Maiku, Reya and Corazon grazing against the light.
In landscape photography, shooters are advised to not forget about the scenery behind them. How often do you hear someone explain a photo by saying, “I was shooting the sunset, when I looked behind me and saw something even better”?
When I turned around to check the horses behind me and saw the above scene, it wasn’t exactly better than what was in front of me …
… 🙂
But it all was worth seeing!
Most of the attention has been on baby Seneca lately (!), but the rest of the band also is doing great!
Corazon (left) with S’aka and Reya.
Reya
S’aka
Mama and her baby boy – gettin’ big!
A quick check on the spots revealed … all normal on the southern front. 🙂
Impending parents Ty and Chipeta.
S’aka and mama Reya. Yes, there’s an extra eye and schnoz in there: Corazon’s.
Puzzle gives Maiku a sisterly schnuzzle.
Ty against the La Sals.
Chipeta against the La Sals.
Handsome pony boy.
Gettin’ closer. I’m pretty sure I recognize the “I’m ready, already!” look. 🙂
Reya and Maiku walked into my foreground as I was taking pix of S’aka with big sister Puzzle – and I like it! Love all their spots, and check out how S’aka’s spot and Puzzle’s merge perfectly on their necks!
Here’s Ty, contributing to the “dapples” part of this post.
So, so rare to get such a close look at Corazon. He’s usually far enough away, it’s hard to make out much detail in his handsome black face.
Chipeta update: Not yet. Close, by her udder, but not immediate, I think.
Just a random selection of photos. Bay boy Copper also is still with the band, but he was hiding under dapples of a different kind: dapply light under the trees. 🙂
More pix from the pinto visit. I forewarn you that this post is heavily focused on a certain little painted mister. I tried to take pix of everybody, really, I did. But my camera had a sensor (mind) of its own, and it kept coming back to this ultra cuteness!
Similar to a pic I posted earlier of S’aka and big sister Puzzle, but this one also has mama Reya included.
He’s a curious mister! Love the waves in his mane and forelock.
Love the golden light on the boy and the sparkle in his eye.
Little mister with big Mr. Corazon, who still seems to be keeping close tabs on Reya, who seems to stick close to Chipeta, who sticks with Ty. Very interesting dynamic going on with this band.
Trotting into the sunset. They didn’t go far before settling back to grazing. I love the light, the spots, the ponies. Gorgeous. 🙂
Another one from the visit with the pinto ponies:
Reya against a shadowed background. Rain was coming, giving great light and shadows across the basin.
Mama Reya with baby S’aka.
Uncle Maiku was missing from the group; hopefully he’s taken up with the other young bachelor boys, Hayden, Tenaz and Apollo. They were among the few horses my family and I didn’t see during our visit. Those boys have been doing some wandering across the basin!
Today was a good day to check the status of the Round Top pond. On the way, I stopped for a visit with the pinto ponies.
Copper walks past the Round Top pond.
Then there was some of this:
Mama Reya and baby S’aka.
And a bit of this:
Copper, with Brumley Point in the background.
And a teeny bit of this:
Puzzle with mama Chipeta and stepdaddy Ty.
And we got a nice downpour later. What a wonderful day!
Reya and S’aka.
Interesting dynamic going on with the pinto band. Corazon seems to have Reya and her colt, but he doesn’t seem interested in Chipeta and Puzzle … but Ty stays on the outskirts … but is still higher ranking than Copper. The cut on his knee is healing, but it’s still pretty swollen.
Had a surprise viewing of David and Shadow and the pintos! I’m still torn on Shadow’s pregnancy (or not) status, and my view of her was obscured by greasewood or distance.
David
Shadow. If she’s not pregnant, she’s sure healthy – and she is. Look how shiny and great she looks!
Baby S’aka taking a nap under the watchful eye of Corazon. The dynamic may have changed slightly with the pinto band. Corazon seems very possessive of Reya, with Ty giving them some space. Copper is still low man, and I couldn’t see him well enough because of the greasewood, so it was hard to see the status of his injured knee. He was moving pretty well, though.
Ty, also looking very healthy.
Puzzle and mama Chipeta. Several of the horses were coated in mud, but Puzzle was bright-white and clean! There are a surprising number of places in the arroyo nearby that have water. Muddy, salt-crusted water, but more than none.
Maiku with big sister Reya and little brother S’aka.
Puzzle and Chipeta and Maiku and Copper. Copper is Maiku’s and Puzzle’s daddy.
Puzzle, Chipeta and Copper
Reya and her baby boy – he’s been playing in the mud!
Reya, not due till the end of the month or early June, has a baby boy! Our first of the season.
Reya and her darling boy.
Thanks to DG for alerting me to baby’s arrival in the world. He has named the baby S’aka. “It means strong, mighty. It is Lakota. It is pronounced ‘Sh-aka.’ One word with a stop between the first and second syllable.”
Baby was no match for the warm sunshine.
Baby catching up to mama, walking past Chipeta and Uncle Half-brother Maiku (Reya’s little brother by their mother, Kiowa, and baby’s brother by their sire, Copper).
If you have been to Spring Creek Basin in the spring, you have done battle with the gnats. They seem especially bad in the southern part of the basin. They’re not bad – yet – but they’re out. Baby was battling them. Isn’t he divine?
Reya is being a very good mama. Her first foal was born last year, and it died before I saw it. I wasn’t looking for her to have a foal before the end of the month.
Baby and his big half-sister Puzzle – same sire again. They inherited Copper’s red bay, while Maiku takes after dark mama Kiowa.
Just scrumptious!
Switching gears just a little: I saw David and Shadow, too. No baby, and I can’t say with certainty either way: that Shadow is or is not pregnant. I will say that, from a distance, she doesn’t really seem to be.
Raven – more specifically, Raven’s belly – is huge. Ginormous. Apollo was a big foal, so maybe this baby will be, too. She’s past due. Gaia looks to be making us wait a bit. Corona seems to have lost her foal. She no longer has even a “maybe baby” belly.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 