Cosmo's Band

This is Cosmo's band.

The dappled grey stallion, Cosmo, looks a little beat up and thinner then normal.

....I think it is because these two bachelors, Kiowa and Hoot, are after his three year old filly, Juniper. Juniper just recently returned to her family band after spending the summer with Rounder's family then she spent some time alone with Kiowa, when Hurricane took over Rounder's mares. She seems to tease the young bachelors, but in the end, makes it clear she would like to stay with Cosmo, her mom (Tulip) and the rest of the mustangs she grew up with.

Kiowa has a big scrape on his side, most likely he has gone to the ground fighting over Juniper (can't confirm).

This band has only one 2011 foal, a colt....this little guy, Milagro. These mares are all in the HSUS PZP study...they would have been easy to dart summer of 2010 because they are very tolerant of people.

Look at his mane! It looks like the mares have roached it for him!

Milagro's full brother, Astro (2010 colt) is missing.

Here is one of those mother/daughter combos that are stuck together like glue. The little pinto is the mom...we call her Vogue. The big sorrel is her 2009 filly, Gem These two were with Femur before Cosmo. Gem has Femur's stripe...but we can not know for sure he is her sire. They have an incredible bond.

Gem

The big Grulla, Grace, with her 2010 filly, Heidi. Heidi was born late in the summer, but has grown to be a strong and sturdy little wild horse.

Heidi

The big dun, Cowgirl.

Cowgirl's other side.

We call this pretty mare, Jess. No foals for this mare.

Will Cosmo be able to keep all of his mares?

The bachelors continue to stalk Juniper.

Tripod (Warning: Graphic Images)

Tripod ...named by a HSUS intern who discovered this colt from Corona's band as a newborn severely injured at a waterhole. She got the BLM and a vet to come out, but Corona came and got him. He has been a bachelor since fall of 2010. He seemed to be doing well this summer...often seen roaming and playing  with other bachelors.

My friend and I decided to go up to 7 mile ridge on this day, Sunday, January 14. We drove quite a ways and only saw one mustang...Tripod, the coming three year old colt of Corona and Cheyenne. Tripod has been injured almost since the day he was born. He has a deformed hock (broken?) that has caused him to be lame and walk on top of the injured leg's foot. Today it looks worse.

Here is a close up of the hock, which is bleeding. Tripod is still walking, but he is all alone and seems to look at us for help. In the two and a half years I have been documenting this herd there has only three horses that I thought had serious enough injuries to contact the BLM. This is one of them. I believe he is suffering.

I thought hard about posting this so soon after Greasewood's death. I don't want people to get the wrong idea. In this great herd of 270 (Plus or minus) wild horses I would say 90% are thriving. There are always scrapes and bruises (especially among stallions), but all and all the mustangs are incredibly tough. That's what makes them mustangs.

They are in a category by themselves...not really wild animals nor are they livestock or domesticated pets. They need to be treated as such. I am not searching out these ailing individuals, but they seem to come to me (us) when they need our help. Especially the more tolerant ones. In future world we could have baiting corrals for situations like this. For now the BLM will do its best to help this guy. In this case Nature  might have to take her course as 7 mile might be snowed in ... This makes me more determined then ever to get a non profit going to help these last remaining Colorado free roaming mustangs..


All said I have given up on this underdog horse before and he has proved me wrong. I only hope for him the best. I also hope we are learning as we go. Baiting Corrals. Nancy

Video of Tripod's Injury

Haze's Band ( Before Greasewood's)

On Tues, Jan 11, Greasewood was put down. He was suffering bad and I feel the BLM made the right decision. The vet that looked at his body found a piece of barbed wire wrapped around his leg....so sad. I went out on Thursday and right away we spot the family he left behind. I am surprised to see they are without a stallion.

As we approached his lead mare, Yarrow, layed down. I thought that was so odd. I really feel like she was mourning the loss of her big beautiful bay stallion that looked after her and her daughter the last couple of years.

There is her daughter, White Sage. This filly has led a sheltered life on the range. Her mom became lame this spring and it went on all summer. Greasewood parked his mares and kept them separate so Yarrow cold heal. Many people saw this band as they were towards the entrance.

The pinto is Demi, the domestic. By the looks of it she is very pregnant.....

The next photos were taken on Sunday Jan 15....this was one of the best encounters I have had in a long time. The sorrel bachelor stallion, Haze, has claimed the three mares and has brought along his side kicks, River and Diego. The band is anything but settled.

When I first met Haze in 2009 he was Lightning's bachelor stallion. When that band broke up he has been running with the bachelors. Lately he has been babysitting River and Diego who are two and three year old colts respectively. Earlier this summer he stole Kangee and her newborn foal from Tashunka, but that did not last long.

His right eye is blue. He is a very stunning stallion. I am so glad he has found a family of his own.

Boy has this guy perked up Yarrow. She really seems to like him and has a new spring to her step. She is in heat and is all lovey dovey with Haze. There is one problem...Sage, her daughter, will not let them breed! When he make advances she comes rushing in, roaring and kicking to get the stallion away from her mom. It was quite a sight.

Haze and Yarrow.

Sage coming in to break them up! I have video of this on You Tube.

The young stallions hang out in the back, mainly pestering Demi who is pregnant and pissy.

There is little Diego who got kicked out of Rounder's band at a very young age. He takes in the action with his buddy, River. River is Josie's coming three year old colt.

Yarrow is almost all better from her lameness, but it has left her hoof like this. Maybe from not putting weight on it? It was a lot worse before. She still has a slight limp. Her hooves were perfect before this summer.

A closer look...When I saw this mare a couple of months ago I never thought she would pull through, but she is a mustang and they are incredibly tough. I love this little mare with the big heart. I hope Hazer takes good care of her. We will just have to wait and see.

Corona's Band

I have been seeing a lot of Corona and band this winter. His band is doing great....this is one of the largest bands on the range.

Most of us agree Cheyenne is his lead mare. I am not sure, but I think she might be pregnant. She has not had a foal since 2009 (Tripod).

Isn't she beautiful?

That is the little palo filly we call Can Wakan. She is trying to get a sniff of me.

Corona has kept both of his two year old fillies. One of them is the bay show here, One Spirit. For awhile this fall the fillies joined Cosmo's band. Maybe to get bred? Any way they are both back with their harem.

This is the other two year old filly, Maybell. She is a full sister to Can Wakan.

The grey mare, Indian Rose, is shy and hard to photograph. It is her and the sorrel mare that have the foals. The black (Em) and Cheyenne are not so prolific.

Indian Rose's youngsters (Yampatika and Indiana Jones)....She also has a two year old colt that runs with the bachelors (Craig), but he has not been seen for a very long time.

Corona is a loving father.

Zoomed in...

PUBLIC MEETING FOR THE SWB MUSTANGS

Please attend the local meeting @ Downtown Books, Craig, CO . We will begin @2:00. We will focus on Range projects and ways to work with The BLM and The HSUS to manage our beloved herd. We will work towards becoming a non profit.

Please bring ideas and enthusiasm. We will focus on having fun while helping the wild horses in this New World. All positive people are welcome!

Nancy

Viggo's Band



This post is a little out of order, but I had uploaded these photos and thought you might want to see them. This is the bay's, Viggo's, band also known as "The Medicine Hats". Here they are mixed in with some of Tonka's band. The two harems are often observed together. They each had one colt this foaling season and the stallions and mares let them play together (Rocket and Jigsaw)

Viggos pinto mare  (Kira) has thrown three foals in a row that all share her coloring. Her coming 2 yr old filly is with Blue. I find it interesting this band has kept her coming three year old colt. He acts as a satelitte stallion and lives in harmony with Viggo (for now).

The other mare in this band, the black (Raven) has not had a foal since the 2008 round up and plays the whole of "the aunt in this band".

That's little Jigsaw, a crowd favorite.

Jigsaw is very curious about the humans that come out and take photos of him.

Posing with his gorgeous, loyal band stallion, Viggo. Viggo is a nice stud and his mares are very loyal to him. he is quite tolerant of humans which is nice as we can get a close look at a wild mustang. There are other horses on the range that are still wild as snot. You just don't see them very often. I am sure there are a few mustangs no one has seen....it is that big out here..

A Video of Greasewood's Injury

Greasewood's Band (warning:graphic images)

I knew Greasewood had been lame, but have not been able to get close until today...his back leg looks horrible and he has lost a lot of weight.

He is not putting any weight on the bad leg and is gruntng in pain. To me it looks like he got tangled up in some wire.

There is Demi, the domestic. She is still with him and looks pregnant.

The bay stallion also has the chestnut mare, Yarrow, and her grey daughter, White Sage. To me it is unbelievable he has kept his mares in the shape he is in.

The little mare, Yarrow, has had her own problems. She went lame this spring and it continued on throughout the summer. She has healed, but will never be the same. Her front left hoof is deformed. To chase her with a helicopter would be certain death. Most likely they would see the hoof as a pre existing condition and put her down. For now she is doing pretty darn good.

White Sage is a huge two year old.

I wish we had corrals on top of the hill. We could put down some hay and I believe this band would go for it. We could Dr Greasewood, pull out Demi and her unborn foal, work on Yarrow's hoof....maybe adopt out Sage. This would be a more modern way of management and more humane.

....but for now the mustangs are on their own. They are very near a sheep camp. I worry the dogs will get this stallion.

Here you can see the horizonal line which I think is wire. I feel so bad this happened. I am more determined then ever to get a local group formed where we can help these wild horses. I would love to see a series of clean up days when we could remove all the down fencing, tripping wires and loose bailing wire...it is everywhere.