Apollo | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Everyday hum

28 08 2012

The more I learn … the more I learn. There aren’t always conclusions to draw from the observations I make of the horses. Sometimes, things I see come back a year or more later.

And sometimes, I see things that just make me smile.

Nothing special about this image. They’re all stallions. Seven (back grey) is 12. Kreacher is probably close. Tenaz (right) is 2.5. Apollo (with Kreacher) is 1.5.

So why did I take it, let alone post it? Why am I being all sentimental?

Right before last year’s roundup, Kreacher lost his band to Sundance, who still has the band. This spring, right around the time Skywalker was born, Apollo left or was kicked out of the band (their mother is Raven), and I finally found him with Hayden (almost 3) and Tenaz, and they’ve been wandering around, hanging out briefly with various other bachelors: Bounce, Poco, Duke, Aspen, Kreacher and Seven.

Apollo is Kreacher’s son. Now a young bachelor, Apollo – and his pals, Hayden and Tenaz – have hooked up, however briefly, with sire Kreacher and Kreacher’s new pal, Seven, who stole his (Kreacher’s) band back in 2008 after Grey/Traveler stole Seven’s band.

See how it all comes back around? 🙂

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Categories : Apollo, Kreacher, Seven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Tenaz

Youngsters

16 08 2012

Oh, I still think of them as “the little boys,” but they’re not so little anymore! They’re off on their own. Not causing mischief – other than among themselves.

Are they cute or what? Sorry – handsome! If you notice a few legs too many, I assure you there’s no Photoshop trickery. 🙂 Aspen is behind them.

This was taken the same day as the one of Bounce, who was with them, too.

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Categories : Apollo, Hayden, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Tenaz

Boys of summer

25 06 2012

The girls got their post, now let’s highlight some boys.

Hayden and Tenaz have been shepherding young Apollo since around the time Skywalker was born.

Handsome Hayden. He’s just like daddy (Grey/Traveler); so hard to get a shot of him where he’s not ignoring me.

Tenaz is nearly the spitting image of his sire, Hollywood. Color notwithstanding.

Young Apollo is hanging with the big boys. He’s just as handsome as a yearling as he’s been all along.

Apollo with Tenaz.

Apollo with Hayden. Love the look. 🙂

The three musketeers.

The last time I saw them, they were hanging out with Storm, who is looking hale and hearty. They all are!

They’ve also been spotted with Bounce and Poco at various times (not together).

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Categories : Apollo, Hayden, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Storm, Tenaz

Playing in water

16 06 2012

And now some light-hearted water fun. 🙂

Apollo gets ready to walk out of the pond while Hayden tests the splashability. I’m taking this from my Jeep up on the road. This is the Sorrel Flats pond back in the eastern part of the basin.

Zoomed out to show more of the pond. As part of my documentation of the horses these last few years, I keep track of how much water the ponds have and when they go dry – and when they fill back up with the summer rains. Now that we have a herd manager who is interested, I share that information with him. The pond just north of here – the east-pocket pond – went dry just a week or so ago, just a few days after our herd manager saw it with very shallow water.

Apollo, Hayden and Tenaz grazing on the flats just above the pond. I should have some better photos of these boys soon tweaked and posted.There’s not a lot of surface area here, but the middle is a little deeper than it seems.

Storm has hooked up with the boys (though possibly not permanently; he wasn’t with them the other day). He followed them out of the wooded “island” and down to the pond to drink. I’ll have more pix of him soon, too.

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Categories : Apollo, Hayden, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Storm, Tenaz, Water, Work projects

Sweet boys

8 06 2012

They don’t seem to be causing too much mischief (any, really). They’re hanging out by themselves – and sometimes with Storm – and occasionally with Bounce. All of them were visible – Storm and Bounce slightly apart (not together), but I got pix just of the three musketeers.

Front to back: Hayden (2 1/2), Apollo (1) and Tenaz (2).

Fat little shiny boys. 🙂

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Categories : Apollo, Hayden, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Tenaz

Almost-ready mama

22 04 2012

Oh, the girl is tired. She is ready. She is due in just a few weeks.

Napping in the warm sunshine.

Can’t resist throwing in a pic of this handsome mister:

Apollo, Raven’s big yearling boy, is a full brother to baby-to-be, sired by Kreacher.

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Categories : Apollo, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

U of Mizzou

30 03 2012

Students rock!

Thank you a million times for coming to Southwest Colorado for your spring break and putting your muscles to work on behalf of our Spring Creek Basin mustangs!

This week, among other projects, students from the University of Missouri rebuilt a big section of fence on one of the basin’s boundaries where places were cut before last fall’s roundup. The students hiked in and out (a mile and a half or so one way) with fence materials and equipment to complete the project. No motorized help in McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area! And at the end of the day, they got to see some of the wild horses their work benefits!

Forget college spring break cliches. These motivated students raise money to travel here from Missouri and work hard while they’re here. In addition to Spring Creek Basin, they will work at Mud Springs at the base of Sleeping Ute Mountain and at Lowry Pueblo north of Cortez. They may go home with a tan (that may have started as a sunburn), but it’s not from lounging on the beach! Guaranteed, they’ll go home with memories of an experience they’ll be proud to share!

Alternative spring break here is a partnership between San Juan Mountains Association, BLM’s Tres Rios Field Office, the Forest Service (Dolores Public Lands Office), Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the two local Back Country Horsemen groups (Mesa Verde and Four Corners), National Mustang Association/Colorado and other locals and local businesses to bring U of Mizzou students to the area for work projects on San Juan public lands. This was the 12th year of partnership!

Thank you to local volunteers Tif (MVBCH and NMA/CO), Joan (SJMA) and Bob (4CBCH), high school student volunteer Laura (who has been involved with this project for several years and will head to college later this year!), SJMA folks Kathe and MK, the Forest Service’s Tom and Ben – and pack horses Trapper and Zip! – and, never least, BLM’s Tom and Kiley!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the students. Your hard work is so much appreciated for the safety of our mustangs. Have fun with the rest of your visit, and come back soon! As Kathe said, there is a special place in heaven for all of you. 🙂