I decided to go out to the range early this morning and got
lucky!
I am sending this picture of Montana, who has been very elusive to me…but
I hiked up the hill and got a few shots.
I saw Hickok, Jesse James, Seneca & Hightail. They had Halo, Fresia &
Montana with them, sort of. I did not see Merlin with them, but he could
have been somewhere nearby.
I drove up all the way to the end of the range and only saw Medicine Bow
with Jemez.
Out on Mustang Flat I saw one black horse a very long ways away. I could not
tell
Who it was, even with my binoculars.
When I drove back down I did not see anyone.
I am concerned about Merlin, but hopefully he is taking it easy and healing,
yet again!
Lori
Both Lori and I have received reports this week that Merlin is injured. It sounds like it may be the same injury from earlier this year, or could possibly be a new injury. Hopefully he is healing and doing fine.
Thanks Lori so much for the report. I am looking forward to seeing more photos and I will post them here!
Sandy
Rats! I know life goes on and things change, but I sure hope Merlin is OK. He has a special place in my heart because he is a special mustang—one of the first fewv I saw on the range and had eye to eye contact with. I’ll be watching for updates.
I agree Linda. He is a special horse.
Sandy-how are your new charges doing? I hope that you blog about how you ease them into saddle.
They are doing great Diane! Thanks. Yes, I will be doing updates on them often!
Lori, thanks so much for going out again today (and thanks, Sandy, for providing the space for her report). I’m not ready, and I know others are not either, to see these kinds of changes in the Dryhead. Hope Merlin is okay. He is an icon here and, Sandy didn’t mention it this time, also the father of her Valerosa. Montana does like older, I so appreciate that photo — doesn’t look like it was easy getting any of them. Looking forward to more updates.
Yes, he is a special horse who made a very special daughter! I hope that he is okay too.
Thanks Sandy!
You are right about that Joy…going up was not too difficult, but the hike back down was very slow.
I will try to go out again soon to see if I can find Merlin, or any others who want to show their faces!
I hope Merlin is alright too and hopefully someone will spot him soon. At least he seems to have the luck of having other bands take in his band when he’s been injured instead of having the bachelors fight each other for them and having his mares end up scattered. Hopefully he’ll be able to take charge of them again soon. I love the little snip on Montana’s nose! Thank you Lori and Sandy!
Yep…that little snip on Montana’s nose is cute for sure Sarah!
I went out again to the Dry Head this morning and only saw Hawk and Issaquah. Of course they both were walking right down the middle of the road. They were being bothered byflies and were swatting each others face. They finally got off of the road and went wandering off into the bushes.
I also saw a small group of big horn sheep.
Sorry I don’t have any news of Merlin or anyone else. I hope he is ok.
I will go out to the range again sometime this week.
Thanks, Lori. It’s funny how they can all be so elusive. Frustrating, too!
Thanks for the update Lori! 🙂
It’s going to be interesting to find out if Hidatsa is the one responsible for this “drama in the Dryhead”, or if Hickok has become a challenge to the established band stallions. And if it will stop with Merlin’s band, or if will there be other changes. It’s like watching “As The World Turns”. I hope Merlin gets Fresia back, at least. Thanks, Lori, for the update. 🙂 I love that pic of you with “the kids” getting their treats. 🙂 It’s very apparent that they do trust you. 🙂 I’m so glad about that.
“Like” 🙂
Thank you Lori and Sandy for these latest reports from the Dryheads.. They may not be many there, but they sure keep things interesting! Just hope everyone will end up ok, and that Merlin will manage to keep his little herd.
On a little different note, I would love to tell you about something I experienced yesterday:) None of my friends are very interested in stories about horses, so I want to share it here.
I was taking a long walk in the beautiful autumnweather we had yesterday when I suddenly came upon a huuuuge area on the highgrounds of my city, that’s fenced in. It’s a popular hiking area up there so they have put up steps so people can walk over the fence if they want, or they can walk around. Most people walk around so I was all along. It’s a very big area with forrest, meadows and hills, and inside there are horses gracing all summer. I had no idea this place excisted! As I was walking along I didn’t see anything for a long time, but suddenly I hear a loud whinny from some distance away, inside the forrest. I walked over and suddenly saw a beautiful horse standing there! He was a gorgeous silky black (probably) gelding, and he was showing off and whinnying a lot. Suddenly he threw up his head and raced down a hill. I walked over to where he had been and saw him nuzzling a mare down there, before they both kicked their heels up and went galloping up another hill where they stopped in the sunlight to eat from some bushes.
It felt so much like it really was in the wild, and I could almost see all “our” horses grazing these areas as well:) I can hands down say that this was one of the most special moments of my life, and has made me 100% certain that I one day will go to the Pryors. Until then I now have a place I can go to and feel at least a small part of the free spirit of the wild! And next time I’ll bring a proper camera;)
Sandy, Lori and all of you others that are up there: Thank you for letting us take part through your blogs and pictures. I can say for certain that my life is richer since I found you people:)
Anne, thanks for this is very special story. Your camera — don’t leave home without it! I wonder if there is something more to this little “premonition”. I also had a similar experience. I was driving around last week in an area of the county I had never been before. I turned a corner and a horse ran almost in front of me! Luckily, he stopped at the edge of the road and just started grazing. I talked to him for a little and then started honking my horn for someone to come out and get him back into his corral. No one did but he suddenly kicked up his heels and went back near his fence. He was a pinto, so not a Pryor mustang 🙂 I was glad it was me and not some other car. He could have been hit. Not as special a story as yours, but yet I felt as if I was supposed to be there. Thanks for sharing, and I agree about finding each other!
I meant all of us… every each other, all of the others… all of us, whatever, not just you and I 🙂
Joy, you made me laugh with the last post 😀 Am loving your story too, specially the part where you talked to him for a little while. I’m sure he was quite intrigued by this lady who suddenly was there:) All these stories are special, and I’m sure we were both meant to end up where we did to meet these beautiful horses. I hope he got home safe and sound:)
Oh Anne, what a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing. Tell us more about this place. How is it that the horses are there?? I want to know more and I want to see photos! 🙂 It sounds wonderful!!!
When you come to the Pryors let Lori and I know. Maybe we can all camp up there together! 🙂
I still can’t believe I just stumbled across it like that! I’ve been going on hikes there alot, but never in that direction. This time I turned there without thinking:)
It had a signpost that told the story. Waaay back this area belonged to famers, who grew mostly potatoes there. Slowly the locals left the farms and the area started to become overgrown and forgotten, until a group of people decided that this beautiful place couldn’t just disappear. They had parts of the place cleared of forrest and borrowed horses and a few cattle to graze the land and keep it from growing over again. This worked out very well, and to this day it stays like this:) As I understand the horses are only taken inside for a few months when the winter is at it’s toughest.. They don’t match the Pryor horses in wintercoats;) The same warnings of keeping your distance is in place there as well, and of course I do. The best thing is seeing them act so natural:) All I need now is a weekend of when I’m not out traveling and I’ll grab my camera and run up there as fast as I can:)
I will definitely let you know if I come over. My boyfriend keeps going on about New York, and even though it’s far away from the Pryors, it’s still closer than from Norway;) I can’t think of better people to see the horses with:)
What a beautiful happening Anne! Wow..that must have just sent your heart beating pretty fast, then just the “awe” of it all! I agree with Sandy, and would love to see what this place looks like, and of course the horses! Thank you for sharing it with all of us “Pryor horse (and all horse) lovers.
You too Joy…what a treat..but like you said..good thing you were driving!
I don’t know what it is about the road, but lots of the Dry Head horses have been in the road lately…maybe because of the flies?? Don’t know, I only know that they should change the speed limit to 35 throughout the entire range. I see people driving too fast all of the time!
We will NOT give up on Merlin…keep good thoughts flowing.
Liesl and Kaibab are getting friendlier every day. Today, I introduced them to the lead rope and just left it hanging on the fence. Tomorrow will be introduction day, if I am not too busy at the Center to play! HA!!
Thanks Linda, yes, I think they are trusting me more and more each day. I love them both. I will take more pictures of them tomorrow too. Liesl is such a little sweetheart…Kaibab is a little more cautious. But Liesl loves the touching & scratching…she probably never had so much attention and she and Kaibab are so cute together. They are the perfect match!!!
It really started racing, that is true! 😀 I can only imagine what you must be going though out in the wild! The awe, the peace and also.. when he turned around and looked at me, I felt very small in a way, lol.. they sure are big and strong;)
Love hearing about Liesl and Kaibab, specially how Liesl loves the cuddles. Poor thing must have felt so lonely out there alone. Maybe Kaibab is a little bit jealous?;)
I have to say also that Diane Granger and Nancy Cerroni are feeding and playing with Liesl and Kaibab, so it is not just me that is spending time with them. I am there more so I have more time to do it, but I wanted to give credit where credit is due! Thanks Diane and Nancy!!!
OOPs…and Brianna too!! Thanks you Brianna! She has been a huge help to the Center this summer and also at the Adoption. She is a special young lady!!!
Linda…soap opera is an idea..ha ha…maybe “All My Children”????
Here’s my newfound magical place:) It was just one horse there, one I didn’t see last time, and he walked away as soon as he saw me. I changed direction quickly because I didn’t want to interupt on his morning, but then he came after me of course;) I sat down on the wooden steps across the fence, and he came up for some cuddle before he went grazing again and eventuelly falling asleep. We had a good talk first though;) I think the poor guy was feeling lonely because he whinnied alot, but there was no other horses to hear him:/ I brought my book this time, and sat there reading for a long time in the autumnsun while he was falling in and out of sleep. Such a beautiful moment:)
http://s1305.photobucket.com/albums/s543/ab_wow/
I just looked at these 🙂 Thanks for sharing your magical journey. Hope it happens again.
Thanks for sharing those photos Anne! It looks like a really beautiful place and it sounds like you made a new friend! 🙂 I wonder if you will find each other every time you go there. I would love to hear if you do!
Sandy-good news! I just had an email from the Legacy Mustang Preservation in Louisa, VA and they permit visitors every Saturday, so I am gathering a few friends to go out soon to see the Wild Pryor mares and the operation! So excited! Thanks for being so thorough with the adoption information. Not sure if I will ever get to Montana, yet Louisa is just in the next county. Will keep you posted and take many photos to share. Send me your email address and I will share update! Diane
That is great Diane! Yes, I would love to see photos and a report. Tell them all hello from me and give Jamie a hug. Sandy my email is: wildinthepryors@aol.com
Will do! Diane