Raven | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Peek-a-baby, take 2

16 05 2012

The thrill of anticipation, surpassed only by the joy of arrival!

With a face like that, it can only be …

Raven’s little blackbird!

Baby and the family. They gifted me with the most gorgeous visit … I can’t begin to tell you how my heart sings just to sit with them in their world, on a hilltop surrounded by hills and valleys and open sky. It’s a place so full of magic, wild life, you can’t help but be touched by world’s grace.

One bit of distressing news: Apollo is missing from the band. I’m hoping he shows up with youngsters Hayden and Tenaz. I haven’t posted pix of them yet, but they’re together.

Sundance, baby’s stepdaddy, snoozing with the band. Kreacher is the colt’s sire; he lost the band to Sundance just before the roundup last fall. Apollo is baby’s full brother, and Mysterium is his half-sister.

One little teeny spot marks him a pinto like mama. I had wondered whether she would eventually pass on her spots … but I’m not sure baby will stay black like her. He’s sort of “faded” in the middle, and I’m guessing he will go grey like daddy.

Showing off more white, preparing to lie down near sister.

Speaking of Mysterium, isn’t she growing up gorgeous?

Do you not love that face?!

And the big mustang walk already. 🙂

Let’s hear it: Awwwwwww!

Welcome to your wild world, little one!

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Categories : Kootenai, Mysterium, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

Waiting

13 05 2012

So many photos, so little time to get them posted!

But here’s a recent pic of Raven, in all her big-belly glory!

Raven and Mysterium. This picture doesn’t do Raven justice. The lady is very large.

Corona looking much less pregnant even than previously, and Gaia showing a bit of her growing middle. The girls are watching Sundance’s band.

Just a matter of waiting. Mama knows best!

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Categories : Corona, Gaia, Mysterium, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Almost-ready mama

22 04 2012

Oh, the girl is tired. She is ready. She is due in just a few weeks.

Napping in the warm sunshine.

Can’t resist throwing in a pic of this handsome mister:

Apollo, Raven’s big yearling boy, is a full brother to baby-to-be, sired by Kreacher.

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Apollo, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Coupla bellies

31 03 2012

It won’t be much longer now … baby season!

I saw Shadow the other day. She’s the first due (just before the middle of April), but she’s not very wide. And yes, she is back with David!

Piedra is due after the middle of April. She has had two colts and a filly, all by Hollywood, who also is this foal’s sire.

Kestrel is due before the middle of May. She has had two fillies, one by Mouse and one by Comanche (seen in the background). This year’s foal’s sire is Comanche.

Raven also is due before the middle of May. She has had a filly (by Corona in her native Sand Wash Basin) and a colt, by Kreacher, who also is the sire of this year’s foal. She (and Kootenai) are both in Sundance’s band now.

Alegre is due right around the middle of May. She has had two fillies and a colt (and lost one foal). Gaia’s sire is unknown, but Bounce is the sire of the other two and this year’s foal. She is with Grey/Traveler now.

Houdini is due around the middle of April. She is one of three mares who has had surviving foals each year since at least 2007. Two different sires: Junior (rounded up in 2007) and Grey/Traveler, who also is the sire of this year’s foal. (She also had been with Grey in the early 2000s.) All her foals since 2007 have been fillies.

OK, so a couple more than a coupla bellies! Not all, though. These are just the most recent pix I have of girls due!

Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : Alegre, Comanche, Houdini, Kestrel, Piedra, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

U of Mizzou

30 03 2012

Students rock!

Thank you a million times for coming to Southwest Colorado for your spring break and putting your muscles to work on behalf of our Spring Creek Basin mustangs!

This week, among other projects, students from the University of Missouri rebuilt a big section of fence on one of the basin’s boundaries where places were cut before last fall’s roundup. The students hiked in and out (a mile and a half or so one way) with fence materials and equipment to complete the project. No motorized help in McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area! And at the end of the day, they got to see some of the wild horses their work benefits!

Forget college spring break cliches. These motivated students raise money to travel here from Missouri and work hard while they’re here. In addition to Spring Creek Basin, they will work at Mud Springs at the base of Sleeping Ute Mountain and at Lowry Pueblo north of Cortez. They may go home with a tan (that may have started as a sunburn), but it’s not from lounging on the beach! Guaranteed, they’ll go home with memories of an experience they’ll be proud to share!

Alternative spring break here is a partnership between San Juan Mountains Association, BLM’s Tres Rios Field Office, the Forest Service (Dolores Public Lands Office), Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the two local Back Country Horsemen groups (Mesa Verde and Four Corners), National Mustang Association/Colorado and other locals and local businesses to bring U of Mizzou students to the area for work projects on San Juan public lands. This was the 12th year of partnership!

Thank you to local volunteers Tif (MVBCH and NMA/CO), Joan (SJMA) and Bob (4CBCH), high school student volunteer Laura (who has been involved with this project for several years and will head to college later this year!), SJMA folks Kathe and MK, the Forest Service’s Tom and Ben – and pack horses Trapper and Zip! – and, never least, BLM’s Tom and Kiley!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the students. Your hard work is so much appreciated for the safety of our mustangs. Have fun with the rest of your visit, and come back soon! As Kathe said, there is a special place in heaven for all of you. 🙂

Comments : 5 Comments »

Categories : Advocacy, Apollo, Kootenai, Mysterium, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Sundance, Work projects

Two mamas

17 02 2012

Had to do a post of these two beautiful mamas. Raven is due in May; Kootenai in August.

Kootenai. Perfect color-wheel pull of emotions, eh? Her gorgeous apricot dun against the frozen blue hills in the background. Love. She was very sleepy in the lovely sunshine.

Beautiful glossy Raven. Looking at something beyond my ken. Maybe one of the numerous wheeling, rollicking, diving ravens that live and play over the basin.

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Categories : Kootenai, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Mirror, mirror

18 01 2012

OK, not quite …

In the foreground, mama Raven and son Apollo (son also of Kreacher); in the background, Bounce and Tenaz.

Just for fun. 🙂

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Categories : Apollo, Bounce, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Tenaz

Some near, some far

26 12 2011

A long view of Sundance’s band (“near”) and Kreacher and Duke. Apollo and Raven are the two dark horses at near left, then Sundance, Kootenai and Mysterium at right. Straight back “above” Sundance is Duke, and just down the slope – left – from Duke is Kreacher; he’s hard to see, grey against snow. The Spring Creek arroyo is between them.

Much nearer – Juniper. Fuzzy, furry, wooly little bear cub! How cute is she?!

Mama Kestrel … and not too far away, snow spilling over the eastern ridges – unnamed promontory and McKenna Peak.

Last view of the day, looking in the opposite direction from above – west – snow falling in clouds beyond Spring Creek Canyon.

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Categories : Apollo, Duke, Juniper, Kestrel, Kootenai, Kreacher, Mysterium, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

Depth

18 12 2011

Busily getting out Christmas cards and calendars – wait, shopping?! I knew I was forgetting something!

So these are fairly disjointed posts, I know, but here are three more from last week’s visit:

Apollo. They’re not visible in this image, but Comanche’s and Hollywood’s were out on the east-west hill there in the background beyond this ridge where Sundance’s band was grazing and napping.

Raven, blissed out on snow. 🙂

Sundance – love the 3-D feel of this image with the light and soft color.

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Categories : Apollo, Raven, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Sundance

Fun with ponies

5 12 2011

Last week, I took a friend from Switzerland out to see the horses – her first visit back in almost a year. The weather cooperated with us and didn’t blow snow until we were on our way home. The grey day even broke once for some awesome light! And the horses – of course – were fabulous; we saw all but the pintos and Poco and Roach!

Update: Storm (who got Shadow back) has shaken David, who was with Duke and Kreacher! Not too far from Seven, Bounce and Tenaz.

All well on the western front. (And it has been snowing off and on since then, so we also have moisture!)

Sundance’s band – bright and beautiful and colorful and curious!