Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

I’m taking advantage of more time this week to post lots more photos … I really didn’t get a lot posted from the previous week’s visit. That was the week I found Bounce, Tenaz, Seven and Storm together – a welcome change (to this human anyway) from Seven and Storm being alone. But Storm was fairly standoffish from the other boys, though, collectively, they were all fairly close to Hollywood’s and Comanche’s during my visit.

Another wow moment this week: Spotted Storm … then David … where’s Shadow? Oh, there she is – with Storm! Or rather, with Storm between her and David. This, I told my visitor, is one of the reasons I go back every week – to see what changes in the lives of these horses in the last few days! And to at least ask these kinds of questions (I’m not sure I’ll ever have answers):

Why, when David loses Shadow, does he hound them still, trying to get her back?

Why, when Seven lost his band, did he seem to lose all interest, not even in the same vicinity of his band, now led by Aspen?

Length of time?

David stole Shadow as a long yearling in the late summer/early fall of 2008.

Seven stole Molly and Roja from Kreacher when Grey/Traveler stole Houdini, Two Boots (H’s daughter) and orphan Twister from him in March 2008.

Injury?

Seven did have a small, seemingly minor wound on his right gaskin, but it wasn’t bad enough to hinder his movement … shouldn’t have made him give up on his band?

Neither David nor Storm appears to have any injuries beyond minor cuts.

Bond/connection?

Well …? That’s maybe the better question … with no measurable answer.

Seven is still with Bounce and Tenaz. This marks the longest Aspen has had a band since I’ve known him. (He stole Piedra briefly from Hollywood a winter or two ago – that lasted a few weeks, I remember; he stole Mahogany and Eliana from Sundance for all of about a week this spring before he lost them to Hollywood.)

Shadow – the prize.

Storm – the current victor.

David – down, but don’t count him out.

And watching from the sidelines (almost):

Aspen, center, Roja and Killian at left, and Mona and Shane grazing at right.

Shadow didn’t try to get back to David, wasn’t trying to leave Storm. Storm followed her wherever she headed and stopped frequently to discourage David – and chased after him a few times to discourage him further. Didn’t work. The above photo of Storm is him trotting back to Shadow; the photo of David is him following.

Aspen, left, and David had a brief sniffing discussion (literally just seconds long) before David turned to follow Shadow and Storm, who had moved on to graze some distance away. Aspen’s band is back to the left.

One very interesting thing that I couldn’t capture with the camera because they were never close enough while I was there: the obvious size difference between Storm (3 in late July) and David (probably 8-10ish or older). This was easier seen Wednesday (when I didn’t have a camera – crazy, I know) – even from a distance, it was apparent. Storm looks compact, and David looks long and lean. Both are true, but Storm is noticeably bigger – taller, wider, stouter. An advantage of PZP-22 (it worked on Alpha alone of the mares it was administered to in 2007) and/or good genetics/nutrition/better forage from removal of some horses and less pressure on the basin? Never know. 🙂

(Clarification: We’re using native PZP here now, not PZP-22.)

Stuff to make ya go “hmmmm” … and keep me going back to follow their amazing lives. Most times quiet … sometimes, quite a saga.