Spook | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Spots after rain

24 07 2010

Chipeta is – should be – very close.

So when I saw her – standing oh-so-still way out yonder – across the muddy green gloriousness (I swear the greasewood are greener), the sacrifice of my shoes was a foregone conclusion.

As it turned out, she was just resting, not standing over a small something I couldn’t see across the distance. Doesn’t she look – ahem – *glowing*? Radiant, even?

That light WAS sublime.

And so was every glimpse of this in the big arroyo:

Looking down from above, after sun had set.

As I was about to walk across. Two notes: Can you imagine what my shoes looked like? This is why we didn’t drive into the basin!

OK, so it looks like the mud pots of Yellowstone, but it’s running water. See the riffles? See the trickles? See the life force of the desert? Of the horses that call this slice of desert home?

*Shutter click* Well, hello there, big. While I was focused on the band, I managed to “sneak” up on Mesa, browsing along the edge of the big arroyo. He didn’t seem to know I was there until he heard the click of my camera shutter and turned his head to smile for the camera.

Big bro and little bro – Milagro and Maiku.

Corazon, on guard. I’m not sure why he seems to have “preferred” status with the band. He’s walking away from Ty here … to scuffle with Mesa … and later with Ty … They both seemed to have the upper, uh, hoof, but they also both walked away.

And Ty seems to “have” Chipeta … except when he doesn’t. When I first saw them, they were slightly apart from the band (Mesa even farther), both standing, napping. Chipeta ended up with the band, and Ty walked on … past Milagro, who stood facing him, ready to clack, ready to be submissive, very curious in the big grey boy … past Corazon the first time … In this photo, he was actually walking back up toward the band from grazing down the hill toward the arroyo.

Milagro at bottom right; Spook, upper left; Kiowa and nursing Maiku and Copper behind them.

Milagro and big sisters Reya, center, and Spook.

Milagro and daddy Copper. My, don’t THEY look alike?! Almost the last of the sun before it slipped below the near hill …

Chipeta and Spook and mama Kiowa

Kiowa and Maiku. That little jag over his withers – see his tuft of white mane? – is the only “pinto” he got from mama.

Just a tiny bit on this side. Big baby boy!

Reya, 3 (big Chipeta grazing away at left)

The sun had slipped away by this point, so then it was just a sweet, quiet visit with these seldom-visited ponies.

More rain that night … the next morning … with it, cooool breezes. Oh lovely days.

Heaven.

Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : Chipeta, Copper, Corazon, Kiowa, Maiku, Mesa, Milagro, pintos, Reya, Spook, Ty, Water

Kiowa has a little boy

15 07 2010

I figured she’d had her foal … but I haven’t seen the pinto band since before I went on vacation. I don’t know where they’re finding water – somewhere obviously. I couldn’t find it.

Chipeta, Ty and Mesa were visible from the Disappointment Road on my way out with the fire management officer, but the other horses were not. We watched them for several minutes, but if the other horses were in the arroyo, out of sight, they were there longer than we were there watching. Makes sense if there was only a little water, and they had to wait for it to seep to the surface then take turns.

I climbed Round Top to look for the pintos (check), for David and Shadow and Wind (nope), for Poco and Roach – and Bruiser? (nope). Nice and windy – and windier from there – gnats were few. Ty and Chipeta were close to the pintos, which again makes me think they may have been close earlier. They had followed a drainage – and Ty and Chipeta had climbed a hill – and were only partially visible to me: Mesa, looking very, very dark in the very, very bright sunshine, and Copper, and, for a few moments, Milagro, and Corazon, I thought.

I had seen most everybody else – mostly from a distance – so I drove out and around and hiked in at dysfunction junction – maybe my first serious hike in from there since the summer before last when it seemed like I was hiking in there every other visit to visit the pintos on their hill. Made a decision at a confluence of arroyos near their heads … picked a hill to climb … and there they were, napping in that bright, hot (96?) sunshine – Ty looking down on them from a nearby hill. As it turned out, that brought the short visit to a quick end. Copper added to the stud pile nearby, and Mesa came over to investigate that, and Ty trotted down to investigate them, and Corazon, standing sentinel against the cloud-studded horizon, pretty as a picture, trotted over to warn him off, meanwhile, Chipeta used the diversion (clever mare) to make a run back to the band (aka Kiowa), which caused Ty and Corazon to break off their manly event and go racing off after her, which caused the whole band to decide nap time was over – long over – and they should be far away. Copper snaked and lunged – at the mares, at Milagro and Spook – at Mesa and Ty – at Corazon – and Kiowa led her baby – and the rest – to the grey far hills, away – naturally away – from my long walk back.

I usually fill my cooler with Gatorade and then put half the bottles back in the fridge upon my return … I drank them all this visit. Hot and warm and dry and dehydrating was the wind and sun – the hottest of the summer, so far, by my visits. And how must the horses fare, with temperatures so high, water so scarce?

I thought of the news of the Tuscarora horses, dying of dehydration, running in the summer heat ahead of the relentless helicopter … no relief at the capture site. I know someone who wants a return to the “good old days” of mustangs. You mean, where they chased them from pickups, roped them with lassos knotted to tires at their ends? Was that less inhumane than what occurs now? I’m not there. I don’t know the details. Common sense seems so scarce …

“Well, *I* wouldn’t drink that water.” Said with a laugh. Talking about our horses. Spring Creek Basin horses.

Unforgettable deeds and words. Unforgivable.

There are plenty of sites dedicated to wild horse and burro news – I read them – my purpose here is different. But my heart is crying … even while I celebrate the gift of another life.

Welcome to your delicate life, little one, Maiku (“my-kuh,” “a friendly greeting” in the Ute language). Be strong and swift and fearless. I will help you until I can’t.

The story in pictures:

Spook, Kiowa, Milagro, Maiku (see him?) and Copper; Corazon on the ridge.

Zoomed in – see the baby on the ground?

Reya, closer, looking up from grazing.

Ty, on the hill, looking down at the band. Mesa has left them and walked down … Chipeta is behind Ty, out of sight …

Copper prepares to add to the stud pile (see how massive it is – I guess I know where the pinto band has been hanging out!) …

Copper (kicking) and Mesa discuss their territory.

Corazon watching … just before Ty decided to join the discussion, which led to Corazon’s involvement.

Corazon thought he’d take advantage of the diversion and head toward Chipeta – Ty is in pursuit. Corazon, so chunky and stout. Ty, so spare and long-legged. Sleek. Going about the business of being wild.

Their discussion reaches its peak and provides its own diversion, which Chipeta (close … so close) takes advantage of …

And which brought their “discussion” to a near-immediate end as they fastened their attention back on Chipeta – too late.

Maiku – just barely a pinto pony – and mama Kiowa

Milagro looking back … See Maiku’s legs through Milo’s? Kiowa, and Spook past her.

And then up and over the ridge … I walked to the top of it and watched Copper snaking his family to, snaking the boys fro, Kiowa with baby tight to her side, leading her family this way and that to escape the snake.

Kiowa is the only mare with babies this old all still with her: Reya, 3, was released with her after the roundup (nearly a weanling at the time), 2-year-old Spook, yearling Milagro and baby Maiku.

Isolated, this band – segregated by geography – not without family drama.

Chipeta is due to foal the end of this month. I hope this year has a happier outcome.

I hope for happier outcomes …

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Categories : Chipeta, Copper, Corazon, Kiowa, Maiku, Mesa, Milagro, pintos, Reya, Spook, Ty, Water

More spots – and three bays and a grey

5 06 2010

The pinto gang was my last sighting of the visit – right off the Disappointment Road. Although the solids almost equal the spots now, I’ve always thought of this as “the pinto band” because, although Copper seems to be at the top of the hierarchy, there are three other stallions mingling and following. Truth be told, it’s really Kiowa’s band – girls rule! This girl certainly does.

Mama Kiowa and Milagro. She’s looking right “on (new) schedule” to foal the end of this month or early July. (It’s her new schedule since she – apparently – got just enough PZP-22 to delay her last pregnancy two months but not prevent it altogether.)

Milagro is still very fuzzy. I have noticed that the youngsters are always the last to shed out, but goodness. The little boy still looks like a fuzzy teddy bear! It was pretty warm in the basin – into the 80s both days. Mid-50s at sunrise – that’s crazy warm for us!

Band stallion Copper with 3-year-old Reya and 2-year-old Spook (Kiowa’s daughters). Reya looks as slim and girlish as 3-year-old Baylee – I don’t think either of them are pregnant.

Chipeta, also on her “new schedule” looking pregnant. She foaled the end of July last year.

And the hangers-on:

Corazon, with his “tell-tale heart.”

Ty, very most definitely going grey.

And easy-going Mesa, bringing up the rear as usual. 🙂

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Categories : Chipeta, Copper, Corazon, Kiowa, Mesa, Milagro, pintos, Reya, Spook, Ty

Happy birthday, Spook!

2 05 2010

Little Spook was named after the pinto stallion that introduced the pinto pattern to Spring Creek Basin. Her mother, pictured with her above, is Kiowa, who was given a reprieve when she was released with her filly Reya after the 2007 roundup. I don’t know who Spook’s sire was, but he was likely removed during the roundup.

She is one of only two native black and white pintos in the herd. Bachelor stallion Corazon, who hangs out with the pinto band, is the other. There’s one muley-bay and white pinto, and the others are dark bay and white. (Raven, introduced from Sand Wash Basin, also is black and white.)

She’s marked like a jigsaw puzzle. 🙂

Kiowa, left, with her daughters Spook, center, and Reya

The pintos are elusive, and I don’t see them as often as I see the other horses. So I don’t have as many pix of Spook. And she sticks close to mama and sister …

So I don’t have many pix of her by herself!

Sister Reya is 3 this year, but I don’t know her birthday – presumably late April or so …

Happy second birthday, Spook, family girl!

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Categories : Spook

The faraway ponies

3 04 2010

Some horses were far away when I saw them. Some were mere horses … some were mountain goats!

From a ridge above Steeldust’s napping band, I saw deer … then the two pinto bachelors Bruiser and Cinch with orphan Twister. The pinto band was nearby, but David and Shadow, who had been close to Bruiser, Cinch and Twister the last couple of times I’d seen them, were nowhere in sight. While I watched from faraway, Mesa, lowest man on the pinto band totem pole, watched then walked out to have a little howdy-do with the other boys.

Veteran Bruiser makes “first” contact. Mesa, Cinch and the other stallions with the pinto band used to be part of the “southside boys” bachelor band.

From left: Corazon, Copper, Spook, Kiowa, Milagro and Chipeta

This made me go “hmm.” Reya, almost 3, stood napping over Ty, who was lying down. Interesting.

Bounce’s band were almost the last horses I saw: up on the flank of Lizard Mesa.

Do you see everybody? Can you see the steepness of the hillside?

How ’bout now?! 🙂 Bottom to top: Alegre, Whisper, Liberty, Bounce and Gaia!

Around another bend or four, I found these lovelies with their fawns of last year:

Good thing it’s not hunting season – the silly girls were not too worried, and I was able to photograph them, then drive right by them.

The last band I saw was Kreacher’s, on my way out.

Corona, Raven and Mona – Kreacher and Kootenai were back to the left. Snow lingering on the back eastern-boundary ridges makes for a dramatic background … defines one of the natural boundaries of the basin.

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Categories : Bounce, Bruiser, Chipeta, Cinch, Copper, Corazon, Corona, Gaia, Kiowa, Liberty, Mesa, Milagro, Mona, New girls, pintos, Reya, Spook, Twister, Ty

Spots at the end ‘o day

1 03 2010

This may have been the longest day ever, judging by how long it has taken to get the pix selected, tweaked and posted.

When I left Bounce’s band, the youngsters were moving from grazing mode to play mode.

While I sat with Bounce and Alegre, the babies had grazed their way farther along the slope. I turned from the ultra-relaxed mare and stallion to see the three playmates kicking up their heels down to what must have been a crossing spot over a shallow arroyo that ran just behind Bounce and Alegre and come back toward us on the other side. I wanted to include these couple of pix to show some behavior but also again to show the size difference between Whisper and Liberty.

This “initiation” has been going on since Molly briefly lingered with the band. What is it we say about human little boys who “torment” and harass human little girls …? 🙂

Meanwhile …

Mama and Daddy are nearby and unconcerned. Alegre was a few feet behind Bounce, but I liked the juxtaposition of their faces, so I cropped in.

I had seen most of the horses I had particularly wanted to see – not Poco and Roach – and I think they remain the horses I haven’t seen in the longest time, since early winter. I headed out of the basin and saw Grey/Traveler and Houdini and Terra on my way out. I debated driving down the county road to try to spot the pintos again – and/or David and Shadow and/or Bruiser, Twister and Cinch. The sun had dropped below clouds, and end of the day in the basin is always so gorgeous …

I thought, no way will I get lucky two visits in a row and see the pintos right off the road, but I decided to drive down anyway, just to see what I could see.

Deer were out by the hundreds, at least – all does and last year’s fawns from what I could tell. With the lack of snow, the Disappointment is a friendly place for them right now.

Shot right through the window of the Jeep from the Disappointment Road.

I drove on down … and who do you suppose I saw, not only right off the road again but even closer to the road this time??

Kiowa leads Milagro and Copper through the mud, which was sloppy-messy in the southern part of the herd area.

Chipeta was buzzing around trying to incite jealousy or I’m not sure what … Mesa was mostly just annoyed …

… especially when it worked on Ty, right (this pic taken immediately after the pic above).

She calmed down a bit when she got back around to Kiowa and nursing Milagro. That’s almost-3-year-old Reya in the background.

Spook in the middle now (isn’t she a big girl? 2 in May) and widened to include Copper.

Sometimes the older “babies” just aren’t ready to give up Mama … Spook, cutting off Milagro to be close to Kiowa.

Corazon is still with the band; I just realize he didn’t make it into my pictures this visit.

And there you finally have all the pony sightings of that lovely day last month (can you believe it’s March?!)! The horses are all wintering extremely well, I think, as you can tell by their luxurious coats and ripe little bellies!

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Categories : Alegre, Bounce, Chipeta, Copper, Gaia, Kiowa, Liberty, Mesa, Milagro, pintos, Reya, Spook, Ty, Whisper

Threat of snow

7 02 2010

In reality, it was less than the weather man predicted, and I was able to drive into the basin. For all the snow where I live and all the snow out to the rim of Disappointment, the valley and basin have less than I expected. But the soil is wet – OK, it’s downright muddy – so I hope it still bodes well for our moisture there this year. And more is coming … it’s only February, after all!

I found little man Hayden and his family for the first time in two visits … and Iya, who was not with Grey/Traveler when I last visited two weeks ago, was not with them. Gone back to her mama? I don’t know; I didn’t see them this visit. In fact, with the cattle spread throughout the interior of the basin, it was difficult to spot horses at all. I do wonder how much the cattle disperse the horses. Report is that at least four cows have calved, and they’re being checked at least every other day, so there are good eyes watching. I still hope they’re all out on time this year.

Also found Kreacher’s band. Wait till you see Corona! Oddly enough, I didn’t see Steeldust’s, so I also don’t know whether Duke is still following them, but it made me realize it has been a long, long time since I’ve NOT seen Steely Dan’s band during a visit! But I did see a threesome I haven’t seen since better weather: Cinch, Bruiser – and Twister, still with them! They were close to David and his Shadow. And not close to them but close to me, on the road, the pintos. And a handful of deer and elk for good measure. Anyone know when deer and elk drop their antlers? I thought it was around now. Both the (young) bucks I saw still had their antlers (all the elk I saw were cows and last year’s calves).

Kreacher and his girls.

A little closer …

And a wee bit closer. Gotta love a zoom lens. 🙂

Can you believe how she’s changed?? No doubt who her daddy is! Check out that wavy mane! Daddy must be Corona of Sand Wash Basin, otherwise known as “Fabio”! Oh, she is destined to break some hearts, isn’t she? 🙂

Her “aunties” clearly adore her. Here, Kootenai is upset she’s not the one right next to the baby, and Mona is giving no ground.

But a few steps later, they were happy again.

Krazy Kreacher and Mona

Mama and her girl

Spent a little time with Chrome’s band next.

Welcome from the boys!

As mentioned, Iya was not with the band, and I wondered if she’d gone back to mama … Couldn’t confirm because I didn’t see Grey/Traveler’s band this visit.

Note the new scars on Chrome’s face. From scrapping …?

Snug as a baby bug in a fuzzy fur coat!

These two little boys are, well, typical little boys. Hayden has no idea he’s the baby of the family and is completely confident as first son of first mare. And he has the ‘tude I would expect of Grey’s son!

The innocent approach …

He just can’t resist …

Cuatro is a very tolerant “big brother.”

Hey … what are you doing there?!

Cute!!

Check out Cuatro’s lip.

But before long, the little couldn’t resist brother’s fuzzy cheek.

See how tolerant?

I can hardly stand the cuteness. 🙂 Do you see the darker hair on the front of Hayden’s face? It’s like a long horseshoe-shaped whorl. I think Jif has it, but otherwise, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like it before – and it didn’t show up until he was full into his winter coat.

And again, he can’t help himself!

Sheesh. 🙂

Cuatro finally crossed the little arroyo to the left, and Hayden followed – actually right beside him – and THAT finally irritated Cuatro, who laid his ears back and snapped at him.

Meanwhile, mama Two Boots kept an eye on the proceedings but didn’t interfere. And Jif, who already had crossed, trusted her cheeky boy to follow her … eventually.

The boys finally settled to the business of filling growing-boy tummies. All the horses seem to have gotten into the habit now of eating snow. A little farther up this drainage, they paused in a particular place to take advantage of a particular drift.

Not far as the raven flies, Cinch, Bruiser and Twister were grazing close to David and Shadow … and a few elk and deer.

One big pretty girl. Doesn’t she look to be in great shape?

Two more beautiful girls.

And then the pinto band was very near the road!

From left: Spook, Kiowa, Mesa, Reya, Corazon and Chipeta, Ty and Copper.

Independent Milagro was just a bit to the left out of the frame of the first pic, facing away from the band, standing slightly uphill, taking a little nap!

I sat in the Jeep on the road long enough that three muley does started walking toward me on the road. The horses took quite an interest in them. At one point, they jumped the fence into the herd area … but within just a couple of minutes, they jumped out again.

Chipeta set herself as guardian, while the other horses mostly ignored the deer in the beginning. Ty, in the background, watched them, but he had stopped grazing and was just kind of dozing.

There’s everyone but Mesa, most now clearly watching the deer. I’m not sure where they came from exactly, and they didn’t seem to know where they were going.

So it was quite a nice little visit! Utah was visible all day, but by the time I headed home, my Colorado views (Sleeping Ute, Mesa Verde ridges, La Platas) had completely disappeared. My grandma’s favorite views were always farmground views – flat, low horizons – but I like my views “cluttered” with hills and crags and mountains. No views here means low clouds, which, now, means snow. Sure enough, about 10 miles from home, the flakes started hitting the windshield. I definitely offered some thanks to Mother Nature for the little weather window that allowed me to visit my ponies. 🙂

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : Chipeta, Chrome, Copper, Corazon, Corona, Cuatro, Hayden, Jif, Kiowa, Kootenai, Kreacher, Mesa, Milagro, Mona, New girls, pintos, Raven, Spook, Two Boots, Ty

Every day

16 01 2010

The days in the basin are quiet, muffled by silent snow and earth absorbing much-needed moisture. Early, you can hear the snow crunch and crackle – it’s powdery, flaky on the untouched surface, crusty where it has thawed and frozen and thawed – and, I swear, you can hear it melt, a sort of expanding as the soil drinks it in. A greedy, grateful sound … so I imagine. (Really, you can hear it.)

Steeldust’s and Hook’s bands were visible in the interior of the basin from as far as I was willing to drive in on quick-thawing roads. Cattle were visible, too, of course. It’s rather annoying to spot more cattle than horses. Dunno how many are in (200-some?). Every day, their days are shorter.

From the county road, a welcome sighting – especially because I hadn’t seen them for a while: the pinto band. When I hiked in to visit them, another welcome surprise: Seven’s!

They were fairly close to each other – the bands – but out of each others’ sight. I went first to see Seven’s.

Seven, Roja and Ze

Handsome Seven

Don’t they look wonderful?

I kept my visit with them short and went back to find the pintos. As it happened, I came over a hill with them below me. Little Milagro was first to spot me, and we exchanged seemingly conspiratorial glances for several minutes before anyone else became aware of my presence.

That’s mama Kiowa at left.

Milagro and Kiowa were up the hill to the right; Corazon, Spook and Reya were down a little farther to the left. You can see Copper, Ty, Chipeta and Mesa.

Copper, nickering to Spook and Reya. But silly boy … he didn’t go down to them.

Shortly after Chipeta realized I was there. I had sat down on a bare patch of ground and was focused more on Milagro. It was several minutes later before she decided to get up – and stretch.

At this point, Kiowa – head down, grazing – still hadn’t realized I was there (or so it appeared).

Scroll back up to the picture of Copper. Daddy’s little man. 🙂

And there they are together.

And the boy and his mama. He got her bay shade but not her spots.

Milagro’s sisters: Spook, left, will be 2 years old this spring, and Reya will be 3.

Different angle as I was leaving them – Reya hadn’t moved. Spook moved on, and Corazon, left, moved up to stand/nap with Reya.

I’ll leave you with this mama-son portrait. (That’s not timothy. ;)) Don’t you love how fuzzy and wonderful they look?

Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : Chipeta, Copper, Corazon, Kiowa, Mesa, Milagro, pintos, Reya, Roja, Seven, Spook, Ty, Ze

Love anyway

28 11 2009

Any Martina McBride fans out there? Her song “Anyway” came up on the mp3 player when I was about 20 miles or so (nearly there) from the basin on Thanksgiving Day, and it got me thinking. Despite the supreme frustrations we wild horse lovers endure in the battle to keep our mustangs wild and free, and despite the heartaches and breaks they inevitably bring us along the way – from the magical way they melt into our hearts from first sighting – we must love them anyway. I don’t know about you all, but I’m helpless to do it any other way.

This visit wasn’t without some personal heartbreak – Molly. But it was with so much more: the horses and me and the deer and the wind and the light and the hills and song dogs howling and hope for the future in the shape of little faces and fuzzy coats, winter-ready.

Hunters gone, I had a long-awaited visit with the pinto ponies. Stout Milagro is so fuzzy, he looked like a pony next to daddy Copper.

Oddly, he and Liberty are the same dark muley bay. Maybe a genetic connection on their respective trees.

Here we have Shadow as bonnie mountain goat and David playing it a wee bit safer. I spotted them from the county road, but the pintos were hiding a bit.

The horses – including matriarch Kiowa – were relaxed and grazing, and they paid hardly as much attention to me as to the visitor walking the trail below them …

I’m happy to report that although the vast contingent of hunters finally left the valley, the deer did not. In fact, they are much more visible now, including at least two magnificent “granddaddies” to this young buck.

Mama Kiowa and baby Milagro; Corazon at left and Spook at right.

Mesa is still the outside man, but Ty and Corazon are right in the thick of things, to no great concern of Copper’s.

Corazon; Kiowa in the background.

Reya is the same age as Shadow; they’ll be 3 next spring.

Sisters Reya and Spook (May 1, 2008).

And baby brother Milagro (July 1, 2009). Can you see how fuzzy he is?

In the “front country” of the basin, Steeldust’s band was enjoying the last light of day … and I enjoyed the light creating halos around them …

He does seem to be sticking close to Lady Alpha these days.

Luna and Hannah

Mahogany grazing; Sable seeking attention from almost-3-year-old Kestrel (yearmate of Shadow and Reya).

A little past, a little different angle o’ light. Comanche in the background. (Aspen and Hook are still with the band.)

I took some pictures in passing, but my attention was really farther ahead: Chrome, Jif and little-man Hayden.

This image may be actual size? That’s Hayden’s teeny hoofprint in the soil of his home … Can’t express, really, what this image means to me.

It seems to me (stand by for anthropomorphization) that now-family-man Chrome is a little befuddled by the recent attention showered upon him – former bachelor that he is – well, in his vicinity. I am thankful for his care of his little shadow …

This one just makes me smile. 🙂

Little is fuzzed-up and bearded for winter … so soon … He seems to show the faintest hint of grey high on his cheeks, but right around his eyes is red. What color will the mister be? He’s so much like his daddy, Grey/Traveler.

Now the secret is out: BLM’s next “issue” is the incredible proliferation of over-populating wild ants! No end in sight! How WILL they manage this new “problem”??

Evening with a view …

So thankful …

I took this photo of the moon during my visit with Hayden and Co., song dogs setting up a chorus in the background. Not sure it could have been more perfect.

At that point, I didn’t yet know about Molly.

In the morning, before sunrise, it was 15 degrees in the basin. The morning star was glittering like a droplet of ice on the eastern horizon while the sky grew steadily lighter. In the dim light, I had a sighting that made my heart leap: Duke. It was hard to see him because it was not yet exactly light and because of the distance, but he looked a little off – still. More on him to come.

Mornings in the basin will make you believe in something other than yourself … and if you already believe … it will reaffirm your faith in something humans will never take away. It is still. It is clear. It is hopeful. It is magic. You can almost hear the collective breath holding, waiting for that first light on the far ridges across Disappointment Valley, waiting for a long column of light to illuminate, first, Filly Peak, then widen and lay down its path across Round Top and Flat Top.

Steeldust and his hangers-on were single-file from the pond to the base of the hill. Far away.

I was looking for horses to put between me and the camera and the hills, surrounded by that sublime light. Did I mention how cold it was?

Hollywood and his girls and his youngster found me, grazing quietly in the pre-dawn light down a line of hills below the road. I hadn’t spent much time with them lately, so I put my down coat on top of my jacket and 14 other layers, wrapped my ear-band around my head, readied my gloves, put extra batteries close to my heart … and waited and watched the creep of light.

Have you ever watched – really watched – sunrise? It can’t be described. Especially, maybe, in the great – intimate – expanse of the basin; there are just too many places to watch the rising sun touch hills and ridges and swells with that sweet golden light. And before I knew it, sunlight had replaced shadow surrounding Holls and the girls and Sage. I zipped up and started walking. Baylee, watching me waddle toward them, thought – apparently – I was the abominable snowwoman – or Michelin Woman? – come to life.

The “Bundle Woman” cometh.

Piedra apparently eventually recognized me, but Baylee’s expression didn’t change much in the other photos I took. Steeldust’s band didn’t know what to think last fall, either, the first time I wore my down coat, until I started singing to them … the only audience that can withstand my “singing.” 😉

Sage still treats auntie Baylee like a playmate … and he still seeks reassurance from mama.

Hollywood

Sage’s winter coat is brown again. He looks like a little Mouse.

Relaxed

I hadn’t seen Grey/Traveler’s band the day before – and I hadn’t seen Bounce’s since the weekend before last – so I decided to head on to look for them and see if the golden light would hold.

Saw the silver boy and his band … and as I approached the Round Top intersection, I saw horses nearly straight ahead. It took a second to identify them against the light … and it took a second after that to pick out Liberty, grazing close to Gaia. I didn’t have to look for Molly; I knew she wouldn’t be there. Even expecting to see what I saw, I couldn’t stop the tears from coming. There’d be no heartbreak if there wasn’t first love.

Gaia and Liberty

Bounce

Whisper and Alegre

Maybe a little surrogate-mothering going on …

Liberty is our third orphan since I started the documentation of the Spring Creek Basin herd. My introduction to Twister was when he was already orphaned, possibly during the roundup. Shadow’s dam, Ceal, died sometime over the winter of 2007-08. Liberty is 6 months old, and she’s a tough little thing. I think she’ll be OK.

I walked from them back over to Grey/Traveler’s band.

He is my healing magic.

Cuatro was hanging out, napping on his feet, a short distance from the band. Then he decided to put on a show:

Such a big trot for a little boy!

Flying!

He must have learned this move from his muley pals. 🙂

He hit the brakes, and Terra came up out of the arroyo. Two Boots never looked up from her grazing. She’s a veteran mama at the ripe young age of 2. Watching Cuatro, it suddenly became apparent to me that his sire has to be Twister; he looks just like him.

Grey and Houdini

Terra and Cuatro

Iya (April 27, 2008) and Terra (May 1, 2009); La Sal Mountains in the background. They were born the same color; look how dark Iya is now!

Fuzzy, furry silver boy!

Thus emotionally armed, I went back to find Duke.

He looks all right … but he is thinner than when he had Raven and Corona – and, briefly, Kootenai.

He’s still limping, but he’s completely mobile, and he’s putting weight on his injured leg (right hind). See all that sky behind him? This is Spring Creek Basin’s version of “top of the world.” The difference between here and the Pryors is that here, if you step off that edge … well, let’s just say it really is an edge, and I really would recommend NOT stepping off!

Love his handsome face.

He’s a crazy horse to be walking up and down mountains (to and from water) on his healing leg, but he’s a tough boy!

Love, always. 🙂

Thankful days don’t wait for calendar dates. No matter what’s going on, I – and you, I bet – have things in your life for which to be thankful anyway. I think the ponies don’t know how much they give of themselves to all of us who admire them so; it’s the least we can do to ensure their continued protection – any way we can.

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Categories : Alegre, Alpha, Baylee, Bounce, Chipeta, Chrome, Copper, Corazon, Duke, Gaia, Grey, Hannah, Hayden, Hollywood, Houdini, Jif, Kestrel, Kiowa, Liberty, Luna, Mahogany, Mesa, Milagro, Piedra, pintos, Reya, Sable, Sage, Shadow, Spook, Steeldust, Terra, Two Boots, Ty

Taking a long view

6 09 2009

Last weekend, the weekend after Dan and Karen’s visit, I was still riding the high from my previous visit. The goals (yes, yes, never go with an agenda in mind) were to find Jif and to check the ponds for dig-out activity. No and no on both counts.

Taking to the heights was Grey/Traveler’s band – still with Chrome but not Aspen – way up … well … can you see where they were?

Mountain goats

Sorry for the long, far distance – can you pick ponies out? Can you tell where they are? That’s right up above Spring Creek canyon. The white dot is Grey/Traveler – see him? And far to the right is Chrome.

It took some long moments of watching, but I finally determined that Jif did not have a foal at her side.

Follow the leader

Kootenai and Mona following Kreacher. His legs aren’t really cut off, he’s just demonstrating the ability of this seemingly flat landscape to hide whole or partial ponies.

At the catchment trough

They followed the trail that comes up at left rear of this image and walked right on past the smaller of the two troughs. You can just, just barely see the top of it above Kootenai’s back.

Duke, Raven and Corona also were playing at being mountain goats, way up high above the “road” to Klondike Basin. I’m sure horses did once wander up there, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen horses that high – “above treeline” for what we have in the basin, so to speak.

Bounce’s band was in the east pocket toward the road from the pond. They were partially obscured by saltbush clumps, so I didn’t get any pix.

From the section of road between the dugout intersection and the boringly named second intersection, I stopped to watch Steeldust’s band, right on the west-side loop road! In addition to Aspen, Hook and Twister also were with the band. I guess Aspen got a little worn out trying to keep up with the old man …

Had four visitors in two vehicles (well, five in three, if you count me) last weekend. Non-hunters and extremely well-behaved. 🙂 I was able to talk with D&S for quite a while as we watched Steeldust’s band and bachelors in the distance.

Kreacher’s were up by Filly Peak on the way out, and Hollywood’s turned up close to the first curve from the entrance boundary (including, yes, still, Poco and Roach). Only far pix of them, and we were leaving because of the lightning strikes and lazy thunder rolls along the northeastern ridge, so it was darkling by then.

You get back from the edge this instant!

Is your stomach churning? I’m not afraid of heights, but I understand a parent’s fear seeing their child on the edge of a canyon (which I do all the time; sorry, Mom). Hmm. I guess you can’t tell from this pic or the previous one just how high they are, how long a sheer drop it is to the bottom of the canyon. That’s the canyon used by the contractors during the August 2007 roundup to collect the horses. It doesn’t look so bad in this picture because the foreground seems to run right up to the rim of rocks … but it doesn’t. Between the gentle-seeming foreground and those rocks is a steep-sided (especially on the far side, under those rimrocks), deep canyon. The horses aren’t in any danger of sliding off the edge … but good grief. You get back from that edge this instant! 🙂

Down the hill at a run

Hmm – maybe they DO listen to me! (Or not.) In the lead is Chrome, followed by Grey/Traveler, Jif (sans a foal-shadow), Houdini and Terra, Iya and Cuatro and Two Boots. Heading down to water in the Spring Creek arroyo is my guess. (Pic taken from the curve at the road to the old trap site.)

But that’s not all. On my way to the basin earlier, I had seen the backs of what I took to be Chipeta, Ty and Corazon from the Disappointment Road. So, chased out of the interior of the basin by threatening storm clouds, I went home the back way, too, hoping to see them again with a clearer view or hike in depending on the weather in that part of the herd area.

David and Shadow

Ponies heading to water.

Ponies in the sage

So to speak. I’ll wait while you count. Got ’em? Don’t miss little Milagro, nearly hidden by a saltbush or greasewood almost as big as he is. Starting at left: Kiowa and Spook, Chipeta, Copper, Milagro, Reya (Milagro is almost directly “above” Reya’s hip), Corazon and Ty. One missing … from the picture. Mesa was just to the right, out of this image.

It’s very strange doing posts so far behind. And then you, the reader, will see the most recent posts first … Almost like seeing the future of the recent past? Whew. Stand by for the next, which you already will have read by the time you get to this post.

It turned out that the only horses I didn’t see were Cinch and Bruiser and Seven’s band – and I can’t even spill the beans because you’ll already know I saw them after reading the next post, which you’ll read before this post unless you read this post in the time it takes me to write the next – first – post!

Confused? This is how the ponies seem to perpetually keep me. 🙂

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Categories : Chipeta, Copper, Corazon, David, Grey, Houdini, Iya, Jif, Kiowa, Kootenai, Kreacher, Milagro, Mona, New girls, pintos, Reya, Shadow, Spook, Steeldust, Terra, Two Boots, Ty

Spring Creek Basin Mustangs