Moenkopi with Cappucinno and a young Patterson, July 2015
Mares within the Pryor Wild Horse Herd, are given PZP (birth control) every year. Each year there is a group of mares that are in the “window” of possibly being able to foal, meaning that they have not been given PZP. And every year, there will be some surprises from some, despite being vaccinated, and even though the below horses have not been vaccinated, it is not a guarantee that they will foal. Some have never conceived.
Because some of the horses were vaccinated later than normal last spring/summer, it is possible that they may have already been pregnant, (before given their vaccination), but will not be “officially” listed here.
I will start the list with the possible horses in the Dryhead. There are only two mares that fall into that window this year, and one has already had her foal!
Jewel, 2009 daughter of Waif and Corona, currently in Fools Crow band.
2. Morgana, 2012 daughter of Icara and Merlin. She was discovered by Bill Picket, NPS with a new foal last week. The foal is supposedly a colt and it has been named Sorcerer.
Morgana and her new foal. Photo by Bill Picket, NPS.
Mountain Top Horses
Jasmine, 2009 daughter of Aztec and Cloud. Jamine gave birth to a healthy colt named Ryden in October of 2017. If she conceived right away, she may have a foal in September of 2018. Jasmine is currently in Doc’s band.
JasmineJasmine and Ryden, October 2017. Photo by Pryor Wild
2. Juniper, 2009 daughter of Sapo and Bolder. Another late foal (Ruby) was born to Junipter the first part of November, 2017. Again if she did conceive right away, she won’t have her foal until October, 2018. I’m hoping she skips this year and gets back on track with a foal earlier in the season in 2019. Juniper is currently in Horizon’s band.
Juniper and Ruby, November 2017. Photo by Jack SterlingJuniper, summer of 2016
3. Kohl, 2010 daughter of Quelle Colour and Lakota. Kohl is currently in Garay’s band.
Kohl, 2016Kohl, 2014
4. Ketchikan, 2010 daughter of Gold Rush and Two Boots, currently in Jasper’s band.
Ketchikan, July 2017
5. Limerick, 2011 daughter of Ireland and Prince. She is currently in Galaxy’s band.
Limerick, summer of 2016
5. Labrava, 2011 daughter of Blue Souix and Coronado. She is currently in Irial’s band.
Labrava with her look alike daughter Pilar, June 2016.
6. Lariat, 2011 daughter of Madonna and Duke. Lariat is currently in Jasper’s band.
Lariat with most of her band. From left to right: Oklahoma ( Lariat’s 2014 colt), Jasper, Okiotak and Lariat
7. Maia, 2012 daughter of Hera and Prince. Maia is currently with Hamlet.
Hamlet, Maia and Sapo, July 2017
8. Manuelita, 2012 daughter of Dove and Coronado. Manuelita is currently in Irials band.
Manuelita (middle) with Dove on the left.
9. Moenkopi, 2012 daughter of Galena and Jackson. She is currently in Cappuccino’s band. I hope this is the year that she gives birth to a foal that lives.
Moenkopi nuzzling a young Patterson. June 2015.
I am looking forward to seeing some new foals this summer. I am sure there will be some surprises!
Another year is about to come to an end. It seems that the days passed very quickly this year, as I feel as if I just posted my tribute to the horses that passed in 2016. But another year has gone by, and this year was an equally hard year in terms of horses lost.
Sometimes the pain of the loss, is more than I can bear, and some days I feel as if I no longer want to go to the mountain. I just want to lessen the pain of the loss of so many familiar faces. But I will continue to go, the strong pull of the mountain is too great to walk away from, it calls me from within.
This year we have lost 12 horses, and there are some missing. I am going to be including the recently missing ones in this post as well. One foal was removed, and I will be including him too. That will bring the total to 14 horses and 3 foals for a total of 17 horses possibly gone off the range. This year there were 8 foals born, three died and one was removed leaving a total of four 2017 foals still on the range. The year of 2017 (so far) has left a negative growth of -13.
I felt in order to properly honor each horse that is no longer with us, I would go back over the years and find photos of the horses that I personally took. There are a few from others here, but for the most part, each photo was taken by me. It took me several days to go through the 1000’s of photos I have of the horses to find just the right ones. In many ways, it became a healing exercise for me. Seeing these horses in the land they loved. Each one did live a good life, wild and free. Some just left this earth way too early.
Below are the horses we lost and those that are missing. Listed in alphabetical order.
1. Audobon, born in 2000, she is the daughter of Feather. This quiet mare was with Morning Star for many years, and then in 2014, she and her daughter Niyaha joined up with the handsome stallion Hamlet.
Hamlet and Audbon produced two foals, Penn (Paris) and Quicksilver. Unfortunately, Quicksilver did not survive within a month after birth. Something happened last winter/spring and Audobon was separated from Hamlet. Paris ended up in the Dryhead with the stallion Jesse James. Audobon has not been seen since early spring 2017.
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2. Belle Starr, born in 1993, daughter of The Old Mare and Hercules. Belle Starr was last seen early 2017. I usually saw her up Sykes in the early spring.
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3. Baja,Reappeared!! Finally showed himself after missing since last fall on May 31, 2018!! Born in 1996, son of Tonapah and Looking Glass. Baja was last seen earlier this fall. London was seen with Bacardi and Quahneah in September. With Washakie’s health declining, the fate of their foal Renegade was in jeopardy. It is assumed that Washakie died and Baja and Renegade remained with her. Somehow Renegade found his way to his sister’s who were with London. Renegade was removed (see his post listed below).
Baja and Washakie were together for 14 years, I have a very strong feeling that Baja just simply gave up after Washakie died. He may reappear, and I hope he does.
To me, Baja was one of the most beautiful stallions, not only in looks, but by the way he cared for his band. He leaves behind just one offspring with Washakie, Quahneah. My hope is she will remain on the range to carry on his beautiful legacy.
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4. Blanca, born in 1998, daughter of Phoenix and Raven, full sister to Cloud. She was found dead on September of this year, lying peacefully in one of the upper meadows.
This one is a hard one for me. Blanca was not only the matriarch of her band, but also the type of mare that I think we all thought of as a perfect example of how a lead mare should be. Blanca was always there to help the young ones in her band, and also her band stallion Cappuccino. She stood by Moenkopi during Obsidian’s death in 2014, (OBSIDIAN). This past summer, Cappuccino was wounded and lame and while he healed, Blanca held the band together and watch diligently over her stallion. I could tell story after story of the touching things this mare as done.
She had been with Cappuccino since early 2011. She produced her last foal, Kalispell, with Lakota, unfortunately, Kalispell died in the winter of 2010-11.
The thing I will remember about her the most is, Blanca could absorb the evening light with her golden coat, like I have rarely seen another horse do. She was a glowing star, and I will deeply miss her presence on the mountain.
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5. Cascade, born in 1997, daughter of Aspen and Lone Wolf. She spent her life in the Dryhead. She had a special place in Laura Curtis’s heart and below are some of the photos that Laura took of her. Cascade has been missing since early 2017.
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6.Corona, Missing, born in 1997, son of Sorita and Sam. Last seen sometime earlier 2017. I have had only a few memories of this beautiful stallion. The two most memorable ones were when I discovered Norte had been born. Traveling down Sykes, they were directly off the road in a very steep section of the road. The other was when they traveled up to the top of the mountain in July 2013.
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7.Custer, born in 1996, son of Sitka and Shaman. With his long-time mare Winemucca’s death in the fall of 2016, Custer, Fiasco and Prospera stayed together. In January, 2017, Galaxy was seen with Fiasco and Prospera. Custer has not been seen.
I have thousands of photos of Custer. He seemed to always be around and his beautiful patterned coat was a treat to photograph. His kind and caring personality made it easy for me to spend hours with him. His presence will be greatly missed.
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8. Fiesta, born in 2005, son of Phoenix and Teton. Last seen, September 2016. Fiesta, a horse that is larger than life. I don’t think I can find the words to describe this horse. He gave me so many gifts each and every time I saw him. The gift of unconditional love, the gift of laughter, the gift of tears, the gift of accepting myself for what I am and being happy with it. He was a true teacher to those of us that paid attention to what he had to say.
The one of the most memorable times I had with Fiesta was when I was camping with my daughter Amber. We were sleeping in the truck and woke the next morning with the sound of horses right outside the truck. I slowly sat up only to see Fiesta looking directly at me through the window! I wish I could have captured the look on his face! Here is that post if you want to relive that moment with me: FIESTA
Fiesta, you are so missed. I just could not get used to not seeing you with your family, and I don’t think I ever will. You were the one who would rush out and protect them from any danger. You loved your family, starting with your good friend Horizon. Looking back over your photos, I saw how much you cared for him when you both were just young carefree bachelors. You would risk your life to protect them at any cost, and ultimately I do believe you died protecting them.
Rest in Peace big, beautiful, silly boy, you will always be a part of my heart.
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9.Inali, born in 2008, son of Iverness and Eclipse. Inali was orginally from the Forest Service part of the range. When both of his parents died, he was taken in by Cabaret. In the summer of 2010, Cabaret kicked him out of the band, forcing him to become a bachelor. That ultimately saved his life, as Cabaret and the rest of his band died up at the top of the mountain the winter of 2010-11. (That was the year that the fence was re-built). CABARET
Although he survived that, he ended up not being able to beat the next odds, he was last seen in the fall of 2016. He was still a bachelor at the time of his death, but he always found time to mentor the younger bachelors. He would often be seen with Orlando and Naolin.
You are missed Inali.
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10. Isadora, born in 2008, daughter of Starman and Rosarita. Isadora died giving birth to her foal this fall. FOAL#7 The foal did not survive.
The first time I saw Isadora was when she was still in her family band. It was the 3 of them (Starman, Rosarita and Isadora) walking down the dirt road in the Forest Service part of the range. I remember being so impressed with her amazing marking she had on her face.
Isadora gave birth to a little filly named Lemhi the following spring. Starman had lost his band to Mescalero. Sadly, little Lemhi did not survive the winter of 2011-12.
Isadora was with Morning Stars band at the time of her death.
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11. Medicine Bow, born in 1999, son of Twiggy and Cortez, he has not been seen since fall of 2016.
I had the privilege of seeing Medicine Bow several times. He spent his time on the Dryhead and Middle/Lower Sykes. His unique color was what caught my eye. He was a red dun sabino.
I think Matt Dillion told his story best. You can read his post here: MEDICINE BOW.
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12.Raeleah J, born in 2017 to Icara and Johnston. Died about a month after birth. You can read her post here. RAELEAH. These photos were taken by Dennis McCollough.
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13. Renegade, born in 2017 to Washakie and Baja. Renegade was removed after discovering him without Washakie. Washakie is presumed to be deceased.
Renegade was removed by the BLM and Nancy and Steve Cerroni adopted him. You can read more about those details in Nancy’s post: RENEGADE
The photos of Renegade after he was removed are taken by Nancy Cerroni.
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14. Ryden (Rainbow), born June 28, 2017, daughter of unknown parents. You can read about her here: RYDEN Ryden (Rainbow) died a day after her birth.
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15. Santa Fe, born in 1995, son of Twilla and Two Boots. Santa Fe’s remains were found in March 2017.
Santa Fe, where to I begin. He only wanted someone to love, always trying to gain a mare. His one remaining offspring on the range is Mandan (Santa Fe x Demure), but he was not able to raise his son. Doc stole the band before Mandan was born. After that Santa Fe worked hard to gain another mare, and he did. Judith a beautiful filly, but he would not be able to hold on to her either. Judith was removed in 2012. I was there when they removed her. I can still hear Santa Fe’s heartbreaking cries as they loaded her unto the trailer and took her down the mountain. My heart broke for him that day.
He was unable to acquire another mare, but spent the last several years trying. He dogged Coronado’s band for what seemed like forever. It was late June of 2014 where I saw a small crack in Coronado’s vigilance to keep Santa Fe away. He seemed to be warming to the idea of Santa Fe acquiring Manulita, and she was very interested. But, it would not happen. About a week later a helicopter fly over the range, causing a chaotic stampede of horses. It was during that time that Coronado lost his band to Irial, and Santa Fe’s chances were once again ruined.
He would still continue to try, but his age was catching up to him. He spent most of his time with old and new bachelors, Coronado being one of them. They had fought violently, but had somehow put that all behind them.
Santa Fe and his determination will always remain with me.
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16. Seattle, born in 1997, son of Tacoma and Three Bars. Missing. I can’t remember when the last time I heard of someone seeing Seattle. My best encounter with him was on the mountain top in July 2013. I had seen him several times in the Dryhead, but most were from a distance. Yes, Seattle is a Dryhead horse, but the summer 2013 he ventured up on the mountain for a day. I was happy I was able to capture it with photos.
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17. Washakie, born in 1994, daughter of Sitka and Shaman. She was an amazing mare. Nancy tells it best with this post WASHAKIE.
Washakie was a mommy machine. She had a foal every year since she was 2. Despite being vacinated with PZP, she continued to produce and was labeled a “non-responder”. But despite her many foals, she and her stallion of 14 years (Baja) now have only one offspring on the range. Quahneah. She must stay and carry on this perfect couples legacy.
My encounters with Washakie were many. The line I always heard from my guests and friends were: “she is HUGE”, she must be ready to foal any day. But this dear soul would keep us all waiting until SHE wanted the new little arrival to be born. Abbie and I blessed to see two of her foals shortly after their birth. Quahneah and Renegade.
Washakie and Baja had a love that few animals or humans have had. A constant love and devotion to each other and their family.
Rest in Peace dear Washakie, you will be so very missed.
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Rest in Peace dear ones, run with the wind, I still feel your spirits on the mountain, and I am sure I always will.
This year will be the 4th year of “Lakota’s Gift”. For the past 4 seasons, I have awarded a four day camping trip to an inspiring Pryor Mountain Wild Horse follower in honor of my favorite horse, Lakota. This person needs to be passionate about this special herd of horses and have some basic knowledge about them.
To be considered for this award, please submit an essay telling why you should be awarded this gift. Please include some information about yourself, what you know about the horses and what you hope to give back to the horses by being selected for this award. All essays must be submitted by February 1, 2017.
All trips start and end in Cody, Wyoming.
Past recipients of this award have been: Jonathan Stander, Brianna Harvey, Abbie Branchflower and Lexi.
You can submit your essay to this email: wildinthepryors@aol.com
Sandy
Below is a slideshow of some of the many photos that I have taken of Lakota. Please give it sometime to upload before trying to view.
Every year we loss a few horses, none are ever easy, or pass unnoticed, but some are harder to accept. Each of us have our favorites, whether we want to admit it or not. This year is no exception to that, but to me, it is an especially hard year. The mountain just will not be the same without these horses. And so, with this post, I tell you about what I know of them and dedicate in their honor.
Tonapah, August 2011,
1. Tonapah, born in 1986, she was the oldest living horse on the mountain for many years. Her sires are unknown, but she had many offspring, Lakota, Warbonnet, Baja and Brumby are just a few. Part of her will live on through these horses.
Tonapah was with the band stallion Duke for many years, until she decided to leave him and join Horizon/Fiesta band in the summer of 2013. A part of me wondered if she left him because she was trying conceive (she was on PZP). She clearly sought out much younger stallions to be with. In the end, she may have conceived, as many of us think the dead foal that Liz found this summer may have been hers…
Whether that is true or not, this wise old mare was a great asset to the Horizon/Fiesta band. Taking this unorganized and unsettled band under her care, she turned them around to become a stable and strong force on the mountain.
Tonapah never showed us her beauty on the mountain top this summer.
I loved to tell guests, that she was the oldest mare on the mountain, she was a beautiful and strong mare for all those years, she never looked her age. The saying is true for her “you are as old as you feel” and I think Tonapah passed to the other side feeling beautiful and young. I will deeply miss her.
Dukes Band, Tonapah in the middle, August 2012
2. Topper Too, born in 1995 to the mare Topper (who died in the winter of 2014) and the stallion Beauty. She has only one known offspring on the mountain, Fiasco (who is also the daughter of Chino).
Topper Too and her mother Topper were long time mares of the stallion Chino. I smiled a million smiles watching mother and daughter with Chino. They were two of the most unsocial horses on the mountain while together with Chino, and made it clear many times that they would rather not be around humans. Chino lost them in 2013, Topper went to Corona’s band and Topper Too went with Baja. I did not think they would stay separated long, but they continued to live out their lives apart from one another.
Topper Too died from a lightning strike, while in Mescarlo’s band, on May 31, 2015.
Chino and Topper Too, April 29, 2013The famous Toppers “over the shoulder” look.Topper Too leaving.Chino and Topper, May 19, 2012Topper 1 and Topper too, September 1, 2012 A typical greeting from these two!Topper 1 and Topper 2Topper Too and Topper, August 31, 2012The Toppers, July 31, 2012Topper Too, July 31, 2012Chino, Topper and Topper 2, June 17, 2012Chino’s band, July 31, 2012Chino, Topper One and Topper Too.Chino and Topper and Topper Too. May 2012.
3. Chino, born in 1993, to the mare Hightail and the stallion Hercules. It is with much sadness and tears that I type about Chino. He was last seen on July 4, 2015 after saving the life of a young foal (you can read my post about that, by clicking on CHINO.) As you can see from the photos above and below, I saw this stallion constantly. He was always one of those horses that showed himself to me. I pray that he may still show up, but in my heart, I feel he is gone. But what an amazing life he led! There are many stories I could tell about Chino, but none as great as on the last day I saw him.
He is the only stallion on the mountain that has lived in all areas of the horse range: Dryhead, Burnt Timber, Sykes, he knew this mountain better than any horse has or will. He was a patient stallion, putting up with his unsocial mares ( Topper and Topper Too). He seemed to give them up without much fight and go into his second bachelor hood with ease. He excepted it, but never lost his drive. I watched him in April 2014 dog Cloud and his band for an entire day.
Chino has been one of those horses that I never really realized was a clear favorite, but my camera knew, I have hundreds of photos of him. My heart aches to think of the mountain without him.
Galaxy, Gringo and Chino, September, 2011Jasper, Gringo, Horizon and Galaxy challenge Chino, September, 2011Chino, September 2012Chino, May 2012Chino, April 2014Chino, April 2014Chino fighting London, July 4, 2015Chino, May 19, 2012
4. Hightail, born in 1990 to the mare Calamity, Hightail has been a fixture on at the entrance of the Dryhead for years. She is one of the “Greeters”. She was last seen in August of this year, so there is still hope that she may show herself, but in the many years that I have seen her, I have never seen her away from her close companion, Seneca.
Hightail was the very first wild horse I ever saw. She very quietly and purposely walked slowly in front of my truck at sundown on July evening. I will never forget that moment. She then continued to lead me to the rest of her band, that included Admiral.
I find it sadly ironic that she and her son Chino disappeared within a month or so from each other. Perhaps this mother and son are together in another place, healthy and running with the others that have passed before them.
Hightail, April 16, 2012Hightail, June, 2015The Greeters, April 2012Hightail and Seneca, April, 2012
5. Issaquah, born in 2008 to Bakken and Seattle, he has been missing for over a year. I saw him alone several times part way up Sykes Ridge Road, so maybe he will show himself. That is a very vast area that few people travel, he may still be there.
In his early bachelor years, Issaquah was always with the stallion Hawk. In fact, I called them HawkandIssaquah, because they were so inseparable.
Issaquah died way before his time, unlike the horses above, he had not lived a long enough life.
Hawk and Issaquah, April, 2012Hawk and Issaquah, April 2012Issaquah, April, 2013Issaquah, April 28, 2013
As of today, these are the horses that have passed or are missing. My wish is that this year will draw to a close without another one added to this list.
Rest in Peace, you lived wild and you died wild, just as it should be.
I apologize for not getting a post out sooner. But, I have to admit, I was having a difficult time looking at my photos after the removal. After spending the entire summer with these horses and then being there for the removal of the mountain top horses, I had a lot of emotions that weren’t ready to surface.
All of the horses removed, I had seen as little foals, watched some of them leave their family bands and become bachelors, and watched others get to know their home on the mountain. I knew I had hundreds of photos of the horses that were removed, and I just was not ready to see them.
It was this week, that I realized I was ready, and actually looking forward to reviewing the thousands of photos from the summer. I have been very blessed to have been able to spend so much time on the mountain with these horses.
This first post is only of my very first trip up there. After several months away from the horses, I find that my first trip, I take a lot of photos, then with each following trip, I begin to take less shots, and put down my camera to watch the horses and my guests through my own eyes.
June sunset.
June is one of my favorite months on the mountain top. The mountain is just awaking after a long winter, and the horses are much more active with each other. The mountain top brings them all in closer proximity to each other then what they are in the winter months, so there is more action between the stallions on a regular basis. If you don’t mind the cool nights and want a lot of action shots, this is the month for you.
I’m not sure how much longer I will be be doing guided tours, so I cherish each moment I had there with my guests and the horses. I will be doing two guided camping trips in June this year. They are starting to book, so if you are interested, contact me soon. Go to 2016 Camping, to find out more information, with available dates for June, July and August.
So, below are some of the photos I took during this first trip.
Bolder’s band visited our camp on a regular basis, with Killian and Lobo denting my truck during a sparing match.Bachelor Boys near our campNahwa and McKeanhie
BachelorsHamletsA very pregnant Jacinta
Petite ColourKohl and Petite ColourGarayMerriweatherOne of the many views from the mountain topTecumseh and bandGrijala and bandLittle Miss NobleCappucinno’s run to the Mystic PondThe Cappucinno’sCappucinno’sCustersNye, Firestorm, Brumby and OkomiBrumbyGalena and PetraGalena and PetraNye
IrialOceanaGalena and PetraNyeAuroraBaja’sBaja’sOjaiWashakieOjai
Baja’sOdakota
Noble and NaolinPococeno and GalaxyLimerickPennyManelita with Dove in the backgroundNaolin and OdakataNaolin and OdakotaBaja and LondonLondonNaolin and NickelNickel and NaolinPetra
Doc and LondonLondon and DocPetra and GalenaCloudCloudBoys with Mandan and Moorcroft in frontMandan and MoorecroftGalaxyIrial
Pride and Feldspar
JasperKetchikan and OkiotakMedicine Bow, Pride and Rosarita
MescaleroMescalero
HeraKreguer PondGrijala and NobleChinoHamlet and NiyahaHamletNiyaha and HamletNiyaha and AudobonGabriele and PattersonCappuccino’sNaaraPatterson and BlancaView from CampsiteGringo and Tecumseh bandsBolderLobo
I’ll be publishing “Part Two of Summer 2015” soon!
Wild in the Pryors 2016 Calendars are ready to purchase! They are printed on premium glossy card stock. The price is 23.00 each, including shipping within the United States. For out of country orders, please contact me for additional shipping price.
You can order by emailing Sandy at: wildinthepryors@aol.com or by calling or texting your order to: 406-360-8959. Payment can be made by PayPal or check.
Below are the photos for the months of this calendar.
Mescalero’s bandOklahoma and OkiotakNyePatriot and Petite Colour watching NimbusPennyPegasusChinoJuniperJacinta and PatriotHamletCloud and LondonSunset from the campsite
Thank you!
Sandy
Logo designed by Amber Bushnell. Wild in the Pryors and this logo is copyrighted.
My group and I spent a couple of hours watching the horses on the snow above Mystic Pond a few days ago. One of my favorite shows, was with little Pride. He decided that it was time to go out and meet the neighbors, and first stop was with little Miss Oceana. She wasn’t sure about his bold advances, but did give in and spend a few quiet moments with him.
Next up for the meet and greet was with the band stallion Tecumseh. It was a really touching moment to watch the giant stallion (in comparison to Pride) that has had to fight his way back to becoming a band stallion, show his very soft side, and spend some tender moments with the little guy. It seems that every year that passes, I admire this stallion, and this day I found myself feeling especially impressed by his kind ways.
Pride walks toward Tecumseh
Tecumseh and Pride
The next neighbor on the snow to get a greeting from Pride was with Blue Moon’s band. First the yearling filly Olivia, and then the 3 year old Miocene. And once again, I was impressed with how tender and kind the older horses were with this little one.
Pride and MioceneOlivia and Pride
Miocene and Pride
Each and every day that I spend with these horses, I feel is a gift, and I have been cherishing every moment with them. For some, it will be their last summer on the mountain, for others, life has just begun here. And so, I have been especially motivated to stop, put my camera down and just inhale each little interaction and movement these beautiful horses show to me.
I still have an opening (due to a last minute cancelation), in my last August Camping Trip, if anyone is interested, please give me a call or text me at: 406-360-8959.
Remember, if you want to see the image bigger, just click on the photo.
Sandy
Logo designed by Amber Bushnell. Wild in the Pryors and this logo is copyrighted.
I just returned from 9 full days in the Pryors. I spent time on top of the mountain and in the Dryhead. I thought I would make one, maybe two posts, but after going through my photos and realizing that I was way over 200 photos and still had a few days left, I decided to break up the posts in several parts.
Maia
We arrived on the mountain top the afternoon of August 18. Not a horse was in sight on the top. Not too unusual, but that pattern would continue for the entire time we were there.
We were just done setting up camp, when I noticed some horses in the trees nearby. It was Galaxy and Teton’s band.
Both bands were the same and all looked really good. They moved on after about an hour.
LimerickHera and GalaxyIrelandGalaxy
Half MoonMissoulaTetonMaiaMaiaLimerickHera
We then decided to head down to Kreuger Pond. The only water source on top that still had water (besides the guzzler way up on top). I really dislike hanging out by the water source and waiting for horses to appear. But we would find that for this trip, it was some of the only times we would be able to see the horses.
The sun was about to set. There were several bands hanging down by the fence. I spent my time looking through my binoculars instead of taking photos.
We saw Baja, one of the bands that I expected to see a new foal with. But poor Washakie was still pregnant. I have a theory on why I think she is so late this year. Meadowlark was born late July 2012. When Washakie went into her foal heat, the gather was still happening, or had just finished. I feel the stress from that kept her from conceiving then. Putting her to conceive a month (or more) later than she should have. I really hope she foals soon. With every passing the day, the likelyhood of a foal going into winter so young is not good. The survival rate decreases. Because they lost Meadowlark last winter and also several from the removal, I would really like to see a healthy foal that lives this year.
The one band that we did spend some time with, just before it got dark, was Custers. I could not believe how much Nodin had grown in just a few short weeks.
NodinWinnemuccaNodin
The next day would start off watching a few bands graze down the hill from the pond.
FirestormJacksonJackson
From there we decided to take a long hike. I had been wanting to go up to Bigfoots valley (the empty meadow) again. It had been 2 years since I had hiked up there. That is where a water guzzler is with a lot of great forage. It still baffles me why the horses do not use it.
My plan was to hike up to the ledge and continue along the rim, looking for other Vision Quests (or Fasting Beds). I then was hoping to drop down to Kreguer Pond and catch the horses drinking there in the afternoon.
The air was heavy with smoke from several nearby fires in Yellowstone and some of it was even coming from fires in Idaho. Our view was not as clear and dramatic has I before.
After stopping and paying respect to what was left of Bigfoots remains, we continued hiking along the rim.
View along the ledge at the top.Bigfoots Meadow
We continued to hike as far as we could along the rim. Then came to a thick woods area. I picked a small path to follow. The path lead us to a huge Vision Quest and a very apparent Fasting Bed. It was a very secluded spot, not something that someone would just stumble on. We did not stay long, it was a very sacred spot, that I felt I did not belong in.
By the time we arrived at the pond, several bands were coming to drink.
Morning Star bandCuster and Band
Running for the waterCoronado’s Band, including Santa FeSanta Fe
Coroando’s Band and Cloud’s BandJacksons heading in.JacksonsJacksonsFirestorm and NiabraraMaelstrom and Niabrara
We went back to camp for some dinner and a short break, then came back down and spent sunset with the horses. There was not another human on the mountain that night. Just us. The horses were so relaxed and at peace. It was one of the more special times I have ever shared with them.
NobleLariat. Back with her band. I never saw her back with Garay this trip.MeriweatherNobleNobleNaolinNaolinManuelitaNaolin grooming his sisterNaolinLaBravaManuelitaBaja and Washakie, August 19, 2013WashakieAmethystSunset, August 19, 2013Dove and Maneulita
The days were getting shorter. Darkness was coming fast. We headed back to camp. Tired from our hike, but filled with a peacefulness that only a mountain empty of people, but full of wild horses, can bring to you.
We are against the Cloud Foundation and BLM partnership for extreme PZP in the Pryors for the following reasons:
1.) It ruins natural selection.
2.) According to the National Academy of Sciences there is no evidence of overpopulation.
3.) Reserve design is the healthy choice for management.
4.) Risks of sterility could ruin the herd’s genetic viability.
5.) Unnatural and increased stress on wild mares from wild stallions continuously trying to breed them month after month, year after year, until they are allowed by mankind to have one foal.
6.) Man made fertility control drugs endanger the wild herds’ ability to adapt through reproduction to environmental stresses.
7.) The “Restricted Use Pesticide” known as PZP is not allowed on domestic horses–surely for safety concerns and therefore should not be allowed on native wild horses who have been misclassified as “pests” by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Natural selection has allowed native wild horses to evolve and survive for more than a million years. We believe it is unethical for a government agency and a nonprofit organization to go against natural evolution and manipulate breeding through excessive roundups and drugs approved for use as “restricted use pesticides”.
Now the public is witnessing the final phase of the Salazar Plan announced in 2009 (managing wild horses to extinction) using an EPA fast-tracked “Restricted Use Pesticide” called Porcine zona pellucida–a form of zona pellucida extracted from the ovaries of pigs.
And speaking of pigs, where are the pigs’ ovaries coming from? How were the pig’s ovaries extracted?
The Pryor Mountain Herd is already one of the two herds designated with “Treasured” status–that means they are protected and will never disappear. No need to sell out to ”restricted use pesticides” for “pest” control!
“We are proud to be working with the BLM, and we hope our partnership with them will continue and may set an example for the management of other wild herds throughout the West,” said Ginger Kathens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation in the BLM’s top story released on August 12, 2013.
What happened to The Cloud Foundation fighting for America’s wild horses’ right to live their natural lives in freedom?
“Why is Ginger Kathrens now supporting the extreme use of PZP when a couple of years ago she appeared to be against using the drug, against ruining natural selection and against creating zoo-like settings on mountaintops?” asks Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs.”
Please don’t forget to submit your comments against the increase of PZP in the Pryors. They are due September 6. Click HERE to find out how to submit your comments.
To learn more about Protect Mustangs, Click on MUSTANGS.
