course I love him. He is such an unusual patterned pinto, and he’s gorgeous! Sorry to hear that more trees are dying in the northwest. 😞 That area in the HMA is one of my favorites.
He IS a pretty handsome (!) little pinto mustang, and I also love his unique pattern. … We have so few trees, it’s hard to lose any of them. That’s been a pattern in all of Disappointment Valley (all of Southwest Colorado, I’d say) the last few/several years, but it’s really sad to see it right at *home*.
Back when the droughts became the consistant weather pattern – somewhere in the 90’s – we lost over 300 pinions over the course of several years, and Denny had to cut all of them down himself. Hard to imagine.
A perfect name for this handsome pinto dude! It seems like all the horses names suit them well! Hoping for any kind of moisture!
I tried/try (when I first started documenting and now, when foals are born) to put a fair bit of thought into naming the horses. It’s easier here than places where there are hundreds of horses! I can’t imagine coming up with all those names. Though I think the big herds have lots of help. 🙂
Such a handsome boy.
We’re praying for more rain here too. There’s snow in the high country, just not as much as there should be this time of year.
🙂 He’s a fan favorite, for sure!
Same thing here. I recently drove through Ridgway, and while there’s snow on the mountains … they are not covered, and I was surprised and saddened at all the bare areas. Hope you also have some moisture chances coming this week? Ours might be coming from the West Coast? Then heading down to Texas?