Surprise! They look like they’ve been together forever … but they haven’t, of course. Who are they? 🙂
Another virus update, per BLM
27 05 2011I got this release from Tom Rice, our local BLM chief. Please pass it on as appropriate.
If you haven’t yet heard about this outbreak, click here for a Durango Herald article about it that ran about a week ago and here for a follow-up article.
From the first article: “The disease is highly contagious and can cause respiratory problems, neurologic disease and death. There is no cure, though symptoms may be treatable, officials said.”
Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range officials already had limited access to the range by domestic horses with a deadline of today. Not sure whether that’s being extended.
BLM Statement on Outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1)
The BLM is aware of the recent outbreak of neurologic disease caused by the equine herpes virus (EHV-1) in the western United States. The Bureau has been working with state and federal animal health officials to help protect the health and well-being of wild horses and burros on the range, along with those in BLM holding facilities.
No BLM-managed wild horses or burros on the range or at BLM facilities are known to have been exposed or affected by the neurologic EHV-1 outbreak at this time. However, the Bureau is consulting and coordinating with animal health officials regarding the movement of wild horses and burros, as well as the scheduling of events such as adoptions that may place horses and burros in contact with horses, burros, or their owners in the domestic horse community. Some lower-risk movements between BLM facilities or BLM facilities and adoption events will continue. Other movements may be canceled because of concerns regarding potential exposure to EHV-1.
At this time, decisions will be made on a local, case-by-case basis in consultation with the BLM’s attending veterinarians and the state veterinarians in the area. All BLM horses and burros that travel interstate do so with valid Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (health certificates) and in accordance with state and federal animal health regulations. The BLM asks the public to be aware of disease transmission risks and to contact local BLM offices to see if there are any restrictions in place before bringing domestic horses onto BLM-managed public lands.
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Categories : Advocacy, Wild horses in the news
Population growth
26 05 2011Spring Creek Basin has grown by two. 🙂
Friends of the horses and mine, Lynn and Kathy, spotted this new pair this week, and I got to see them for the first time yesterday!
Although we got days and days of rain and snow, the basin is still disconcertingly dry, ponds still shallow. The dry roads made it easy to get around, but I can hardly fathom that the thirsty place just slurped up all that moisture. It shows in the green blush of hills and possibly more globe mallow and prince’s plume than I’ve ever seen.
Roja’s and Seven’s little boy already knows how to dance!
As ready as Roja was to foal two weeks ago, I think he’s probably close to that in age.
I had a wonderful visit with this band this morning and even took a nap to the music of the wind through the junipers. A hummingbird visited a couple of times! Later, when I was back in the Jeep making notes, a gorgeous little hummer with a shimmering royal purple throat came to the door three times!
Dawn found me with this lovely little miss:
Check out her little silver beard! I think she may eventually turn grey like big brother Whisper. She has a right hind fetlock exactly like daddy Bounce’s!
With gorgeous mama Alegre
Oh, what sweetness!
Belated welcome to your world, babies!
There are a few updates this week … to come!
Comments : 3 Comments »
Categories : Alegre, Roja
News alert about virus
24 05 2011I’d suggest this maybe apply to all of Colorado’s herd areas and herd management areas (!) …
Feds urge horse owners to avoid wild horse range
GRAND JUNCTION (AP) – Federal officials are asking people to avoid riding their horses in the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range in western Colorado because of an outbreak of a fatal horse virus.
The Bureau of Land Management is asking horseback riders to stay out of the area until Friday. Colorado
has nine confirmed cases of equine herpes and 22 suspected cases
The deadly and highly contagious has infected at least 34 horses in nine states and Canada. More than 1,000 animals are known to have been exposed through direct or indirect contact with infected horses, which are among 400 that attended the National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah earlier this month.
The disease can be transmitted through touch or through the air. It isn’t a risk to people.
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Categories : Wild horses in the news
Contact
24 05 2011A couple of “miscellaneous” and several from an evening.
Piedra and Briosa looking south … I think that vibrant green cottonwood makes the whole scene. 🙂
Ties of family are strong, blood or no. Liberty and her mother, Molly, spent time with Bounce’s band shortly before Molly died in the fall of 2009. Afterward, Liberty went back to the band … then ended up with Cinch in the fall of 2010. Gaia ended up with them over the winter (January 2011?). Gaia is 3 (Alegre’s daughter, Bounce’s stepdaughter), Liberty is 2 (Seven x Molly). It’s not a huge surprise these girls ended up back together. 🙂
Sundance and Hollywood in sync.
I ended up right on the road in a great position to watch some awesome dynamics playing out. From a distance, I had seen Sundance (recently separated from Mahogany, Eliana and Aspen) with Sage and Ze, two young (2 years old) bachelors. Hollywood’s were close – as were Hook’s band.
Hook
Hollywood
Double trouble on the bubble – Sage and Ze wisely kept their distance, but all the boys – and girls – were well aware of them.
Sisters Hannah (bay) and Ember
Part of the magnificent background of Spring Creek Basin – Knife Edge, McKenna Peak and the unnamed promontory …
Hook’s band – Brumley Point in the background …
Fierro, Hannah and Sable. Hollywood actually stole Hannah briefly when she was a yearling (by briefly, I mean around an hour or so). That was shortly before she followed sister Ember and half-brother Pinon to Hook’s band … followed shortly thereafter by Sable.
Hollywood about to greet Pinon …
Hollywood left Piedra and Briosa for quite a long while during this melee … He later chased Sundance far to the east, and Hook’s and Sage and Ze eventually followed, and Holls eventually went back to his girls.
What a day!
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Categories : Briosa, Cinch, Ember, Fierro, Gaia, Hannah, Hollywood, Hook, Liberty, Piedra, Pinon, Sable, Sage, Sundance, Ze
Dawn and on
24 05 2011Still have lots to share from almost two weeks ago … looking forward to getting back to the basin this week, weather-permitting. Loved getting all that moisture (including snow!), but I can hardly stand not having been in the basin for two weeks. I want to see it GREEN, like we’ve hardly had yet this year (the green-up was as subtle as I’ve ever seen it, and the cheat grass has already gone to purple), and I want to see ponds brimming with water. I want to see all the babies and families! Don’t know what I’ll find … and that’s why I’m so eager to get back out!
Juniper, mama Kestrel and daddy Comanche. For whatever reason, I just love knowing Comanche is a full-fledged daddy … He has taken such good care of Winona.
Baby girl in the spotlight
Isn’t she divine?
And the whole world is new and interesting and beautiful, to be explored and marveled at.
Then they left the shadows of the trees for the morning sunlight.
All things bright and beautiful …
All things wise and wonderful …
It was a gorgeous morning. If snow fell in the basin last week with the rain, I wonder what she made of that? What all the babies – tough little mustang babies, made of stern gossamer stuff – made of it? I hope they delighted in it and kicked up their tiny heels and ran for joy of life!
We wandered over the pinon-juniper island and found Luna’s band already hard at work at nap time. There’s just about nothing better than napping in that delicious morning sunshine after the day’s first trip to the water hole. At least, that’s my take on it. 🙂
Alpha was just to the left. I think Mouse was a little back, also to the left.
Zeroing in … Steeldust is likely Varoujan’s granddaddy (likely sire of Butch).
The littlest mister laid down …
And big brother Gideon came thiiiiiiis close to joining him … His nodding head dropped so low, I was sure he was going to lie down, but he never did.
Meanwhile, just a little distance away …
Big sister Winona, fascinated by the baby …
Ha! Mama Kestrel was just steps away to the left. Pretty soon, these two will be playing together and running circles around mama and daddy!
Handsome daddy Comanche
He stays close …
🙂
Baby girl couldn’t resist the call of nap time, either …
Like mama Luna, like daughter Kestrel … I really don’t know how to articulate how I feel when I sit with these horses, in the sunlight of a beautiful spring morning, a million miles away from anywhere and everywhere. It’s the most incredible gift to be able to do that, feeling their quiet magic all around. I am grateful beyond words … I am amazed beyond reason … It keeps me going back, it makes me do everything I can to ensure their survival in the best conditions possible. Above all things but my own family, they are my light in this world.
Juniper
Luna the beautiful and wise, mother of (at least) Kestrel, Ember, Hannah, Gideon and Varoujan; grandmother of (at least) Winona, Fierro and Juniper. We are so blessed to have her (she came from Sand Wash Basin in 2001).
Varo and Luna, Gideon and Alpha in back.
Do you see all their eyes? Luna and Varo, of course, Alpha … and Gideon? I love trying to capture images like this – puzzle pieces of family life.
Baby gives mama a schnuzzle …
Mama gives baby a schnuzzle! I love how her mobile lips are stretched out to him.
Mama, always a comforting presence …
Loved the light on him against the shadowed arroyo wall behind him.
Just love … just always simply love.
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Categories : Alpha, Butch, Comanche, Gideon, Juniper, Kestrel, Luna, Steeldust, Varoujan, Winona
Light and beauty, beauty and light
22 05 2011
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 …
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Categories : Aspen, Butch, Gideon, Grey, Luna, Mouse, Steeldust, Terra, Varoujan
Baby has a name!
22 05 2011
From A: “The name they have chosen for Raven’s son is Apollo; Greek God of the Sun (my eldest daughter is Soleil- sun in French), who drives a horse-drawn chariot across the sky everyday, and was in love with the river nymph Daphne (our pinto mare is Daphne).”
So baby Apollo, welcome to your world! And thank you thank you thank you, A’s girls and others, who came up with a fantastic name that quite perfectly suits our very own little sun god!
I think it’s perfect, don’t you?!
Thank you so much for your creativity and weaving in a bit of your own family – to this family … OUR family.
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Categories : Apollo
Wild Horse Inmate Program’s 25th anniversary
22 05 2011From the BLM website about the 25th anniversary of the wild horse inmate training program at Canon City, which is going on today (started yesterday): “This year marks the 25th anniversary of Colorado’s Wild Horse Inmate Program in Canon City. To celebrate, the BLM is hosting an event in Golden to draw attention to the program and highlight how the program has contributed to the community.
“In the last 25 years, the WHIP in Canon City has contributed enormously to the community. Those contributions include inmate rehabilitation and job training, national security along the border, and training opportunities for new riders.”
For more information, visit http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/wild_horse_and_burro/whip_25_anniversary.html
I do hope it’s a successful event, with lots of horses adopted. One of our Spring Creek Basin mustangs, who went through the program at Canon City is currently serving at a Border Patrol station in Colville, Wash. In fact, he was one of 10 mustangs that participated in the inauguration parade for President Barack Obama less than 18 months after he was rounded up. We’re extremely proud of our Justice – and all the mustangs serving on our country’s borders (our Kootenai was named after a Sand Wash Basin cousin, also serving on the northern border).
Also, the Colorado chapter of the National Mustang Association has contributed to the program over the years with donations of magazines and boots for the inmates. I visited the facility in August 2007 after our roundup, when we were allowed to identify Grey/Traveler, who was not identified during the roundup and was mistakenly removed and taken to Canon City, and bring him home. That story has a happy outcome, and we’re forever grateful to Fran Ackley, Wild Horse & Burro Program lead for BLM in Colorado, for making that happen.
If any readers attend the events at Canon City, please leave a comment and let us know how it went.
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Categories : Advocacy, Wild horses in the news
Rapture
21 05 2011[rap-cher]
verb -tured, -tur·ing.
–noun
1. ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy.
2. Often, raptures. an utterance or expression of ecstatic delight.
3. the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence.
I’d have to agree. 🙂
Comments : 5 Comments »
Categories : Juniper
