Killian gives Apollo kisses. These 2-year-old bachelor boys hang out with 3-year-olds Hayden and Tenaz – and sometimes Aspen.
This was just a couple of minutes later. What do you think he’s saying? Nice kisser, pal. 🙂
Killian gives Apollo kisses. These 2-year-old bachelor boys hang out with 3-year-olds Hayden and Tenaz – and sometimes Aspen.
This was just a couple of minutes later. What do you think he’s saying? Nice kisser, pal. 🙂
It’s out. The National Academy of Sciences has completed its report about wild horses and burros, and BLM’s management of them.
Some links to reports about the study:
“New report offers science-based strategies for management of Western free-ranging horses and burros; ‘business-as-usual’ practices will be increasingly expensive and unproductive for BLM”: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=13511
Th National Academy of Sciences link (above) includes a link to the brief summary of the report: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materials-based-on-reports/reports-in-brief/wild-horses-report-brief-final.pdf
*** Updated to add this link, by the always-thought-provoking Andrew Cohen of The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/after-wild-horse-report-jewell-faces-first-moment-of-truth-at-interior/276545/
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/independent-panel-readies-review-blm-mustangs
http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56416617-219/horse-report-wild-horses.html.csp
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/05/horse-burro-blm-nrc/2388947/
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2013/06/nrc-gets-it-right-in-panning-blm-wild-horse-program.html
Practically speaking, what will it mean? Time will tell.
Shiny big boy Apollo with pals Tenaz and Killian. Their other pal Hayden was grazing not far away. Killian demonstrated remarkable patience for one so young. 🙂
Oh these boys!
Duke and Kreacher were right near the road during a recent visit, and they and I could see Hayden, Tenaz, Apollo and Killian out on the flats not far away. (Yep, the young boys are back together; Aspen was alone and way to the east.) I took some pix of Duke and Kreacher for documentary purposes – they’re looking very hale and hearty – but didn’t think I’d walk out to youngsters.
They had other ideas! They galloped over to greet Duke and Kreacher!
Hayden, the oldest of the young, stopped to chat with Duke and Kreacher. There was a great deal of squealing and striking and rearing and biting and head waving and pooping of and sniffing of poop (heh). The younger three youngsters walked on by, then stopped to hang out with me!
That Tenaz, 3, is the spitting image of his daddy Hollywood. I can so see him as a future band stallion. He has a wise look, doesn’t he? (That’s him at left.) Apollo is just 2 this year (sired by Kreacher), and Killian, looking small and young beside them, also is 2 (they will be, in May).
When Hayden and the elder boys had concluded their discussions, Hayden walked (he might have strutted) over to the boys and tried to get someone else to play with him. Mostly unsuccessfully.
Look out girls. These handsome misters are growing up!
Young Apollo no longer is low man in the bachelor heirarchy; now newcomer Killian fills that spot.
Rite of passage for a colt leaving mama’s side and joining the stallion ranks.
The wind was ruffling their manes and tails and forelocks, but they – Hayden, indeed – were completely unruffled by our presence.
Hayden is not pictured in this lineup because he had started walking up the road to where I had stopped the Jeep.
From left: Tenaz (almost 3), Apollo (almost 2), Killian (!) (almost 2) and Aspen (probably 11+).
A couple of visits ago, Killian was not with mama Roja and her band (Storm’s band, which includes Gaia and her daughter, Cassidy Rain). I hoped he hooked up with the bachelor boys; he did! Aren’t they the picture of innocence in the pic above? 🙂 Killian appears to be an “off” shade of bay because he will turn grey, like his sire, Seven.
And, because I can’t leave him out, and because he was posing so handsomely for my friend Nancy, who was lying on the ground to photograph him, Mister Hayden:
Love, love, love his heart-star. From the cutest baby to quite a handsome young mister, this Grey/Traveler son is filling out very well.
As you can tell, it was a pretty windy day. Rain is in the forecast; all dances, finger- and toe-crossing welcome!
Our friend Ann also was with us for a visit to the horses. We saw Shadow and her baby girl (and Seven and Puzzle) but from a very great distance.
I also want to give a shout to friends Sue and Roy, who also were visiting the horses. Roy was the first to spot last year’s first foal of the year AND named her: Mariah. What a gorgeous girl she is growing up to be.
Storm checking in with Cassidy Rain, Roja and Killian. Gaia was just to the right. They were above the pond but kept looking at the hill beyond, even after they drank and left. My poor human eyes couldn’t find what was so interesting over there, but the horses knew it!
All but three of our 10 ponds have water. Of the three that don’t, one still is on the list of priority ponds to be dug out (set by Disappointment Wild Bunch Partners and BLM in 2008), one was dug out last year, and one was started last year and about half dug out before rain hit. To date, only two ponds haven’t been dug out since 2009.
Storm and his band are seen here drinking from the main double pond (both have water, but only one was dug out, so I should amend my earlier statement, but only the main pond holds water reliably). From left: Gaia, Storm, Cassidy Rain, Killian and Roja. Do you see the ice still on the pond?
So dainty!
Finding water is serious business for wild horses. But there’s always time for a little fun!
See Killian (yearling) and Cassidy Rain (6 months old) drinking in an arroyo.
See Killian and Cassidy Rain play!
See Killian and Cassidy Rain, beautiful babies!
Evening drink time:
Gaia, Cassidy Rain, Killian and Roja run down a slope to join Storm at a water seep in an arroyo!
Love the rich colors of their fuzzy coats in diffuse sunset light.
It’s so dry – still. Seeing them drink was a welcome sight. Ranchers are hauling water to their cattle that still are on the range (not Spring Creek Basin but in nearby areas). All rain and/or snow dances welcome!