Sandy Elmore – Page 2 – Wild in the Pryors

The Afternoon of March 17, 2013. A Few horses And Some Crow History

March 18, 2013wildinthepryors

This day started out with windy gusts up to 50 mph and snow. We bravely tried to go out, but quickly realized that it was not a good idea.

By 3 in the afternoon, both Brigitte and I were getting cabin fever. The wind seemed to be dying down a bit, so we decided to brave it and head up the Dryhead. My biggest concern was the extra height the ATV added to the truck, so I added an extra strap to help with the strong wind gusts. We quickly realized that the wind was much calmer than it had been. We headed towards Bighorn Canyon.

Of course we were not disappointed. Because no matter what the weather, the ever faithful Greeters were there to welcome us to the range. I pulled over and we braved the wind and cold to snap a few quick shots of them and to thank them for being there.

We continued to drive down the paved road of the range. This area was great right now. The high mountains protected it from the gail force winds. It was good to be outside.

I had seen this trail that was being built, many times last summer. But it was closed while under construction and when it was open, I did not bother to stop. To busy in my quest to find horses. I did not even know what the trail was about. Somehow it seemed out of place and I avoided it. I was very wrong to do that.

Today offered the perfect opportunity to stop. We had seen no horses, and I doubted we would, given the time of year and the weather. So I changed my lens and we started down the trail. Click on the photo to view a larger size and be sure to read the words.

Can you see the Tipi ring in the upper portion of this photo? Once you spot it, you will quickly be able to spot the others.

After we left this site, we headed down the road. We were about half way through the range when we spotted Johnston and Hidatsa. It had been a while since I had seen these two. We spent a few minutes with them before they decided to head off.

We left Bighorn Canyon and decided to give lower Sykes a try. We drove back past the big red hills and spent some time hiking around. We did not see any horses, but we did see some incredible scenery.

The end of the day was so different from the beginning. It showed us promise for a good day tomorrow.

Sandy

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

Burnt Timber, March 16, 2013

March 17, 2013March 23, 2013wildinthepryors

I knew when this trip got closer, that the weather on Sunday looked bad. My plan when I learned this, was to get to Lovell early enough to be able to go up the mountain on Saturday.

So my friend Brigitte and I left Missoula early and were heading up Burnt Timber Road by 2:00 pm. I was glad the time had changed and we would have that extra hour of light now. It meant we would have a good 5 hours before dark.

I was happy I had planned the trip that way. This is what it looks like outside right now. Snow and 50 + mile an hour winds.

So that is why you are getting to read this post today. We are hoping the weather clears by this afternoon and we can at least venture out to the Dryhead and look for horses.

As we started to head up Burnt Timber Road, we saw a black cloud looming ahead of us. But there was blue sky following that cloud. We were hoping the blue sky prevailed .

We quickly learned that there was some hail in that black cloud and stopped to put on our rain gear. My mind drifted back to my trip up this road in late October and I hoped I would not have a repeat of that adventure. You can read about that by clicking on OCTOBER.

We continued up the mountain. When I was here four weeks ago, there was a lot of snow and we were only able to get up the road a short way. Today, there was no snow on the road, all the way to the first water catchment. I was really happy I did not have to hike up that long red hill in knee deep snow again this trip. However, I do hope they get some spring snow. The range will need the moisture.

By the time we arrived at the water guzzler, the hail had stopped and the dark cloud was making an exit. We pulled over and turned towards the guzzler. No horses.

We walked back to it, making sure no horses were in the bushes taking cover from the departing storm. No horses.

We continued to hike so that we could get a view of Skyes and Turkey Flats below. We were not disappointed, spotting one apricot dun horse over on Sykes. It was Durango, still alone. I wondered if Fools Crow still had his band and was hoping to spot them as well. Durango was the only one we spotted on Sykes.

We turned to glass towards Turkey Flats, and again were not disappointed. We quickly spotted 3 more horses and 3 others to the left of them. The 3 on the left were running towards the 3 on the right. The stallion from the right ran up to greet and head off the 3 on the left. It was too far away to see who they were, but I concluded by watching these actions, that it must have been 3 bachelor stallions on the left and a band of 3 on the right.

The bachelors backed down pretty fast and continued to move on at a fast pace.

We hiked back to the guzzler, still no horses and returned to the ATV heading back up the road.

As we continued up the road, which was now a bit muddy (from melting snow and the recent hail) I wondered how far we would be able to go.

Shawn had been on this road the day before and had given me a brief report on what he saw, where and how the road conditions were. He said he had driven as far as the mines, so I was confidant we would be able to make it further in the ATV without too much trouble.

We arrived at the mine area and I was surprised to see a picnic table and fire ring installed there. It made me frown a bit. I had heard of this picnic table last summer, but had not made the slight turn off the road to see it yet. Well here it was and it seemed really out-of-place to me.

Still no horses.

We continued up the road. The sun was out now and the road was getting muddier and more slippery. We wondered how far we should venture this late in the day. We continued. Just as we were about to give up and turn around in hopes of seeing horses on our way down, I came around a bend in the road and there stood a black horse looking back at me.

It was Polaris, and she was as surprised to see us as we were to see her.

I turned off the ATV and we walked close enough to the edge to be able to look over and see Mescalaro.

Then I turned and saw Half Moon and Missoula. Now this was interesting. I knew that Half Moon and Missoula belonged to the stallion Teton. I looked across the deep ravine and saw Phoenix, she also was from Tetons band.

Where was Warbonnet? Was she over the edge where I could not see her? Had Mescalero taken Tetons band? I could tell by the mares actions and postures, that they were not pleased with the current situation.

I thought back on my last mountain top visit early in September. I had seen these two bands together then. Several times. Missoula at that time seemed to really like Mescalero. It seemed odd, but was he partially the reason for this apparent switch? You can read about this in that September post, by clicking on September.

I knew I wanted to settle in and observe this band for a while and see what unfolded. There was a lot of gentle interaction between Missoula and his grandmother Rosarita. Polaris, however wanted nothing to do with the situation and made herself comfortable further down and way from those three.

At one point Rosarita tried to get Half Moon and Missoula to move, but Half Moon refused to go far.

Rosarita, Mescalero, Half Moon and Missoula

3 Generations. Rosarita, Half Moon and Missoula

It was over 30 minutes before I saw Tetons head coming up from below.

We continued to watch. I had still not seen Warbonnet, and now Phoenix was out of sight.

Despite the fact that Teton had now arrived on the scene, Mescalero continued to be relaxed. Were these two bands simply just enjoying being together? I still concluded no. It was a quiet unrest that I had seen before. Not unlike the times I had seen from Grijala and Lakota a couple of years before.

Mescalero was comfortable enough to lay down and enjoy a good roll in the red dirt.

Then it was Rosarita’s turn to roll and have a little fun with Missoula.

Then, Teton decided to come over and see what all the fun was and flirt a little with Rosarita.

Rosarita let out a squeal and a kick. Just enough noise to get Mescalero’s attention.

Mecalero wasted no time coming over and moving Rosarita away. Then quickly returned and had a few words with Teton.

Now before you have time to worry about Missoula in this photo, let me tell you the complete story . Missoula had plenty of time to remove himself from this situation. But he choose to remain here, almost seeming to take the side of Mescalero, until things got a little to heated! Then he made a dash for safety.

Without any physical contact, Teton backed down and retreated back by Half Moon. Missoula clearly chose to stay where he was.

This seemed odd to me. Wasn’t a young colt supposed to want to be with his mom? It just did not seem right to me. I wondered if this is how some of the foals get separated from their family bands. Did they choose to go on their own? It almost seemed like this could be the case with Missoula.

Then, I tried not too, but I began to worry, even before I got back down from the mountain and had extra time on my hands to think things through. Mescalero does not have a good track record with foals. They seem to have a habit of disappearing while in his band. In the late spring. Please, don’t let this happen to Missoula, I thought.

Teton will be 19 this year. I really dislike seeing these older stallions loose their bands. It makes my heart hurt. For some more than others. This situation made my heart hurt. I know it is the way things are in the wild, but I can not tell my heart to not hurt.

We stayed longer, still hoping that Warbonnet would appear.

Missoula choose to stay by Mescalero, March 16, 2013

Finally, Half Moon came over and quietly took Missoula back.

It was almost 6 by now and we decided we should start to head down. I wanted enough light left in case we spotted some more horses. I hated leaving without seeing Warbonnet, but I figured she was just over the ridge, out of sight, not happy about the current situation.

I confirmed with Shawn today, that he did see Warbonnet just the day before.

We turned the ATV around on the narrow road and headed back down, past the guzzler without seeing another horse.

I mentioned that I thought we should be seeing Capuccino. We were just coming around a bend (does that sound familiar?) when I saw a blonde horse in front of us. It was Blanca and the rest of Cappuccino’s band. Moenkopi looked even better than the last time I had seen her, four weeks earlier. She is Jackson and Galena’s daughter. She also seemed very content to be with this band. Had she chosen this? It was something new to consider.

It wasn’t long and this beautiful band of almost all duns, decided to move on. They took the way we needed to go, so we followed slowly way behind them until they turned off the road and headed down a ridge.

I did not see Two Boots in his usual spot, and I wondered where he was.

We have seen 17 horses so far. Not a lot, but more than some days I have had.

As I finish writing this post, almost 4 hours since I started it, the wind continues to blow strong and it is still snowing. I continue to hope for a break. But we have tomorrow, I am thankful for our day yesterday.

Sandy

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

A Day Hiking Lower Sykes

February 21, 2013February 21, 2013wildinthepryors

We were only able to go up Burnt Timber Road about a mile past the range entrance in the ATV the day before , but I was hopeful that we would be able to at least drive to the big Red Hills on Lower Sykes before we had to start hiking. It would not happen.

There were not vehicle tracks at the turn off to the Lower Sykes entrance. I turned and drove the truck in and parked. No tracks, human or animal. We unloaded the ATV and I decided that we should go to the Bad Pass Spring area and see if we could see any horses over there before we tried to head up Sykes.

I was able to drive to the spring with little trouble. We got off and hiked to the first big hill. The wind was cold and the snow was blowing sideways. Despite the strong wind, we climbed up the hill for a better view.

We did not see any horses or even hoof prints, so we returned to the ATV and tried to head up the road.

I had only gone about 20 feet when I realized the snow was too deep for even my high clearance ATV. The wind had drifted the snow about 2 feet deep in places.

Snow depth at bottom of Sykes Ridge Road, 2-18-13 (taken in the late afternoon after our hike).

I backed up the ATV and we unloaded are backpacks. Our only option was to hike. We considered going back to Burnt Timber, but that also involved a lot of hiking. We wanted to try and locate some different horses, so we started up the road.

I was glad that three months ago, I had started running again. Walking through 4 inches up to 2 feet of snow was hard work. Then add the extra weight of the camera, backpack, boots, coveralls and heavy coat, it made for a really good work out. Especially when you do it for 6 straight hours. The only plus was that we were no longer cold, unless we stopped for more than 5 minutes. Next time I vowed I would remember my snow shoes.

There were no tracks ahead of us for a long while. Finally we saw one set of horse prints. It encouraged us to continue.

I would veer off the road and head up a hill every few hundred feet, just to make sure we were not missing horses. If you have never been to the Lower Sykes area (or any area on the lower range) you need to realize that there are MANY dips in the land. What looks like it a flat area from far away, turns out to be land where animals the size of draft horses could disappear in seconds, swallowed up by the terrain.

Finally we arrived at the Red Hills, found some protection from the wind behind a bush and had lunch. We had only seen the one set of tracks.

After lunch we continued hiking. I always felt if I just got beyond one more hill I would see horses. So we continued.

Sandy heads up yet another hill to have a look.

We started to realize that this may be a day of no horses. The wind was blowing strong and there were no horses or even tracks at this point. The sun was starting to come out, so we stopped and had a little fun with the shadows on the snow!

After a few minutes we continued.

We finally had to realize that we could not continue hiking any further, we needed to start back. It was a discouraging feeling.

Just as I was coming around a hill, something caught my eye. I just don’t look for horses, but what I really do, is look for something that is out of place, something that breaks the pattern of the land. It was more than a 1/4 mile away, but I was positive I saw a horse. I picked up my binoculars to confirm it.

It only took me a second looking through the binoculars to recognize Sitting Bull, Cecelia and their August born colt, Mojave (Mato).

AND it only took Sitting Bull a second to spot us.

I did not want to get too close to them. On a good day, this band does not like people very much. Oh sure, there may be the occasional lazy hot summer day when they don’t seem to care. But for the most part, they would rather not have us around.

I felt we could get a little closer without disturbing them. We had to go by this spot on on way out anyway, so we made our way to a set of bushes we thought would be far enough away from them to give them space, but closer enough that we could get a better look. When we got to that spot, they were gone. Well, it appeared that way, but I quickly realized that tricky range terrain had showed itself again. I spoted just the top of Sitting Bulls head and a pair of ears. It took me a few minutes to be able to show Anh exactly where they were.

Too much time for Sitting Bull however. He must have thought us to be a pair of predators stalking them. He stepped out from behind the bush. We were still at least a 1,000 feet or more from them. Sitting Bull made a run straight for us. I instantly thought that I needed to let him know that I was human and hope that he would not continue toward us. I raised my arms up in the air, waved them and shouted, “It is okay, it is just us”. At least that is what I think I said, but I know I spoke words. It worked and he stopped.

Then after a few seconds watching, he lowered his head and started grazing. Still keeping an eye out for us.

We turned to leave. I continued to worry that he might still think us a threat and wanted to him to see us retreating.

We got back on the road and continued walking. Looking back, we had a very good view of this little band.

Just a little way up the road, I again spotted something out of place. It was Bristol, alone way up on a hillside.

We continued heading down the way we had came, still searching for horses.

Anh had never made a snow angel, so we stopped and I showed her how. We left them there to watch over the horses.

We arrived back at the ATV and loaded it back unto the truck.

Next we would head up the Dryhead and not see one horse. The next morning, we made one last trip to the Dryhead. The ever faithful Greeters were along the road to say goodbye. They looked good, they seemed in much better condition then the horses I saw on Burnt Timber two days ago.

I remember my first winter trip to the Pryors last March. I was so excited and happy to find the horses I had. A total of about 30 that trip. We were 31 this trip. I had hoped for more, but happy to see who I had. Someone asked me before I left who I hoped to see. I wanted to find Jasmine. I did that. I wanted to see Moenkopi. I did that.

I will be back next month to look again.

I did not hike the fence line of the closed Administrative Pasture(s). I spent my days looking for horses instead.

But what really hit me was how much snow is down low this year. I am worried for the horses. Many of the mares looked thin, the stallions not much better. This is only mid-February and there are still many months before spring comes to the Pryors.

I have been made to understand that this Administrative Pasture(s), which consists of over 3,500 acres of land, will most likely remained closed until the fall of 2014. It has to be done “by the book” I am told so that when it is opened, it is opened for good.

This will be addressed in the RMP which is according to Jim Sparks: “The RMP is a comprehensive plan for ALL the land and uses managed by the Billings Field Office, not just the wild horse range (the 2009 HMAP is specific to the horse range). . We also manage a national monument, many developed recreation areas, wilderness study areas, areas of critical environmental concern, and the natural resources and activities on about 400,000 surface acres and a million acres of mineral estate that are not associated with the PMWHR. The PMWHR comprises less than 10 percent of the lands we manage.”.

Also from Jim: “The document is about 2000 pages long at this point, and there is actually very little in it regarding wild horses. Most wild horse management stuff is in the HMAP.”

Let’s hope that because this is addressed in this very huge RMP and that there is very little regarding the wild horses, that it does not get over looked. When the comment period comes out, we must all remember to make are feelings known.

I want to do it “by the book”. But at what cost? The death of more horses? Can they wait until the fall of 2014? I hope that Jared will keep a close eye on this situation, I know I will be.

Sandy

A Day On The Mountain, February 17, 2013

February 18, 2013February 25, 2013wildinthepryors

It was great to be back in the Pryors. Anh and I arrived Saturday afternoon and made a quick trip up the Dryhead to see if we could find anyone. The road was covered with 4-5 inches of snow. The snow made the road slick, but it was helpful to be able to see the horse foots prints. We almost immediately saw the ever faithful Greeters, up on one of their favorite hill sides.

We drove the length of the range slowy. I wondered why they did not plow this road. We did not see a single horse or anymore prints. They were tucked away in the trees somewhere.

From there we stopped by the Center to meet Lori and Brianna along with Kiabab and Liesl. Liesl and Kiabab were not interested in posing for us, they were more interested in their food. Liesl’s wound looked good. They both looked good.

After a great dinner at Lori’s we headed back to get a good night sleep. We were both anxious to see more horses. My thoughts were with my October trip and I hoped I would have better luck this time. The weather was looking okay. 30% chance of snow, not bad. We would just keep our eye on the sky for any sudden changes coming our way.

We were heading towards Burnt Timber Road by 7:30 the next morning. When I turned off the paved road unto the dirt, I was surprised to see the amount of snow on the road. I wondered if Big Horn County owned any snow plows.

We drove through 5-8 inches of snow to the bottom of Burnt Timber. When I stepped out of the truck to unload the ATV, I realized that the depth of the snow was more like a foot. Would we even be able to drive the ATV up the road?

We were joined by a third person today, Monica. I was happy to have another person for the moral support. I have to admit, I was a bit stressed. Driving Burnt Timber on a good day is hard enough, adding a foot of snow was even more daunting.

We made it to the entrance of the range with very little problem. The wind had blown here, and made the snow quite a bit shallower. I was feeling encouraged that we would be able to make it further.

Just as we were about to cross the cattle guard onto the range, I looked up and saw Cappuccino and his band. Cappuccino and another horse ran over a ridge. I could not make out who the other horse was. We left the ATV and hiked the short way to get a better look at the remaining band members. We wanted to disturb them as little as possible and decided the best way would be to leave the ATV parked and hike closer.

A way off to the left, I saw Two Boots. It seems I always see him here in the winter months.

Further away on the same side as Two Boots, I saw Quelle Colour with Kohl. Grijala by them, but not close.

The first horses from Cappuccino’s band that I saw were Blanca and next to her was Galena’s filly, Moenkopi. Moenkopi had somehow gotten separated from Jackson’s band. I had learned of this from TCF newsletter. I was happy to see her, and she seemed to okay. Blanca seemed to be in charge of taking care of her. I think she is in good hands.

Gabrielle and McKeahnie were not to far from them.

Gabrielle looked pregnant to me. She also seemed a bit thin.

We stood quietly and watch them.

We would not have to wait long to find out where Cappuccino had been. I looked up the hill from were we stood and saw a blaze face looking down on me. It was a very round Jacinta. She did not look happy. Cappuccino had to work to keep her going closer to the rest of the band. Jacinta is from Gringo’s band.

I decided that the horses were used to us by now and would probably not be disturbed if we restarted the ATV and kept going up the road. I was right, we slipped right past them without them moving.

We traveled up the road for another mile before the snow got deep, really deep. I stopped the ATV and we all got off and unanimously decided we should not risk going another foot. We Monica dug out the tires (yes, we were stuck) and I backed up and turned around. We wanted it heading back down the hill so we did not have to deal with it later.

We put our backpacks on and started hiking…slowly. The snow was almost up to our knees and it was not a light fluffy snow, more like the constancy of too thick mash potatoes. At times it was up to our knees. I should have packed the snow shoes.

Our goal was to hike to the first guzzler on the left. We started to trudge up the road. It was pretty much all up hill.

The wind started to blow and we all silently hoped that all this effort would be rewarded when we reach our destination.

Finally, we reached the guzzler. From the road it looked like there were no horses there. But we walked closer and saw Jackson’s band tucked away against the blowing snow.

Jackson's Band, 2-17-13 — Jackson’s Band, 2-17-13

We sat down next to a bush away from the wind and snow and ate lunch. I was trying to count horse heads and see how many were there. I knew that Jasmine had been missing from his band just a few weeks ago. I thought I saw her there, but it was too hard to tell and I did not want to go closer until they got used to us being there.

After lunch the wind and blowing snow calmed down and we moved closer. Jackson kept a close eye on us, but other wise seemed unconcerned with us being there. It seemed his mares were staying very close to him, closer than I had ever seen. I wondered what the cause of it was, but decided it must be the weather.

Just as we moved closer something caught my eye to the right, up the hill. I turned and saw Cloud standing above us.

The rest of the band was not far behind him.

I worked my way slowly towards Jacksons band. They were beginning to come out and move around some.

I never know what to expect when I come to the mountain, so every horse that I see is a gift.

It took us a while to discover why Jackson’s band was so attentive to him. I kept seeing Galena and Moorcroft licking Jackson. I thought it was a bit odd. Then I saw the wound.

Moorcroft licks Jacksons wound. — Moorcroft licks Jackson. (wound is on his lower chest)

Maelstrom, Jackson and Galena licking Jackson.

It explained what was going on. I found it very touching. I continued to watch this close family band. Still unsure if that was Jasmine lying behind him.

This peaceful setting was about to change as I watched Cloud and Aztec inching their way closer to Jackson and his band.

Hertiage was digging in the snow and moving away from Jackson a bit. Cloud took this opportunity to move in. Aztec wanted to be part of it, but Cloud quickly told her to go back. He approached Hertiage, who politely greeted him and told him she had the stallion she wanted and turned her back to him.

Despite his injury, Jackson approached Cloud and told him to back off. It was over in a minute. With a little posturing and a scream.

Aztec and Innocentes head back away from Jackson's band. — Aztec and Innocentes head back away from Jackson’s band.

The peace returned and the bands went back to digging in the deep snow for any forage they could find, or taking a nap in the sun that had finally came out. I able to confirm that it was Jasmine once again in the band.

Jasmine and Hertiage — Jasmine and Heritage

Brumby and Jackson’s son Moorcroft was quickly becoming a new favorite of mine.

Then Jackson decided it was time for the band to move on. I think he was tired of having Cloud’s eye on him. I hoped that Cloud would give Jackson a break and let him heal without causing any turmoil. Shortly after Jackson and his band moved on Cloud and his band moved into the nap spot.

Cloud stayed for only a short time in the napping area before he turned to watch Jackson. It was not long after that that both bands started to work themselves up the hill and over the ridge.

Jackson's Band and Cloud's band work they way toward the ridge. — Jackson’s Band and Cloud’s band work they way toward the ridge.

I tried not to worry to0 much about Jackson’s wound. He was moving a little stiffly, but otherwise seemed good. I tried not to worry that this was only the middle of February and there were still several months left before spring. I tired not to worry that Cloud was dogging Jackson and taking advantage of Jacksons small weakness.

The wind started to blow and the sky behind us was turning dark. We decided to start heading back down the mountain before the weather set in. And so we turned one last time to see the bands, then started trudging for an hour and a half back down the mountain in the deep snow and the blowing wind.

We were just about to exit the range when I saw a blaze face to my left. It was Jacinta again. But this time she was alone. She saw us and headed right towards us. I turned off the ATV and let her cross in front of us. She seemed to know where she was heading. I wondered if it was back to Gringo and the rest of her former band.

We watched her go and continued down the range. Looking forward to what the next day might bring.

Sandy

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

Opening A Closed Area On The Range

February 11, 2013February 11, 2013wildinthepryors

Lately, I have been hearing about and also getting asked a lot about an area at the base of the range that has been fenced off.

This area is called ” The Administrative Pasture”. I was not sure of its exact location, so I did some research and came up with several interesting discoveries about this area. I plan to take a closer look at this area when I am there this week.

1. There are different references to its size. Some say 3,000 acres, some say 3,600 acres and another said 4,000 acres. So we do know that it is over 3,000 acres.

2. The location is: Southwestern area of the range. The southern side is all fenced with the boundary defined by the county roads (Crooked Creek Road and Road 16).

3. This pasture was closed off to the horses in the 1980’s. It was used when the removals were done on horseback. This pasture allowed the wranglers on horse back to push the wild horses into this area and then taken to Britton Springs. This type of removal has not been done since 1994.

There are several people (and I am one of them), that would like to see this area reopened to the horses. Matt, in his blog post dated October 27, 2009, stated in one of his comments:

“I honestly don’t think it would take the horses a lot of time to repopulate that area if it was totally opened. Sitting Bull’s harem are frequently near that area. Some of the other Dryhead horses, especially Bristol’s harem, drift nearby there, and it is common to see Burnt Timber and Sykes Ridge horses wintering in the area.”

This is a really good post and you can click October 2009 to read it.

Sitting Bull in the early morning light, August 2, 2012

I have contacted both Jim Sparks and Jared Bybee of the BLM, regarding this matter. I hope to hear back soon from them.

I encourage everyone to take a minute and write a polite email, call them, or mail them a letter, asking them to consider reopening this pasture. You can click BLM, to get the contact information for them.

With the drought of last year, I believe that the forage this winter is not as good as it should be. By opening this pasture it would give the horses over 3,000 acres that have been closed off to them for more than 25 years. I request that this be done as soon as possible for the benefit of the horses.

I would be happy to volunteer and work with Jared to help remove or repair any fence lines to make this possible.

Sandy

Clearing The Air

January 30, 2013wildinthepryors

From the beginning, I started this blog to not only share my experiences with the Pryor Horses, but I also had another intention in mind: To Be There For The Horses. To work with those involved with the horses for the better good of them.

I knew that some things that I would say or do would not “sit well” with some people or groups. But I pretty much say it like it is and how I feel. I have said it before and I will say it again: “I am here for the horses. I am not a BLM hater, nor am I a BLM lover.” Also: ” I do not belong to any one group, I am here for the horses.” I will work with everyone involved if they are good, HONEST people. I would like to be treated with respect and I also expect the same for my friends and family.

Let’s just say, I don’t mind ruffling a few feathers if it gets the job done.

So, it is with that mind set that I am publishing Lori’s story. I love Lori like a sister, and I stand behind her. We are a lot a like. Don’t back us in a corner, it won’t be pretty. But stand beside us, and we will fight to the end for you. (and bring you chocolate chip cookies). We don’t hesitate to state what is on our mind for the animals (and people) we intend to protect.

Because of my post in August: “Please Stop , Thank you” (click HERE to read that), my blog got the attention of some people in Washington, DC and caused quite a wave of trouble here in Montana and also for Lori in Wyoming. I don’t regret a thing. I would do everything the exact same way, except I guess I would let Jared know that it was coming.

Sandy

From Lori:

Liesl and Lori’s Story

Since someone has asked a question about how Liesl injured herself, I thought I would answer this question as honestly as I can. I was not going to bring it up because I did not want the Center to appear “insensitive” or “irresponsible” to Liesl’s blindness, but since it has been brought up, I think it is only fair that everyone should know what happened. I will start from the beginning so that everyone will understand how and why Liesl got hurt.

When Kaibab & Liesl came to the Center, Diane Granger (board member) and I volunteered to be the care takers for them. Since that day both of us have been feeding them, cleaning out the Shelter, and spending time with them. Diane has a heart of gold and loves those two horses, and the ones who run wild and free!! She has been going to the range faithfully since 1993!

At this time there were other horses in the field outside of the corral, including Exhilaration. As time went on we were seeing bent & damaged panels on the corral.

I am sure that Liesl did some of the damage as she is BLIND and was frightened of the other horses poking their heads through nipping and kicking at her, but, one has to imagine not being able to see the threat that is real through Liesl’s eyes. Her reaction is to kick & run away from the threat of danger. This is normal behavior for a blind horse. Also, keep in mind that her whole life has been this way…picked on, kicked, bitten, and chased away, because she is blind. I found this information while researching about blind horses: You can read more on this website, by clicking BLIND.

Horses are herd animals with a social hierarchy and a well-defined pecking order. Usually the blind horse falls to the bottom of the pecking order. The others sense the blind horse’s vulnerability and take advantage of it. A blind horse will get beaten up, chased away from food, and run off from the group. It is not a pleasant life. Blind horses can get hurt in a herd environment because with their fight-or-flight instinct, blindness leaves them with only one choice: flight. And fleeing from a bully in the herd in a blind panic (literally) is when a blind horse will run into a fence or a tree and get hurt.

We’ve found that even in an otherwise easy-going small herd of four or five horses, it only takes one sighted horse to bully the blind one and you have a potential injury on your hands.

The answer is not to isolate your blind horse, but to give him or her a compatible pasture buddy to hang out with. Horses need company, and a lonely horse is an unhappy horse. So we keep our blind horses in pairs, or with a sighted pasture buddy (we call them our “seeing eye horses”), in separate pastures. The rest of our herd – elderly sighted horses – stay together as a group in a different pasture.

We’ve seen that even small groups of blind horses can create pecking order problems. A lot depends on the individual personalities of the horses and the ‘social chemistry’ when they’re together. You’ll quickly discover what works and doesn’t work for your blind horse in your situation.

Although there are exceptions, in general a herd is a bad place to be for a blind horse.

The decision was made (not sure exactly who made this decision) to take all of the other horses, except Exhilaration, home. They needed the corral to gather up the other horses and so Liesl & Kaibab were released out into the field while the other horses were rounded up into the corral and loaded up into a trailer.

After that Liesl & Kaibab were in the corral with the heated water tank, and Exhilaration was on the outside. Everyday someone had to let Exhilaration in to get water, and the little ones went out into the field. At night Liesl & Kaibab were locked into the corral, and Exhilaration was on the outside.

Still we were noticing panels being dented and actually one of the bars on a panel was broken in half. It was then that someone decided to bring Exhilaration home. The Center has replaced the two panels that were totally destroyed, and since then there is no more damage to the panels.

From the beginning Diane and I had reservations about letting Liesl out into the field as it is fenced with barbed wire and the fact that she is blind, for the most part.

Our fear of Liesl getting hurt on the barbed wire became reality on the 16^th of January.

I was getting their food prepared (they eat pellet mare/foal & some hay) and Kaibab was already in the corral. Liesl was making her way around the fence and just walked right into the barbed wire fence. She bent a T- post and ripped a section of her shoulder. It was a pretty nasty wound, but since I have horses at home I usually have medicine for these types of injuries. I went home and got some Fura-zone salve and applied it to her wound for three days. I have been spraying Vetricyn on it since then. It is healing well. Diane asked our Veterinarian about antibiotics and she said to just keep a close eye on it and as long as it did not look infected it should heal up well. Thank goodness she is healing well and should be fine.

I am not placing the blame on anybody; I am only stating the facts.

I think that the Center is planning on replacing the fence with wood this coming spring/summer.

Since resigning from the Center I am now a volunteer for the care of Liesl and Kaibab, but am not the one making the decisions concerning them. I can only make suggestions.

This leads me to the rest of my story:

I have always had the horses first and foremost in my heart and that has always been and still is one of my main concerns. I am a very passionate person when it comes to what I believe to be right. I will not compromise my principles, and I will not back down from what I believe is the right thing to do.

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I never claimed to be “politically correct”, nor am I afraid to “make some noise” and stand up for what I believe in. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is an old English idiom. Sometimes it makes a difference and sometimes it does not. But to sit by and do nothing when I believe something needs to be said is not an option for me. It is not in my nature. I admit that I can be a bit outspoken and blunt at times, but it is never without conviction from my heart, and I never intend to hurt anyone on purpose.

With all of this said, this past August I questioned the BLM and the NPS (by telephone) as to why they were gathering more horses from the Dry Head part of the range. I thought it strange that they would remove more mares and foals as there are way more stallions than mares in the Dry Head.

I had also made a couple of “personal” comments, from my “personal computer” on Sandy’s blog stating my “personal opinion” on the continuing gather/removal. I did this from home, not at the Center and in my mind it had nothing to do with the Center or my job as Director.

I believed that I was doing the right thing by the horses, and that it was part of my job. I believed that it was my job to question those who are responsible for managing this herd when and if the need arose. Well I guess I believed wrong. . I suppose they did not want any “friction” from the Center and “how dare I” question the government!

The BLM certainly did not appreciate my questioning and they sent a letter to the Board concerning my “combative behavior” among other things. They never even mentioned all of the good things I had said about what a good job they were doing throughout the gather or what excellent care the horses that were removed were getting!

The majority of the Board did not stand behind me (although John Nickle did and I believe Diane Granger also) but the rest did not, and so I felt that there was only one choice for me, and that was to resign.

If I could not have a personal opinion, and I could not question what I thought was a legitimate cause for concern, then I could do better for the horses on my own and through other avenues. Also, I suppose the Center does not need someone as “feisty” and “outspoken” as me to be the Director.

I gave my heart and soul to the Center, and so did my most loyal and compassionate husband.

It is with great enthusiasm and passion for these beautiful horses that I will continue to observe, study and protect the Pryor Mountain Wild horses. I also have peace in knowing and believing that I did the right thing for the horses, my character intact!

I want to thank Sandy for allowing me to help with her blog, and also for doing this post!!

Thank you Sandy for your dedication, honesty, passion and generosity to and for the Pryor Mountain wild horses!

Lori

A couple of quotes that I like!

Character is higher than intellect. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. ~Thomas Jefferson

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

Crow Indian Reservation

January 22, 2013January 22, 2013wildinthepryors

I have decided to veer slightly off the direct subject of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses. But not too far, as the Crow Indians are very much a part of the horses and have played an important role on who these horses are today.

I took this next few paragraphs directly form the Crow-Appaalooke website. You can click CROW to go directly there.

“The homeland of the Apsáalooke have three major mountain ranges: Iisiaxpúatachee Isawaxaawúua (Big Horn Mountains), Cheétiish (Wolf Teeth Mountains) and Baáhpuuo (Pryor Mountains); rich rolling hills, plains, grasslands, badlands water and wetlands. The Iisiaxpúatahcheeaashisee Aliakáate (Little Big Horn River)— (Big Horn River) and Bilippítshuhke (Reno Creek) flow through the reservation and create wooded valleys with abundant fish and wildlife. The Crow high country has elk, deer and buffalo herds in some Montana’s richest alpine range land. The tribal members reside in six major towns and in the countryside across the 3,000 square miles of Crow Country (a territory bigger than Rhode Island yet smaller than Connecticut). One of the nation’s richest deposits of strippable low sulfur coal lies along the eastern sector of the reservation. One active coal mine, the Sarpy Coal Mine, and several oil and gas fields yield important resources to the Crow Tribal Government. In 2002 a new constitution was adopted by the Crow Tribe which includes a judicial, legislative and executive branch.

In Indian Country the Apsáalooke/Crow People are renowned for their cultural vitality, particularly for the mid-August Chichaxxaasuua, the Crow Fair. This event is often called the largest family reunion in the world. Over 10,000 Crow people live in the encampment of over 1,700 teepees and 1,200 tents. Crow families move their households including horses to camp. The Tepee Capital of the World features a morning parade of the Apsáalooke/Crow People and their horses in full regalia, cars and flat bed trucks bedecked with beadwork and attire, an afternoon all Indian rodeo and race meet and an evening intertribal powwow. On the banks of the Little Big Horn River the fairgrounds is rich in historic context, for the Little Bighorn Battlefield is only two miles to the south, and a short distance from the Big Horn and Yellowstone Rivers and the Bozeman Trail.
The nineteenth century Apsáalooke chief, Eelapúash stated, “The Crow Country is good country. The Great Spirit has put it exactly in the right place, while you are in it you fare well; whenever you go out of it; whichever way you travel you fare worse.” (Chief Eelapúash, circa 1830)
Chief Plenty Coups was the last chief to gain that status in the traditional Crow manner. He lived until 1932, leaving his land and home as a park for all people.

The climate on the reservation varies from humid above 7,000 feet in the Bighorn Mountains, with 24 inches of annual precipitation, to semi-arid around 2,900 feet near Hardin, with 12 inches of annual precipitation. Vegetation varies from conifer forests to grasslands. Approximately 75% of the precipitation falls from March through July. The frost-free period (growing season) ranges from 115 days at Busby, 123 days at Hardin, 126 days at Wyola, to 135 days at Crow Agency. The last spring frost occurs as late as May 24 and frost may occur as early as September 16th.
This portion of Montana enjoys “Indian Summers” which frequently extend into November. This is a time of warm sunny days and cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 45.5 degrees Fahrenheit (F) with a summer high of 110 and a winter low of –48 degrees F.”

So in one my many trips in 2012, I brought back a couple rescues from the Crow Indian Reservation. My daughter and I both adopted a dog. It was by chance that I found this rescue group. Rez Dog Rescue. My daughter Amber was looking for a dog to adopt. She had been looking for a while and through our online searches we found them. After goggling the founder of the rescue in hopes to learn more, I found this article from last October. You can click on SHERI to read it.

From that article I learned about the incredible need for homes for strays on the reservation. Amber and I decided that is where she should adopt. As we looked through the list of dogs up for adoption, Bill and I also decided that we had room for one more dog in our family.

I coordinated the six-hour ride home with two dogs (one a puppy, 6 weeks old, the other 1-year-old) with my trip to the Pryors in October. They both were excellent car riders and I appreciated the company.

Amber and Nyah right after they met for the first time. October, 2012

Sheri and her friend Bernie work hard at finding homes for these dogs. In fact, it goes way beyond that. Sheri spends thousands of dollars out of her own pocket to help with medical expenses on these dogs. Many come to her sick and in need of medical attention. Where others may decided to euthanize a dog or puppy, Sheri gives them a much longer chance. She gives the dogs and puppies she rescues a chance for a happy life, no matter how long or short that will be.

She is many times faced with tough decisions that I am not sure how she makes. I also want to add that Sheri has a full time job and then comes home to a house full of puppies and dogs to care for. Yes, many are fostered in her own house waiting for their forever home.

I am not sure why the situation on the Reservation is the way it is. But like many places right here in the US and in my home state of Montana, there are many animals in need.

And so this leads me to this post.

The website: Animal Rescue is having their challenge right now. The State winner gets 1,000 dollars. It is really easy. All you need to do is go to their site and vote. Everyday please. Click on VOTE to go to the site. The first time you are there you will need to enter REZ DOG RESCUE under the shelter name and then type in Hardin, MT for the city and state. Rez Dog will come up and then you can click “vote”. The next day when you go to this site, Rez Dog will show up and all you have to do is press vote. Simple. Thank you so much! A 1,000 dollars is just a drop in the bucket for this rescue, but they appreciate all the drops they can get!

So now I have 5 Pryor Rescues in my family. Three Mustangs and two Dogs and I have to say, they are the best animals in the world!

Sandy

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

2013, Who Will Have Foals This Year?

January 3, 2013January 16, 2013wildinthepryors

It is January, and here in Montana it is very cold and we have quite a bit of snow. But a hope for spring comes with every minute of daylight that has been added to the days. I know I have already been noticing it. So my thoughts have turned to this years foals. I thought I would take us into spring and summer by sharing with you who I think will foal.

This post is simply based on who was not given PZP. The age group for this group are those mares born from 2003-2007. I am also going to include the mares born in 2008.

Of course this last year we all received many surprises, many of the younger mares had foals. I am hoping that does not happen this year. From what I have learned, it is much healthier for the mares if they do not conceive until they are in the 4-5 years old.

It was my understanding that the spring of 2011 the weather conditions were so that the PZP was not able to be given at the optimum time. (Remember that was the spring after the huge snow year of 2010-2011). So that may be the reason for last years surprises.

I would welcome a few surprises from other mares other than the ones I am about to list.

So let’s start in the Dryhead of the Pryors.

1. Icara, daughter of Waif and Corona was born in 2008. I am listing her here because I said I would include those born in 2008. But I do not believe she will have a foal. I saw Durango breeding her in late July. (which made me think she had been given PZP) Since she had Morgana in March last year, she would have most likely conceived one month after that, which would have been in April. She is currently in Fools Crow’s band.

2. Fresia, born in 2005, and the daughter of Buffalo Girl and Durango, will most likely have a foal this year. She was with the Band Stallion Merlin last spring, so he will most likely be the father again this year. Merlin was injured in June last year and lost his band briefly, but I believe because Fresia’s colt Montana was born the first part of April that she would have conceived in May, so I feel it will be Merlins. She is currently in Hidalgo’s band.

3. Halo, born in 2007, daughter of Waif and Corona. She was in Merlin’s band. Depending on when and if she foals will determine who the father is. She is currently in Hidalgo’s band.

That is unfortunately, all of the mares that fall into the “No PZP” group in the Dryhead this year.

So let’s move up to the Mountain Top Horses.

1. Halcyon, born in 2007, daughter of Blue Sioux and Coronado. She had Miocene the first part of May last year, so let’s watch for another foal this year around that same time. She was and still is with the Band Stallion, Blue Moon, so the foal will most likely be his.

2. Isadora, born in 2008, daughter of Rosarita and Starman may foal this year. She is currently in Blue Moon’s band. She had the foal Lemhi in 2011. Lemhi has not been seen since the spring of 2012.

3. Gabrielle, born in 2006, daughter of Brumby and Jackson. She had McKeahnie the middle of May last year. Gabrielle was and still is with the Band Stallion Cappuccino, so the foal will most likely be his.

4. Fiasco, born in 2005, daughter of Topper Two and Chino. She was and still is with the Band Stallion Custer, so he would most likely be the father. I know there are many of us that really want her to have a foal this year!!!

5. Fools Gold, born in 2005, daughter of Amethyst and Shaman. She is with the Band Stallion Coronado. Another one that we would all love to see a foal from this year.

6. Dove, born in 2003, daughter of Phoenix and Teton. She is with the Band Stallion Coronado. Dove just had a foal in mid August of this year. Although she is on the ” No PZP” list, I hope that she does not have a foal this year and is able to give all of her nourishment to her young filly, Manuelita, instead.

7. Demure, born in 2003, daughter of Broken Bow and Two Boots. Demure foaled last year the middle of May, giving the Pryors a beautiful colt, Malpais, from the stallion Santa Fe. She was with the Band Stallion Doc when she gave birth in 2012, so this years foal will most likely be Docs. This will be another great foal!

8. Graciana, born in 2006, daughter of Barcardi and Baja. She is currently in Duke’s band and was last year as well.

9. Helenium, born in 2007, daughter of Rosebud and Sandman. She was and still is in Duke’s band, so if she foals, it will mostly be Duke’s.

10. Hera, born in 2007, daughter of Audobon and Morning Star. She had the filly, Maia the middle of April last year. We all saw Galaxy breeding Hera on National TV, last May, so if she foals, the foal will most likely be Galaxys. I have to say, I hope she does! It would be Galaxy’s first foal and of course the grandfoal of Lakota’s.

11. Greta, born in 2006, daughter of Belle Starr and Chino. She has been with the stallion Garcia for almost 2 years now. So if she foals it will most likely be his. She had Millicent the end of April last year.

12. Galadrial, born in 2006, daughter of Atlantis and Duke. Depending on if she has a foal and when, will determine who the father may be. Tecumseh was the band stallion up until the middle of June, 2012. Since then Gringo has had this band.

13. Firestorm, born in 2005, daughter of Scarlet and White Cloud. She is in Jackson’s band. Firestorm had Malelstrom at the beginning of May 2012.

14. Galena, born in 2006, daughter of Blanca and Lakota. She is also in Jacksons band. She had Moenkopi April 22, 2012. Her foals are always stunning. Am I favoring her foals because she is Lakota’s daughter? Yes, well yes I am.

15. Hertiage, born in 2007, daughter of Warbonnet and Lakota. She is Kootenai’s mom, I would like to see another foal by Hertiage on the range. She is also in Jacksons band. So there is a possibility of a “Jackson 3” this year. Another one that I will be favoring!

17. Hailstorm, born in 2007, daughter of Aztec and White Cloud. She is in Morning Star’s band.

Hailstorm, August, 2012 — Hailstorm, July 31, 2012

18. Gaelic Princess, born in 2006, daughter of Ireland and Prince. She is also in Morning Star’s band. If she foals, it will be beautiful, I already know that!

Gaelic Princess , August, 2012 — Gaelic Princess , July 31, 2012

19. Hataalii, born in 2007, daughter of Sapo and Shaman. She is in Morning Star’s Band. So Morning Star may have 3 foals in his band this year!

20. Half Moon, born in 2007, daughter of Rosarita and Starman. Mother of Missoula and my Kiowa. She is in Teton’s band. She had Missoula in the middle of April, 2012. Well, of course this will be another favorite!

21. Feldspar, born in 2005, daughter of Rosarita and Starman. She had Mica May 6, 2012. Feldspar is in White Cloud’s band.

22. Inocentes, born in 2008, daughter of Fiasco and Baja. She may have a foal this year. She is also in White Cloud’s band.

23. Damsel, born in 2003, daughter of White Cloud and Sitka. I have decided to include her in this list, even though at the time she is missing. Until spring comes, we may not really know if she is gone. She was due to foal again in September 2012. So perhaps she will be found with a new stallion and may have a foal and/or be pregnant with a healthy foal, due in September 2013. She was in her father White Cloud’s band the last time she was seen.

A total of 26 foals may be born this year. It will be interesting to see what really occurs! Some are more favorite than others, but all are going to be equally adored!

Here is a link to an interactive website that allows you to see what color a foal may be. It is a great site about Color Genetics. Click COLOR to go there! Thanks Shawn for letting me know about this!

Sandy

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

A Year in Review: 2012 in the Pryors

December 18, 2012December 31, 2012wildinthepryors

I wanted to end this year with a review of 2012 in the Pryors. I have included several unseen photos and compiled a list of events that took place with the horses during the year. I hope you enjoy it.

January 2012 started off more mild than the winter of 2011. This winter the snow levels would be significantly smaller. Matt made a January post and you can read it by clicking on January.

In early February I started this blog. I will admit, it has been an incredible amount of work, but I love every minute of it. I love being able to share information with those that know the horses and those that are just learning about them. I wasn’t sure if it would be a success, but yes, it has become one. One that I am proud of.

I am grateful for friends that have helped me with some posts, there are many, but there are 4 I feel that I must make special mention of. Lori, Linda, Shawn and Alex. Thank you for your help and your contribution to this blog. Your input, photos and posts have helped make this a successful blog.

A special thank you to Bill for putting up with my Pryor Addiction and “holding down the fort” while I climbed in the truck and headed off to see the horses.

Two of my favorite posts that I wrote in February were: Lakota and the Moving On. ( The Lakota post was awarded the “Freshly Pressed” award. That means it was picked as one of the best posts out of hundreds of thousands of others for March 2, 2012). From that post, Lakota found people from all over the world that would watch for updates on him and follow my blog.

The post, Moving On , is a bittersweet post really, but one that should be read.

So read on. I hope you continue following me and the horses for a very long time.

My first trip to the Pryors in 2012 was the first part of March. That is what I wanted for my birthday, to go to the Pryors to see the horses. I knew that time of year was pretty risky as far as spotting any. It was a mild winter last year, so I knew that I would be able to hike in lower Skyes even if I was not able to go very far up the mountain.

I really wanted to see Lakota, but I knew the odds were not in my favor.

The first day we drove up Burnt Timber, the temperature was cold and it looked like it might snow. Not too far up the road we saw Grijala and his band. He had another member with him, Kachina, since the last time I saw him. I tried not be judgemental with Grijala. But it was hard, I will admit, he is a beautiful and very powerful stallion, but I felt myself disliking him a bit. He was the stallion responsible for taking Lakota’s band. I have since gotten over those feelings of resentment for Grijala. He has turned into a great band stallion. I doubt I would have felt that way in the first place if it had not been Lakota’s band he took.

We continued up the road and almost 3 miles up we saw Teton and his band. At the time Kiowa was still with him. I did not know it at that time, but I would be adopting her 6 months later.

I would see Lakota that day. You can read about that by clicking on THE GIFT. My friend Brigitte was with me on this trip. You can read about our first day on the mountain by clicking on Day One.

On this same trip, we were able to see Kitalpha. She was missing and presumed dead. She had recently be sighted, just a few days before we got there. You can read about her discovery by reading Matt’s post. Click on Kitalpha to go there. That morning we were joined by Lori, Jimmy and Diane.

We saw Fiero alone on this March trip. But just a few days after we left, it was reported that Strawberry was back with him.

We decided to head back up Burnt Timber a few more times and on our way out one of those days we saw some horses off in the distance. I would learn once I was home and could get a better look, that it was Gold Rush and London with Garay and Jasper. It would be the last time I would see Gold Rush. You can read that post by clicking on GOLD RUSH.

Gold Rush, London and Ketchikan had been with the handsome stallion Doc. Now Gold Rush and London with Garay. Ketchikan was nowhere to be seen this day. But I would learn that she was now with the stallion Tecumseh and later this month it was discovered that Doc would have Santa Fe’s band. You can read Matt’s post on that by clicking on Santa Fe.

Jasper(Jack), Garay, Gold Rush and London, March 2012

A few weeks later, still in March, Shawn would snap the last photos of Gold Rush. You can read that post by clicking on Shawn. I don’t believe anyone saw Gold Rush after that.

But March would bring the first new life to the Pryors. Merlin and his mare Icara would have a beautiful filly, named Morgana.

Icara with her new foal Mercuria. Photo by Lori Graham of PMWMC. — Icara with her new foal Mercuria. Photo by Lori Graham.

The month of April started with the reminder of the possible removal. I wrote this post about that. You can click on Sandy to read my April 6th post and you can click on Matt to read his April 9th post on the same subject.

By the end of the month of April two more horses would be listed as missing. They were: Lincoln and Lemhi. Matt made a post on April 1. Both Lincoln and Lemhi were still alive then, but to my knowledge, I do not believe anyone saw them since. At the time of Matt’s post, Isodora was still with Mescalaro, but would later be with Blue Moon. You can read Matt’s post by clicking on April. One of the things I also noticed in Matt’s April post was how thin Kiva was, just two months before she gave birth to Madrid.

My next trip to the Pryors would be in mid-April. Again, my friend Brigitte would join me.

We saw several horses this trip, but the most exciting was the discovery of the second new foal. Born to Teton and his mare Half Moon. You can read that post by clicking on Missoula.

April would bring 6 foals : Missoula, Maia, Mercuria, Moenkopi, Montana and Millicent. Bringing the total foals born to 7.

We would drive 10 miles up (and back down) Sykes this trip (my first trip up there). I would fall in love that day with a horse named Jalisco. You can read about that post by clicking on Jalisco.

Burnt Timber was quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to go up the mountain. Like Shawn has said, you are almost always are guaranteed to see horses somewhere along the way, they might not be close, but you will see them! This road did not disappoint us. We saw several bands this trip, and were able to spend some quality time with each one we encountered. You can read about those days by clicking on Burnt Timber 1 and Burnt Timber 2.

Every morning we would go up the Dryhead before we headed up either Sykes or Burnt Timber. I got to know the Greeters pretty well this trip and would look forward to visiting them several times this year.

The rest of the Dryhead was just as interesting and we were able to see several more horses in the mornings and the one afternoon we spent there. Hidatsa and Joseph would keep us busy one afternoon along with Fiero and his band. Another morning we witness Hawk and Issaquah challenge Seattle and his band.

The month of May had the feeling of spring and I could not wait to get back to the Pryors. This past winter had been very mild and dry and spring seemed to be coming early.

Four weeks later, I was heading back to the Pryors with my husband Bill. I was eager to show him the mountain on an ATV.

The month of May would bring the birth of 10 more foals, bringing the total to 17. This month in the following order the foals to be born would be: Mesa, Miocene, Malelstrom, Mica, McKeahnie, Moorcroft, Malpais, Maverick, Mendenhall and Meriweather.

One of the oldest mares on the mountain, Madonna, at the age of 23, would have the foal Meriweather.

July and her new colt, May 20, 2012 — July and Maverick, May 20, 2012

Demure's foal and Jenny, May 20, 2012 — Malpais and Jenny, May 20, 2012

A week or so before Bill and I arrived in the Pryors, we learned that Galaxy had stolen Prince’s band. You can read about that from the post that Matt made, by clicking on Galaxy. The news show Nightline came with Matt that day and did some filming. If you have not seen that clip, click Nightline to view it. There is Galaxy on national TV breeding Hera. So hopefuly we should see a Galaxy and Hera foal in April. (She is on the no PZP list). You will also see Lakota in this clip as well.

After learning about this I was hoping to see Galaxy with his new band and hopefully locate Prince and see how he was doing. We would see Prince from a distance, but not Galaxy with his new band.

On this May trip, I had the most incredible experience I have ever shared with a wild horse. I don’t expect it to ever happen again. It was something I will always treasure. You can read that post by clicking on Finding Lakota.

On our trip up Sykes Ridge Road, Bill and I would discover the missing Liesl with Bristol and Kitalpha. We would also see Jewel and Mercuia with Fools Crow and Belle Starr.

Kitalpha, Bristol and Liesel, May 20, 2012

Even though it was only mid-May, most of the snow was gone. The only snow that remained were in the trees close to the top. On top there were several deep snow drifts. The horses were already moving up.

We encountered Santa Fe with his young mare Judith and watched him spar with Starman. You can read about that by clicking on Starman. There was a lot of action going on between those two and I was able to get some great shots!

On the way back down the mountain we took Burnt Timber Road. There we saw the 4 bachelors, Inali, Hernado, Hamlet and Knight. In the road eating the red dirt. After just reading Shawns November report, I wondered if there would be any road left by spring!

Also down Burnt Timber, we would see Grijala. He had aquired quite a collection of “K” girls. I named them the “Special K’s”. They were Kohl, Kindra, Kachina, Katrina and of course his lead mare and former Lakota mare, Quelle Colour. (which sounds like a K). In June he would add one more, Kalahari. But by the beginning of August Grijala would lose all of the K’s except for Kohl, Kindra and Quelle Colour.

Three of the Special K's: Kachina, Kohl and Katrina, May 2012. — Three of the Special K’s: Kachina, Kohl and Katrina, May 2012.

In the Dryhead, Bill and I were able to spend some time with Merlin and his band, watching his young colt Montana play in the rain.

The month of June brought about more change on the mountain. Five more foals would be born, bringing the total to 22. They were: Malakai, Maria, Maclean, Malayna and Madrid.

In the Dryhead, Linda observed Liesl acting a bit “off”. She was alone once and then with Bristol and Kitalpha. When Liesl was removed in July, we would all learn why she was not acting right. She was partially blind.

Joviana and foal with Juniper and Fiesta, June 17, 2012 — Joviana and Malakai, with Juniper and Fiesta, June 17, 2012

In the Dryhead, Merlin would recieve, and injury and loss his band for a short time. You can read about Merlins injury by clicking on Merlin. Also during this month Kerry and Maclean would be seen with Fools Crow and his band and Icara and Morgana would be with Durango.

Also in June, Gringo would take Tecumseh’s band and Joviana and Malakai would join Horizon’s small group. Lakota would injure himself. I had heard a couple of weeks before his injury that he had been following Grijala’s band, trying to regain some mares. I am sure the injury occurred during a fight between the two.

Matt called me that first night I was on the mountain and told me about Lakota. The injury had just happened a day or two before I got there. Linda and I kept a close eye on Lakota that trip. Checking on him several times a day.

When I first saw the injury, I was sure his leg was broken, but then as time passed, I had hope that it was a wound and would heal. My first thought was right.

Despite the fact that Lakota was injured, this June trip turned out to be one of my best trips of the year. My friend Linda and I camped on top for 3 nights. There was still a bit of snow up there, especially around Mystic Pond. Not like I had seen the previous year though. I knew it would probably be melted soon.

Custer's Band, June 2012 — Custer’s Band, June 2012

On on of the evening when we were checking on Lakota, we encountered Prince. It would be one of the last times I would see him. I hope he is okay.

On our last night there a snow storm came in and we woke to snow. I don’t think I have ever seen anything more beautiful than seeing Pryor Horses running in fresh snow on top of the mountain. Despite the cold wind and snow, we were able to get some great shots of them. You can read about that post by clicking on SNOW.

And Starman would end up on the wrong side of the fence.

The month of July brought the beginning of the removals in the Pryors. Only one foal would be born this month, Meadowlark. Bringing the total to 23.

It was difficult to be on the mountain during the removals. But I would go two times this month, once before the removals began.

Just a couple of weeks after my June trip, I returned to the mountain top. Lakota had been constantly on my mind and wanted to find him.

I spent most of my trip hiking around looking for him. I was unable to find him and it was extremely painful to leave not knowing how he was doing. You can read about my search, by clicking on SEARCHING.

Meriweather, Madonna, Maverick and July. July 7, 2012

I would get my first Pryor flat tire on this trip. First of several, I am sure. Even with 10 ply tires your luck runs out after several trips up the roughed roads.

The last morning that I was there, we noticed that Kiva did not have her foal with her. She had just had this foal about 10 days before we got there. We noticed that he had an injury to his right back leg and was limping. Kiva would find her colt later that same day, but in the end he would go missing by the end of July.

Fools Gold, Kiva and Kiva's foal, July 7, 2012 — Fools Gold, Kiva and Madrid, July 7, 2012

The removals began on July the 14th with the removal of Kokopelli and Jumping Badger and ended on August 23rd with the removal of Kerry and Maclean. In all 38 horses and 6 foals would be removed. A seventh foal was born just days before the adoption. You can see the list of those removed by clicking on Adoption.

And as if the removals were not painful enough, Lakota had to be euthanized on July 23rd. I have lost many friends, family and pets over the years, but Lakota’s death hit me harder than many of those. I still grieve for my friend. Rest in Peace Lakota. Remembering Lakota.

In the last couple days of July and the first few in August, I headed to the Pryors again. I spent a couple of days in the Dryhead and Lower Sykes area, seeing some horses that I had not seen before. You can read about those horses by clicking Dryhead.

Jemez, July 30, 2012 — Jemez, July 29, 2012

A bunch of Dryhead Bachelors and Durango, July 2012

I then met Lori at Britton Springs. After spending some time with the horses that had been removed, we headed up the mountain for a couple of days of camping.

This trip in many ways were both good and bad. The worst was seeing Lakota dead (he had died just a week before) and also witnessing the removal in action. The best was getting to know Lori better. We shared a few evenings crying and laughing as we watched the sun go down.

This summer and especially this July trip, I saw more bears than I have ever seen in the Pryors.

You can read those posts by clicking on Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

Custer and what is left of his band, shortly after they removed Leo. July 2012

The sun rises as a full moon sets on Lower Sykes, August 2012

The rest August brought the removals to an end and the birth of two more foals. Mato and Manuelita, bringing the total foals born to 25. Both were born in the later part of the month.

Dove's new colt, August 18, 2012 — Dove’s new colt, August 18, 2012

At the end of the month, I once again packed my truck, this time I would be bringing my daughter Amber along. We had a great few days. It was a bittersweet trip. Good to see those horses still on the range, but sad not to see those that were taken.

Some changes seemed to be occurring while we were there. Amethyst was acting up and running away from Blue Moon. It was our last night there when we saw that, so were not able to confirm how it unfolded. But my friend Ahn was up there for several more days and I would learn from her photos that Amethyst had returned to Bolder.

The adoption weighed heavily my mind. I would be home for 2 days after this trip and then heading back to Lovell for the adoption.

The month of September brought the adoption and the birth of another foal (Maryanna) in captivity. Bringing the total Pryor Foals born this year to 26.

Jicarilla and Maryanna, September 7, 2012. Photo by Brianna Harvey

Another horse, Damsel, was also looking pregnant. But unfortunately she has not been seen since September.

Every horse offered up for adoption was adopted. Hopefully all have gone to wonderful homes. I am trying to keep track of where they all are and how they are doing. I hope I can continue to do that and hopefully give you updates on them.

I adopted both of Lakota’s offspring, Kiowa and Kootenai. They are doing great.

Later in September, in the Dryhead, Merlin would injure or re-injure his previous wound and once again lose his band. Lori emailed me around the 20th. We did two posts on this. Click on Merlin and Merlin Update for those. Another friend, Laura Curtis gave us an update on Merlin with photos of him the end of September. You can read that post by clicking on Laura.

Merlin’s band would end up with the stallion Hidalgo.

Merlin, September 28, 2012. Photo by Laura Curtis

Starman was still on the wrong side of the fence, not on the range. So I decided to not only email and call Jared with my concerns, but I also made a post. You can read that post by clicking on Starman.

Starman, June 2012 Visting us at our campsite.

The month of October was pretty quiet. I would head to the Pryors the end of the month, but before that the only big news would be of Starman. He was returned to the range on October 10th.

Lori was able to keep us up to date on the happenings in the Dryhead and gave us this report. Dryhead report. She reported to us that Strawberry was with Seattle.

I headed back to the Pryors on the 21rst of the month. I was only able to stay a couple of days. Lori and I spent the first afternoon searching for Merlin. We did not find him.

The next day, the weather did not cooperate, and Lori and I were unable make it up to the top of the mountain. It was pouring rain pretty much the whole trip up Burnt Timber Road, so there were no horses in sight. They were well tucked away in the trees. You can read my post on that trip by clicking on October.

I left feeling unfulfilled and disappointed.

These are the changes that did occur this month in the Dryhead: Fiero is not alone (again). Lori and Brianna spotted Strawberry with Seattle. Lori and I saw Bakken and Cascade alone. Fiero never really seems to mind being by himself, in fact I think he may choose it from time to time. Merlin has not been seen since the weekend of October 13th.

I was able to, by months end, receive word that my paper work for my permit allowing me to give Pryor Mountain Tours had come through.

Wild in the Pryors is permitted by the Bureau of Land Management to conduct small group tours within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range from January to December. I am one of a handful of businesses that have the federal permits necessary to guide clients onto this federal property.

The tours will begin in the Spring of 2013. Contact me for availability or click on TOURS, to read the post I did on them. I am excited and looking forward to offering this service.

Sunset, July 31, 2012 — Sunset in the Pryors

November brought the hiring of a new Director for the PMWMC. It also brought us news of the sentence for Adam Finn on the death of Admiral and Kapitan.

Lori was able to keep us all up to date on some happenings in the Dryhead and the progress of Kaibab and Liesl.

Shawn Ivie returned to the Pryors for the first time in several months and was able to give us a great report.

Some changes were occurring on the mountain that he was able to report about. Damsel is still missing. Baileys may be missing. White Cloud is down to a band of only 4 including himself. Jasmine and Aztec were with Jackson when he was there. The only to remain with Cloud at the time of his report were Feldspar, Mica and Inocentes.

You can read those reports by clicking on Lower Sykes, Burnt Timber and Thanksgiving Day.

Now we are in December. I thought perhaps this month would be the quietest of all. But just 5 days into the month, I got a phone call from Lori. She had found Merlin! What a relief, and just the good news I needed to hear. After seeing Laura’s photos of him taken in October, I was so worried. I had seen that painful, dehydrated look before, not too long ago.

Lori finding Merlin, was the best Christmas present! You can read about that post by clicking on Lori.

Lori gave us a great update on the Dryhead and Lower Sykes. Strawberry was no longer with Seattle. So the drama still continues. I am sure that there is just as much drama with the mountain horses, just not enough people to witness the daily changing events. I will look forward and I will share any news I hear.

As this month of December comes to a close, I look back at the year in the Pryors. Even though there were events on the mountain that caused us pain, it was a good year. These horses are wild horses and so we must except all that the wild gives us. There will be deaths, missing horses and changes that we may not like or know how to except. But we knew when we became involved with them that there would be some heartbreak. As we watch the horses, they become family. I know I will never change my feelings towards them. They are a big part of my life.

This year, I have had the wonder opportunity of being able to spend over 30 days in the Pryors with the horses. I am looking forward to spending that and more in 2013. And sharing it all with you. Thank you for following Wild In the Pryors.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

Sandy

Note: As of the middle of December, Baileys has been located with Bolder and his band and Aztec is back with White Cloud and his band.

Logo designed by Amber Bushnell

Valerosa, Kiowa and Kootenai. An Update on 3 Pryor Horses

November 11, 2012November 13, 2012wildinthepryors

I thought that since I am not able to travel to the Pryors right now, that I would give you an update of the Pryor Horses that I adopted.

I adopted Valerosa (Isolde) in 2009. Valerosa is the daughter of Merlin and Sacejewa, born in 2008. Then just this past September I adopted 2 more. Kiowa and Kootenai. Kiowa is the daughter of Half Moon and Lakota, Kootenai is the son of Hertiage and Lakota.

As most of you know who have followed my blog, Lakota was my favorite horse. If you don’t know the story of Lakota. Click on Lakota. That will take you to the first post I made on him. He died in July so it became very important to me to adopt at least one of his offspring. I adopted both.

Kootenai is a sweet guy. From day one, he has been willing and trusting. Kiowa has been a hard nut to crack! I wonder if it is the mare thing? Because her personality is very much like Valerosas. It took Valerosa quite sometime before she trusted me. Kiowa seems the same. She is curious and comes up to me, I can touch her sometimes, but she is not as friendly or as trusting as Kootenai.

When they interact with the other horses, it seems that Kiowa is the one that has more confidence. It is all very interesting to watch.

As you can see in the photos, Kiowa still has her halter on. I made the decision to have them put on before I loaded them to come on from the adoption. I wish I had not. I did not have them put one on Valerosa. I thought at the time that I would accelerate my training, but when I got home, I just decided to take the time it took to win their trust. I may end up attaching a lead rope to Kiowa first, it is time she learned that she can trust me more. But we will see. It needs to feel right and right now it does not feel right.

Kootenai let me take off his halter. Before I took it off, I was leading him around by just the knot under his chin. He is a pretty easy-going guy.

They have a way of letting me know when it is right. I will wait. I have plenty of time.

So yesterday and today I took some photos of them in the snow. It is a beautiful sight to see three Pryor Horses running and playing in the snow right outside my door!

I do feel very lucky that they allow me to be part of their lives.

Sandy