Grey | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Baby pictures – Sunday, April 20, 2008

22 04 2008

Luna and her baby.

Steeldust had his band way up on the north hills Sunday. I hadn’t seen horses in that area since I started the project last fall, but I talked to a rancher who was trying to gather a few errant cattle, and he said he had been seeing horses in that area all spring. Grey/Traveler had his family on the north side of what I call the “finger hills,” just northeast of the dugout intersection. He moved them there while I was talking to a couple named Roy and Sue, who were out looking at the horses. Roy said he grew up in the Disappointment, and when they were kids, he and his brother used to ride out with the wild horses. Now he and Sue go out every spring to see the horses.

Houdini is still pregnant as of Sunday, but I fully expect her to have her foal this week!

Grey looking back at his band. He is traditionally a good daddy; he’s been good with Two Boots and Twister, and I have no doubt he’ll take care of Houdini’s foal like it’s his own. I hope he’ll be a sire again in the future.

$Luna\'s filly nursing$

Filmmaker James Kleinert came out to the basin Sunday – good timing. I took him across the hill close to where Steeldust’s band was grazing. I wanted us to be in full view of the horses so they could determine the distance between us. There were still some trees between us in places, but the light was gorgeous, and the horses gave us the gift of allowing us to stand and watch them for several long minutes.

We ended up fairly close but a couple of gullies away, and the horses gave us the remarkable gift of quietly browsing up the hill. They moseyed on, and we moseyed away.

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Categories : April, Grey, Houdini, Luna, Steeldust

Not yet!

14 04 2008

It’s spring in the wild places, and that means babies. The title of this post says it all for Spring Creek Basin, but I encourage you to visit the Pryor Mountains and Little Book Cliffs blogs to read about the new arrivals there. We’re close – really close, I think. If I was a gambler, I’d put money on Houdini and Luna to have the first foals in the basin this spring, and I’d guesstimate due dates at sometime this week?!

Look at big-belly girl Luna!

It was late afternoon Friday before I got out there, and the snow we got in Dolores and Mancos earlier in the week was evident in the basin. The first arroyo looked pretty soft, so I parked above it and did a big loop hike.

Four of the Bachelor 7 were way up above Spring Creek Canyon. Four gentlemen in a couple of pickup trucks were watching them when I got there. I was glad to meet them; I’d have missed the horses up there, where I’ve never seen horses before. Two of the B7 were tagging along after Steeldust’s band, so one was AWOL or with the four and we just didn’t see him.

Hiking on the south loop road (going southeast from the first intersection), I passed Steeldust’s family – still with Hollywood and Jif – and almost cut across to head back to the Jeep toward them. But thank goodness for binoculars. I saw Grey/Traveler, still with his little family, Molly and Roja up on the northwest flank of Round Top (didn’t see Seven at first, but he was there somewhere), and Bounce and Alegre, all farther east. So I walked the road almost to Round Top to get a closer look at the mares.

$Seven\'s band$

I ADORE this scene. Not the *photo* exactly, but exactly what’s going on inside the four sides of the frame. Molly was gathered last August and released, and after the roundup, when I started my documentation project, I found her with Roja – the sorrel mare there – and Kreacher – now a bachelor – neither of which were gathered. I found out recently that Molly was aged at “older than 20.” I’ve noticed in the past that she seems protective of Roja, always standing between me and her. I wonder what horses she was with before the gather. In this scene, in my opinion, she’s showing her vulnerability. It was a moment that didn’t last long, but it seals even more the beauty of these social wild horses.

The snow was still in patches, but the bare ground was pretty gooey. We needed the moisture; I think it had been close to a month since we’d had snow. There’s just the barest hint of green in places, and some more close-to-the-ground flowers are starting to open.

I cut off the road southwestish between Bounce and Alegre and Seven’s family. Roja looks only a little thicker in the middle than Piedra, but she also is developing an udder, and Alegre looks pregnant. I went south of Grey and Houdini, close enough to see through the binoculars that she’s still pregnant, and hit the old “road” on the north side of Flat Top. It isn’t a “road” I’d recommend actually driving on past a certain point (as you’re going east), but it used to be some kind of driving surface. From my walking direction – east to west – it curves around the west side of Flat Top and gets better just before it goes past a faint intersection. At that intersection, if you go north, there’s a little water hole just down to the east real quick after the split. From the intersection, either way you go will take you to the main road through the herd area. I’m really describing this all backward, but that’s just the way I was walking.

Just east of that intersection is where I found Steeldust, with Hollywood and Jif still tagging along, and new that day, Chrome and Comanche. On Saturday, I’d get a lesson in just how far those bachelors travel and how disloyal (ha!) they are to each other, when the four I’d seen above the canyon ended up northwest of Flat Top – with Chrome – and Comanche was still tagging after Steeldust’s band, but with Mouse this time!

The taggers-on. From left, Hollywood, Jif, Comanche and Chrome. You can see the road between Chrome and Comanche. In the near background is Spring Creek Canyon, and in the far background, the La Sal Mountains in Utah. At the top of the cliff and to the east a bit are where the four bachelors were Friday afternoon. There’s a boundary fence up there – the northwestish boundary.

The horses were moving toward me as I walked west on the road, and my shoes were already muddy, so I tried to give them a lot of room by staying toward where the “edge” of the road drops off toward the southwest. I finally stopped and watched them and took pictures as they passed by to the northeast, heading east.

A slightly different angle of Steeldust’s band, taken as I was walking around Flat Top.

Luna is definitely heavy-pregnant. Alpha usually foals late (May), and she’s starting to actually look pregnant. I’m pretty sure the bay mare, Mahogany, is pregnant, but neither she nor Piedra are very obvious about it.

I caught a pic of the two young rose-grey stallions together. I decided to name them Butch and Sundance, after two notorious outlaws whose names you might recognize, who were rumored to have hidden out in the Disappointment from time to time.

Butch, left, and Sundance. I think this photo shows both their similarities and their differences – if I can be any more cryptic!

The snow was coming in waves over the line of ridges and hills to the north and northeast while I was there late in the afternoon, but the sun did peek through the clouds a little toward the very end of the day. The wind was whipping, and it had a mighty bite to it, but by Sunday, temperatures were in the mid-60s with nary a cloud in the sky!

Chrome, left, and Comanche. Another sweet little moment, but by the next day, Chrome had ditched Comanche for the other bachelors, and Mouse had ditched them for Comanche’s company. Mouse and Comanche have a bit of the twin thing going on like Butch and Sundance; I’ll have a photo farther down of them.

That’s Hollywood in the center, earning his keep by chasing Chrome and Comanche, right, away from Steeldust’s band. In this frame, Chrome is getting ready to buck and kick, and in the next frame, he flashed Hollywood his heels! That’s Luna at left, and following her, out of the frame, are most of the rest of the band.

Curious George – I mean Kestrel! I wish Jif was more visible in the background. Hollywood is a most-attentive suitor.

Saturday, I hiked in first from the county road down south, looking for the pintos; it had been about three weeks since I had seen them last. More snow in the south (in the wilderness study area), which meant more mud. Impossible to avoid. I hiked two hours and looked in all the places in which I’d previously found them – nada. I was pretty disappointed because that’s the first time I’ve gone looking for them and have NOT found them.

On my way (driving) up to the main entrance then, I stopped at the corrals and met some folks – Tom and Amanda – camped there with their mustangs, Sunny and Albert (correct me if I heard those names wrong!), and three dogs. They couldn’t have picked a better weekend, weather-wise. After the snow blew itself out Friday, the weekend was absolutely glorious. It was great to hear about their experiences in the basin with the horses, and I can’t wait to hear more.

In the basin from the main entrance, I parked again and did another hike – four hours this time and opposite loop direction – in the same basic area as Friday evening.

Saw Duke, Aspen, Chrome, Hook and Kreacher of the B7, then Grey/Traveler, Houdini and the foals (Two Boots is about to “celebrate” her first birthday!), and Steeldust’s band with Hollywood and Jif and Comanche and Mouse. Farther to the east, still near Round Top, were Seven, Molly and Roja. I got some nice photos of the horses with Steeldust with the La Sals in the background.

$Steeldust\'s band$

One big happy family! That’s Steeldust’s band – try getting 22 ears up all at the same time! Ha! From left: Luna, Mahogany (behind Luna), Baylee, Piedra, Kestrel (barely), Butch, Jif and Hollywood (background), Alpha, Sundance and Steeldust.

Mouse with the sweet face. I was walking away from the band on the other side of a low hill, and Mouse and Comanche were curious enough to come for a closer look. Half a second after I took this picture, he’d had his look and whirled around and was gone.

$Mouse and Comanche and Steeldust\'s band$

When he spun around, that started the band moving. Who’s who? This photo was taken just a few minutes after the above photo of Mouse. That’s Mouse at left and Comanche at right.

On my way back west, I followed a big arroyo and passed by the bachelors again.

Duke, left, and Hook. I named Hook for a perceived upswing of his little snip, but it’s not very clear in this photo, is it?

This is getting fun. Can you tell the greys apart in this group of four of the Bachelor 7? Duke is slightly apart from these boys to the right, out of the picture. From right this time: Hook, Aspen and …? Kreacher and Chrome! Chrome is slightly lighter, and he’s shedding in a rather raggedy way (is that a word? Raggedy Andy, anyone?). They both have wide blazes, but Chrome has four stockings, and Kreacher has right front and left hind socks.

I took just a few photos of the boys and moved on. The first time I looked back – I always like to look back – they had already gone back to grazing.

Hiking in the north was quite a bit more dry than the south, and it had dried out more even from Friday. The arroyo was pretty soft in the bottom, but it was easier to walk through it than having to cross it multiple times, so I mainly did that until I came to Grey/Traveler and his family. I walked up out of the arroyo on the side away from them. I’ve been amazed lately at the strange places in which I’ve found ATV tracks. The most disturbing I’ve seen was there: tracks in the bottom of the arroyo … and straight up a straight-up arroyo wall?! Or down? I really don’t want to rant, but why on Earth do some people feel the need to test gravity – and destroy part of the Earth in the process?!

The little family grazed their way up away from the arroyo, moving slowly along, and I decided to try to hang out with them for a little while. So I crossed the arroyo and went up the hill west of them, taking care to stay far enough away that I was confident I wasn’t making them move. I even found a dry spot to sit for a while and watch them. I had been thinking earlier how lucky I was to be out hiking in this wonderful wild place, mostly moving, not staying too long near any one group, long enough to take pix but not long enough to cause them stress. Sitting there for 10 or 15 minutes, unmoving, just watching and taking photos, was something just a little different. Wonderfully satisfying.

Houdini was the most watchful; she kept popping up from behind a little “hill” to check on me as I sat or stood a little west of them. The foals tagged along, relaxed. They kept an eye on me, too, but I think they took their cue from the adults. For his part, Grey barely spared me a glance.

Handsome boy looking hale and hearty.

They grazed their way toward the loop road, and I moved along with them until we got to that point.

Two Boots, daughter of Houdini and, I think, the grey stallion I called Junior. Junior’s band was gathered; Houdini escaped. I first saw the grey mare with the black baby with a star and two socks on April 22. She was a week or less old then! So go ahead, have some cake, blow out a candle, wish Two Boots a happy first birthday, even if it is a little early!

My dad would call these youngsters compadres. Twister is rarely very far from his adopted big sister. While I watched them, I wondered about his wonky knee. Will he grow out of it? Is it something that will hinder him all his life? If he’s gathered in the future, he would not be a good candidate for release, but would he be a good candidate for adoption? I can’t help but wonder what the future holds for this brave, tough little guy.

When they reached the road, I left them to continue west and back around to where I’d left the Jeep. Looking back through the binoculars, I saw Seven, Molly and Roja again near Round Top, and, WAY out to the east and north of Round Top, Corazon and Cinch – the pinto bachelors – with a dark horse. They could be with Ty (black), Mesa (solid bay), David (mahogany bay) and the muley bay – or any combination thereof – and they were so far away, I could see their pinto patterns enough to identify them, but I couldn’t identify that dark horse. From the road as I walked, I kept looking back to see where Grey and Houdini were going, and I saw Bounce and Alegre out in that big open area northeast of the road.

Sunday morning, I parked at the southern point of the herd area and hiked in, following the fenceline north. It was still soft, and there were still patches of snow all around, but it dries so quickly out there. The herd area is about 22,000 acres, smallish as herd areas go, but it’s an amazingly diverse place. The south would be more commonly called pretty, with hills and dense little islands of pinon and juniper trees. Central in the herd area might be called “the big wide open,” riven with arroyos and hidey places – amazing topography in what at first glance looks featureless. The land slopes up again in the north, to Klondike Ridge and the impressive ridgeline of Spring Creek Canyon.

I highly recommend experiencing it all for yourself. 🙂

It smelled like Christmas, following the fence up from the south, walking through the trees, over the snow. Lots of deer and elk track, lots of OLD manure piles. That got me to thinking about the spread of horses in the area. No horses – that I’ve identified – in the far north, three in the northeast, five horses in the whole of the south, none in the west, and all the rest – 30ish horses? – in the big wide open. I was surprised but glad to see the bachelors up above Spring Creek Canyon on Friday, and I was surprised but glad to see Traveler and family slightly east of the trap site a few weeks ago, but most of the horses are fairly heavily concentrated in one main area. It makes them easy to find, but I’m hoping to see them spread out this spring as more browse becomes available for them to graze. Bruiser’s like the mob boss; he rules the south!

The fence is in pretty good shape, but I did stop in a few places and lift strands where they were sagging. There’s a big hill that the fence goes up and over – I don’t envy those fence-builders! I wasn’t going to follow it up and over, hoping instead to just wander around the hill, but then I hit pay dirt – a deer trail. I’m sure it was a deer trail because I’ve never seen mountain goats in the area!

I wrote earlier that I’ve been amazed at some of the places in which I’ve seen ATV tracks. Now’s the time to follow that up with appropriate amazement at some of the places in which I’ve seen pony tracks! I huffed and puffed my way up to the top of a teaser hill and discovered several old manure piles and tracks. It was from there that I spotted the faint trail the rest of the way to the top. Up I went, actually thinking, “No way a horse is going to use this trail,” when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a couple of dessicated little road apples! Right in the middle of the trail, halfway up the hill! My amazement grows.

From the top of that hill, Lone Cone stood out like a beacon way off to the east, and I took advantage of the altitude to scan the lowlands for horses.

Not too far down that hill along the fenceline – north – I found a spot that needs more help than I had tools to fix – note to any BLM readers. The top and bottom strands are both snapped. If you’ve ever fixed fence and NOT dropped a fence staple, my hat’s off to you. A huge pet peeve of mine is random strings of wire lying around waiting for an equine leg to come along, and just when I could have used a random string of wire lying around with which to splice the strands together, I was extraordinarily happy not to find any (although of course it means the strands are still disconnected). But I did find a staple! A make-shift rock-hammer, and at least I could get the top strand off the ground. No fresh horse tracks near there, but at least it’s a kinda sorta semi-barrier again.

The fence goes on up – and down – and eventually right into a cliff – a natural barrier. I’ve seen the horses before up on some little “finger hills” close to that cliff (in fact, the photo of them in the snow was taken there). I wandered around up there, looking out trying to spot them … and eventually, ta da, I was looking straight down on them. Well, not exactly straight. I stayed high and followed an even more faint deer/elk trail across the top part of the hill/cliff. Got to a nice little shale bench out of the wind and settled in for some lunch and pinto watching.

When I first saw them, it was Chipeta and Shadow I saw. When I got to my perch, I saw only Chipeta and Bruiser as they wandered away from the cliff from behind a hill that hid the rest of the horses. Maybe it’s the season, but Chipeta has gotten a little possessive of her man. Later, I watched her actually lay back her ears at Kiowa to move her away from him. Kiowa is the mature mare there!

They all eventually came out into the open, and I watched them through the binoculars. Kiowa is definitely pregnant; Chipeta? I won’t rule it out, but she still has her girlish figure (kinda like Piedra, go figure).

From bottom right, Kiowa, Reya, Shadow and Chipeta up to the left. Bruiser is out of sight beyond (actually below) Chipeta.

They were peaceful and quiet, and after I spent about 30-45 minutes watching them from afar, I decided to head back out to the road. With the binoculars, I saw the pinto bachelors again, again way up to the north, east-northeast of Round Top. Again, I saw just a glimpse of them, with at least another horse before they disappeared behind a hill or ridge. I also saw a grey horse I think was probably Seven; it looked like he had gone away from Molly and Roja toward some other horses – likely some of the Bachelor 7.

Ahh. This is a shot from my perch looking northwest. That’s Round Top in the middle distance and the La Sals again in the background. What wonderful, gloriously wild country!

On the way back, I looked up and saw the moon rising over that prominent peak that you can see from just about anywhere in the basin. Does it have a name?

If you’ve read this far, thanks for sticking with me through two and a half days and about 12-13 hours of hiking. We’ve seen at least 35 of the 41 wild and beautiful horses of Spring Creek Basin and bestowed some new names on familiar faces. Our appreciation of a wild and simple life has expanded even more. Our shoes are muddy, and our faces are a darker shade of tan. We’ve smelled Christmas and touched the moon. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not really ready for the constant drumbeat of civilization.

So I’ll see you again in a week!

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Categories : Alpha, Bachelor 7, Bounce, Grey, Hollywood, Houdini, 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

Spiritual renewal – March 24, 2008

25 03 2008

I spent the Easter weekend worshipping in the church of the great outdoors, surrounded by a few dozen of the most spiritual beings I know. And I know I keep saying (writing) this, but it was truly a magnificent weekend.

Saturday, I arrived in the basin around 11:30 a.m. and didn’t head out until about 7:30 p.m. The desert environment of the basin is, at first glance, a fairly uniform taupe color, dotted here and there with the green of pinon and juniper trees, and, of course and most interestingly, grey and bay and sorrel and buckskin and dun and pinto. But at sunrise and sunset, that dull taupe blooms into soft gold. It’s enough to make even the most devout athiest believe in a higher power.

Sunday, after two rewarding trips into the basin (north and south), I ended up on a hilltop in the golden light, surrounded by air and thousands of acres owned by you and me, the American public. How perfect was the world in those moments? In the hour before I arrived on that hill, I found the pintos and Shadow, still in the same area where I had seen them from the county road two and a half hours before I hiked in, and I saw Corazon, just on the edge of a hill, and Kreacher, down below, seeming to petition to be part of the gang.

The world moves on, and I had to get up and leave that perfect moment. Maybe I should be embarrassed by the riches I’ve found in the basin in recent months. I can’t possibly take it for granted. On a holy weekend, I feel blessed beyond belief.

This morning, up early, I found Grey and his family (I still can hardly believe THAT!) close to the first water hole just east of the herd area entrance. My beautiful boy, that golden light? My pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! I walked across a fairly barren flat (given that the cattle were in that particular area from December through February, I attribute the relative lack of vegetation to them) south of Grey, Houdini and the foals to get to a low, long mound east of them to take advantage of the light.

Irony is taking photos of him with the very canyon in the background that was the route to his capture last August.

Way down in that canyon was the route to the trap back in August.

Two Boots is growing. She ought to have her first birthday in another couple of weeks. In that light, she looked more tending to bayish, and I wonder if she’s going to fade into that brown-grey color like Piedra, Mouse and Comanche. Twister’s knee is still wonky – a birth defect or an injury that just won’t heal? I’d like to show some photos to a veterinarian friend and hear what she has to say. Houdini is carrying the next generation, and based on how old Two Boots was when I first saw her last spring, I’d say mama has another two to three weeks before she foals.

And Grey. The old man doesn’t seem to have lost any of his swagger, just to have gained some calm. He’s so worried about me he takes it as an excuse to snooze. Usually I delete pix when the horses’ eyes are closed (blinking), but I had so many of him with his eyes closed – literally snoozing – I had to keep one.

But the ears … the ears are always working. That’s Twister at right; you can see his wonky knee even from this angle.

After I took the pix of the horses with the cliff behind them, I was walking back across the flat (about as flat as any area I’ve come across out there) when Houdini and the foals walked into position behind Grey, creating a neat little “family” portrait.

From right, Grey/Traveler, Twister, Two Boots and Houdini.

And then, something amazing happened, something I’m still running through my mind: He started walking toward me. What to do? He wasn’t puffed up or blowing or snorting or acting alarmed. He wasn’t giving any sign he was spooked or that he was going to suddenly charge. We think we know what to do if approached by a predator such as a bear or a mountain lion, but – and I chuckle as I type this – what do we do if a wild horse approaches us? I stood my ground, and I kept my finger on the shutter button, one eye on the viewfinder, the other on him.

He did stop, of course. Seconds? An eternity? Then Houdini walked on to the east, and he turned and followed them. I kept walking back toward the Jeep, and before I was even out of sight, they were grazing again.

My favorite photo from the day, the weekend … one of my favorites ever.

What could he have been thinking? Simple curiosity?

Oddly enough, the photos from this morning were among the most difficult to edit from any of my trips.

University of Missouri students are in the herd area this week slashing and spraying tamarisk, scourge of the West’s waterways, and repairing fences. I got to meet some of them today, and their story will be on Page 1 of my little paper this week. It’s a great way to keep the horses in front of the public. Here’s the short version: These kids, rather than partying at Fort Lauderdale or South Padre Island, decided to do something worthwhile during their spring break, dubbed “alternative spring break.” Two of the 10 kids here this year were here last year. Half a continent away, our horses inspire people to do what they can to make the basin a better place in which to live! How cool is that? Thanks, guys and gals, and I hope you have a terrific week!

And with that tease of an update, while it has been a glorious weekend, it also has been long. So I’ll update the blog as I have time this week. I won’t be making the journey to the basin next weekend because I’m going on another journey, first stop, home of two former Spring Creek Basin residents: Breeze and Sage.

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Categories : Grey, Houdini, March

Family man – March 9, 2008

11 03 2008

Brilliant news!! Grey/Traveler has a family again!!

A bachelor since his gather (Aug. 21, 2007) and release (Sept. 19, 2007), as of at least March 9, he has ditched the bachelor boys and regained himself a mare and two foals (almost yearlings). I was in the basin Friday, March 7, and saw him in the evening with the Bachelor 7 (see post below for pictures). Sunday, March 9, I found him in the morning with Seven’s family: Houdini, Two Boots and Twister. (I believe Seven is Grey’s son.)

Don’t worry too much about Seven, though; he stole Kreacher’s mares, Roja (sorrel) and Molly (muley bay). I did not see Kreacher either of the two days I was out there, but I wonder if his loss of mares has anything to do with Slate missing from Bounce’s family (he still has his young grey mare, Alegre).

I thought I saw Seven and Houdini on Friday, but I was watching through binoculars as he trotted over to challenge Steeldust – an altercation that was over almost as soon as it started. I later saw Seven go after what looked like a bay horse, but all I could see was that horse’s back over a ridge. Twister has an odd reddish winter coat, and I assumed it was him. Mystery: If Seven DID have Roja and Molly on Friday, and Grey was with the bachelors, where were Houdini, Two Boots and Twister? And why did Seven give them up for Molly and Roja? Why didn’t he also keep Houdini and the foals?

As much as I liked the family unit of Seven and Houdini, I am ecstatic beyond words that Grey has a family again!

Ah, the secret lives of wild horses!

Grey is a master band stallion, and he let me get fairly close (does he remember me or my voice from when he was in “quarantine”?) – closer than I’ve ever been to Houdini and the foals. I thanked him by not staying that close too long, but I did get close enough to observe that Twister has a “wonky” left knee. Because I haven’t been that close to him previously, I don’t know if it has been that way or if it is a new injury. He doesn’t limp on it exactly, but he does seem to favor it. I know that’s a fairly subtle distinction, but there ya go.

See how his left knee bows to the outside?

Up on “bachelor ridge” (recently named because I’ve seen all or some of the bachelors up there each of my past four visits), I saw three horses, which I identified as Duke, Chrome and Mouse through the binoculars. I didn’t go close to them but figured I’d clarify those identifications when/if I saw the other three. (I’m a little amazed to say that I ID’d them correctly from that distance; I saw Aspen, Hook and Comanche later.)

The next horses I saw were Seven with Molly and Roja. I only wish they could tell me their story! I always come back with more questions. Those mares have been with Kreacher at least since last October (I first saw them Oct. 14). Neither Kreacher nor Roja were gathered, so I have a tentative assumption that they were together pre-gather. Molly was gathered and released. After so long with Kreacher, how do they accept Seven? I should also point out that I’ve seen Seven just in the north area (using an imaginary line east-west across Round Top and Flat Top), and I’ve seen Kreacher and the mares just in the south area. So back to the mares – do they like Seven? Just tolerate him? Wait for the day when Kreacher “rescues” them? Do they even think such thoughts?! Ha ha. I try not to anthropomorphize, but sometimes it’s hard.

They immediately left when they saw me. They came up to the road that runs down to Round Top (before the intersection to go around through the northeastern section of the herd area), then trotted on down the road toward RT. Believing at least Roja to be pregnant, I figured I had no choice but to park where I was and wait for them to get to what they considered a safe distance.

During the 20-30 minutes I waited, I spotted Bounce and Alegre – minus Slate again – farther to the east near the water hole where I had seen Corazon, Cinch, Ty and Mesa on Friday. One of my main reasons for going back to the herd area Sunday was to try to find Slate. Given that I also have not seen Kreacher, it’s possible they’re together … Although they have been geographically separated, too – Kreacher in the south and Slate in the north and northeast since I’ve known her.

I still hadn’t seen Alpha’s group, so I decided to park at Round Top and take the deer trail (those north-facing arroyos are still muddy-slick) to the south ridge trail. On the way, Corazon, Cinch, Ty and Mesa bounced up out of an arroyo and went south ahead of me. I also ended up passing Seven and the girls; they were down in the middle of that “saddle” area between Round Top and Flat Top. They watched me go, then moseyed on, still heading south.

As I approached the water hole, I saw the bachelor boys, drinking and playing in the mud and water. (What is it about little boys and mud?) I stayed above them (there’s a nice, well-used trail) for a while and looked around. I was hoping to see the pintos, maybe, or Kreacher, but instead of seeing them, I saw David and the muley bay, very near where they were Friday, at the south base of Round Top.

Then guess who showed up? Alpha popped up over a ridge east of David and stopped to look at Corazon and Co.

That’s Luna in the lead, followed by the bay mare and Baylee, one of the unnamed rose-grey stallions, Kestrel (you can just see her back), Piedra, Alpha, the other rose-grey stallion, Steeldust and Hollywood. Jif is in there somewhere. They all came down into the open, but a couple of things were in play then: The pinto bachelors and Ty and Mesa were heading toward them from the water hole, David and the muley bay were kind of in their path to the water hole, and I ended up being in such a position that the wind was blowing my scent right to them.

But that’s not all. Behind Alpha’s group was yet another group: the missing boys of the Bachelor 7. In the photo below, the three horses in the foreground are, from right: Hook, Comanche and Aspen. In the background, David’s pal, the muley bay, was gnawing on Mesa. Mesa was patient for a little while, then had enough.

To stick with the bachelor theme for a minute, David and the muley bay hooked up with Corazon, Cinch and Ty, and they headed off farther southeast. But Mesa, who has been hanging out with Ty (at least) for the past few months, must have thought there was action to be had at the water hole because he ditched Ty and the others and attached himself to the Steeldust-Hollywood-Aspen caravan – 15 horses strong! Aspen, Hook and Comanche mostly stuck together and tried to stay out of Steeldust’s way, but Mesa continuously baited Hollywood.

The key component in this photo is Jif, at left. Hollywood and Mesa were just doing a lot of sniffing and squealing – even posturing, but not even any striking – until Jif moseyed up and aggravated the situation. Then Hollywood lunged at Mesa in a full-on body slam! Mesa got the message and backed off – for a while.

On the lines of “better the enemy you know,” Hollywood seems to have attached himself to Steeldust’s band to protect Jif from marauding bands of bachelors. Down at the water hole, I saw Steeldust break off an attack on Aspen and Hook when he was about to run over Hollywood, who had his hands – err, hooves? – full with Mesa. Mutual benefit: Hollywood protects his girl (Friday, I saw Steeldust try to run Jif back to Hollywood), and Steeldust gets help protecting his own mares. The two rose-grey stallions seem still sexually immature.

I hunkered down on the far side of the water hole from where I had seen the pinto bachelors, Ty and Mesa drinking earlier, hoping the wind would blow past me and they wouldn’t be worried because of the perceived barrier of the water. Last fall, I took photos of Alpha’s group from fairly close because I was on one of their trails and they were on an outcropping above me with a ravine between us. My assessment: Because they saw the ravine as a safety barrier, they weren’t concerned by our close proximity.

It worked. Jif was first to water, followed by Hollywood, then the horses in Alpha’s band and finally the bachelors. I once observed Alpha drink first at a water hole while her band mates waited. That was when she was still with Grey, a few years ago. No such protocol in her current band.

Here are some pix from the water hole. It reminded me of watching several groups of Pryor horses come to the water hole when I visited last fall. I hoped it would be a good opportunity to observe their behavior, and I was right!

I included this photo, from them walking to the water, to show how similar are the two rose-grey stallions in Steeldust’s band. The one following is the one I previously thought was a mare. Look closely and you’ll see some subtle differences.

Jif, left, and Hollywood at the water hole.

I was lying on my belly across the pond so I wouldn’t be a distraction to the horses while they drank, but they still heard my shutter clicking! That’s pretty girl Luna at left, Kestrel is her 2007 foal (I think a filly), and Piedra – another pretty girl! – is at left.

Alpha was drinking on the other side of Piedra. She looks so pristine, eh? She loved to splash in the water as much as the rest of them!

I took a lot of photos at the water hole – both while they were drinking and immediately afterward – but I would have been happy just watching. I felt like I had hit the jackpot of horse watching! In our herd area, with so few horses, it is extremely rare (in my experience) to come upon even two groups that have merged, let alone four-ish like happened Sunday (I’m counting Steeldust’s group, Hollywood/Jif, the three bachelors and Mesa from the other bachelor group). I’ve taken photos at a water hole just one other time (previously mentioned). Although traditional hunters know water holes to be good places to stalk their game, it’s a particularly sensitive area. With our horses so wild and shy, I don’t want to take many chances that they would NOT come to water because they smelled or saw me there.

But I absolutely cherished the opportunity they provided me by totally ignoring me!

After they drank, they just hung out: the stallions played, the mares and foals rolled in the dust. (Even after she rolled, Alpha remained pristine!) It was just a big social gathering.

When they decided it was time to leave, they went up the way I had come, leaving me with the same dilemma as earlier: I was going that way, too, so I had no choice but to be patient while they moseyed along up the trail. Of course, patience is the biggest virtue when observing wild horses! Like the day last December when I got the photos of the pintos crossing the snowy ridge against the backdrop of the La Sal Mountains, patience Sunday rewarded me with some more cool photos.

Hollywood paused on his way up this hill following Jif. The bachelors had already disappeared over the crest, but while Steeldust’s group waited below, they kept popping back over as if to ask, “Hey, what’s taking you guys so long?”

Do you like this photo better with clouds …

… or with blue sky?

Last one: the bay mare in Steeldust’s band.

And last question, which is really an observation: Equine photographers have a multitude of ways to “get the ears” in their domestic subjects. I never seem to have that problem! Wild horses are always alert, whether it’s me they’re focused on or other horses or a lone coyote making his way across the basin on an intersecting course (and yes, that happened Sunday!).

One of the things I hope these photos best convey is wild horses being wild. My appreciation at being allowed to share moments of their lives is huge.

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Categories : Alpha, Bachelor 7, Grey, Hollywood, Houdini, March, 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.