Hollywood’s … and more

27 09 2010

Back in the “meadow” of the east pocket, I was concentrating on Mona and her new baby – with Seven’s! – but after a very short while, we all became aware of other visitors when Hollywood’s band burst out of the trees and over a ridge, heading straight for us. They stopped momentarily – surprised, I think – when they saw Seven’s (and they must know the makeup of families as well (better!) as I do, so I wonder what they made of the new additions) – then me – then they started off again – straight toward me!

You know that strange phenomenon … you’ve found the perfect campsite in a not-too-crowded campground, away from the other people – and a late arrival sets up right next to you. Or you’re alone on a bus, and the next fare chooses a seat – out of all the empty seats! – right next to yours. Hollywood and his family could have gone in any direction – away from Seven’s – and away from me, too, and yet here they came. That’s not the first time it’s happened, and I imagine (hope?!) it won’t be the last. Fear – the prey species drive – fuels these beautiful animals, has kept them alive – and thriving! – for centuries, and yet, they have this amazing curiosity that also directs them, allows them to know how close they can get to satisfy that curiosity … how far they must stay to appease that fear.

Here they come – Hollywood in the lead followed by alpha mare Piedra and baby Tenaz.

So graceful … I just love Piedra.

Coming to that edge … Piedra and Tenaz, Hollywood now waiting for everyone to catch up, Baylee at left.

Now some watch Seven’s – Sage, right, and Baylee – and some watch me! Iya at left. Holls has gone out a little to man the line between his family and Seven’s, who didn’t move a step away from his new girl.

Wider view to include Holls – and that amazing backdrop of what I call the east pocket! Those hills and ridges make up part of the natural eastern boundary of Spring Creek Basin.

Baylee, 3, and Iya, 2, are best of friends. They tend to stick fairly close to each other.

Mama Piedra, daddy Hollywood and their sons, Tenaz and Sage.

Piedra and her boys

Now she’s made her decision – nothing to fear, and she’s satisfied her curiosity – and is getting down to the important business of grazing.

Handsome Tenaz

Hollywood. So far, none of our duns have thrown their color. Only Luna – in the time I’ve been documenting the mustangs – has thrown her color, in 3-year-old Kestrel – and she reproduced it in her very first foal, Winona. Both foals this year with dun parents are bay.

Hollywood with his boys, Tenaz and Sage

Full-brothers Tenaz, 5 months, and Sage, yearling

Now for the *more* …

Look who decided to join the party. 🙂 Roja, masking her curiosity by nibbling on a saltbush.

And who is this darling girl we rarely get to see? That’s Spring, looking like a mini version of (I’m pretty sure) grandma Molly.

Spring has left mama to come see the baby … here she is with daddy Seven, lost in the bliss of saltbush nibbling.

Daddy with two of his babies (he also had a bay filly that was rounded up in 2007. She was named Hershey for her darker splotch; I believe she was adopted).

Handsome Seven – with son Ze – looking for Roja. Isn’t he incredible? Great genes!

Mama Mona and baby Shane showing off their similar face markings.

She is a doting mama …

… and fierce as a grizzly when provoked! And that curious-Ze just didn’t seem to get the message! This was a “bluff charge”; she never left Shane’s side. But I was happy to see this side of lovely, gentle, sweet, laidback Mona!

I do love the mamas and babies – are they beautiful or what?!


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Categories : Baylee, Hollywood, Iya, Mona, Piedra, Roja, Sage, Seven, Shane, Spring, Tenaz, Ze

From there to there

14 08 2010

Not 15 minutes inside the basin for the first time in three weeks, I had to leave again because of a wall of rain coming straight at us from the western hills. I just had time to spot Hollywood’s … then Comanche, Kestrel and Winona …

The road in isn’t as bad as I expected – though there’s evidence one poor person got stuck: s/he left staves in the road from where s/he dug him/herself out of the mud. But it is cut in numerous places where hard-rushing water flowed in mean little rivulets from high to low. When the road is dry, you may not need four-wheel drive, but you definitely want high clearance – and good shocks.

Crossing a couple of the interior arroyos, you have to dodge rocks (I moved one for you, but you’ll still have to squeak between the wall of the arroyo and the new “drain hole”) and climb or descend a couple of new sandy ledges formed by the fast-moving water. At one of the Spring Creek crossings, there’s evidence the water reached 12 yards above the base of the arroyo!! WOW. I don’t think your Porsche or your mini van is going to cut it for a travel vehicle there. (Even the Jeep scraped bottom on one of those new sandy shelves – still “pristine,” not yet worn down.)

After waiting out a second wave of rain (!), I went cautiously back into the basin.

From a long way away, I saw horses running – Comanche’s had joined Hollywood’s – ‘Nona was leading the whole group, playing ahead of mama Kestrel.

Kestrel and Winona in the lead, followed by Comanche in foreground, center. Piedra and Tenaz almost behind the greasewood behind Kestrel, Hollywood and Sage, Baylee and Iya.

I gained a higher vantage, but I couldn’t tell that they were running *from* anything, and they were running basically toward me (in the Jeep), so I wasn’t the cause of their – dare I say it – joyful celebration?!

Coming up out of Spring Creek

They paused once to look at me … (you can see by their blowing forelocks that it was pretty windy)

… then continued on their way, following Comanche following Kestrel. (Check out Baylee; her ears are forward in every photo!)

They were close to me now, so I stopped and waited for a while – I thought I had an idea where they were going, but I was wrong. When I thought I’d given them enough time, I eased up the road, looked all around … and finally spotted them way out “yonder” … and that’s how I found out Cinch had Liberty. They settled in a big “valley” full of – you guessed it – more green, and that’s where they stayed the rest of the day. Twister and Cuatro were even farther beyond them, but they were nearly hidden, and I didn’t know at that point who they were. I thought I’d seen other horses that I thought may have been Hook’s band, but as it turned out, Hook’s were one of the few horses I didn’t see (along with David’s little family and Bruiser).


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Categories : Baylee, Comanche, Hollywood, Iya, Kestrel, Piedra, Sage, Tenaz, Winona

Catch-up

19 07 2010

The morning I found the tree on fire, I had seen bands at a distance and was headed out to visit them. After I called in the fire (with randomly and surprisingly found cell service), I went on to visit.

What a(nother) great surprise to find Duke with Twister (center) and Cinch (right)! Bruiser still not with the boys, but I’ve had a recent update from this weekend that he has been seen – alone but apparently just fine. I stopped the Jeep and took pix from it …

… but the boys “made a mad dash” anyway. 🙂 Look at that handsome Duke! So elegant! His mind is on Cinch, and Cinch’s mind is on Duke, and young Twister (3 years old) is just happy to be part of the gang.

Stopped again. I didn’t know it at this point, and I’m not sure whether they did … but somebody(s) were up the hill in the trees ahead of them …

I drove on, looking for Hollywood’s band, which I had seen earlier, and it does seem like these boys – Cinch and Twister before Duke joined them – are hanging out close to Holls’ band again. Just below a little “rise” or “edge,” almost to the fence, I found them. They were napping under a tree, and the proximity to the fence was unfortunate because they felt the “squeeze” and immediately started walking out into the open. I stopped a little way on so I didn’t block them, then got out to watch the parade.

Iya leading – she’s not terribly long-legged for her size, but she is a big girl. Sage tossing his head against the gnats, big Tenaz and mama Piedra.

Hollywood in the lead, followed by Baylee, Piedra and Tenaz (Iya and Sage now bringing up the rear).

Piedra, Tenaz (look at him looking!) and Iya, sneaking in a sniff of baby where mama Piedra can’t warn her away. See the dapples in their summer-slick coats. 🙂

Following Baylee. A couple of things about this image: First, see how big he is! His bay-black legs are starting to shed through his baby-fine . But do you see how much he resembles Hollywood? I think Sage tends to resemble Piedra, but this big boy definitely looks like daddy! He’s about a week away from being 3 months old.

Sage and Iya broke off for a little detour visit. Brave ones of the group, these two.

Meanwhile, Holls and the girls and his little mini-me waited at the stud pile(s) for them to catch up. 🙂 Look at that handsome Tenaz – cute!!

On they went, then, heading up the valley toward the boys … who went closer to the hill and found …

Do you see them? Everybody in Kreacher’s (lower left) band is at least partially visible – though not very well, admittedly. 🙂 Mona is above Kreacher; Kootenai is to the upper right; and nearly smack dab in the middle, you might be able to make out Raven’s legs through the tree … and immediately left of her, Corona.

Later, after I’d gone back to watch the fire and then was on my way out, I found them again:

Drinking at the trickle – found enough water to splash in! It collects a little below this but is pretty stagnant there; they drink uphill, where it comes out – a barely slurpable trickle, but clear. (Mona was just to the right.)


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Categories : Baylee, Cinch, Corona, Duke, Hollywood, Iya, Kootenai, Kreacher, Mona, New girls, Piedra, Raven, Sage, Tenaz, Twister, Water

Come again

1 06 2010

Is that a phrase that get used much anymore? There was quite a bit of disbelieving “huh” on my part when I realized Mahogany did NOT have a foal and WAS in heat and clearly HAD had her foal. And it refers also that the big band that had fractured had come (together) again … if perhaps only temporarily.

And whoever coined the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” clearly hadn’t met these ponies. I think it took me a thousand pictures to try to convey the goings-on.

These three – Comanche, Kestrel and Winona – are clearly “together” now … but not far from the others.

Um, Hollywood?! Where’d you come from? His band wasn’t all that far away, but they weren’t close.

While the other horses graze, Steeldust sees his duty to keep away the intruder (Hollywood). All the other horses are seen here, left to right: Luna, Gideon and Butch in the group at left; Storm, with Mahogany and Sundance directly behind him; Steeldust looking at Holls and Mouse directly behind him; Alpha; and Aspen at the back. Comanche, Kestrel and Winona were up a bit to the right.

Storm and Alpha

This was after Steely Dan had come back from chasing Holls away – which didn’t entirely work.

Gideon laid down … and there’s Mahogany and her hangers-on behind them now. While Winona was able to get several minutes at a time of shut-eye, Gideon was up and down several times because of the commotion all around.

Close-up of the sleepy boy.

When they weren’t fired up chasing her or fending each other off, this was a common sight – Mahogany grazing and Sundance and Mouse right behind her.

Close but far enough away to be out of the commotion – though Comanche did go down to have a chat with Hollywood at one point.

Even tough-guy manly stallions like to take some time to stop and smell the globe mallow.

Finally, it seemed he had had enough and was headed back to Piedra and the gang …

… but not before a stop to say hello. “What ARE ya doing?” “No, what are YOU doing?!” Funny boy. Then away he went.

When I turned back around, I realized the commotion had sent Gideon to his feet. Even Luna woke up long enough to watch him go.

Then this was really interesting – talk about stallions being very tolerant of babies. Gideon swung his butt around and then backed up so his butt was right up against Butch’s chest. I don’t know if you can quite tell it from the picture, but he is literally butt-to-chest with Butch, who now has his nose right at the crest of Gideon’s neck. He stood solid as a rock for a few moments, but it was like he didn’t quite know how to take it, this tiny little thing “cuddling” up to him, and he soon stepped aside and went to pursue “manly” things – like running off Sundance and Co. 🙂

So Gideon turned to mama for comfort …

One of my very favorite images from the whole day.

With all the commotion, these horses in particular seem to nap often.

Storm and Alpha – even though he kept getting a wild hair and going off to try to breed Mahogany, he kept coming back to mama. You can see he’s still shedding out a bit of reddish baby fuzz.

Love their relaxed faces.

Winona, Kestrel and Comanche …

… right before Winona laid down again. 🙂 She was mostly flat out on the ground, her little side heaving in the warm sunlight … and her front leg would occasionally “wave” out in circles … I think she was dreaming of racing the wind.

Kestrel and Comanche napping over baby Winona, clearly not his baby. He didn’t even acquire Kestrel until after she had foaled. He had been low man on the totem pole in the bachelor hierarchy. And yet he now *protects* her as if she were, indeed, his own. I repeat again, stallions do NOT go around willy nilly killing foals that aren’t theirs.

After about half an hour, Winona still stretched flat out, Kestrel and Comanche started to graze – away from sleeping babe.

She looked up a couple of times, then back down … until she finally realized she was “alone.” I don’t know if you can quite tell here, but she’s whinnying for mama to come back and “rescue” her – which mama Kestrel completely (as far as acquiescing to baby’s plaintive demands) ignored. Obviously, she wasn’t THAT far away.

When it became apparent that mama was not, in fact, coming back for her, Winona got up and headed over … Check out the sweat on her flank.

And reunited. 🙂

She had a snack …

… and down she went for another nap! On her opposite side. 🙂

And that was my cue to farewell the ponies for another day.

One big – calm for now – family …

Thanks for reading … ya’ll “come again,” ya hear? 🙂


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Categories : Alpha, Aspen, Butch, Comanche, Gideon, Hollywood, Kestrel, Luna, Mahogany, Mouse, Steeldust, Storm, Sundance, Winona

Hollywood’s band

30 05 2010

Handsome Hollywood, pretty Piedra and nursing Tenaz

Now that her baby boy is a wee bit older, she’s more willing to show him off – and show off, he did! What a doll!

I went out and sat, and she grazed her way closer …

… and he stayed right at mama’s side at first … Look how big and beautiful he is.

Iya also came to see. Look how silvery she has turned as she sheds out. She’s 2 this year.

And Sagey-m’-boy. He has a bit of a boo-boo on his left hind cannon, but it looks like it’s healing just fine.

Baylee, 3 this year, and Iya. Interestingly, Baylee doesn’t appear to be pregnant, despite the fact that she’s been with Hollywood for more than a year now.

That Sage is a little love bug. (He’s pretty good-sized, by the way, but Iya is a pretty big girl. See in the previous pic how she’s almost as big as year-older Baylee. Sage is a yearling.)

But he usually has an ulterior motive!

Which is probably how he got his boo-boo!

They always forgive the little rascal. 🙂

And take a little revenge!

I was taking pix of Piedra and Tenaz when Sage walked into the frame – mama and her boys.

If I have *definitely* not figured one thing out (and there are many things I haven’t!), it’s why they eat what they eat. Here, Piedra is nibbling on saltbush or greasewood – I can’t quite tell from my pix because it’s not nearly as “leafed out” (do you call that stuff on greasewood “leaves”??) as the others in the area.

Now some pix of the happy little ham:

He’s a little past a month old now.

Maybe he’s going to be bay? I guess we’ll know for sure when his legs darken. I’d love to see Hollywood sire a dun foal, or grulla like I think his mama was. His mane is pretty dark, but you can see how light his tail is at the top before it darkens to black. Gideon is just about the same color. And Spring, too … though a little more obviously bay … a shade darker … not as “reddish”? (I’ve seen her several times but too far for pictures. Have not seen Wind and his family for a few weeks.)

Walking over to see what the “big babies” are looking at.

Still trying to manage those long-long legs!

Love this one … surrounded by family.

Bye for now, my lovelies!

We haven’t seen the last of Hollywood, who, when I saw him just a little bit later, seemed at least as surprised to see ME there as I was to see HIM there! Ha!


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Categories : Baylee, Hollywood, Iya, Piedra, Sage, Tenaz

Dapple light

20 05 2010

Had a simply gorgeous time in the basin … despite the forecast that called for – you guessed it – rain/snow – again – right smack dab on my weekend. The forecasters were wrong! (Please forgive my wicked glee!) The sky looked threatening the whole way out, but then it was sunshine and layer upon layer of thick fluffy white clouds from here to the horizon. Ma Nature brewed her dark clouds over the La Sals to the northwest, and assistant Wind dutifully carried them east and south, but Storm’s corridor was just along the northern and eastern ridges and on down to the far southern reaches of Disappointment Valley and beyond, leaving the basin just a paradise on the edge of the world.

An example – this patch of sunlight illuminated the finger hill Bruiser, Twister and Cinch (reunited) were standing on while the ridge behind them stayed in shadow. They were looking down on Hollywood’s band, who eventually went north, while the boys moseyed down off the hill and across the arroyo and up onto the bench that carries the west-side loop road toward Round Top and points east.

Even more is blooming now – late this year. I’ve been keeping track, but – crazy! – I haven’t stopped to photograph the flowers yet. The paintbrush has been trying its best to find the sunshine and warm breath of spring, and more is blooming every week. Prince’s plume started last week … the globe mallow was out just this week – not so much in the basin but very much along the private road leading to the basin. Hardy phlox – white and pink – has been out for weeks and still blooms, some of the petals looking a bit windblown. Loco weed also pops up in places. Some isolated yellow daisies-something-or-other. The cheat grass is still green but starting to flag.  Greasewood is greener than green (it’s possible) and was budding last week. Water holes are dry or very shallow. One pond holds decent water, and a couple of bands are in the vicinity of Wildcat Spring. At least one band is using the catchment, but they have to range far for forage because it’s just not that great in that area. The claret cups are tightly furled within their nests of thorns … not blooming yet. I saw a couple of bunches of lupine (my very favorite wildflower) near Dolores, but that was it. We don’t typically get lupine in the basin (I’m so jealous of the opportunity on Pryor Mountain to photograph babies in fields of blue lupine!)), but there are spots along the Dolores-Norwood Road where they’ve been insane in past years. Given the great snow we had this winter, I’m looking forward to a great show of wildflowers here in Colorado this year.

The horses are mostly shed out now – last year’s youngsters still fuzzy in most cases. Nights still dipping into the 20s (occasionally) and 30s (commonly). The temp reached at least 72 while I was out. Just beautiful.

The first horses I saw were Chrome’s: Jif, Hayden, Two Boots, Cuatro and Chrome, taking his time, bringing up the rear. Can you tell that Jif is slick while Hayden is still fuzzy? Oddly enough, because he was born so late in the year, I’ve never seen Hayden shed out. His face is starting, though, and I think he’s going to stay sorrel – he’s going to be just as handsome a devil as his daddy!

Two Boots is starting to look a little closer … Can you see the little hunks of hair Hayden is trying to shed?

“Wait for me!” They walked on by and down the hill on a horse trail, then Chrome looked up from his lolly-gagging (grazing) and decided he was being left behind, so he went galloping after them.

I saw Seven’s close to Grey/Traveler’s close to Bounce’s, who turned out to be close to Kreacher’s who were close to … Luna’s. (Some stallion weirdness I’ll explain in a minute, so for now, it’s Luna’s band because everyone is following her!)

Didn’t take pix of Seven’s or Grey’s. Seven’s were very close to where I saw them last week. I just sat in the Jeep and watched them. Roja grazed and watched and watched and grazed for about 10 or 15 minutes, then oh-so-casually led her family away. She is so wary and so protective, and because I’ve witnessed them being chased (a couple of summers ago, after which I never saw Molly’s filly Starla again), I just don’t have much heart for even attempting to get too close for her comfort – which isn’t close at all.

Grey’s were moving toward the road on which I had stopped, so I enjoyed my vantage of being able to watch them as they grazed their way closer and eventually crossed to where Seven had had his band.

Who’s who? Doesn’t Whisper, left, look just like daddy Bounce? He’s going grey, though … I love seeing the resemblance.

Gaia and Liberty

And this girl is pulling a Luna on us – two weeks past her “due date,” and she barely looks pregnant at all. Even with her most recent spa treatment in evidence, isn’t she just beautiful?

Raven and Kootenai. You may remember a few posts ago, I referred to their mid-morning nap … here we are smack in the middle of their middle-of-the-afternoon nap!

Corona – no, she is NOT white! – Mona and Kreacher. I know she looks white – she’s blown out, too – but she’s not. She has this very unusual flecking of her palomino color … like Ma Nature couldn’t decide what color to paint her.

All but Mona, who was just off to the left.

And there’s baby Gideon with Mama Luna and Butch, Storm and Alpha at right. Steeldust was nearby but not too close.

Steeldust

Who could resist this gorgeous matriarch? One of the great grand dam(e)s of Spring Creek Basin.

Storm and Alpha watching Kreacher’s band. (And yes, he’s still nursing.)

While I was watching this, I kept one eye on Steeldust, who watched but never moved a hoof. Butch has bred Alpha in the past, but he didn’t now, though she’s clearly in heat.

Butch did a little dance (like a very slow motion passage) over to Steeldust, who didn’t go after him, but neither did he back down. It did provoke him to mark his territory, and Butch went back to Luna, who took the opportunity to walk away …

… followed by Alpha …

… to the very shallow nearby pond. Here’s Steeldust at left – rear – while Butch leaves a territory marker as Luna leads Gideon and Alpha and Storm around the pond – effectively separating Steeldust from the mares.

Luna walked around the pond, but Alpha stopped. Butch continued after Luna, and Steeldust stopped with Alpha.

Think that looks terrible?

How about this?

The good news is that BLM is supposed to have several more ponds – hopefully including this one – dug out because they’re all very shallow (because of the highly erodable soil). The bad news is that neither of the two ponds dug out finally last fall have water right now (I was so optimistic), and the ponds to be dug out aren’t even on the schedule until August or September.

Here’s Butch getting great enjoyment out of his “spa treatment”! Check out how he’s tilted his head and closed his eyes to avoid splashing mud. 😉

He splashed a few times, laid down just so his cheek appeared to touch mud, then got right back up again.

Kreacher, Mona and Raven watch Luna lead the band away from the pond. Butch is looking back at Alpha and the others.

They’re really all quite polite with each other. Whether that’s something conscious – “don’t want to get involved in THEIR drama” or “I think I have enough …” – or bonds keeping them together, who knows? The girls from Sand Wash Basin seem quite content with their boy.

Alegre napping at the base of the hill while the babies (not “babies” anymore!) graze in a bunch. Bounce was down a bit watching the two bands.

He has such a presence, but he’s really not a very big boy in size.

Our very own wild black stallion. He has a heart of gold.

Mahogany, Sundance and Mouse …

Kestrel, Winona and … Comanche, still guarding the girl and the babe!

Notice anybody missing?

There’s Aspen at far right …

Notice anything else, hmm, “odd”? Kestrel and Winona in the background … and in the foreground, Mahogany (front), surrounded by boys, left to right behind her: Mouse, Sundance and Aspen. And not quite ready to present her baby … but close …

Comanche … Hey, who’s that behind him?

Do you see? Recognize? Now do you see who was missing from Mahogany’s band?

Hannah and Sable. When I saw Mahogany – without Sable – I hoped fervently that she had joined her yearmate and big brother Pinon older half-sister Ember with Hook. This kind of thing makes me wonder how “off” our herd dynamic is with massive roundups that take most of the horses every two to four years. Hannah and Sable are yearlings. In a normal environment, I don’t think they’d have left their dams this soon. In both cases, they left before their mothers had even had this year’s foals.

Left to right: Pinon, Hook, Sable, Ember’s head, Hannah

Kestrel

I thought she was going to put on a show like Gideon did last week …

…

But this wee girl is more reserved than her uncle.

Mama and first-born daughter

Snack time

Love her expression here … *drinker of the wind*! Trying to catch a whiff of this weird two-legged.

Baby girl laid down when Kestrel was grazing with her head hidden from me by a greasewood bush. But then Kestrel grazed her way around her like this, and it looked to me like a little “hug” of the baby – a cocoon of sun-warmed grass and mama’s protective presence.

Comanche grazes by Kestrel as she stands over Winona. The other horses were never far away. I wonder whether Kestrel will continue to follow Mahogany or whether she and Comanche will eventually split off on their own.

Baby napping under guardian legs. Could anything be sweeter?! (Don’t answer that, and if you’ve made it this far, more sweetness is coming …)

With all those boys together, there’s bound to be a little of this. Mouse, left, and Sundance.

And then Hook had the audacity to strut up the hill from his little flock toward Comanche, Kestrel and Winona. Kestrel never looked up, and it didn’t – immediately – interrupt Winona’s nap – but Comanche took immediate notice. And Hook got a little shock:

He took off after him – HARD. I had started to leave them, so I missed the beginning stages of this chase with the camera.

So Hook, former lowest man on the bachelor totem pole, has a band of four now, and Comanche, former first sergeant for Steeldust’s band and then low on the bachelor pole that developed when SD’s band split, seems to have acquired a mare and her foal … and former Lt. Mouse seems to be still in that position – to Sundance, who seems to have been born into and at least grew up in the band? – with Aspen at the low end of THAT heirarchy. Following in the footsteps of low-man Kreacher and low-man Copper … Smarts, not necessarily brawn, with this group?! Or is the bottom of the heap the place to be when it comes to “acquiring” those that lag behind (whether youngsters or a mare that goes off to foal)? Always a myriad to ponder …

Hollywood’s band was almost the last I saw (I saw Cinch, Bruiser and Twister again, far off). Not too far from the road, and I was able to get a nice look at Piedra’s newest son.

No lupine … and greasewood doesn’t quite have the same luminous quality, but baby in a sea of green appeals just as well to my heart.

Piedra and her little boy – see how his star makes a heart at the top – like Hayden’s? Or another upside-down aspen leaf …

Baylee and Sage

After a bit, he got up to nurse, but I loved this look he’s throwing back over his shoulder.

Then Piedra decided that was enough exposure to a two-legged, and she walked down to Hollywood. Iya in the foreground. She turned to follow them, and I wish I’d been about five steps to the left or right because Holls bent his neck around to greet his son for a few seconds before Piedra turned and walked a bit farther before settling back to grazing. The whole moment was blocked because I was behind Iya in a direct path. Oy. As much as I love to capture the interactions between the mamas and their babies, I love to capture that between the stallions and babies – just more rare to see. They like to portray this stoic tough-guy front, but they’re big softies when it comes to babies! Just like all of us!

The Four Corners Back Country Horsemen’s annual wild horse count is this weekend – I hope you folks see all the horses and new babies and have weather as great as mid-week!


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Categories : Alegre, Alpha, Aspen, Bounce, Bruiser, Butch, Chrome, Cinch, Comanche, Corona, Cuatro, Ember, Gaia, Gideon, Hannah, Hayden, Hollywood, Hook, Iya, Jif, Kestrel, Kootenai, Kreacher, Liberty, Luna, Mahogany, Mona, Mouse, New girls, Piedra, Pinon, Raven, Sable, Sage, Steeldust, Storm, Sundance, Tenaz, Twister, Two Boots, Whisper, Winona

Wind, bad – babies, good!

29 04 2010

Well, folks, the ides of March have followed us to April – almost to May, to be sure. Southwest Colorado had its second major wind-dust storm of the spring yesterday. It was fairly miserable. We had four or five last year … they were miserable, too.

Toward the end of the day yesterday, visibility finally got really bad (as opposed to fairly, just plain kinda bad).

Today it snowed.

Truth in advertising?! Summer, it ain’t – yet! And I think we need to have a little chat with Ma about the fact that it is – in point of calendar fact – spring. The sign (usually) reads: Summer maintenance only. 🙂

I’m never upset about moisture. 🙂

First, the spoiler:

So follow along, kids: That’s Luna (and ever-present Butch) … and that’s the belly. Ya can’t miss it, right? She’s past last year’s due date. She’s past last-last year’s due date. She’s past 10 days past last-last year’s due date! My goodness, the lady is keeping us waiting this year.

Before my visit, I told young visitor Rochlia that I thought it wouldn’t be long before I had a better opportunity to photograph Duke.

Duke at home right above Spring Creek (which is basically a dry arroyo with tiny places where water sometimes collects and sometimes seeps to the surface). You can see by his nearly horizontal tail how strong was the wind.

After Duke, the next horses I saw were Hollywood’s … and, my goodness, what’s that at Piedra’s side? They were at a distance, and I think they could see Duke, and Piedra was nervous … and Sage was VERY jealous, and Baylee and Iya were curious, so I deduced baby was – without being able to see too closely – just a day old, two at most. Piedra took them up into trees on a hill, and she kept them there all day. Smart – they were probably somewhat protected from the wind there. And from curious-as-all-get-out two-leggeds such as yours truly. 🙂

Here’s a pic I took at the end of the day:

Baby is reddish with a muley muzzle, but reddish mane and tail, so not bay. Very big star and at least hind stockings. In the pic, left to right: Hollywood, Sage, Piedra and baby, and Baylee – Iya is out of the frame at right.

These lovelies also wanted to see the newest addition to the world that is Spring Creek Basin.

Another pond is dry … I know of two – maybe three – that still have water. Gonna be a long time till August-September when we’re supposed to  have five or six more dug out. We’re getting moisture, but that ground just sucks it all up … and the wind … that wind is not kind.

Saw Bounce’s and Seven’s … and Steeldust’s … but not before I found the basin’s newest band. It’s headed by Hook. (I know what you’re thinking … everything changes. It can; it will. Enjoy it.) I know I haven’t been very good this spring about getting information posted to the blog in a timely manner (or at all), but Ember and Pinon have been hanging out with Hook lately (the past several weeks … since March?). So they’re all together – separate from Steeldust’s (more on them later) – plus one: Hannah! I alluded to a surprise a couple of posts ago, then never got around to  spilling the photographic beans. A couple of weeks ago, I found her with Hollywood’s band! She clearly wanted to go “home,” and Holls just as clearly wanted to make her the newest member of his band. Did I mention Hannah is bold? Fearless? I can see it: The bands are close together … Hannah goes out to say hi … Holls is his usual charming self … then the bands aren’t close together anymore, and Holls is pinning his ears, and Hannah can’t get back to mama. She did end up back with the band, though. Now, she’s with sister, and all is calm.

But before I found them: a couple of white “dots” and a red dot … and an extra!

The “whites,” of course, were Grey/Traveler and Houdini, the red, Terra, and the extra:

Look how tall the baby girl is! And yes, it’s another daughter for Grey and Houdini! And, by the way, this is (at least) the fourth-in-a-row daughter for Houdini. She’s darker red than either Terra or Iya, but she has already-grey legs like Iya had, and the rings around her eyes are dead giveaways that the girl will go – surprise! – grey. 🙂 (I meant “no” surprise!)

Two girls and their mama

Daddy and one of his girls. The birth of the newest little girl means we have at least three of his offspring in the basin. Given the number of offspring he must have sired in his years, it’s a little crazy that most of them are at least unknown.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say he likes being a daddy. A little bit anthro … a little bit observation.

I love her face. This lovely will have a birthday in just another day (definite, not guessed). Sister Iya was born April 27 (also known). Houdini was right on time! And master Sage was born today (again, known), so if Piedra’s newest was born two days ago, she’s also right on time! One young, one not so young. Now … about that Luna … 🙂

Two more … my favorites:

Mama and her big girl …

I love spring. 🙂

Welcome, babies, to your world.

More to come of Steeldust’s.


Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : Baylee, Butch, Duke, Grey, Hollywood, Houdini, Luna, Piedra, Sage, Terra

Spring Wind

23 04 2010

And moisture!

So – oddly enough – for the first time in weeks, I have a full trip report! (Because I had to wait out the rain at friends’ fantastic cabin nearby, I had time to go through the day’s limited photos!)

I saw just a few horses – and NOT Steeldust’s band. It’s odd that I don’t see them, and with Luna PAST due to have her baby, the worst thing I can say about the rain was my timing in not getting to the basin soon enough to find her. I did dream about her a few nights ago – and her foal. I’ll let ya’ll know if I’m about to list “medium” on my resume. 🙂

When I got to the basin, I had time to go once ’round the loop. The horses are starting to move toward what I call the “east pocket” – it’s usually the first to green up. It’s a lot of cheat grass, and once it’s grazed and/or spent, the horses generally leave the area for the rest of the year. This is a trend I’ve noticed during the past three seasons. The timing of their migration back to the pocket varies. It was around March in 2008, I think, as early as February last year, and end of April this year!

Although I spent probably less than 30 minutes in the basin – because of the rain – I am THRILLED with the moisture! Maybe the ponds that already have gone dry and the ones close to going dry have a bit more time to serve the ponies.

Hollywood and his band were the first ones I saw, followed closely by Seven’s band. But Holls isn’t looking at Seven here …

Can you see? The boys in the trees are Roach and Poco. Remember when they set to following Holls’ band last year? But now they are “home,” and everybody else is visiting.

Baby Spring following brother Ze and mama Roja.

A flash of white caught my eye, and my first thought was Alpha … but it wasn’t. It was clever Houdini.

Around the trees, Terra and Grey/Traveler came into view. Given how windy it was, they were smart to seek the relative shelter of the trees!

Roja and Spring. I think Spring is a filly, but I’m not guaranteeing that yet! No markings that I can see.

Spring’s tail is very light at the upper edges.

Ze and Seven following along … but who do you see in the background? Do you see all three?

Spring sees them … 🙂

Now do you see who was nearby?

There was a little of this …

… and a little of this …

… and a little more of this … before Bounce – with a great toss of his head, trotted back to his band.

Seven gathered his troops …

… then they were away with Bounce hot on their trail!

I’m not sure why he pursued them. They went the way I was going around the loop, but even though I was starting to get particularly nervous about the western darkening sky, I thought it more prudent to wait. Sure enough, Bounce came trotting back like a victorious king. I inched on up the road … and saw Seven’s grazing not far from the road not too far on. To pass or not to pass? They were quiet, and that sky … so I crept forward … and past … and they weren’t bothered! That was pretty awesome.

But it turned out that they were almost the last horses I saw that day. To be safe, I drove out of the basin to the county road. Sure enough, the rain came – and hail – then it stopped, but curtains of grey still were coming … more rain … more hail … I waited for a couple of hours, then decided to call it quits and headed on south.

Guess who I saw right inside the fence just past the county line?

I couldn’t believe they were back down by the road! Mister David is taking his daddy duties very seriously.

Luckily for me, Shadow must have thought the arroyo, at least, was a comforting barrier. Wind is his name, so blessed by the person who first saw him, who said it was very windy that day. Appropriate! I don’t know whether it’s coincidence that every time I’ve seen him nurse it has been from this angle … Whatever works, eh?!

He’s not very big, but he’s a cutie! You can see his left hind sock (I thought it was a stocking on my first sighting and from the other side …?), and he also has a small star.

To make a short story shorter, I awakened the next morning to about 2 inches of snow! And sunshine! It rained and rained the rest of the day and night … The sunshine was a welcome sight, but conditions were still too wet to drive in, so I walked in. But given where the horses are now, I just didn’t get that far. I did spot Chrome’s band – way too far for pictures – but I always enjoy a sighting of little red Hayden. And the others, of course!

The clouds were coming up over the eastern ridges as I hiked out, and if the skies from home were any indication, the basin got even more moisture later in the day. All welcome and much needed!


Comments : 5 Comments »

Categories : Alegre, Baylee, Bounce, David, Gaia, Grey, Hollywood, Houdini, Seven, Shadow, Spring, Terra, Whisper, Wind, Ze

For GHC girls

24 03 2010

These pictures are for a couple of my new friends over at Girls Horse Club!

Victory Cowgirl (Jumper) asked about stallions and foals, and this is Hollywood and his son (yes, biological) Sage, who will be a yearling in just another month!

This was taken during my visit last week. Look at those ears. Happy daddy and son!

Then … check out this little manuever:

Did Daddy get mad?

A little annoyed, maybe. Notice that Sage is “baby clacking” – I didn’t mean anything by it, Dad, really! They walked on a few more steps, and Hollywood went back to grazing, and Sage turned his attention to his “aunties,” Baylee (who really may be his mama’s sister) and Iya.

And these next pix are for Rochlia, a frequent visitor, who was asking about Shadow’s sire. I don’t know who her daddy was, but this was her mama:

This was Ceal, Shadow’s dam, the first time I saw her back in 2004. She’s pregnant with her foal, and that’s her yearling colt peeking around behind her. They were with Poco and Roach at the time.

And this is weanling Shadow and Ceal in November 2007. The old girl didn’t make it through that winter, but, just like Molly did with Liberty, she spent some time with a band – the pintos – who later adopted Shadow until David stole her away in the late summer of her yearling year.

A little blast from the past … a little new. 🙂


Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : Girls Horse Club, Hollywood, Sage, Shadow

Up, front

23 03 2010

Farm and ranch kids grow up knowing stuff. All kinds of stuff. Stuff that’s so ingrained from the time they’re little bitty that they may not even consciously recognize that they know certain stuff. Until another kid, not raised as close to nature and “the facts of life,” says something that makes the farm kid cock his head and raise a quizzical brow. To wit, we once had friends over, and one of our young friends had a girlfriend who had never been around horses. They rode double – he in the saddle, she behind the saddle. It was warm. (It was Texas, OK – it was hot.) The horses were sweating, especially under their saddle blankets, especially where jean-clad butts met slick, shiny horsehair butts. After the ride, the girl was genuinely worried that her be-jeaned butt now was damp. We weren’t quite sure what the actual problem was until we realized she’d never ridden bareback (maybe never ridden at all?). Well, we said, it’s hot, the horses are sweaty … Sweaty? She was innocent. She thought horses panted. Like dogs. Ahhh. 🙂

Another thing farm kids know that they may not know they know – I didn’t realize I knew this until several years ago when someone asked or it was part of a quiz in a magazine or something … I can’t now remember how it came up. Horses get up – and lie down – front-end first. Cattle get up – and lie down – butt-end first. Really. Watch ’em sometime.

To wit, we’ll now observe Baylee as she demonstrates:

I was watching/photographing Hollywood and Sage when I realized Bayles was rolling. By the time I swung the camera her way, she was getting up. Here she’s bringing her front legs up …

Up with the front legs while her hindquarters/hind legs are still on the ground as she prepares to heave.

And she’s (almost) up!

Followed by a nice shake. 🙂

After a little while, she was over with the other horses …

Left to right: Sage, Hollywood (in back), Baylee and Iya

The tell-tale paw …

And to my surprise she went down again to roll! (It is almost – definitely, by the human calendar – spring, after all. They’re still very fuzzy, and it was nice and lovely and warm.) (And no, I know you’re wondering, but she didn’t go all the way over.) (I didn’t realize she was going to be so goofy, or I’d have taken a pic of her actually laying down so you could see horses go down front end first, too.)

And here’s where she got weird. She got up with her butt-end first! Still on her knees! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, so I zoomed in on her and cut off poor Sage (sorry!).

Had a little mini-shake with her butt in the air …

And continued on up!

Ta da!

I think those cattle visitors over the winter had an adverse effect on our Baylee-girl! 😉 (I did not see a single bovine this last trip, by the way, which I’m very glad about.)

Just a thing to make ya go hmm …! 🙂


Comments : 9 Comments »

Categories : Baylee, Hollywood, Iya, Sage

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