Photo by Rev. Floyd Schweiger.
I thought today would be a good day to share some of the information that I have from 19 years ago in 1993. With all the talk of the mare/stallion ratio now, I thought it would be interesting for us all to take a look at what was going on 19 years ago.
So here is a snap shot of a hand written horse count done by the Reverend Floyd Schweiger in 1993.
Then in 1995 the list looked like this:
In 1995 there were 144 horses, 38 bachelor stallions.
Now in 2013 there are approximately 153 horses (including last years foals), 23 of those are bachelor stallions. 2013 Dryhead: 41 horses, 10 bachelor stallions. Mountain: 112 horses, 13 bachelor stallions.
I am finding this information very interesting. We all can form and give our own opinions. Please feel free to use this post as a forum to post your thoughts.
I will continue to share more on another post.
Thank you so much Ross!
Sandy
Very interesting Sandy! Thank you for sharing these records. I can see that even in the 90’s the total population was not too high. Do you know if this was before the BLM started rounding up and removing horses from the range?
I also am planning on doing my own research of the records at the Center sometime this year.
Thank you again for this very interesting information!
I did notice that the Dry Head count was not very high, even back then, but there were 7 foals that year!
Lori, somehow this post got cut off, go check it out again, there is another list from 1995 as well.
Wow…very interesting, I got it!
Thank you for answering my question and giving so much information on the history of adoptions and when the government started getting involved with the management of the herd. I had read some of this before, but it all slipped my mind. Thanks Sandy!
Here is answer to your question. I found this information:
Adopt-a-Horse program
“In 1973, BLM began a pilot project on the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range known as the Adopt-A-Horse initiative.[48] The program took advantage of provisions in the WFRHBA to allow private “qualified” individuals to “adopt” as many horses as they wanted if they could show that they could provide adequate care for the animals.[49] At the time, title to the horses remained permanently with the U.S. federal government.[44] The pilot project was so successful that BLM allowed it to go nationwide in in 1976.[48] (As of 2001, the Adopt-a-Horse program was the primary method of removing excess feral horses from BLM and Forest Service land.)[49] In 1976, Congress included a provision in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act that permitted the humane use of helicopters in capturing free-roaming horses on federal land, and for the use of motorized vehicles in transporting them to corrals.”
I know there was a round up in 1994 if that helps too Lori.
Thank you Sarah. There are currently 40 horses on the Dry Head & Lower Sykes combined. This number includes the 2012 foals. There are 24 male stallions and 16 mares. Only 3 of the mares are in the no PZP group, so at best there will only be 3 foals born this year on the Dry Head & Lower Sykes. The mares are Fresia, Halo & Icara. Hope that helps Sarah, and Sandy you should double check my figures, but I think I am correct.
So there were 35 horses in the dryhead including 7 foals. How does that compare to now? (I’m not sure the number of horses in the dryhead currenlty) I know this was before they were using PZP though so there were a lot more reproducing mares opposed to the 3 there are now. Love the picture of Pheonix and band! Do you know about when it was taken? Bella (I can never remember how to spell her name the other way) looks to be about 2-3 years old. Just trying to see if I can figure out who the foal might be 🙂
Hi Sarah, Somehow my post got cut off. I have updated it with more charts and also the total for now. Try freshing the link and have another look! 🙂
Thanks, just saw where it got updated!
I think it was taken in 2003. The foal may be Wounded Knees.
I know she died suddenly a few years back. Do you know if she left any offspring on the range? Some may have even been removed in 2009. She’s one that I know who she was but don’t know much about. So I wasn’t sure if she had any currently on the range.
Merlin is Wounded Knee’s son. My Valerosa is her granddaughter!! 🙂
Thank you! That’s good to know 🙂
It seems that I remember Matt telling me that the foal in this photo had died. I can’t remember if he told me his name or not. I will have to ask him again sometime soon and see if he remembers, but I bet he does.
I bet he does remember. 2003 was the “D” year so it would make sense if the foal died because most of the foals that year died.
Love the idea of seeing this info, but would like to see the names as well as numbers, even tho I know there would be some confusion with current names. I would so much have loved to meet Rev. Schweiger and accompanied him on his visits to the Range. I also feel very privileged to have spent a bit of time with Tom Dillon who is another REAL treasure trover of first-hand info on the horses. These “boots on the ground” recorders of the history of the herd are irreplacable and Tom has my admiration and appreciation of his efforts and I honor the memory of Rev. Schweiger’s devotion to them. We lovers of the PMWM owe them and the Tillets and others who fought for their survival a HUGE debt of gratitude. I truly hope that Christine Reed’s book will make many more people way more aware of that fact.
It’s interesting to see that the total numbers weren’t that high back then—at least as shown on these documents.
Thank you for sharing, Sandy. 🙂 I’m looking forward to anything you choose to share with us. It’s all so interesting. 🙂
Thank you Linda. That is all I have from 1993, no names, but in the list of 1995, you can start to see that there were more names given to the horses. I found it interesting that there is even a bachelor stallion named Kiowa! 🙂
🙂 And there was the beloved Lakota, along with so many of the other precious ancestors. 🙂
Yes, I loved seeing that! 🙂
If there is enough interest, I would publish the entire 1995 list. Just let me know.
I would definitely be interested!
Just saw that you already posted them 🙂
You bet Sandy! I would love that.
Apparently I was only seeing part of the post before I posted my comment, as I see more on there now. 🙂 thanks again 🙂
Refresh the page, blog messed up on me. I am also adding another shot from 93 so you can see the whole page.
Waw thank you for sharing this Sandy !!! this is REALLY cool stuff! there so many cool names! its weird to see all those old horses up there! I the herd was not that big back then, the 1994 gather must have really made a difference!!! are those the only 2 pages of the list?! were the Kigers still on the range back then?? here are a lot of dun mares ! Its interesting how some of the horses genotypes are included in the comments! man I didn’t know there was an other Kiowa! ow cool is that?
thanks again!
Alex, there are two more pages to the 1995 list. Would you like me to publish them?
Sure thanks! 🙂 if its not to much trouble!!
There you go. There were 144 horses in 1995.
Thank you Sandy.
I don’t think that the population ever got totally out of hand when pzp was not used, but there were probably more removals, mountain lions, and other natural deaths. This is a good subject to study up on.
Wow Sandy that photo caught my eye straight away, I love it 🙂 hugs Ceri x
Thanks! 🙂
I see a few on the 1995 list that say sabino. As I have looked up the McCullough horses, I see that all the time ( and tobiano). I never hear anyone use sabino when talking of the pryors now. Is there currently anyone on the range that is? I think I have seen it used with Medicine Bow. Anyone else?
Thanks for the historical info Sandy.
Medicine Bow is the only sabino in the pryors now. I know there used to be a couple more. I almost want to say that Madonna and Medicine Bow’s mom was one… not sure though. I think I may vaugely remember that bit of history.
Madonna is listed as a sorrel, and I think you are right Sarah, that Medicine Bow is the only red dun sabino on the range. I wish he would have an offspring, but at the rate he is going I don’t see that happening! Twiggy was Medicine Bow’s mother, so now I will have to find out her color and what harem she was in when she had him. Just another project! HA!
Twiggy was a Srl Sabino. She was with Cortez.
Thanks Sandy! I agree Lori, I would love to see Medicine Bow father a couple of foals. He’s such a tough guy!
Thanks Sandy!
Seems like I remember that Exhileration was the only foal to survive in 2004. Some years can be really bad, but at least there doesn’t have to be a gather…
yes he was the only one to survive that year. And only 7 survived 2003.
This is really interesting. Thanks so much for posting.
Yes Sarah, and now there are only 3 born in 2003 (possibly only 2 if Damsel is gone) They are Dove, Doc & Damsel. There are only 4 left on the range born in 2006, they are: Graciana, Gringo, Galaxy & Garay! Also only 4 left on the range that were born in 2011, they are: LaBrava, Limerick, Lobo & Lariat. Correct me if I am wrong Sandy!!?? Oh, and 2002 there are only 3, they are Cecelia, Celt & Cappuccino.
I am keeping close track of how many are on the range and what year they were born.
Wouldn’t Garcia fit in the 2006 age group?
Yes, Garcia would be there too.
Yes, I am sorry, actually there are 11 born in 2006….sorry about that, I did not look on my next page. There is: Grijala, Galena, Gabrielle, Greta, Galadriel, Garcia, Gaelic Princess, Graciana, Gringo, Galaxy & Garay. And I don’t know how I missed Demure or London! Thanks all, that is why it is best to have several sets of eyes & ears!! HA HA!
Demure is still there too from 2003, but even that only brings it to 4 which is still not that many. And London’s still there from 2011 too. Oh and Galadriel from 2006. The early years of 2000 were rough. Only a handful of “C” and “D’s” and no “E’s” And a lot of the “A” and “B” girls got the pzp when it was still experimental and had it affect their fertility permenently.
And there’s a lot more 2006 boys than girls. And a lot of the ones born in 2005 were removed as yearlings in the 2006 gather.