Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Because I’m putting together this ID booklet for BLM for the roundup, I’m more conscious of the kinds of photos I need. Early in my documentation project, I worried less about “pretty” pictures and more about photos that showed – from the side as much as possible – the full horse, including legs. Even among the sparse vegetation of the basin, it’s sometimes difficult to show some of the lower leg markings.

As time went on, my focus has shifted to wanting to show the relationships between the horses – their behaviors.

Now that I’m thinking about “conformation” shots again, I’ve realized how difficult it is! I was joking to Chipeta and Puzzle (I talk to them – habit): “All right, step forward, please, into the open, careful the background, and turn just so …” You’ll be just as stunned as I was that I was not obeyed upon the instant. 🙂

At least in some cases I have no trouble whatsoever getting four pairs of ears at attention!

David at left, his yearling son, Wind, then mama Shadow and baby Coal.

You can plainly see Wind’s left hind sock – you can’t see his right hind pastern. You may or may not see Coal’s teeny star – it could be mistaken for a bit of glare on his shiny handsome face. And how many legs of David’s have white? Not only does he have the right hind sock, he has a left front fetlock and left hind pastern.

I walked back down and over to visit them after I left Ty’s (they were not that close and not within sight of each other). Mama Shadow was first to see me, but she went back to grazing. I got within an arroyo of them and sat down on the long “hump” (not tall enough to be called a ridge, it’s just where the land humps up between arroyos or “washes” that have eroded down from a much bigger ridge that actually marks the edge of a long sloping hill). They continued grazing for a little while, then some unseen/unheard signal called everybody to mama – they stood like that for a few moments, then turned and walked over the next “hump.” I like to be the one to walk away and leave them alone, but sometimes, they’ve had enough of me before I’ve had enough of them. 🙂

It was hot enough to feel like July in the basin this week. Many horses were close to the roads, and I took advantage of the Jeep’s shade. In fact, I waited for about an hour when I first arrived for Boreas, Rio and Two Boots to give up their claim to a certain stretch of road by Filly Peak. Chrome, Jif and Hayden were up on the flanks of Filly Peak, browsing among the boulders. When Boreas laid down, Rio dutifully stood guard over little brother, just like Whisper has been watching over little sister Aurora. I can’t tell you how much I love watching that kind of simple, beautiful interaction between siblings.

But before I saw them, I saw these seldom-seen ponies:

David’s family! I was looking deep into the herd area from the Disappointment Road, looking for tell-tale spots (that hold my heart) and was a little startled to see these guys so close – just inside the fence across a deep arroyo.

Sweet little Coal. I didn’t even step into the basin to take these photos – just took ’em right from the fence while the horses grazed without a care in the world. Love the rich bays and deep blacks of these ponies.

As an aside, when that wind quits blowing (the wind quits blowing??), the gnats are now out in force. I just had a conversation about this with a friend … I do use bug spray – and haven’t found it very effective – but the thing I’ve found that works best by far is a simple net over my head. Friends have nets that incorporate a thin, flexible metal band that keeps the net held out a bit from your head. I couldn’t find one like that, so mine just drapes. The visor I always wear keeps it away from my face, but it can get a little stifling when the wind does pause for a bit, and it makes your view darker, of course. But it’s better than being driven insane or devoured! It doesn’t help with the biting flies that go for any exposed skin, but the gnats seem to like faces. If you spend a lot of time out-a-doors, I’d heartily recommend the small investment.

These ponies shun human contact, and I don’t often see them. It was the fact that I saw them from a distance that I went walking out and found Kiowa’s band and her new little one. Had a brief visit with these guys, just enough to check that everyone was fine, then left them alone.

The only reason I wasn’t freaking out at this point was that I had seen all four before I went out to the pintos, so I knew Coal must have been napping nearby. What did surprise me was how close both David and Shadow allowed me to get with baby napping. Then they stood there for a while, and I DID start to wonder … I thought Shadow would have roused baby right away. That she didn’t … maybe I’m growing on her. 🙂

And then he got up, stretched and walked over to big brother Wind and mama for a snack … Totally cool, this little mister, not a care in the wide world.

And there’s the family! Dark and handsome!

Most of the horses are now in the interior part of the basin that is accessible by roads. W, those pintos’ ears must have been burning when we were talking about them because even they are “up”! I couldn’t believe my eyes (or my binoculars) when I saw them on the north side of Flat Top … and when they advanced all the way to Knife Edge? Wow! Looking for water? Adventure? In any case, they are very visible. The three mares – mama Kiowa and her daughters Reya and Spook – are all pregnant (and no, the fillies aren’t pregnant by their sire(s), who was (were) likely removed during the 2007 roundup) – though they and their mama are pregnant by (likely) the same stallion: band stallion Copper).

So just David and his family remain in the McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area part of the basin – the area NOT accessible by roads. And the horseback group in Saturday’s count spotted them! They were the only horses I didn’t see, so between us all (and other folks who drove in saw more horses), we saw all the horses!

I thought I’d go back and tweak some more pix from the last time I saw Coal, Shadow’s and David’s new son – which was also the first time I saw him! He’s about two weeks old in these photos, taken about 2.5 weeks ago. I guess I need to go see them again!

David. Isn’t he striking? And though you can’t see it in any of these images, three of his legs also are touched by white.

David and his yearling son, Wind. You can’t see his legs, either, but he has a hind sock.

Early in the visit … Mama and baby and daddy …

Mama Shadow and baby Coal. He’s coal black – 🙂 – with just a little bitty star. Shadow is one of the wariest mamas in the basin, but after she seemed OK with me just standing there, she grazed very calmly while I was with them.

Shadow was orphaned during her first winter when her elder mama, Ceal, died. Shadow went back to the pintos, with whom she and Ceal had spent some time that fall, and David stole her away the next year when the Southside Boys bachelor band drove Bruiser away. She and David have been together ever since!

Handsome guy

Daddy and his big boy …

Mama and her boys. 🙂

All together. As wary as Shadow usually is, I had a really nice, lovely visit with them … and got very few images of her actually looking at me. I really don’t mind that at all. Wind always used to nurse like that, too – between her hind legs. I saw him nurse like that more often than I saw him nurse from her side. Funny how Coal does the same.

And one more of David, who WAS ever-watchful!