Bones | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

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20 10 2008

Roach and Poco

Although I hadn’t seen this little band for several weeks, it was worth the wait. Poco, Bones and Roach all look great. After the past year of getting to know my ponies, I’m close to a guarantee: The harder I look for particular horses, the more likely it will be that when I find them they’ll be right out in the open.

Last weekend, I hiked to the top of Round Top – always enjoyable to get a unique, almost “from-the-air” perspective of the basin – and still didn’t spot Roach’s distinctive red coat (he’s one of only two sorrels in the basin). This weekend, I hiked out between Flat Top and Round Top (and saw horses, but you’ll have to read on to find out who) and down to the south side of Round Top. Then I hiked south from the “twin ponds” and walked a narrow spiny ridge. Nada. Then north of the ponds. Nichts. Fun hiking, but where on Earth were those crazy equines? (You know the saying “God only knows”? Every time I ask myself where the horses are, I remind myself that THEY know where they are!)

A little after those hikes, in the Jeep, on the road, sun inching closer to the horizon hills, badda-bing: Through the binoculars, I saw a dark spot that turned out to be Poco’s back. Very close: Bones. They were in that little valley between Knife Edge and Lizard Mesa. I drove on and scanned; drove on, stopped to scan … Hello! Steeldust’s band just a short distance off the road in a grove of pinons. I interrupted the hunt for Poco’s band to take some pix of Steeldust’s group.

But before I get to them, here are a couple more of the “found” girl and boys:

Rear view

Here’s a pic of Bones’ healed fractured pelvis that probably shows it better than any other pic I’ve taken. But don’t just look at that – look at her little belly! She’s not what I’d call a fat girl, but she looks WAY better than she did at this time last year, and I’m encouraged to see her going into this winter with some fat on her, err, bones.

Poco and Bones

Poco was all shy and spent most of his time napping at the far edge of the little “island” they were on. I shot from various points on the other side of the not-so-deep, fairly broad arroyo that curved around their little island/oxbow. Bones was closest to Roach when I approached, then she wandered over to Poco to feast on that greasewood bush.

Bye-bye

One last look from Bones before I left these wanderers to their grazing and naps.

So where was I? Before I get back to Steeldust’s band, let me go back to Round Top. It’s hunting season, of course, and it’s Colorado, and we have a high percentage of out-of-state plates in the areas with drivers and passengers sporting blaze orange. So far, like last year, I’ve seen plenty of traffic along the Dolores-Norwood Road and the Disappointment Road but not too much in the basin. Based on tire-track evidence, a few vehicles have been through since I was there last. I did pass a pickup Sunday with a man and woman, but I think they might have been looking for horses more than deer or elk.

I drove the loop counter-clockwise again, and from the road, I spotted a shiny spot and a horse shape that eventually moved right between Flat Top and Round Top. During the tour with Kathe and Bob a couple of weeks ago, we saw Seven’s band there. So I thought it might be him again, with Molly or Roja as the “horse shape,” and the other one in the trees. And another surprise: Cinch and Bruiser farther west.

I parked at Round Top’s base and took the trail around the west side. There were some faint signs of horse traffic and a few coyote prints – and one sadly deflated and worse-for-wear “Happy Birthday” balloon (which made its way into my ever-present trash bag back in the Jeep) – but it didn’t look like it has seen much use lately.

When I got farther around the hill on the trail, I could see that there were a couple of horses toward Flat Top, but they were blocked by trees and I couldn’t make an ID. Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear but Grey/Traveler! He was following Jif and the yearlings toward the horses in the trees. Whoa. So the tree horses were Houdini and Iya, but it was still a slight mystery why they were separated by such a distance … Until I saw through the binocs that Jif’s entire right side was dark glistening, and wait, had Grey suddenly gone pinto?? Now I know you moms out there are thinking it should have been mama Houdini taking advantage of the mud spa, but in this case, she was spending some alone time with baby Iya while Daddy took the youngsters to play in the, ahem, mud bath. 🙂

Iya and Houdini

Looks like Iya had done a little splashing in the mud. They were waiting for the other horses to reach them.

Daddy and the gang

Clearing the coast before returning to Mama. Disclaimer: Houdini is Two Boots’ and Iya’s dam, but Grey/Traveler is not the actual sire of any of these horses.

Once they reunited, they walked closer to Flat Top, where they drank from a pretty yucky, white-salty, muddy little puddle.

Have thirst, will drink

Grey got there first, and he left last. I guess the boy was thirsty. This pic doesn’t show them well, but notice the black splotch on his shoulder. He had another one on his chest.

Yucky!

Houdini shows what she thinks of the water puddle.

Somebody’s been playing with the finger (hoof?) paints! Notice the little streak on his face.

Tender touch

Iya and Houdini

The next time I saw the band, I was on the spiny ridge and the horses were on the road heading toward the water catchment for some rainwater-pure, fresh H2O.

Two other horses were beyond Traveler’s band, but from the distance and light glare, although one looked like pinto bachelor Cinch and the other one was very dark, and I wondered if Cinch had stolen yearling filly Shadow from David and ditched Bruiser for family life. It was a good lesson in what our BLM guy, Bob Ball, has to deal with in terms of identifying horses. The other horse was, in fact, Bruiser. See for yourself:

Bruiser and Cinch

Cinch is at right, and Bruiser is the dark mudball on the left, demonstrating the wild horse version of “look! what’s that over there?!” Too bad for the ponies, I have eyes only for them.

Compare that photo of Bruiser with this one (taken last fall) from the “Find a horse” page:

Bruiser

Yes! I promise that’s the same horse! Apparently he found the same tar-baby pit Grey/Traveler and the youngsters were playing in.

After the boys went back to grazing, I went around the south side of Round Top a short distance to check on the still-dry water hole. No more horses.

So now we’re back to the point where I “found” Steeldust’s band, “hiding” in the trees right by the road.

Peek-a-boo

This photo was taken right from the driver’s seat. Look at my long-legged little Storm-boy at right, with the light turning his spiky mane to gold. Can you believe he’s just a few days shy of three months in our Spring Creek Basin on this beautiful planet? And over on the left, his head just sticking out of the trees is Mouse, standing just in front of Hollywood’s girls, Piedra and Baylee. They and Hollywood seem to have reached a comfortable balance of friendship lately, and Holls doesn’t seem too worried about keeping them apart.

Bachelor boys

The wayward boys are all “home.” Duke, Hook, Kreacher and Chrome had split away from the band for a few weeks. Last weekend, Duke was back with the band, and now all the boys are back. From bottom to top: Duke, Kreacher, Chrome, Hook and Aspen. Am I alone in being glad that the boys are back? Ha! I spent all summer wondering when they were going to strike out on their own – again – and now I like seeing them with the family. A side note to this photo: The boys were working their way up to the band (I was out of the Jeep by this point), but curious Kreacher was either determined to get another last bite or was so focused on me that he didn’t notice when all the other boys disappeared over the top of the hill. He finally did when I walked back toward the Jeep, then trotted away after his pals. Wait for me!

I drove on a short way, through another arroyo, then got out again and walked out to Poco, Bones and Roach’s “island” and took pix of them. Boy was I glad to see them! Not worried about them, particularly, but I miss them when too many weeks go by without seeing any of the horses.

When I got back to the Jeep, I looked over toward the water hole that sits back to the east off the unmarked doubletrack, wondering if Bounce and his girls were still back in the east “pocket,” where they were last Sunday. When I was beside Lizard Mesa, I stopped and looked again – bingo! Bounce, Alegre and Gaia had just walked up on the edge of the pond! They started walking farther east on the doubletrack, so I sat in the Jeep and watched them through the binoculars. I hadn’t been close to them since the tour, but it was getting late, and I didn’t want to pursue them. But while I was watching them, guess who was walking out of the trees and making their way toward the water hole? While I was googling over Poco, Bones and Roach, Alpha marched her company around toward the pond. See the progression? Nap time, chow time, pub time! I have to say, the pond “pub” has a wonderful ambiance.

Steeldust’s band has become pretty used to me over the months, do I decided to park and walk down to the pond (which is in the wilderness study area, I think?) and wait for the horses to come drink. If the horses walking toward the water had been Bounce’s band, say, I might not have risked being at the water when they came to drink. Bounce is pretty tolerant, and young Alegre takes cues from him pretty well, but I wouldn’t want to risk them not drinking because I was there. Steeldust’s band, on the other hand, would drink even if I was there, I figured, and I was right.

Thirst abatement

I sat on the end of the pond opposite the way the horses approached and was glad the light was from behind me. I sat in full view, and they knew I was there. They waded right in, and drank and drank. I was glad of the opportunity to see them wade into the water because it gave me an idea how deep the pond is – almost up to their elbows! This pond dried up over the summer and refilled a couple of months ago after at least two intense cloudbursts in that eastern area. From left: Piedra, Baylee, Hollywood, Aspen and Chrome. Another couple of bachelors were to the right (including Duke), but the two young stallions, Luna, Alpha, Mahogany, Ember, Kestrel and Steeldust were around to the left and closer to me.

Wind drinker?

Steeldust drinking alone while his band spread along the banks of the pond to the right.

Play time

In the “progression” I wrote about earlier, I forgot one very important element: play time! Storm doesn’t seem to be drinking water much yet, but the older foals are drinking water as well as their mothers’ milk.

Three musketeers

Don’t these boys make ya smile? From left: Aspen, Mouse and Comanche.

By then it was about 6:15 p.m., and the sun was below the far-west ridge, a reminder of the quickly changing seasons. It was a gorgeous day – a light-jacket morning but a short-sleeve afternoon. Just after the sun had gilded the clouds in the western sky, I was driving past Filly Peak and Grey’s band. Most of the band was on the mesa side of the road, but Houdini was below the road, so I waited for her to cross the road – because Iya was there! – then headed out and home.

“If you’re lucky enough” to spend the day in Spring Creek Basin … you’re (I’m) lucky enough. Eh? For sure.

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Categories : Bones, Bounce, Bruiser, Cinch, Grey, Houdini, Roach, Steeldust

Before and after

3 08 2008

Friday was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in the basin – up there with not finding Slate after the winter, worrying about Duke when he was lame and I couldn’t find him and wondering about Jif when she went missing. Read the next post for more information, but suffice to say I had the misfortune to come across a guy so clueless about wild horses he not only chased away the two bands (Poco’s and Seven’s) I was photographing by approaching them too close on foot with a short lens and a cell phone (a cell phone!!), but later I watched through binoculars as he chased Seven’s band, Grey/Traveler’s band, Steeldust’s band AND the Bachelor 7 down the road ahead of his pickup.

Before he chased them away, I did get some nice pictures of Seven’s band, and particularly Molly’s filly. Although I waited almost an hour before I drove on after the guy left, I saw only Steeldust’s band and the B7 from a distance – and they ran as soon as I stopped to look at them with the binoculars – and Seven’s hiding under some trees way back past the dry water hole east of “east park.”

Roach, Poco and Bones

Roach, Poco and Bones watching the guy approach them. At this point, he hadn’t gone back yet for his cell phone. I thought about including pictures of him but decided not to. I did send photos to the BLM herd area manager.

Seven's band

Seven, the filly, Molly and Roja, who apparently has been to the Wildcat Springs Spa for her mud bath! The filly doesn’t have a name yet; I’m waiting to see if David Glynn, who saw her first, wants to name her. Isn’t she a cutie? They all are, I know. 🙂

Until the guy showed up, I was counting my blessings to see Seven’s band like this. Molly, bless her old heart, is a very protective mama, and I haven’t had very many chances to take some good identification photos of her baby. This day, they were very calm, and I stayed a good distance away from them across the road and an arroyo – I’ve learned that in a lot of cases, the horses seem to regard arroyos as protective barriers. You can see Molly’s very prominent withers in the picture, but I think a lot of that is her basic conformation. She does seem to have gained a little weight, and she’s obviously feeding her filly well.

Running

Poco, Roach and Bones after they ran past me and on south (behind me as I had been taking pictures). They paused momentarily, and I told Roach how sorry I was, then they galloped on down to the arroyo that runs along the base of that long hill. I never saw them again Friday or Saturday; at least they didn’t end up on the road with Seven’s and the others.

Chased away

This is Seven’s band a few minutes later. After the guy chased Roach and Co. away, he turned his attention on Seven’s band, but those horses are not NEARLY as accommodating as Roach, and they immediately ran away. Unfortunately, they ran down farther to the road, and the guy ended up chasing them with his truck.

I didn’t see Bounce, Alegre or Gaia that day, so I hope they escaped. It has taken a long time to gain Alegre’s trust that I can drive by her without making her run. I did see them Saturday, up in the low hills a little farther south from where I photographed Seven’s and Poco’s on Friday.

Threatening skies and rumbles chased me back around and out of the basin, and as I was leaving, I saw a single column of dark smoke away to the west outside the herd area. By the time I got to the county road, it was raining nicely, and I had a cell signal, so I called the public lands office. How cool are those guys?! The woman I talked to was pretty sure they (Forest Service, BLM, etc.(?)) were already on it.

Based on the tracks I saw leaving, I’m pretty sure he went out ahead of me (his tracks in, my tracks in; a third set as I was leaving).

One of my biggest disappointments – aside from the obvious – was that I still didn’t see Grey except from a very far distance. That’s two weeks I’ve gone without seeing him close enough to check his condition and that of his mares, the yearlings and Iya. I’m leaving the end of the week for vacation, so it will be a month of weekends before I see him again, and that’s hoping I see him when I go back out after I get back! I don’t worry too much when I don’t see the pintos or the southside boys, but it surely helps my soul to see my favorite boy regularly and know he’s OK.

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Categories : Bones, Molly, Poco, Roach, Roja, Seven

Well …

20 07 2008

Somebody's pregnant ...

… I think? Our girl’s still holding on. Here’s something weird for ya: Today is 11 months to the day from the first day of the roundup last year. Alpha was gathered Aug. 21. Even if she’s not pregnant, the basin is never a bad place to spend the weekend (unless it rains and the road turns to slime).

Luna, the buckskin butterball in the photo above, has a filly that’s 3 months old now. She should be pregnant for next year.

Most of the ponies look really good. Jif still seems thin; I wouldn’t say she’s 100 percent sound. Molly’s also thin as an older mama nursing a baby, but she’s doing OK. I didn’t see Seven and the girls this weekend except from a distance. I had the good fortune to come across Poco, Bones and Roach both days, and despite her weird hip, she has filled out and looks pretty good.

Bones

She’s really a cutie, but it’s hard to get a flattering photo of her.

Poco and Bones

Here she’s looking better. Both times I saw the band, Bones was closer to Roach than to Poco, but Poco is definitely the leader of the pack.

Poco

That prominent outcropping in the background can be seen from almost everywhere in the basin. I’ve never been sure if that’s McKenna Peak or if another, sort of flat-topped “peak” nearby is McKenna. I probably ought to look at a map sometime – who needs a map when you know where you’re going or how to get where you want to go on the wild pony super-highways? McKenna Peak also lends its name to the wilderness study area that fills the southernmost end of the herd area. Poco got rid of most of his spines, it looks like – most importantly, the one right below his eye.

Roach

I love this guy. He just never gets ruffled. I’m always happy to spot his copper coat against the sage green of some distant hill.

Sundance

Mr. Sundance, just off the road between the two intersections. The ponies were easier to find this weekend and were in the same general area both days. Sundance and Butch look very similar with just subtle differences. The dapples are a dead give-away that identify this rose-grey boy as Sundance.

Steeldust and Ember

Daddy’s little girl – Steeldust and Ember. Steeldust is a pretty good band sire. Even though he’s had to be constantly vigilant since April or so, when the bachelors started hanging around, he seems to take it all in stride. He doesn’t hound his mares, but he’s quick to discourage a bachelor that may get too close to his girls.

Peek-a-boo

Pinon, down for a nap, seen through Mouse’s legs. Mouse was waiting his turn at a water seep (being hogged by Butch, Sundance and Luna), and I sneaked this photo from just off the road.

Say cheese!

Family is the most important thing to wild horses. Sure, they have their disagreements – when Luna thought Butch and Sundance had had enough from the seep, she pawed at them to move them along – but what I love the most is that the youngsters – yearlings Baylee and Kestrel and babies Ember and Pinon – are as comfortable with any horse in the band as with their own mothers.

Grey/Traveler and his band are roaming around his old home territory, and they seem to keep the water catchment at the center of their wanderings. Bounce and Alegre were elusive Saturday, but they were out in the open today back in the east. The pintos were down in the meadow by the county road near dark, and at least a couple of the bachelors – Ty and Mesa? – were nearby.

No rain yesterday, but it was crazy-windy last night. Lightning flashed sporadically to the west and south, but nary a drop of rain did we receive in the basin. Today, I stood in the sunshine while random drops of rain fell from a huge dark cloud directly above us! By around 2, the clouds were building, and I judged it might be time to head out. I was going to go the back way – to the Dolores-Norwood Road to Dolores – but it looked pretty wicked that way, so I went the highway instead. I mention this because as I was driving up the switchbacks from Slickrock and the Dolores River canyon, I looked back toward the basin. In the middle of a vast purple curtain of rain, a giant spotlight beamed through the clouds – right onto my beloved Spring Creek Basin. God must love the wild ones as much as I do. As if I needed such a blatant sign.

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Categories : Alpha, Bones, Grey, Poco, Roach, Seven, Steeldust

April flowers

6 04 2008

The first sign of spring has come to the basin in the form of these tiny flowers, a kind of phlox, I think. It’s not quite green yet, but these flowers are a hopeful sign of a fresh season. Babies can’t be far behind.

There aren’t any new foals yet, but it’s only a matter of weeks now. The first horses I saw were those in Steeldust’s band, just on the north side of the hill called Flat Top. Driving on the little road toward that hill, I thought I saw Grey/Traveler or Houdini and the foals – just their backs over a hill. But just before I parked to walk toward Steeldust’s band, I got a bad scare: Grey – definitely – and alone. But not to fear; before I could freak out too much, there popped up Two Boots … then Houdini … then Twister. Whew!

The mystery horses turned out to be Seven, Molly and Roja. That’s not the first time I’ve made that mistake from afar and looking at just their backs.

But then I worried again because Grey was moving his family right toward Steeldust’s. I followed the road around until I was actually on the side of Flat Top, where I could watch without interfering – although goodness knows I wanted to run out there between them!

$Grey watching Steeldust\'s band$

That’s Houdini in the foreground, watching me as I walked the road, and Grey/Traveler watching the other horses. At left (in front of Grey) from front to back are Baylee, one of the rose grey stallions and Steeldust; in the center are Alpha and Piedra; the dun in the back is Hollywood, still tagging along with Steeldust but now causing some stress; and the bay mare, Baylee’s dam and, I believe, that rose-grey stud’s dam.

Houdini wanted no part of the gathering and stood apart the whole time, but the foals were curious, and they crowded behind Grey as he watched the other horses. Here, he had turned around with this sweet expression. A moment later, he was striking at them, and immediately after they backed off, he rubbed his face on Two Boots’ side as if to apologize.

Steeldust was much more interested in what Hollywood was doing than he was in Grey’s open challenge. I had observed Hollywood with Steeldust as a mutually beneficial arrangement, but the two seem to be harrying each other now – another sign of the season, I suppose.

Grey finally had enough of waiting, I guess, and he lunged right into the group of horses in Steeldust’s band. Calmly watching in the background is Alpha, who until sometime last spring was Grey’s favorite mare. (She was gathered with a different stallion and was one of the lucky ones released.)

That broke the spell, and the bands split. Two Boots made a rebellious dash toward the other band, but Grey chased after her and turned her back. Based on about how old I think Two Boots was last spring when I first saw her, I think Houdini is two weeks or less away from foaling.

The Bachelor 6 are 7 again; Kreacher has joined them. I saw them to the west as I approached the first intersection. The last time I saw Kreacher, he was south of Round Top with, at least, Corazon, who has been with Cinch, David, the muley bay, Ty and Mesa. Dunno how he ended up in the north with the B7, but I’m glad he has company.

It was deja vu with this merry band again. They were just west of the south loop road (which angles toward the southeast), and this was as close as I got to them before they trotted down the road toward Round Top. Roja was in the lead, looking pretty sprightly for a mare I thought was pregnant. I happened to see her later from straight on … She doesn’t look very pregnant. It wouldn’t be the only pregnancy-related surprise of the day.

I spotted Roach, Poco and Bones northeast of that road, on the other side of the ridge that it follows before it swings north. They were grazing in the company of some mule deer. I hadn’t seen Bounce yet, and I admit that I still hope to find Slate, so I parked by the second arroyo after the split to Round Top and walked up the road. I saw Roach and Co. from the east again, but I never saw Bounce and Alegre – until I drove back toward the dugout intersection. They were northeast of the road just on the east side of the arroyo – Spring Creek, I think that is? I missed them on my drive out. Bounce has been hanging out in that area for quite awhile now, and I’ve wondered, if Slate is dead, if she died somewhere around there. So I parked and walked out.

They saw me from the moment I saw them, from the Jeep from the road. And I walked out across the hill and down to a bench of land just above the west side of the arroyo in plain view. I kept expecting them to walk away, so I took my time looking for anything that might have been Slate. I took the pictures of the phlox during that little walk. But Bounce just stood where he was. Except for turning once when he saw something behind him (not Alegre), then turning back to face me, he never moved except to eventually cock a hip and settle into trying to ignore me.

Maybe the arroyo, which is wide but shallow there, was enough of a barrier that he thought he was quite safe. I didn’t betray his confidence; I stayed on my side. I did move back and forth to get a composition with Alegre in the background, then I walked back up the hill.

Where on Earth is Slate? I wish I knew. I want her to show up with a phantom stallion, one I haven’t yet documented. Walking, I went far into the northeast, but I didn’t see signs that couldn’t have been made by Bounce and Alegre or Roach, Bones and Poco. The longer it goes without seeing Slate, the more sure I am that something happened.

On my way out, I came over a little rise and ta-da, there was Steeldust’s band again. I parked and got out, stood at the back of the Jeep and hit the shutter button. They were moving in the direction I had just come from, grazing as they went. They were so close! And totally ignored me. They crossed the road behind me, and I thought I was the cause of them moving, so I almost left. Then I realized, even more than earlier, that it was the stallions, Steeldust and Hollywood. Hollywood was chasing Jif, and Steeldust was chasing Hollywood. After they crossed the road, they came back toward me, making sort of a U around me. The stallions chased and danced, and always Jif seemed to be in the middle of things. I stood right by the Jeep and just tried to find nice compositions through the lens.

Steeldust trying to stay between his band and Hollywood with little Jif right by Hollywood. Notice the scars on both stallions. They’ve been playing hard.

I think our little Piedra is going to be a mama! She doesn’t look very pregnant, does she? But look at that udder.

This is one of my favorite photos of the day, taken during that last encounter. That’s Luna in the lead, with Kestrel beside her followed by one of the rose-grey studs. The bay mare is on the other side of Luna.

I wanted to add a little bit about the rose-grey studs. Based on conformation and behavior, I think the rose-grey stud in this photo is the bay mare’s 2-year-old colt. I’ve started to think the other rose-grey is Luna’s 2-year-old colt. Now, I could be totally wrong, of course; I will admit that it’s weird that a bay mare and a buckskin mare both threw rose-grey colts (they may have been born sorrel) in the same year. And last year, they threw fillies the same color as themselves. The rose-grey in this photo – with the darker shading around his muzzle and the coarser head – looks a lot like the bay mare, and I’ve seen them frequently grazing together. The other colt is a bit more independent, but when I saw him grazing that day with Luna, their similarities struck me. That colt has a bit more refinement (I thought he was a mare at first!) and nicer conformation.

It has been busy these past weeks, and going out to the basin has become my refuge. Wild horses, outside, are indeed very good for the inside of this woman.

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Categories : Alpha, April, Bachelor 7, Bones, Bounce, Grey, Hollywood, Houdini, Kreacher, Poco, Roach, Seven, Steeldust

Slate is MIA – Saturday, March 22, 2008

26 03 2008

Despite everything I said in the previous post about it being a glorious weekend – and it was – I do have to report a puzzling mystery (is there any other kind?) regarding Slate, the grulla mare.

I saw Bounce and Alegre both Saturday and Sunday, and Slate still is not with them. I saw Grey, Houdini and the foals; Steeldust’s band – still with Hollywood and Jif tagging along; the Bachelor 6; Seven, still with Roja and Molly; Roach, Poco and Bones; and Kreacher. And that was all Saturday. Slate was nowhere to be found.

Sunday, I saw all the above-mentioned horses except Roach’s and Seven’s – in addition to Bruiser and family (still with Shadow) and Kreacher tagging along after the “southside boys” – Corazon, etc. Slate was nowhere to be found.

I am assuming the worst, and her loss is really painful to me because she was fairly young (about 10), she was pregnant, and I recently found out she was introduced as a young mare from the Sand Wash Basin herd in 2001 to enhance our herd’s genetics. She also was a nicely built mare, and based on photos from Barb Headley, she threw nice colts. Barb and I think Hollywood may be her son. Until or unless we find her body, we won’t know for sure, but where on Earth is she?? The last time I saw her was Dec. 29, 2007, with Bounce and Alegre.

The first horse I saw Saturday morning was Kreacher, by himself on “bachelor ridge,” which is across the low area southeast of the water catchment. Too far for photos.

Then I saw some of the Bachelor 6. They all came into view when I turned southeast at the first intersection – along with Steeldust’s band, with Hollywood still hanging out nearby. It was late enough that the light was pretty harsh, so I stayed west of them, parked up on the road, and walked out to the edge of the hill – the topography drops down from the road. They were pretty tolerant of me, especially Alpha and Luna. They knew I was there because I was on top of the hill, and my scent should have been blowing right to them. My experience during the past few years is that Alpha is just about the most protective mama I’ve ever seen, so her tolerance may wane considerably in the next month or so (she should go until early May – if she’s pregnant).

She does seem thick in the middle, but she’s nowhere near as huge as I’ve seen her in the past. Doesn’t she have the prettiest face? In this photo, too, finally, you can see the DG brand on her hip. She got it last August before she was released – after the got the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive. Well, I say you can see the brand, but at this size, maybe it’s still a little hard to see.

Look at these two cuties! About to celebrate their first birthdays, that’s Kestrel at left and Baylee at right. Baylee is definitely a filly; I think Kestrel also is a filly. Luna is Kestrel’s dam, and the bay mare is Baylee’s dam. Here I was sitting on the edge of the hill; that blur at right is vegetation, in the way as I was shooting down at them. I wish I could identify all the plants out there.

Gorgeous girl Luna. Coupla weeks for her? I found out recently that Luna was introduced in 2001 – with Slate and a dun mare. I guessed her at about 10, and if she was 2 or 3 when she was released, that would make her 8 or 9. Not bad, eh?

Miss Piedra. I’m starting to wonder if she’s pregnant – or just eating well this spring? Like Alpha, she looks a bit thick through the middle … and that got me to wondering about where she came from. I was assuming she’s Steeldust’s daughter, but what if she’s not?

Hollywood, left, and Jif.

I just love this guy, and I love thinking he’s Slate’s son. He’s been busy this spring, defending Jif, eh?

Kestrel, kicking up her heels as the band went across the road east of my little hill. Spring is in the air!

Twenty-two thousand acres, and the ponies think they all have to hang out in the same area. In the bottom corner are Bounce, right, and Alegre, and at the top of the photo are the Bachelor 6. At far left are actually two of them. When I took this, Grey/Traveler, Houdini and the foals were just a tiny bit to the southeast (right, out of the frame), and Steeldust’s big group was back up to the northwest, just east of the first intersection.

Just past the fork in the road where you go right to Round Top or left to go up into the northeast and around to the north T intersection, going all the way around, you come pretty quickly to a shallow arroyo. It’s still wet enough that I’m still nervous about driving through it. If I get stuck, I’m pretty well, well, stuck. So I’ve been parking there and walking. A couple of weeks ago, I found Bounce and Alegre and Roach, Poco and Bones on the other side of that ridge. Saturday, Seven, Molly and Roja were south of the ridge near that water hole. The light was pretty harsh from the road looking down on them, so I kept on. I wanted to find Roach and Co. to see if, possibly, Slate was with them. She wasn’t, but they were, predictably, by what seems to be their favorite water hole. There are two, but one is already dry (mud), and the other is kinda stinky, small and shallow. In the photo above, Poco is circling Bones to keep her from leaving. Strange behavior, and I can’t quite explain it other than Roach was standing a bit closer to me and to the right as I took that photo. He’s probably the horse most unconcerned about me in the entire basin, and I don’t know if that’s just his personality or, possibly, because he might have prior experience with we two-leggeds.

He ain’t scairt. I may already have written this in a previous post, but when I first saw him, as a brazen youngster in May 2004, his forelock and mane were perfectly roached (hence, his name). Now, call me crazy, but I’ve never found a barber in the basin, if you know what I mean.

Even though Bones would stand for a few minutes, she’d then start to walk away. Poco would lay back his ears and circle her – to keep her close to Roach? It’s also my theory that Roach is a lieutenant stallion to Poco. They were together back in 2004. For some of us, that’s a rather long-term relationship!

Another handsome boy – Seven still has Molly and Roja. I was told recently that Molly was aged at older than 20 at the gather. She got the PZP, but maybe it doesn’t matter for her anymore? She came through the winter thin but otherwise looks fine. Molly looks pregnant and in good condition. The pic was taken from the road, on a ridge.

The sun was dropping as I headed out from the arroyo. Grey and his little family had crossed the big arroyo that runs along the east side of the road there and were heading up the hill toward the road. Thinking they might be sort of making their way toward the water hole by Flat Top, I drove past them, then stopped and waited to see if they’d come up to where I could photograph them. They grazed around then ended up disappearing behind a hill or ridge, so I called it a day.

Sometimes I just watch the horses from the Jeep/road, and sometimes I park and walk. My reasons vary, and sometimes I don’t really have a reason other than not wanting to bother them or wanting to get a closer look. I was thinking about that Saturday. By now, I have most of what I need for identification photos (although I could probably use some better photos of the southside boys), so it’s mostly a matter of good light, photogenic backgrounds, things like that, if I decide to get closer. The new foals will require photos, but we’re starting to get to critical timing, and I don’t plan to or expect to get close enough for good ID photos for at least a couple of months. I can’t wait to see them – even from afar!

Last one:

When I was taking pix of Grey and Houdini, I put my 1.4x extender on my camera with my 100-400 mm lens. With the 1.6x magnification of my digital camera, it gives me effectively an 896 mm lens. The problem is that it makes my auto-focus lens a manual-focus lens. As a relative newcomer to photography, I still count my blessings for auto focus. I have pretty good eyes, but I haven’t had much luck trying to manual focus on wildlife. The hawk flew by while I was photographing Grey, and they must have been about the same distance away, because I just aimed and shot, and the hawk is fairly well in focus! Ha! I’m not sure it would have been as sharp if I had been trying to track it with my auto focus.

We find all kinds of treasures in the basin.

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Categories : Alpha, Bachelor 7, Bones, Bounce, Grey, Hollywood, March, Poco, Roach, Seven, Steeldust

Bones lives – March 7, 2008

8 03 2008

Bones, the little grey mare with Roach and Poco who was so skinny last fall, has made it through the winter! And maybe it’s just her winter coat, but she looks like she may have gained some weight. She’s still thin, but I don’t think she’s quite as skinny.

Today was a gorgeous day in Spring Creek Basin: sunny and, well, not as cold as last Sunday! I had the good fortune to confirm sightings of everyone but Kreacher, Molly and Roja, the pinto family Bruiser, Chipeta, Kiowa and Reya, and the grulla mare Slate.

I saw the Bachelor 7 napping on a ridge as I drove in – minus Grey (Traveler). Then I found him, grazing by himself just down from the ridge in a little valley. The roads are in pretty good shape after last weekend’s snowfall, and I made it through the two arroyos before the first road split and, a little later, through the two heading down the south loop road.

From a distance, I saw Hollywood and Jif with Steeldust’s band. Seven, Houdini, Two Boots and Twister were a little farther away. I saw Hollywood, Jif and Steeldust again throughout the day, but I saw only Seven again later.

Finding Bones alive was the biggest news of the day, but guess what else I found out? “Rosa,” in Steeldust’s band, is a boy. At first I thought I must have confused her with the rose-grey stallion – they look very similar – but nope. They’re both young stallions! In the photo above, they’re second and third from left. Steeldust is very tolerant, I guess.

Luna, the buckskin mare, still looks very pregnant, but the bay mare doesn’t look as pregnant as I thought last fall, and I just can’t tell about Alpha. We’ll see!

I had a rare sighting of the pinto bachelors Corazon and Cinch with Ty and Mesa. Mesa and Cinch were play fighting when I first saw them, but once they saw me, they were perfectly behaved. Just like little boys in the presence of an adult! They were hanging out by a water hole north of Round Top.

From left: Mesa, Ty, Cinch and Corazon.

The boys trotted away across an arroyo, but they returned to the water hole.

I went from watching them to the top of Round Top, my first time to the top! On the way up (the east side), I saw David and the muley bay bachelor napping under a tree just on the very south side. Three elk were heading up to the top. They disappeared, and I never saw them again. On the north side of the top of Round Top, I spied on the four bachelors … and was ecstatic to spy Bounce and one of his mares … and Roach, Bones and Poco! The horse with Bounce looked like Alegre from one spot but like Slate from another spot. I couldn’t spot a third horse. Bones and Poco were lying down with Roach on guard when I first saw them, so I was unsure of her status – until they stood up! Wow! As skinny as she was in November, I really wasn’t expecting to see her this spring. The five horses were fairly close to each other, on the northeast side of a ridge blocking them from the view of the bachelors.

Over on the south side of Round Top, I saw four horses that I thought at the time were Grey, Chrome and two of the other Bachelor 7. But I saw just their heads and the tops of their backs, and they disappeared behind a ridge before I could get my backpack off and my camera out.

I went down the same way I went up and drove around to the arroyo past the intersection with the loop road. It was wide and muddy, and water was running, so I decided to park and walk. When I found Bounce, etc., I walked down to a hill across a wide, shallow arroyo from them and sat down to watch. The horse with Bounce turned out to be Alegre, and I thought some patience might produce Slate.

But it didn’t.

Alegre, left, and Bounce.

I hope she was off having her foal. I didn’t see her with any other bands.

Roach, Bones and Poco.

I headed out after I saw those five horses. I saw Steeldust’s band again – with Hollywood and Jif still tagging along.

Almost out, I saw three more elk … and the Bachelor 7. But they were north of the water catchment. They could have gotten from south of Round Top to north of the catchment in the time I was hanging out watching Bounce and the others, but it just doesn’t jive.

However, I saw my beloved boy Grey. Couldn’t have asked for a better end to the day.