Hollywood | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Hollywood dust

2 04 2012

Crazy wind raised the dust and swirled it around our skies. Low visibility, but not as bad as I’ve seen it in the past. And it brought snow – moisture that we need badly (when don’t we?).

Hollywood in the wind. That’s Round Top (or, as my friend Sam calls it, Saucer (as in flying) Hill) in the dusty background. In the other direction, the La Sals were completely obscured.

Graceful, peaceful Piedra

Hollywood and Piedra and Shane

And a wave to family Jess and Sue, who stopped on their cross-country drive for a quick visit to Spring Creek Basin and the mustangs!

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Categories : Hollywood, Piedra, Shane, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

The last time I saw her, she was with mama Mona and stepdaddy Aspen. Seven was nearby, as were Roja and Killian, but from the distance, I couldn’t quite tell whether he had them or was just hanging out close-by in hopes of *getting* them. Bounce was fending off lone Storm (which made me think perhaps David has reclaimed Shadow), and Duke, Kreacher and Tenaz were nearby.

Now, flirty girl is with … guess who!?

Do you recognize the pretty grey girl in the foreground?

The La Sals have some nice snow after the last storm, but they seem to be losing it day by day with this warm, dry, windy weather (ah, spring!).

Calling her “flirty” is anthropomorphism, of course, but before Hollywood, I’ve seen her “flirting” with Grey/Traveler and Sundance – always returning to mama, though. She turned 1 last Sept. 1.

She looks quite a lot like Aspen, not only because of her color but because of her conformation. Mona cannot be related, but I wonder about Kreacher (Shane’s sire).

Stout little mustang girl!

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Categories : Hollywood, La Sal Mountains, Piedra, Shane, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Girls rule

13 03 2012

The boys get all the press, but it’s the girls who call the shots.

Do you get that from this image of Piedra and Hollywood? She’s totally in control.

He wooed her when she was still in her family band. He has lost her – briefly – a couple of times, but he always gets her back. When Comanche stole most of Holls’ band last spring, the one he didn’t get – who didn’t leave? – was Piedra. All of her foals are his foals. This year’s will be their fourth.

He seems to like to be close, but he also gives her quite a bit of space. Comanche, Kestrel and Piedra grazed close … then away. Holls was close, but they drifted while grazing, comfortable apart.

Who can blame the boys really? 🙂

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Categories : Hollywood, Piedra, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Piedra and Hollywood

24 12 2011

Sleepy, sleepy.

Piedra and Hollywood napping comfortably together. Comanche was just to the right, and Kestrel and Juniper just right of him.

Snow coming over the eastern ridges.

They have such a bond. She’d look at me, and he’d stretch slightly to nose her tenderly on the neck. She’d turn her head back and close her eyes, their faces together.

When Comanche stole most of Hollywood’s band last spring, Piedra stayed with Hollywood … Comanche very quickly lost them (Iya, Cougar and Sage ended up with Poco and Roach, who pretty quickly kicked Sage out; Baylee and Tenaz ended up with Storm, who were together all summer), but he never seemed to0 interested in them – and not nearly as interested in keeping them as he seemed interested in sticking close to Kestrel and Winona.

Very interesting little combined-family dynamic here. What will happen when the girls have their foals? Piedra is due the end of April, Kestrel around early to mid-May.

But now is now, and now is a beautiful season. 🙂

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

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Categories : Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, Piedra, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Hollywood & Juniper

11 12 2011

Nope, not daddy and daughter, not even stepdaddy. Just a big playmate who tolerates a little girl’s energy. 🙂

Fuzzy, furry filly! Feeling frisky in the frozen-ness! (Ha!)

He’s pretending to graze while he checks me out.

Daddy Comanche has her back.

Oh, the language of horses … Juniper hangs right with him, apparently disregarding completely the message of the ears. For Piedra, though, she has a healthy respect. And despite Holls’ terrible ferociousness (mm hmm) … he’s such a sweetheart with her. 🙂

Don’t you love his warmth against the cold?

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Categories : Hollywood, Juniper, La Sal Mountains, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Drinks at dusk

28 11 2011

Thank you all for your votes! So very much appreciated! It makes a hard process a little easier. 🙂

Some more pix from last week’s visit. Despite the low sun, I walked out to Hollywood and Comanche’s, even though they were already on the shady side of Flat Top and the sun set before I even got to them … but I wouldn’t have missed the visit.

Last light on McKenna Peak and the unnamed promontory.

Reflected light … it must have bounced off the far hills – the sun had set on the other side of this hill.

Hollywood was standing sentinel on top of the hill (one of the finger ridges that lead up to Flat Top’s top), and Juniper ran up to him …

Then he play-chased her down to where Piedra was, both of them bucking and kicking up their heels. The poor quality is because my ISO was cranked as high as it would go! But I liked the moment of suspension. 🙂

Then it was time for their evening drink at the pond. I was a little surprised to see Comanche drink right next to Piedra, who was right next to Hollywood.

He did drink next to Kestrel, too, though.

All together.

Juniper, her reflection and Piedra – love how they all line up.

Piedra grazing after drinking.

Mama Kestrel and Juniper in amazing reflected glowing after-sunset light.

Last light on the La Sals.

Comanche, one of the very last pix I took that evening.

Wow-gorgeous.

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Categories : Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Kestrel, La Sal Mountains, Piedra, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Enter gratitude

24 11 2011

To say the day was amazing would be a massive understatement.

I am thankful for every minute I spend with these horses. Joy – always – and I hope it leads also to greater understanding, as well as the knowledge that there are some things we’re simply not meant to know. That sometimes, the joy really is enough.

Good gorgeous morning, handsome!

Giving thanks for all the blessings in my life was never so enjoyable or sun-kissed (or easy on the waistline!).

In other news, I’m working on calendar posts, trying to get them up earlier than last year … but still feeling late. First, I’ll put up some details, including a deadline date to vote by. I’m going to try to post the selections all at once (crazy beautiful pony images to go through from this visit). My suggestion will be to go through all the posts – all the photos – and then cast your votes. There are some tough choices coming …

No particular images stand out to me this year for a cover – or, maybe more correctly, too many do?! So I’ll be looking for suggestions!

As last year, in gratitude for your help, all voters’ names will be entered in a drawing to win a calendar. Thank you in advance for your help!

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Categories : Advocacy, Hollywood, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Random beauty

16 11 2011

Some random photos that I just didn’t get posted during the last week from my last visit …

Biggest change – Bounce and Tenaz have picked up Seven and Storm. Happy to see those boys together.

Grey/Traveler, looking magnificent as always.

Baby Mysterium. Love this sweet dancer girl.

Mysterium and mama Kootenai

Sundance and the La Sal Mountains (Utah).

That was looking northwest; this is looking east-ever-so-barely-southeast toward McKenna Peak and the unnamed promontory (Colorado).

Burly-man Comanche

Handsome Hollywood (yes, their bands are still family)

Tenaz. Hollywood’s son, fairly close here … looking at Storm …

Seven and Bounce

Leaving you with supreme cuteness – Mysterium.

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Categories : Bounce, Comanche, Grey, Hollywood, Kootenai, Mysterium, Seven, Sundance, Tenaz

Hollywood & Piedra

16 10 2011

When I saw these two last week, my first thought was “where are Comanche’s?” They’ve been hanging out with each other for so long, I look for them together.

But nope, they’ve split – at least for now.

Lovely Piedra, waiting on Hollywood. When I first saw them, from a distance, they were on a little hill, but when I walked out, only Piedra was visible, so I walked around her to see if Comanche’s were below. Nope, but Hollywood was, napping.

Greeting when he eventually came up the hill to her.

Only Bounce of the released horses didn’t reconnect with his mare (Alegre; she’s with Traveler still). I think I saw him earlier in the day with Tenaz, but they had split by the time I got a closer look (if, in fact, it was them together the first time).

Mr. Handsome

Ms. Beautiful

I hung out with them just a little while, then headed on to get a closer look at Mona. Spoiler alert: No foal yet.

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Categories : Hollywood, Piedra

Seven’s band – and friends

2 10 2011

Seven’s were with their shadow, Aspen, and Hollywood’s and Comanche’s bands when I spotted them the second day of my visit last week. They were pretty close to the road, so I decided I could sit in the Jeep and wait for them, or I could try walking out and see what happened. As it turned out, it was one of my best visits ever with Seven’s wary band.

Hollywood’s and Comanche’s are particularly comfortable with each other, so maybe that made a difference, even with Aspen dogging Seven.

This was toward the end of the visit, but that’s Comanche at left, Hollywood closest and Piedra at right. Kestrel was to the left, Seven’s band were to the right, and Juniper was wandering between them all.

Killian, who is practically the spitting image of his big brother Ze, and mama Roja.

Seven would graze, then walk his “perimeter” between his family and Aspen. I’m not sure what the unspoken code was, but he was not in the slightest worried about Hollywood or Comanche or their mares.

Yearling Shane (born Sept. 15) and mama Mona; you can see Aspen in the background.

Aspen. He has previously stolen (at least) Piedra and Mahogany, but he didn’t hold either for long.

Seven and Shane

Shane and Mona. It was harder than you might think to get pix of the belly! Shane would block her or she’d linger behind a big greasewood … After a while, it got to be kind of funny. I had a great seat under a big juniper – not the best for the direction of the light – and it was pretty high and harsh anyway – but it was perfect for observation.

Mona and Roja

Juniper (near) looking at Shane …

This was when Killian and Shane came moseying up to try to have a chat with Juniper. I didn’t have a great angle – but I didn’t want to move!

Sweetheart. 🙂 She looks so much like daddy, but certain times, I catch her looking like big sister Winona.

Cute Killian – such a sweet baby face.

Talk about reminders. I’ve been thinking about all the horses so much lately (!) … going through past photos to send adopters … thinking of all the past visits … Roja reminds me so much of Molly. I thought Molly was Roja’s dam – the resemblance is right there. But I’m glad it’s looking like Killian got his daddy’s fine head! 🙂

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Categories : Aspen, Comanche, Hollywood, Juniper, Killian, Mona, Piedra, Roja, Seven, Shane

Spring Creek Basin Mustangs