Seven | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Three of Seven

28 10 2010

Only one place on the planet could these horses call home with a background like that!

Mona and Shane, of course, are these lovely ladies glowing in the glorious light of the end-of-day.

Seven, of course, was never far away.

A very good protector is handsome Seven. You can just see Mona, just below Shane.

I was glad to see Shane looking so big and stout! What a gorgeous day. Indian summer may be over with the advent of “crisper” temperatures, but we had a really fantastic autumn – which I guess isn’t officially over. There’s snow on our La Platas and the San Miguel and the La Sals, which we can see from the basin. Snow from our Monday storm was still lingering on the north side of hills in places on the way to the basin. A wondrous hillside of aspen that was peak gorgeous orangey-gold last week was completely devoid of color today. But blue skies, perfect temperature, perfect breeze – up on a hill, just a whisper of breeze, sun warm as a hug, ponies getting fuzzy? I love this time of year!

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Categories : Mona, Seven, Shane

Lessons from the herd

12 10 2010

Two fathers met in a wide valley and thought to meet with a swagger, each self-assured of his own dominance, while their families occupied themselves nearby – apart.

But then a wee daughter was curious and walked out toward the fray.

The fathers knew to protect the babe above all else – whether she was theirs or another’s.

Swagger dropped. Family men were calmed.

And all because of an innocent babe.

I have to admit I was nervous when I saw Winona walking directly toward Seven (seen at back left) and Comanche (center), who were together in the sniffing-striking posture. But I could see exactly when THEY became aware of her walking to them, and they broke apart, and that’s what you see here. Kestrel is grazing at left, in front of Seven. Cuatro (darker) and Twister are grazing at right. ‘Nona is with her adored stepdaddy, Comanche, center. Seven hung around just a little bit as if to say, well, I’m not afraid of you, and don’t take this as me backing down, but there are children present after all … then returned to his band.

Meanwhile, Bruiser in the foreground, and Spring, Shane, Mona and Ze in the background. The other horses are out farther and to the right.

Baby girl and ‘daddy, heading back to mama. She adores him, as I mentioned … and it’s clear the feeling is mutual. He’s simply a daddy wrapped around four tiny black hooves.

Back with mama, and all is well.

Meanwhile, look who came to visit:

Twister. 🙂 Isn’t he a handsome boy!

How do they know when to posture and when to nurture?

Elder … Not challenging, just watching Seven’s in the distance. This is what I was aiming at when Comanche then walked past, resulting in the photo a couple of posts earlier.

Followed by Winona and Kestrel.

Seven watching in return …

How astonishing are they?!

It seems to me you could illustrate a whole book on how humans *ought* to interact with each other and treat each other with photos – lessons – “from the herd” … Much like Cowboy Ethics, a collaboration by photographer David Stoecklein and writer James Owen.

Defend your family.

Children above all else.

Know when to walk away.

Be curious.

Know the land beneath your feet.

Learn from and respect your elders.

Live in the moment.

Share.

What else?

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Categories : Bruiser, Comanche, Cuatro, Kestrel, Mona, Roja, Seven, Shane, Spring, Twister, Winona, Ze

Wordless (almost)

9 10 2010

Mona and Shane

Raven, Corona and Kootenai

Seven’s band

Ze, Shane and Mona

Worth going in the fall?

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Categories : Corona, Kootenai, Mona, Raven, Roja, Seven, Shane, Spring, Ze

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

Seven’s band is +2

21 09 2010

Did you guess?? I sure didn’t. In fact, when I first saw this band, through trees and around a ridge – a side, a back – I saw colors: light grey, sorrel, dun. The dun with the sorrel and the light grey said “Chrome’s” to me. But when I came around the curve in the trail, face to faraway face with Roja, I instantly knew my mistake! They’re watching Hollywood’s band here, who had just surprised us by trotting into the “meadow,” probably to give some room to Steeldust’s and Bounce’s and Grey/Traveler’s bands nearby (taking advantage of water in this part of the basin).

The familiar family: Seven, Ze, Spring and Roja. They’re eyeing Mona and baby, and Seven is walking her way. With another stallion/band in the immediate vicinity, Seven decided to focus on the new girl, and Roja decided to let him. She and Spring disappeared over a little rise, and Ze stayed with daddy and the newcomers.

Seven circling his newest additions – Ze at right.

By this point, Roja and Spring had come back into view and were napping under a tree (it was rather warm, and I was following their example!). Seven is whinnying rather insistently for her to join him, and she’s rather steadfastly ignoring him. She did eventually mosey out, and Spring couldn’t resist the magnetic pull of a baby, eventually choosing daddy over mama and proximity to the fascinating new little creature. Spring was baby No. 1 this year, and she’s 5 months old.

Seven watched me watching them. I had a great seat under a wonderful large old juniper that provided lovely shade and seemed to draw a little breeze. The horses were out across a little arroyo, and Hollywood’s were farther left.

And there you go! Seven has (hopefully still) Mona and her cherished baby girl. I’d love to have been a fly in the mane for the journey that took Mona clear across the basin – before, after she had the baby? Seven’s band is one of the most difficult to view, but they were so very terrific to allow me to view the almost-newborn that day!

We are apparently about to get hammered by “heavy rain” and “likely flash floods.” Foremost in my mind at that kind of news is how fast will it fill those newly dug ponds?! Snow in the high country also is likely. There are a few cottonwoods in the basin, in particular in the little arroyo that drains Wildcat canyon and up in the northwest; the NW tree was just fantastically gorgeous last year. So think pond filling … and wish Hayden a happy birthday tomorrow – oops, it’s already today: Sept. 22!

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Categories : Mona, Roja, Seven, Shane, Spring, Ze

Green and grey

15 08 2010

And sorrel and bay and turning-grey.

Grey/Traveler’s band and Seven’s band were grazing/napping companionably close to each other when I saw them and walked out for a visit. My “goal” was Grey/Traveler’s band, and my path took me first toward Seven’s. Always a thrill to visit with these horses, as shy and wary as they are.

Daddy and Ze and Spring and mama. Spring had just nursed, and Roja had just turned to watch my angled approach – Grey/Traveler’s band was to the left.

Interestingly, I had nearly crossed their viewpoint on my way to the other band when Roja decided that as I was going away, it was now time for her to lead the way away as well. I think I’m growing on her. 😉 Here, Seven and Ze are walking their long-strided walks to catch up to where she and Spring wait, just a bit to the right.

Every so often I get glimpses of horses that reveal their resemblance to other horses. Roja here – except her color, which she gave her daughter – is the spitting image of Molly. And look what a big, strapping boy Ze is. Good forage and less competition these last couple of years.

Hold this image of Seven in your minds … wait till you see Grey/Traveler.

They’re standing below the level of the foreground-ground, but I love the vision of them seeming to stand in grass up to their knees.

Now …

Tell me Seven is not related to Grey/Traveler.

Almost certainly his sire, don’t you think? Seven is chunkier. 🙂

Daughter Terra

Daughter Gemma with mama Houdini

Grey’s girls: Terra, Gemma and Houdini

I adore this girl!

Napping at the edge of the road … Terra loves her baby sister.

Road to paradise: Lizard Mesa in the background

Three grey girls

Grey/Traveler with his girls – he does throw beautiful babies, doesn’t he?

With all his girls …

Terra sees a visitor, the one whose approach earlier caused Houdini to head toward the road before she decided to go back to grazing in the meadow. But this time, he came all the way down, and that was the end of my visit with Grey’s family and the beginning of a wonderful sighting of …

Duke!

Doesn’t he just shine with vim and vigor??

Houdini was long gone by now, and he’s stopped to watch. Looks almost wistful, doesn’t he? His trend has been to seek company … then shun it again … then seek it … for reasons known only to him.

Loved-loved-loved seeing him … bittersweet to see him alone again. He was with Twister and Cinch the last time I saw him, as they were kind of hanging out with Hollywood’s band. Those youngsters – Twister and Cuatro now – could learn a lot from this elder statesman.

When I headed back toward the Jeep, he followed me at a distance … but then I lost him in the rolling folds, and I didn’t see him again this trip. Always happy to see my boy Duke. 🙂

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Categories : Duke, Gemma, Grey, Houdini, Roja, Seven, Spring, Terra, Ze

Overflowing

4 07 2010

Talk about symbolism: Here you see sort-of-leafy, sort-of-green things … not lush, exactly, but browsable things. What you don’t see is what Comanche has his head down for, sipping in trickles the tiny bit of water that seeps up to ground level and is *available* for sipping. What you also see in the background – the green, feathery thing tufted with bits of pink – is tamarisk, also known as saltcedar. Until recently, the government has told us it’s the scourge of the West’s limited water sources, and eradication efforts (yes, even within the basin) have been wide-ranging and dedicated. Now, however, the government says it’s no more a scourge – sucks up no more precious water – than cottonwood or willow and is precious bird habitat to boot, and we’re to let the poor things be.

When I say the water where Comanche is drinking – and Kestrel is waiting to drink – is coming out in a trickle, if you take that to mean drip by drop where it doesn’t collect so much as glistens over top of rocky, sandy soil, I’m not exaggerating.

Well, I never said he was a particularly careful drinker. 🙂 See it dribbling from his tongue? Kestrel takes the opportunity to take her turn at the source.

Now Comanche waits patiently (seemingly so) while Kestrel sips. And Winona decides it’s time for some liquid nourishment as well. ‘Nona looks small again from this angle, but I tell you, I think she’s grown between last week and this!

We’re finally starting to get some rain again, and I know some of it has reached the basin with its lovely purple fingers. But it never seems to be enough. The ponds are dry. Wildcat Spring has water (liquid but stinky), and seeps like this produce it at a maddeningly slow trickle, but the ponds are dry, including the two dug out last year. We’re hoping the rest will be dug out later this summer, but there has to be rain to fill them. Despite the snowfall of last winter, the rain earlier this spring, the ground proved itself as thirsty as any living thing and just sucked it all up. Other ranges enhance their springs and provide guzzlers. We have what’s called a water “catchment” that provides good, clean, fresh (non-alkaline) water … but it’s on the dry west side, and most of the bands seem to avoid that area. We’re working on ideas for more and better quality water sources. On a managed range like this, water cannot be un-managed.

Tamarisk-control? Well, that’s another subject – related.

And look who else was nearby – and as calm and relaxed as I’ve seen them lately?

Roja and Seven

This picture isn’t “glamorous,” but it’s my favorite in this particular collection because of the horses’ behavior – relaxed, heads down (Spring-baby-girl was keeping an eye on me), grazing, unconcerned. This sight made my heart soar. With these particular horses, it’s a huge moment to be this close (almost 200 yards, across a little arroyo) with them so relaxed.

They finally did look up, of course – left to right: Spring, Roja, Ze (look how big!) and Seven. And they did eventually walk down off the top of this little hill and out of sight. What a marvelous, quiet, visit!

And one more of a beautiful pair:

Beautiful baby Winona and her lovely mama, Kestrel.

Overflow of: love, appreciation, marvel, wonder. Not so much: Water.

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Categories : Comanche, Kestrel, Roja, Seven, Spring, Winona, Ze

Curve of the day

27 06 2010

Some more pix from the first day of our visit last week.

Hayden and Jif. They were relaxed but shy and grazing.

Grey/Traveler’s band. Gemma is going grey first right over her butt and from a distance looks a little like an Appaloosa with a blanket pattern.

We saw a collared lizard on our walk back to Wildcat Spring, but it wasn’t interested in visiting with us. This guy, however, defended his rock – right in the middle of the road – while I drove right by him! He looks fierce, eh? But I think this was his way of venting some heat – although getting off that cooker of a rock may have helped, too! We had a nice breeze (not enough to rid us of the gnats), but it was warm – up to 92 by the Jeep’s gauge. I love these lizards’ bright colors and muscley little legs!

Hook’s band was only mildly interested in us. Right to left: Hannah, Sable, Hook, Ember and Pinon.

Toward the end of the day, we decided to take one more pass past Wildcat and had a nice surprise: Bounce’s and Kreacher’s bands, right off the road.

From left: Raven, Corona, Kootenai, Kreacher and Mona

Whisper and Liberty. They’re not as close as they appear, and Liberty is standing a bit farther up the hill. They look pretty similar in size here because of lens compression of the scene, but Liberty is still noticeably smaller than Whisper.

Whisper in the foreground and Alegre at right.

T spotted the almost-full moon coming up over the eastern ridges. This is looking out toward the east pocket. A little farther to the right would be McKenna Peak and the unnamed promontory.

Mona and Kootenai caught in a rare moment of affection. Usually Kootenai bugs Mona, who is very laidback, and Raven usually comes to her rescue by pinning her ears at Koot.

Kreacher, Raven and Kootenai walking toward us.

Kreacher, Raven and Corona. You can really see Corona’s wide blaze here in her mother’s shadow. She’s also still nursing.

We were able to sit with them for a bit in the evening light – wonderful! There’s Bounce in the background … and they’re watching some newcomers.

Seven and his band – Roja, Ze and Spring – were coming up toward Wildcat for an evening drink. They hadn’t been visible when we parked and walked out to sit just off the road with Bounce’s and Kreacher’s bands, but as it turned out, I had parked a bit “ahead” of where the trail comes out, and Seven was not pleased. (As a side note, can you see the extreme resemblance to Grey/Traveler??)

He trotted back and forth, looking hard and blowing at the Jeep while Roja stayed some distance back with Ze and Spring. I keep coming back to this, but they haven’t forgotten and so neither have I. It was almost two years ago that they were chased by a man in a truck. They remain extremely wary of not only people but also vehicles. It’s important to know here that although I was parked in their line of sight, the Jeep was not blocking their wayS to water. But because of their extreme sensitivity, it might as well have been. Most of the other bands respond very well to quiet, careful viewing, but Seven’s have never gotten over that incident – maybe others? This is their home, so we quietly walked back to the Jeep and drove away, taking the “danger” with us.

Roja and Spring – pic taken from the Jeep. Look how big Spring is! (I haven’t taken many pictures of her *because* of their wariness.) She looks so much like Molly. She has little black spots on her knees, and I’m sure her legs will darken. Check out Roja’s loooooong dredlock!

And Seven and Ze … now much calmer and at ease. A great sight to leave with.

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Categories : Alegre, Bounce, Corona, Ember, Gemma, Grey, Hannah, Hayden, Hook, Houdini, Jif, Kootenai, Kreacher, Liberty, Mona, New girls, Pinon, Raven, Roja, Sable, Seven, Spring, Terra, Whisper, Ze

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!

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

Roja’s baby

8 04 2010

My first sighting of Roja’s new foal was from quite a distance through binoculars. I got only the vaguest impression that there was a little “something” beside her. As I drove closer to a place where I could park and hike, I saw Hollywood’s (and a surprise! no, not a foal), Chrome’s and Grey/Traveler’s bands.

This was my first close-enough-to-photograph view:

Cute! As they always are. 🙂 (This image is heavily cropped, and the heat and air waves were vying for dominance, so there’s some distortion from that, too.)

Then these were from today: