This & That

I am way behind on this blog. I thought I would try to get some photos down before I go back. Here is the bachelor Lightning, still traveling alone, but doing a bit of sparring with the other stallions. Lightning was a band stallion until 2010 when Rounder took them over. Lightning put up a heck of a fight. back then Haze was his satellite stallion, who ended up turning on him...Since then he has been a real loner horse.

Anyway here you can see we are in draught. It is sad to see. We can only hope for rain.

Prince has a beautiful new filly in his band. We call her Hopscotch and every one agrees her color is exotic. She was born to the 3 yr old filly, Oda, who is most likely Prince's daughter, but there is no inbreeding here. Oda and her mom, Sunshine, got split up from Prince spring of 2011 and were not reunited until around November. Oda and her mom were briefly with Blazer and then summered with Rounder.
Oda's dam, Sunshine, (Hopscotch's Grandma) helps with the new filly along with "her twin chestnut sister", Moonlight.. 

Prince (Merlin)

The old black mare in Yellow Man's (Cyclone) band, Crow.  

I still can not figure out who this grey colt is. He is running with bachelors up on The Ridge.

The sorrel is Voodoo. He has mares, but still likes to leave them for a bit and romp with the boys.Hhere he is playing with the palomino, Skip. Skip is the 3 year old colt out of Hazel and Bugs.

Here are Voodoo's two mares. The black one, Streaker, is clearly pregnant. The dun is Yellow Cat..Voodoo acquired these mares last summer (2011)... Streaker is only three.

Tripod is doing good. I observed him rearing up and playing rough with the other stud colts He has been disabled since he was a newborn, but surprises us all with his hardiness.. Here he is with Rooibos, the little sorrel with a small split in his stripe.

Jigsaw is now a yearling. I thought this photo would be good for our ID cards.

Jigsaw's dam, Kira, another one for the ID cards..

I just liked this photo of Robin from "The Bird Herd". She seems like a vivacious filly who is growing up with her two rowdy brothers, Meadowlark and Falcon.

Robin

Eagles Band...."The Bird Herd"

Bachelor Stallions & 3 Year Old Colts

Rounder. He is one of the four stallions dogging Cosmo's band. He is an ex band stallion. He "appeared" out of nowhere spring of 2010 when he stole Lightning's mares.. The HSUS girl told me she had never seen him before that (its that big out here) and she had been documenting since 2008 (summer months). He is a beautiful liver chestnut. He is looking a little run down....he wants a mare! He challenges Cosmo, but stays away from the other doggers.

Last year he had quite a few mares, maybe too many. His band splintered last fall.

This is Hoot. For now he seems to have claimed Cosmo's 3 year old filly, Juniper. But he is still with Cosmo. He goes back and forth with Kiowa and Outlaw.

Kiowa. He had Juniper for awhile last fall, but she ended up with Cosmo and her family band. He is relentlessly trying to get her back. He is a fighter. A true American Mustang!

This is a different scene....a different day. These are young East Side bachelors, Sir Duke (Grey) and Clyde (Sorrel). Lots of folks have been seeing these 3 year old colts...Sir Duke seems to change daily with his looks. The greys are hard to ID. I am so glad The HSUS is going to help us with the ID cards. I think together we can have a pretty good documentation. I think this will help the wild horses if they are gathered as planned, Oct 2013. The HSUS has spent hours and hours studying their markings.

This is an older East Side bachelor, Sundown. He was "babysitting" the two previous colts on this fine day. I like this photo because it is a good one for an ID card. It shows his leg marking and facial ones too. I would say he is somewhat of a submissive stallion. I have not observed him with any other mares since the 2008 gather.

Another encounter.... I have been seeing quite a bit of this beautiful blue grey bachelor and I think I have finally figured out who he is! Takoda from Tashunka's band. He would be a 3 year old colt. He has befriended Tripod our disabled colt. He is a lively guy who is very bold and likes to have fun with the other colts.

The pretty palomino is from Maestro's (Bug's) band. He is another 3 year old. There are a lot of these 3 year olds. The HSUS reported more then 60...(.we have 50 some recorded). These are the post 2008 gather babies. I personally believe round ups cause larger foal crops the next year. It is wrong to gather the entire herd at once. It would make more sense to deal with the horses band by band in a larger period of time if some need to be adopted out.

Anyway shown with Nick is Tripod, the disabled perlino colt. It is nicwe to see him with other horses. I observed him really playing hard...rearing up, getting down. It is amazing to me how he has adopted to his deformed hock.

* Note... I have learned The HSUS has names for the band stallions. Out of courtesy to them I will start using some...So Bugs become Maestro. The most important thing about names (to me) is that we are all using the same ones.

Tripod's injured hock. He sustained this injury as a newborn. He is the 2009 colt out of Corona and Cheyenne. The HSUS mentioned they were interested if any one would like to give him a home.

The chestnut is actually Voodoo, a band stallion. He left his 2 mares and came to have a romp with the young bachelors. I love to watch them play! The palo is Skip.

Good ole' Lightning. He has left his pasture by Two Bar to join in the Cosmo fiasco. He really looks good and is giving the boys a run for their money!

Outlaw is a scrappy little guy. He has a wonderful flaxen mane and tail. He is out of one of Prince's chestnut mares. I saw a foal photo of him pre 2008. he is also involved in taking over Cosmo.

These three have been observed together all week. The whites are two older stallions, Snowman and White Out. White out is the likely sire of the darker grey 3 yr old, River. This is the first time I have observed a colt returning to his band stallion without his Dam.

I think of Snowman as the guru of SWB. He is quite timid, but friends to a lot of horses. Occasionally he gets real beat up and then one of his friends will help him. White Out is more bold and will still challenge other stallions.

Bachelor Stallions

I found out this week The BLM nor The HSUS will give me any money for my photos or data. I have to form an organized group. I would like to do this as a full time job this summer  (getting a group started and leading a public documentation). I found out the HSUS is not studying the social structure of this herd, just "counting foals" and monitoring the original 60 mares that were given PZP in 2008. I feel there is a need for this. One of the reasons is to provide the BLM with accurate numbers.

I also found out bait trapping is being considered. I can only see this as a step in the right direction.

Anyway , once again, if you would like to sponsor me send check or money order to The SWBWH Club PO Box 1728 Hayden Co 81639.
Thanks, Nancy Roberts

My resume is this blog and my albums on facebook...this has taken me hundreds of hours and thousands of miles...I hope it will somehow help these wild horses. Thank You to everyone who has gotten me this far! Let's Think Positive and Move Forward to a better, more humane way of mangement!

Lightning...I saw him on this day with Hawk and Kokomo. He has been a real loner since losing his mares in 2010. It was nice to see him with other stallions. He looks really good and seemed dominant among the other two horses

The three year old, Hawk. Hawk is the son of Darcy from Chief's band.

The one and only Kokomo. He had a horrible injury last year...someone bit his ear off! He, too, was a loner, but seems healed up and healthy. Many people think Koko is a Picasso baby.

Lightning giving Hawk some wild horse wisdom.

Lightning is an elder. The HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) knows what they were aged at by the contractors at the 2008 gather, we are hoping to get that information. Someone asked about Lightning's age and they said he was quite old...I think they sad 20? I believe if we form an organized group they will pass that information to us. I hope soon.

Look at his tri colored legs! This is a very handsome pinto. When I first met him in 2009 he was a satellite stallion for Sterling, who had Crow and her then weanling, Star. He was quite lame much of 2010 and then the ear thing last season... I hope he has a better year in 2012!

This is another encounter.... same day. Boy was I happy to see this guy!! The Cowboy! Just where he should be on 7 mile ridge. He looks as beautiful as ever. I had not seen him since late last summer. That's how it goes out here. It s hard to describe how vast this country is and how many ways there for a wild horse to hide. It is just amazing. Even a brilliant pinto like this Stud. Cowboy has only had one mare since the 2008 gather and that was short lived (Rudi).

He is often seen alone or with his best pal, Snowman. Today they were together!  This made me really smile!

I think of Snowman as The Guru" of SWB. He winters with Cowboy and then is seen all over the range with other bachelors in the summers. He seems to take the younger colts and show them around. I call these "babysitting stallions". 

Bachelor Stallions

As we were entering the range we came across bachelor stallions right away. These three were together...Outlaw (flaxen mane), Haze (chesnut with one blue eye) and , I am pretty sure, River (the grey). River is Josie and White Out's 2009 colt.

Like I've said befre, the greys are the hardest to ID. I am guessing this is River by 1. where is at on The Range 2. his behavior (he was acting like a 2 yr old with these older stallions) and 3. by his star.

The Hazer. He was satellite to Lightning back in 2009/2010 and has been a bachelor ever since that band has broken up. Look for him to get mares sometime soon. For now he has buddied up with these guys. Outlaw is normally with Chrome, but Chrome has found mares (Femur's).

Teaching the young guy the ways of Sand Wash Basin. These studs were near a huge flock of sheep. I am sure they are used to the coming and goings of the woolies.

I am pretty sure this is little Diego. The yearling colt from Rounder's band. He was a ways away from the older bachelors, but I am glad he was not completely alone.

Further down the road we see Lightning...alone...as usual...ever since he lost his beloved mares in 2010. He likes the pasture by Two Bar Spring. His two mares he lost (Pablina and Floriana) were about a mile away with Hurricane...I believe he still pines for them. A friend called the HSUS and they told her Lightning was aged as "old" at the 2008 round up. Any how he looks great. The friend I was with said he looked like a "plush pony". So fat and fluffy! It has been such a mild winter.

Comments

Thank you for all the nice comments. I read each and everyone...I am unable to reply for some reason. (technical difficulties). These wild horses are lucky to have so many admirers. I am hoping this helps them in some way. Let's hang in there for the mustangs. Nancy

Lightning's band

Sand Wash Basin American Mustangs through and through. Lightning's Band.

The little family makes sure that the only foal is safe from harm. I call him Flash. He is a little pinto colt.

Flash.... his mom, Pablina, is the white mare. The bay mare does not have a foal.

The family unit minus Blue Sky and Pablina.

The awesome band stallion, Lightning. This is just amazing to see. He looks so healthy and conditioned...I am in awe!

Lightning and his daughter?  I call her Blue Sky. I am so glad she got spared being rounded up in 2008. She likes to be wild, I know. They seem to thrive in these extreme conditions with no humans interfering.

The one and only, Blue Sky. She has a nice pinto splash, a great big blaze and white eye lashes. A real American Beauty.

She blends in so well! The Sand Wash has so many grey/white ponies. Love it! I call her grey boots. (Later her name was changed to Pablina).

Beauty in motion.

Lightning takes care of his family. He is wary of me .... the way they move through the snow is incredible.

I think she is a 2 year old, one blue eye one brown, stunning little filly. One of the few young females I have seen. The mustangs must have gotten all mixed up when they were rounded up. No thought was given to bands. The mares were put in one area and the stallions in another. Every single weanling (2008 foal) was removed. We can do better. Seems like the system needs to be changed.

These two got separated from the herd, major drama. They like to stick together, that is for sure! The chestnut is a stallion.

Family portrait minus two horses.

Finding plenty to eat, looking very healthy for the middle of winter.

I call this chestnut beauty, Haze. He is like Blue Sky, one brown eye, one blue. He is a wild thang! This is a satellite stallion.

Little Flash, the lone 2009 foal, he is special.

Here is Lightning showing off his unusual facial markings.

These pictures are from back in November. I met this handsome stallion and his lovely harem near Two Bar Spring. His pinto markings are so much like Benson's, but they look nothing alike! He has 2 of the whitest mares I've ever seen. One of the foals looks a lot like Lightning, but is sorrel. I call him  Flash. This is a very stunning looking family of horses. I have a video posted of this group earlier on this blog. Also try Micahflash channel on You Tube for this and a few more videos of Sand Wash Mustangs.