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.

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.

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.

Bachelor Stallions

I wanted to show you a few of our wonderful bachelor stallions. Here are L to R....Hoot, Tango and Nick. I can't confirm, but I am almost sure Hoot is from Eagle's band. Tango is one of Picasso's 2 yr old colts and Nick, the palomino, is a mystery.

Usually if I see a group of bachelors there is an older stallion amongst the younger ones. This is Haze. He was with Lightning's band in 2009/2010 then has been on his own since. Last year he hung out with Hurricane. Earlier this year he stole Kangee, the black mare from Tashunka's band, right after she gave birth to Ladore, her 2011 filly. But that did not last long as Kangee found her way back to her band stallion. Look for this stallion to have mares of his own in the near future. For now he shows the young colts the ways of a wild horse.

Hazre has one blue eye.

This is Picasso's other 2 year old colt, Snip. He is Olga's son. He struck out on his own late last fall after his brother, PJ, was born.

The mustang in the foreground is Flash. He is Pablina's and Lightning's 2 yr old. He knows Haze well as Haze was his satellite stallion when he was a born into Lightning's band.

Hoot and Tango, beautiful pinto colts.

Tango, a Picasso baby. Hard to mistake him as he has those freckles that set him apart.

Here is yet another 2 year old that was with this group. This is Ziggy. He is from Bug's band. There are many 2 year olds out here because they were all born in 2009 after the Oct 2008 round up. Round ups cause the mustangs to breed more.

This is another day, another band of bachelor stallions. Hurricane(dun), River(grey), Capitano(bay) and Skip(palomino).

All of these colts are 2 year olds except for the solid dun, Hurricane. The bay is Capitano from Centauro's band. The grey is River from White Out's and Skip, the palomino, is from Bug's band.

This is KIowa. He is an older stallion really trying to find some mares of his own. He has been babysitting River and Capitano all summer, but on this day was on his own challenging Corona, Greasewood and Rounder. He is strong and fit. It would be nice to have another breeding pinto out here.

Challenging Rounder.

Greasewood says "Stay away from my mares!"

Greasewood proves he is dominant and escorts Kiowa away from his mares in the rain.