Tashunka and Ohitika's Bands

Often times the two roan band stallions, Ohitika and Tashunka, are seen hanging out near each other. They have done a bunch of swapping around and Wakan Ska, Tashunk's grulla mare is missing. I'll try to explain...

Ohitika's band front to back...Chippewa (sorrel, his original mare), Chippewa's new filly, Wi Wakan (formely with Tashunka), Mina (Tashunka's 2 yr old filly out of Moda), and the stallion. What color roan is he??

Front to back....Moda, Nahmana (Moda's yearling filly, Kangee (black mare), Chikala (Wi Wakan's yearling filly) and Tecomseh (orphan)

Tashunka

Ohitika

The fillies watching the wise old mare, Moda, have a roll.

While I was watching Tashunka ran to meet up with Willie Nelson and Snip, two near by bachelor stallions. Here he is running back to his band. I love it when the stallions do this. Usually when they are gone the youngsters get curious and approach me to investigate.

Mina, the bay, is Tashunka's and Moda's 2 yr old filly who has clearly moved over to Ohitka's band along with the grey mare. There was another 2 yr old in Tashunka's band last year...Takoda. He is now running with the bachelors. he is a stunning blue roan. I have not seen him lately, but confirmed he had made it through the brutal winter.

This is Tecomseh. I first met her about a month ago when she was a newborn. Her grulla mom, Wakan Ska, was with her. I am sorry to report Ska is missing....she was not with her band, nor Ohitika's on this day. This is the youngest foal I have witnessed being orphaned. We will have to wait and see what happens. For now she is clinging to Chikala, her yearling half sister.

You can tell Chikala by her horizonal star and unique coloring. She is the yearling daughter to the grey, Wi Wakan, who is now with Ohitika. She is a yearling. She was born a good three months ahead of Nahmana last spring. She was an early foal.

Last year Ohitika only had one mare, this sorrel we call Chippewa. She had a 2 yr old filly (Skye) by her side, but the filly is gone replaced by this new one. Isn't she a little beauty? This is the first foal I have seen out at Sand Wash with this coloring.

Ohitika is having a scuffle (nothing became of it except a lot of noise) with Cimmaron, who is near by with his one mare (Spice) and her 2011 colt (Pepe). Doesn't Cimmaron look good this year? Last summer he spent quite a bit of time with Bear, Ellie and Flirt as a satellite stallion.

The black mare, Kangee, joined this band late last summer. She has no youngsters of her own, but makes a nice "auntie" horse for the little orphaned roan filly.

Moda (Little Bear) with her yearling filly, Nahmana.

Tashunka's fillies  L to R Nahmana, Chikala and Tecomseh