In deep

30 03 2011

Sorry about the lack of recent posts. I’ve been working on one that’s more of a rant, and I keep deciding not to post it … and I keep reading things that make me really want to post it.

Suffice it to say that no budget for roundups this year will put the Spring Creek Basin herd on rough ground, literally. It’s hard to feel so nearly alone in this “advocacy.” Thank goodness for the work Little Book Cliffs and Pryor Mountain and McCullough Peaks are doing to stop/slow their roundups.

Here are some pix of Grey/Traveler’s band getting water from a bit flowing through Spring Creek a couple of weeks ago. I was walking back to the Jeep, and they were walking the ridge, and we met in the arroyo.

It doesn’t look like much – and it’s not – but it’s actually trickling through (from beyond them (east) toward my direction and past).

Grey and his girls.

All the family. Love the water droplets.

Gorgeous girl

Sharing a moment with daddy … How many foals has he sired? How many has he helped raise … sent away, seen taken … and yes, I still say a roundup is necessary, and PZP is the best thing to put it off in the future. Where would we be now if PZP had already been implemented? He is so good with them …

I have so many hopes for this herd … . I know the public as a whole sees the trauma of roundups – and their aftermath – and focuses simply on stopping them from happening. Think deeper.

Spring Creek Basin needs to have a roundup this fall. We’ll have it this year, when there are more horses than optimum (90-95) but they’re in good shape, or we’ll have it next year and maybe call it an emergency (with around 130 horses). Why should we have to wait until the horses are in bad condition? Why can’t we do it now, when they’re in good condition – and able to withstand the stress? Argh.


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Categories : Gemma, Grey, Houdini, Terra

Grey(s), illuminated

14 03 2011

Prepare ye for gorgeousity.

This little girl doesn’t often find the spotlight, but when it finds her – wow! Gemma

Big sister Terra – isn’t she divine?

Handsomest. Does he glow? He glows.

Some from before the light returned:

Gemma and daddy

Does it seem that, whatever lack of light there was, they seem to enrich what IS there?

I just love them.

Daddy and his daughters …

Sisters

And back to light:

Enjoying the sunshine …

Do you recognize these poses?

He comes by it naturally, eh? 🙂

I told you he glowed.

Gemma in light …

She loves her daddy! He wasn’t too keen on public displays of affection. 🙂

Grey/Traveler and Gemma

Daddy and his gorgeous girls

Mama in the background

Mama in beauty

Public affection – gotcha. 🙂

Gemma

What a visit!


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Categories : Gemma, Grey, Houdini, Terra

Peaceful grey(s)

13 03 2011

Grey/Traveler and Houdini. I wish his eye was visible, but this is a common view – Grey grazing nearby and Houdini farther away.

This also is common: Daddy with his girls … or … the girls with their daddy!

Isn’t he gorgeous? Doesn’t he glow? (Really, he does – I have evidence coming later.)

With the broad band of clouds covering the rising sun, the color of the day was fairly dull at this point … but I think you can still see a bit of light illuminating the horses’ coats – and here also, the far background of hills … But it was starting to edge away, that big cloud … revealing brief moments like this:

A teaser of light to come …

So many more photos, so little time!

Here’s a shameless plug (which I need to learn to do more of, I’m afraid): I’m speaking at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Wilkinson Public Library in Telluride – scroll down on the right – about the horses, the upcoming roundup and adoption and, very particularly and specifically, about fertility control and the annual program we hope to implement in the basin this fall. The little blurb is, unfortunately, misleading, and that’s not my photo and those are not Spring Creek Basin mustangs. I am in that film, “Mustangs and Renegades” (formerly “Disappointment Valley”), but I have not seen it, and I will not be talking about the film. It was shown there last month, which is the library’s connection.

If any of you are local and can make it, please come and please introduce yourself/ves and let me know about your experiences with the horses!

I mention that, too, because I’m going to try to get more pix up in the next couple of days, but then I’ll be in the basin Wednesday and part of Thursday leading up to my talk in Telluride … visiting with the horses again and collecting more photos and observations. We’re about a month away from the start of our foaling season, and most of the mares are showing definite signs of things to come. Most of our foals should be born in April and May, but our season will go through the summer and into September with at least a few mares.

If you’re praying for a suggestion of what to do, the upcoming scoping letter here will be another chance to do something positive for better management of our mustangs – this scoping letter in particular, for our Spring Creek Basin mustangs. I’ll provide a link to it as soon as I know it’s out (I assume it will be linkable). Public comment helped McCullough Peaks and Pryor Mountain fertility control programs become a reality (and Little Book Cliff’s at the outset – and continuing!); we’ll need them from you here, too.


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Categories : Advocacy, Fertility control, Gemma, Grey, Houdini, PZP, Terra, Wild horses in the news

Welcoming committee

11 03 2011

After I left Duke and the boys and Luna’s band and Hook’s band, I walked on up and along the ridge until I saw the band I’ve mentioned briefly previously.

Houdini, Terra and Gemma coming to see what I’m doing – or, perhaps, coming to see *better* what I am and what I’m doing. It happens rarely, but it still surprises me and fills me with unreasonable joy when it happens.

I had just come within sight of them and stopped to wait for them to see me. Most of the time, they make some determination – usually favorable, I assume – and go back to grazing. This area slopes down from the highest ridge in the area toward a big arroyo that cuts through the greater area, which is dissected by shallow-ish arroyos that feed into the bigger one. I hiked through two to eventually get out to where they stopped and went back to grazing. They could have stayed where they were or gone anywhere if they had any fear. Yet they came *toward* me, and I can’t explain that. Though Houdini came running up with her daughters, she hung back during my entire time with them, which was glorious.

Keeping an eye on me … carrying the next generation. Wise Houdini … not as easy with me as Alpha and Luna but easily as much a queen among mustangs. I’d give this elder girl a break, too. This year’s foal will also be the fifth since I’ve known her (all fillies!) and been documenting the horses. Like Luna, all surviving. Like Luna and Alpha and the rest, a fantastic mother.


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Categories : Gemma, Houdini, Terra

Missing them

15 02 2011

Because of my meetings last week, I wasn’t able to get out to visit the horses, and I’ve been missing them. So I went back through photos from the last visit to pull out some more before I hopefully get back out tomorrow.

I see you, beautiful girl! I was sitting on the edge of a shallow arroyo across from where they were grazing.

Sister girls: Gemma, left, and Terra. Gemma will be a year old April 23, and Terra will be 2 on May 1.

Both girls (this is Terra) love their daddy, Grey/Traveler and can often be found grazing close to him. I don’t know where Terra gets her weird and wondrous blaze marking … I’ve always thought it looks like a swan.

Right at the edge of the little arroyo …

He doesn’t very often give me his full attention anymore – I have to be quick to catch it! So handsome and crazy-intelligent!

I especially love to sit with his band and soak up all his wisdom (and Houdini’s). Linda on Beautiful Mustang has been posting about natural horsemanship and observations of her herd, and passive leadership, which her horse Red exhibits. Grey definitely has that quality, and it showed with the big bands he had before the last two roundups. In fact, all the band stallions seem to have it … and I’ve wondered if that might be part of Mouse’s “problem” in getting a mare. He’s the highest ranking bachelor, but he’s a little gruff and grouchy (though he seems to be mellowing). Kreacher and Steeldust are two excellent examples of deferring to their girls, but when need be, they’re incredibly protective.

Can’t wait to see the horses again!


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Categories : Gemma, Grey, Terra

A good roll in the dirt

8 02 2011

Thick, fuzzy winter coats must get itchy, shedding or not. We’ve had a wide range of conditions this winter – from crazy-warm (50s?) to very cold (well below zero), multi-day snow events (around New Year’s) to gaping areas without snow. Winter means survival mode for wild animals … but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for a little fun.

Walking up out of an arroyo, Grey/Traveler surprised me by stopping for a roll. Houdini and the girls went on without him. I thought it looked a little steep, but he made it look so easy, I thought he had found a little “bench.”

About to get up … Hi, big, I’m lookin’ at you!

Terra apparently thought this was a capital idea because she came back to investigate while Grey prepared to lie down on his other side …

He didn’t give up his spot, though, so she had to find a steeper spot above him.

And down they go!

She gave it a good effort but didn’t go all the way over.

It must have felt great to both of them because they leaped up with bucks and hops …

… before heading on up the hill to join Houdini and Gemma.

After they disappeared over the top, I went over to explore and was surprised by the angle of the slope where they had rolled – definitely not flat! I’ve seen a lot of places where they’ve obviously rolled, and some spots look like “habitual” places – places they seem to know and roll on frequently. Some, I think, are just found when the mood strikes them. No doubt Terra will remember this as a good place to roll, right up the hill from what seemed to be a water source in warmer weather.

I should add that between last night and this morning, we got about 3 inches of snow on the southwest flank of the La Platas, so hopefully the basin got some snow … which means water this spring and summer! Thanks for the dances! It adds up in every sparkling flake!


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Categories : Grey, Terra

More grey

7 02 2011

But nearly full sunshine and blue!

This Grey(/Traveler) …

… and these greys (yes, Terra is going to be grey) …

… and these greys (Gemma is greying even faster than big sister Terra) …

… mama Houdini … getting to be very Alpha-like in her coloring – or lack thereof (still with grey mane and darker tail) …

… daddy Grey and his grey girls …

… those faces …

… bold grey girl checking me out when I first walked past them to the edge of the ridge to look down on Seven’s and Bruiser and Spring …

… shy Gemma …  Almost like daddy – every time she’d look up, I’d be too slow with the camera, and she’d had gone back to grazing by the time I got positioned and focused.

North-facing slopes still have quite enough snow for heavy walking. South-facing have much less – even none. So weird to see such lack of snow … but I also remember Februarys past when I’ve driven around the basin on perfectly dry roads. At least snow is in the forecast:

*Dancedancedancewithwildabandondance*


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Categories : Gemma, Grey, Houdini, Terra

More

13 11 2010

Some more pix of Gemma and her family, including daddy.

Gemma and mama and daddy, Houdini and Grey/Traveler

Gemma and daddy

Daddy and his girls – see how fast Gemma is greying?

Gemma and mama

Crop. Does it remind you of this:

Ah, changes.

And just something different. Maybe it doesn’t quite “work,” but I liked the shapes and the light. A different take on the familiar. All there but Terra.

Big sis Terra. Couldn’t leave her out. 🙂


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Categories : Gemma, Grey, Houdini, Terra

Gemma and mama

9 11 2010

Gemma was particularly photogenic during my last visit. I caught them right at the end of the day, and though my beloved Grey stayed in the shadows of the wide arroyo, Gemma had her time in the sunshine.

Gemma, Brumley Point in the background. From this side, her color is “mud.” She’s the fastest-greying foal I’ve seen in Spring Creek Basin – she’s much greyer already than her yearling sister, Terra.

Climbing into the light …

… followed by her loyal shadow.

Mama Houdini, very wise old girl.

And a last one of Gemma, halo’d by the very last light of the day …


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Categories : Gemma, Houdini, Terra

Home

7 11 2010

I had intended to climb the north hills this visit with my wide-angle lens to take a series of photos across the basin … but it just never happened. I do promise to do that … I just don’t make any promises about WHEN!

The basin is a fairly wide open place – until you get to the natural barriers that form some of our boundaries – west, north, east, southeast. Then we have some fairly dramatic backdrops. And you can’t beat the often-snow-capped La Sal Mountains on our northwestern horizon in Utah. And though it’s both fairly wide and fairly open, especially in the middle “bowl” of the basin, it’s cut and folded and ridged and hilled and pocketed with lots of wondrous hidey holes.

And, of course, there’s the oft-mentioned “McKenna Peak and unnamed promontory” background, always wonderful as a dramatic backdrop to highlight our wily mustangs.

Sisters (Grey/Traveler’s and Houdini’s daughters) Terra and Gemma, at home in their not-so-big but beautiful wild.


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Categories : Gemma, Terra

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