Apollo | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Play time

28 12 2011

Apollo and Mysterium are half-siblings, sired by Kreacher.

Apollo is 7 months old now.

Mysterium is 4 months old.

Little feisty wily girl has figured out that she can play with big brother … and that mama is nearby if he gets too rough!

It starts with a bit of nibbling on the shoulder …

About halfway through the game, he decided he could rear up, too.

She did a lot of this …

… and a little of this, but she never actually kicked out at him.

A little more teasing …

… some more near-synchronized rearing …

… and the warning from mama Kootenai (you can just see her pinned ears) …

that led to this:

But it was all good in the end …

And they lived happily ever after. 🙂

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Categories : Apollo, Kootenai, Mysterium, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

A long view of Sundance’s band (“near”) and Kreacher and Duke. Apollo and Raven are the two dark horses at near left, then Sundance, Kootenai and Mysterium at right. Straight back “above” Sundance is Duke, and just down the slope – left – from Duke is Kreacher; he’s hard to see, grey against snow. The Spring Creek arroyo is between them.

Much nearer – Juniper. Fuzzy, furry, wooly little bear cub! How cute is she?!

Mama Kestrel … and not too far away, snow spilling over the eastern ridges – unnamed promontory and McKenna Peak.

Last view of the day, looking in the opposite direction from above – west – snow falling in clouds beyond Spring Creek Canyon.

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Categories : Apollo, Duke, Juniper, Kestrel, Kootenai, Kreacher, Mysterium, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

Merry Christmas!

25 12 2011

Mysterium wishes everyone a very enthusiastic merry Christmas, with some help from big brother Apollo!

From our herd to yours, we wish you all all the joys and blessings of the season and the hope of peace and protection for all our wild ones in the new year.

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Advocacy, Apollo, Mysterium, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Yahoooo!

22 12 2011

Baby’s feeling goooooooooooood!

And why not? He lives in the most beautiful place on Earth! At least, I’m sure he shares my opinion. 🙂

He was playing with Mysterium, and this was his reaction to baby girl getting some momentary mama protection.

Comments : 5 Comments »

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

Depth

18 12 2011

Busily getting out Christmas cards and calendars – wait, shopping?! I knew I was forgetting something!

So these are fairly disjointed posts, I know, but here are three more from last week’s visit:

Apollo. They’re not visible in this image, but Comanche’s and Hollywood’s were out on the east-west hill there in the background beyond this ridge where Sundance’s band was grazing and napping.

Raven, blissed out on snow. 🙂

Sundance – love the 3-D feel of this image with the light and soft color.

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

Wild and precious life

17 12 2011

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?

~ Mary Oliver, “The summer day,” New and Selected Poems, 1992

At work yesterday, my secret Santa gave me a copy of Mary Oliver’s book of poems titled American Primitive. I’ve been seeing Mary Oliver’s name lately … I can’t remember where, and it’s not anything anyone would know – would they? My secret Santa remains just that. S/he wrapped the book with a typed note. We’re copy editors – our writing is distinctive. I used the Google machine to seek more info about Mary and found the above. It reminds me of those we’ve lost … all wild and precious lives … some went out fighting, and some laid down at the end. All our lives are wildly precious.

What is it I plan to do?

Just this, and I thank God every day that I can do it.

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Advocacy, Apollo, Mysterium, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Fun with ponies

5 12 2011

Last week, I took a friend from Switzerland out to see the horses – her first visit back in almost a year. The weather cooperated with us and didn’t blow snow until we were on our way home. The grey day even broke once for some awesome light! And the horses – of course – were fabulous; we saw all but the pintos and Poco and Roach!

Update: Storm (who got Shadow back) has shaken David, who was with Duke and Kreacher! Not too far from Seven, Bounce and Tenaz.

All well on the western front. (And it has been snowing off and on since then, so we also have moisture!)

Sundance’s band – bright and beautiful and colorful and curious!

Kootenai, Mysterium and Sundance

Apollo and Raven

Mysterium and Apollo! (They are half-siblings – daddy is Kreacher.)

Big country (though not all the background is theirs to roam).

Aren’t they handsome?

Mamas everywhere will love this – love their closed eyes. Sigh. 🙂

Zoomed out to show stepdaddy Sundance and more basin background.

This cracks me up (check out Mysterium)!

Mama Kootenai and baby Mysterium

Stepdaddy Sundance and baby Mysterium

Handsome dappled boy – that’s Round Top in the background.

Sunshine! (And yes, that’s the snow coming in the background.)

Sundance and Mysterium and Brumley Point in the background. Do you see Seven? And Bounce to his left?

Stout baby goodness!

Such a handsome boy!

And what a stunner is Sundance?!

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

Intermission

26 11 2011

Thank you all for your votes so far!

I’m still working on November images from my last visit and will get calendar images for that month up as soon as possible.

Speaking of, here are some more images from last week’s visit …

This was from the start of a second visit with Sundance’s band toward the end of the day, after I’d had my visit with Poco and Roach. They were right near the road, and I couldn’t resist.

Apollo and mama Raven

Kootenai and Mysterium

Sundance with Brumley Point in the background.

Next, a series – stepfather/stepdaughter:

Mysterium and Sundance

🙂

They remind me a lot of Comanche and Winona – another foal with a stallion who is not her sire (another stallion with a foal that is not his) … and another filly who has her stepdaddy wrapped completely around her neat little black hooves. 🙂

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

All ready

25 11 2011

While you’re all getting ready for serious voting, here are some pix from the last two days in the basin …

From my visit with Poco and Roach … the La Sal Mountains seen above the northwest valley of the basin.

Roach and Poco

Roach

Poco

Poco and Roach. Not very often does Poco stand closer to me than Roach.

I had watched them (and Bounce, Tenaz and Seven, and Chrome’s – different directions) from a distance for quite a while as they napped. They both laid down – Poco flat out like a colt. I imagine that sunshine felt terrific (it did).

Poco against the mountains …

Roach against the mountains.

Aspen’s and Sundance’s bands were sharing the roller-coaster ridge pond for their midday drink, and the babies were enjoying some play time.

Killian at left and Apollo.

Coupla things going on here: Mona walked all the way around the pond to drink here, right under the noses of her former pals, Raven and Kootenai – not to mention Sundance. Aspen eventually escorted Roja as she also walked over to drink just there (and *why* just there??). And check out feisty little Mysterium, who has finally gotten fed up with her brother and the new little boy and is chasing him away.

One last pause before he follows mama …

See ya later, alligators! 🙂

Mysterium on the berm of the pond.

Sundance and Raven napping on the berm.

Sundance watching Aspen’s band move off to graze.

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Categories : Apollo, Aspen, Killian, Mysterium, Poco, Raven, Roach, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

Happy Thanksgiving

23 11 2011

A day early, but I’ll be in the basin with the horses on Thanksgiving, and I wanted to send thanks to all the amazing people I know who support our wild horses.

To the horses, beloved, I am grateful beyond measure for your grace and beauty and teaching me to live in the moment.

To my family … who knows and loves me still, my gratitude and love. 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments : 11 Comments »

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

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