The 10th known foal born this year was born to the mare Nova. The foal is a filly and has been named Prima.
Although Nova is just two, she looks healthy, and I am confident with the help of the other experienced mares (Hightail, Seneca and her mom, Kitalpha), this little star will have a bright future!
I personally would have a hard time finding a better bloodline combination as great as this. The father of this foal is most likely Hidatsa, I saw him Kitalpha and Nova in mid-July last year.
Nova is the daughter of Kitalpha and Bristol. Hidatsa is the son of Merlin and Sacajewa.
Thank you to Kassi Renner for the use of her photos!!
Were these mares on Mustang flats? We saw the stallion last week I think. He was by himself, but the mares could have been in the bushes. We saw another band on the other side of the road with a flaxen mane and tail rich palomino stallion. We did not know their names.
It is unfortunate that a 2 year old has carried a foal but both look well.
We are fighting the removal of these young horses. Please join us.
They were most likely not on mustang flats. They are usually in the area right by the entrance of the range. The other stallion you saw with a band was probably Blizzard.
The horses were a few hills past the canyon overlook. Right before the snow fencing. One mare had the blond over black mane and was a grulla. There was a chestnut and another grulla with the palomino stallion. The black lone horse was way over by the foot of the mountains almost exactly across the road from the band. We stood there quite a while waiting for more horses to appear – all were grazing. Later on our return, the mares were standing dozing.
These guys usually head in the direction of Turkey Flats and Lower Sykes when they’re not around the Crooked Creek Bay area (south entrance to the Range/Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area), but I have seen them up in the area near the Devil’s Canyon Overlook, so who knows… Hickok seems to want to get around a little more than previous stallions from this area. And I agree with Sandy that the “rich palomino” stallion you refer to was most likely Blizzard, who has a flaxen mane and tail and whose color is actually apricot dun. He is truly a real character and I’m happy for you that you got to see all of them. 🙂
Sandy, finding Nova with her foal, and the photos, were actually credited to John and Lynda Nickle on the Mustang Center’s post from yesterday. Doesn’t make that much difference, I guess, but I thought you’d want to be accurate. I think this little beauty is going to be my “favorite”, among so many other “favorites”. 😉
Linda. All of these photos that I posted are from Kassi. I used them with her permission.
Aha. She must have been there at the same time as them. Just thought there might have been a miscommunication. I just wish I could have been there. 🙂
Prima is just stunning! And what a lovely addition to the Dry Head subpopulation 🙂 while I wish Nova hadn’t had to have foaled as a two year old, she looks fantastic and as you said, has an awesome group of “midwives” 🙂
Why do you suppose she had a foal at such a young age?
There first heat is when they are a year. Her mother and her were stolen by a stallion, other than her father. When that happens, it seems that the yearlings are bred.
I suppose the new stallion doesn’t really consider them as a juvenile, just another mare! Though some have reported stallions avoiding breeding yearlings, seemingly out of the goodness of their hearts….If I recall correctly, Hamlet didn’t treat Niyaha as a breeding mare 🙂
Hi Abbie, That is a good point. I suppose it just depends on the stallion and the circumstances. I saw Audobon actually step in to protect Niyaha when they were with Johan early in the spring of 2014. So the older mares will do that to help “save” the younger ones. Also, I feel (and I am not totally against PZP), that the PZP does have an affect on the breeding of the yearlings. I think these wild horses know when I horse is really “in heat” versus the PZP “in heat” and the will to survive kicks in and they breed those that they know will reproduce. Just a thought and an observation that I have made over the last several years up there.
That’s an interesting observation about the PZP heat vs true heat. Would be something to look into for sure! It seems quite likely that PZP has increased the breeding of yearlings though :/
The mothers (and aunties) can definitely do their part to protect the fillies as well 🙂
Although it would have been nice if Nova was older, this is a foal I have been looking forward to since we realized she was pregnant. And she did not disapoint! Prima is absolutely stunning! Nova appears to be in very good shape too. It’s obvious the other mares in this band love Prima very much too. She is in great hands and I have no doubt will be very well looked after 🙂 and like you said, a great combination of several bloodlines!
Interestingly, my trip two weeks ago was the first time not seeing the Greeters when visiting the Dryhead. I did search all around the entrance area too. Nothing but a big ‘ol wild turkey in the area 😁
They can be elusive! I saw them right at the entrance when I was there the first part of May. But I have also seen them as far as just before the cattle guard by the Devil’s canyon entrance.
Nova is quite the rare sorrel on the range and the foal colors this year are awesome! Nova looks quite well and glad she had an early foal this time of year so they can both bulk up to go into winter.
You have heard BLM will be gathering all young horses? 20 horses between 1-3. That would be this mare and her foal! Please – we must stop glossing over the reality that these horses are not considered in the “plan” to create a tame herd for tourists and photogs to make their journal entries for. This is a tragedy. Acting naïve holds the door open for these modern mustangers. Stand up to this. Say NO!
They have a system for gathering them, it doesn’t mean she will be taken. They leave certain offspring on the range to keep the genetic gene pool (as well they on occasion try to keep rare colors, such as the palominos but that comes secondary to genetics) and it also depends on which ones that they can/do catch. They have a “tier” system; I have been involved with the Pryor mustangs/BLM and their comings and goings for almost 10 years. It is one of many ugly sad facts for the wild mustangs.
Trust me some of my favorites have been removed (Keyenta, which Nova’s new filly resembles a lot)
Not to Be disrespectful but BLM doesn’t know anything about Spanish Colonial colors. The horses were chestnuts, medicine hats, sorrels, blacks, war shields, splash whites, bays, a rare grey, etc etc. All looking like Kigers and Sulphurs does not make this a conserved herd.
Don’t you think it is about time you told them NO. I do. I’m sick of them taking these horses and putting them right where we had Cngress protect them from going! In the hands of the most fickle species on Earth – humans.
That was the intent of The Act to provide land for them to live OUT their lives (all of them, not the ones deigned to be permittable) free from human predation (in any form).
PLEASE stand up for the law!
Janwindsong. I respect and work with the Billings BLM. This is not the place to slam them. That gets nothing accomplished. While I don’t like and hope this gather does not happen, I respect how they go about deciding which horses to remove and the way they do it. This is the wrong place to bash the BLM, I will not remove your comment, however, I will not tolerate you lumping all BLM with the Billings office. You have just stepped into this, and it seems, are not very knowledgeable about who and what they are.
As I said not to be disrespectful. The claim is they are conserving. That is not the situation. The Act covered Pryor. I am an American and am certainly entitled to my opinion based on my own review of the record and my own experience. To see this happen, to watch you who apparently live close enough to monitor acquiesce is painful and sad. America is watching you.
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Go find someone another blog to comment on. I also did not give you permission to use my video in the Protect the Mustang website. While I don’t mind you sharing it, I do not approve of the content in which it is being shared.
I am not associated with Protect Mustangs.
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Thank you Sandy, very eloquently put. Again love your blog, and pictures and stories.
Thanks Gina!