A just-because post … because it was the end of a great day, because the ponies were awesome, because the day was filled with them, because they are going to be OK, because they are strong and resilient, because they make me better than I knew I could be.
Chrome and Hayden are back in their old stomping grounds, and they’ve picked up a couple of beautiful companions.
Winona was with Traveler’s band the week before the roundup, and although Traveler and Houdini, Gemma and Deniz were captured, Winona, Terra and Corona were not. Now the girls are with Chrome and Hayden.
Hayden just turned 2 (Sept. 22), Terra is 2, and Winona is a yearling.
Chrome
Terra and Chrome
Winona and Chrome
Young mister Hayden still loves basking in the sunshine.
Taking in the morning view.
I love mornings in the basin.
How do they grow up so quickly? What factors contribute to faster “growing up” in some than others? Why do some fillies have their first foals at 2 when I have at least one 3-year-old and one 4-year-old that haven’t foaled yet (neither ever pregnant, as far as I’m aware)?
Last year, soon after Cinch stole Liberty (I doubt she was a difficult conquest), I saw him breed her – in September. I had cause to look back in my notes to see exactly when that was because there was some question about her being pregnant within the last month or so. I think she must certainly be pregnant – for a normal spring baby.
If it’s the lengthening days that trigger mares to come into heat and become receptive to conception, what about these waning days would make long yearlings come into heat? Winona was practically begging to be bred … and he finally obliged her. I hope she follows the pattern Liberty set – in heat but not yet ready to conceive.
Winona and baby Deniz (Grey/Traveler x Houdini).
What makes some yearling fillies leave their families (Winona … orphan Liberty … Hannah … Sable …) and some stay much longer (Gaia was almost 3 before she left; Reya, 4, is still with her mother)? Band dynamics? Individual hormones? Simple random opportunity (or not)?
Deniz was very curious about the newcomer, and ‘Nona mostly tolerated her. She has quite an attitude, though, and considers herself – already – quite high up the pecking order. Though Houdini ignored her, the only one ‘Nona submitted to was Terra, Grey’s eldest (2). Gemma is the same age and readily backed down to Winona, as did 2-year-old Corona.
From left: Terra (2), Winona (1), baby Deniz and Grey/Traveler.
Whatever else, our beloved Traveler is still in his prime – still stealing mares (Corona and Winona this year)!
I thought it was hard … it’s worse.
Last week, I had an amazing visit with Grey/Traveler’s band. His daughters are just as incredible as you might think (more). Corona (left), of course, is not his daughter. Gemma is his yearling daughter, and Deniz is his baby girl, and Houdini – right – is their mama.
Their phenomenal daddy, Traveler.
I’m running out of superlatives. 🙂
Deniz and big sister Gemma
Bigger sister Terra and Gemma. They were watching Corona, who was banging at the weird guzzler. Weirdly, Corona was trying to drink from it when she wasn’t pawing at it. These girls were fascinated – and they never tried to drink.
It’s cool to see how Terra’s little sisters take such comfort from her. All of them share an intent alert curiosity that I love.
Gemma and Deniz
Do you love that little muzzle?
And another …
OK, they’re not *all* grey. 🙂 From left: Terra, Corona, Deniz, Gemma and Houdini in back. Terra, Gemma and Deniz are Grey’s and Houdini’s daughters. The black clearly visible on Corona’s legs is mud from Wildcat Spring. Corona is pale, pale, ever-so-pale palomino (genetics she inherits from her sire, Corona, of Sand Wash Basin).
The beloved boy himself. So I’m biased … aren’t you?!
This little beauty is nearly as light as her mother is dark. She’s a year older than the baby girl on the right. I was a little shocked at their similarity in size. Two-year-old T is the same age as C there … but noticeably bigger.
I can’t get over how not only comfortable they are with each other but HOW close they seem. Because of weather, it had been two weeks between my visits instead of my usual one … a lot changes in a short period of time!
Have I wracked your brains long enough? 🙂
Ignoring me as usual, my beloved silver boy, Grey/Traveler, and his band, which now includes …
Corona! (I didn’t realize until I cropped in on this how cocked her hip was, making her hips look so uneven!)
Interestingly, he’s watching Kreacher (his band is Corona’s former band – black and white pinto Raven is Corona’s mama), who was ahead on the road. All these photos were taken from my Jeep.
I could watch him forever …
Terra-girl. I don’t really have a photo that shows it – every time I noticed how much bigger she is than Corona, I was watching, camera slack in my hands. She’s an amazing girl with incredible genes!
And of course you want to see this darling girl – Deniz! Look how she’s changed! Lighter, “browner” – and look how big and stout! Notice the faint striping on her legs, too. I think I mentioned it with Juniper. I’ve seen it on most of Grey’s babies, I think, and some others, too. They eventually fade or become less noticeable as the babies grey out.
Grey and Houdini do have a knack for making beautiful babies together, don’t they? 🙂
I’m happy to see Corona with Grey’s family. A lovely match!
Truly, sometimes I have no words. In the basin, with them, I just hang on tight to the moment, the moments, the glorious beauty all around me, us, them. They carry it with them … the world accentuates all that they are.
What’s the saying?
When God created the horse, he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth shall lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt cast thy enemies between thy hooves, but thou shalt carry my friends upon thy back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And thou fly without any wings, and conquer without any sword. ~ The Koran
How could it be said any better?
These images were all taken from about half an hour before sunset to a little past the same day as the pictures in the “Till Dawn” post.
It’s plentiful, it’s prickly, it has slender, rubbery “leaves,” and the horses seem to think of it as candy. I’ve seen them surrounded by grass – actual grass – and still nibbling (as Gideon here) on greasewood.
Grey/Traveler and his daughter Terra
Mama Houdini, baby Deniz and yearling Gemma were out of sight in a little draw down and behind Grey and Terra.
King, emperor, knight in shining silver of Spring Creek Basin.
Alpha, queen, empress, once his favorite …
Mouse
Varoujan and daddy Butch
And good night …
Here are some pix of – mostly! – Deniz … and some of her with mama Houdini. What a sweet, curious baby girl!
Sisters Terra and Gemma
Do Grey and Houdini have beautiful babies or what?! 🙂
In an effort not to bogart images from my most recent visit, here are some highlights.
Bruiser with his lonnnnnnggggg mane …
He and Milagro are still together. Interestingly, the pintos (including Milagro’s mama, Kiowa, and his little brother and big sisters) were just behind me over the ridge … well, not all the pintos. Chipeta, Puzzle and Ty (an “honorary pinto”!) have split off on their own – a move that has been coming for weeks. Those horses and Chrome’s band were the only ones I didn’t see.
Corona. Look at that wild and wooly mane on that little girl!
Shane – Mona’s and Kreacher’s daughter. Doesn’t she look big and beautiful? She’s almost 8 months old. Most of the youngsters – as usual – are still sporting fuzzy coats, though most of the adults have shed out (though some still have bits of fuzz clinging), and no wonder – the temp Thursday morning when I rolled out of the Jeep at o’dark-thirty was in the 20s!
Sisters Terra and Gemma – Gem-baby was obviously having a glorious time at the Wildcat Spring & Spa!
This spring will go down in record books as busy. Just darn busy. So I’m behind with birthday wishes for not one but a few – I’m sure they won’t mind.
April 26 – Corona
About a week ago. I still don’t know quite what her color is – I’m calling her pale palomino – but it’s a little “richer” this year with a bit of an apricot tinge.
As a baby with mama Raven … Daddy Corona from Sand Wash Basin is a handsome palomino.
Here’s a link to Nancy Roberts’ blog and a post about Corona’s band that includes pictures of our Corona’s newest little half-sister, who looks a lot like her!
She has a few of those darker “red” spots (her neck just above her shoulder) on her body and legs like tiny birthmarks. She definitely gets her wavy forelock, mane and tail from daddy, nicknamed “Fabio”! She’s now 2.
April 27 – Iya
I thought it was appropriate to celebrate Iya’s birthday with a photo of her and her firstborn, whose birthday was just two weeks earlier than her own!
Iya was born the spring after the roundup to mama Houdini (still in the basin, of course, with Grey/Traveler and their three youngest daughters) and, I think, the stallion she was with in the spring (with baby Two Boots) but escaped capture with – Junior. Iya is now 3.
With mama and sister Two Boots (who is now nearly unrecognizable from this photo!) two days after she was born.
Before the baby. Strong, curious and brave – and carrying on the tradition of being an excellent mama!
April 27 – Tenaz
Taken Wednesday – his birthday. 🙂 The little mister is the son of Piedra and Hollywood, and he’s now 1 year old. His band had some recent upheaval, and he’s now with “auntie” Baylee and young Storm (who will be 3 this summer).
As a baby with mama Piedra. She guarded him tenaciously, even more so (it seemed) than she did her firstborn, Sage. Hence his name Tenaz.
My camera adores him … I can’t begin to understand why … 🙂
*HE* clearly adores mistress Winona!
From birthday-day again.
Soooooo much like daddy!
April 29 – Sage
Sage is Piedra’s and Hollywood’s firstborn, now 2 years old.
He’s changed a bit. 🙂 He takes more after mama than he does daddy – the reverse of his little brother Tenaz.
He’s been a very good big brother.
Pondering his next move back in February.
With brother Tenaz at right, daddy, Iya and littlest brother in the background.
May 1 – Spook
Nothing like birthday look-backs to tell you how you’re doing on easily-accessible photos of certain horses. Once she has her baby, I’m sure that number will increase by leaps and bounds!
These were taken in March. I’ve seen the band most visits since then but mostly from afar as I just check for new little bodies. Here, Spook – black and white – is with Puzzle, Maiku and Milagro.
With little brother Maiku, who will celebrate his birthday in June. Spook is 3 today. She shares her birthday with Terra and my “little” brother, Jeff! (Happy birthday!!)
Her mama is Kiowa, and she was born the year after the roundup, so her sire is unknown. Kiowa and Chipeta, the two released pinto mares, both ended up with Bruiser – also released – after the roundup. From my photos of the roundup, the mares came in together in a large group – but not with Bruiser. (Yes, I removed that old bit of fence.) Spook, like older sister Reya (released with her mother), looks pregnant, so between anytime now and September, I’m expecting four foals in this band! If they stick together, Kiowa will have her foal and two grandbabies all together! This will also be Kiowa’s fifth foal since I started documenting … and she holds the distinction of still having most of her foals with her; almost-yearling Milagro recently took up with elder bachelor (and former lead stallion of this band) Bruiser.
A baby pic of Spook …
Spook, right, last summer with big sister Reya. Spook and Corazon – and Raven, from Sand Wash Basin – are our only black-and-white pintos. The others range from very dark bay to red-bay.
May 1 – Terra
Gorgeous 2-year-old daughter of Grey/Traveler and Houdini.
With little sister Gem in the background.
From March, with Mama in the background …
Also from that day in March, with Daddy.
Baby girl with Houdini
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All beloved wild beauties of Spring Creek Basin. You are loved, always.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 