Willie Nelson Band

We saw Willie from a distance and decided to hike out and see how he and band are doing. As usual, they were right near Ohitika's band and also close by was Storm's band.
Willie is the grey ( blue roany)/ pinto.
This band is confusing because Willie's two mature mares are a grey and a bay and the two stallions that dog him are a bay and a grey! I'll explain.

There's a proud looking Willie N. with his mature mares Frosty and Sedona.... Frosty is the grey, Sedona is the bay.

These are the young filllies in the band. The bay, Fancy, was born last year to Sedona. The roan is Flare, Frosty's 2 year old.

The yearlings , Satin (Frosty) and Fancy (Sedona). I have Satin ID'd as a colt.

I don't have a lot of photos of Frosty. She is people shy.

The rosy grey is Aragon. He has been dogging this band along with his buddy Solaris (behind him). Solaris once had these mares. He lost them to Willie late last summer (2011) and has been following them ever since.

I was surprised how good Solaris looked. The last time I saw him he had half his face torn off. The mustangs never amaze me with their ability to heal.

L to Right Sedona, Frosty, Flare, Mesa (Sedona's 2 yr old filly), Satin and Willie.

Willie Nelson Band

Willie Nelson, the spectacular blue roan pinto band stallion. This guy was a bachelor stallion until he fought Solaris for his mares late summer of 2011. Solaris put up quite the battle, but Willie has proven he is dominent.

This is a full brother and sister, Flare (2010 roan filly) and Satin(chestnut yearling colt). Their mom is not shown. She is Willie's grey mare.

 Their sire is most likely the sire, Solaris(bay). Solaris still tags this band. I did not get a photo, but he is hanging back with his grey buddy, Aragon.

There is another youngster in this band, Fancy (yearling bay filly out of Sedona). This band has not had a foal in 2012.

The three bays up front are a mom and her two daughters. The mom is Sedona, she has her 3 yr old filly, Mesa and that 2011 filly I mentioned, Fancy. I have them in the face book albums, but kinda relying on the HSUS for their markings.



Here is the handsome Aragon who has been dogging Willie along with with Solaris. He has not had a mare since the 2008 round up, but you can see he is an older stallion. Some studs are just more submissive. Here he is giving the bird a ride while he is cleaned of ticks.

Frosty, the grey mare, was hanging back, she looked a little thin. This ios one of the worst drought's Northwest Colorado has ever seen.

 Willie has been traveling with Ohitika's band this summer. These horses have an amazing, complex, social structure and it is up to us to make sure it stays some what intact if they are to be "gathered" next September.. The mustangs' survival depends on their ties and bonds with one another. It would be cruel to split up the bands knowing what we know about this herd of Colorado horses.

Solaris's Band (Taken Over by Willie Nelson)

I was surprised to see Wilie Nelson, the grey/white stallion, had taken over the bay's, Solaris's, band. Willie has been a bachelor since the round up of 2008.

There is Solaris, he is near by and has not given up getting his family back. He is pretty beat up, but no huge wounds. Most of what you see is dried mud from where Willie has kicked him. Willie has blood on him as well.

He also has that large wound on his back right knee, but he has had that for awhile and it has actually gotten better.

Here is what they are fighting for.  Solaris even had a larger band last summer. Maybe he is getting old? The band is unsettled and the boys still have some fighting to do, but when I was observing them Willie clearly was dominant and was strutting his stuff. I posted a video on my YouTube channel for anyone who is interested.

It is good to see Willie with mares. His color is spectacular.

The strongest stallion will win, but for now we will have to wait and see. I am impressed Willie took over an entire band!

Solaris's Band

Solaris on the right with his lead, grey mare, Frosty.

Solaris's Bays. The mom, Sedona, has no white on her face, the 2 yr old filly, Mesa, has a tiny dot and the new filly, Fancy, has a star.

Frosty's yearling filly, Flare.

Flare, the stand out roan, with her new brother and sister.

Fancy, the little bay filly. She was a late foal. Her brother was born first.

Her brother, Frosty's colt, Satin, having a drink of nourishing milk.

Flare. Solaris had a larger band last year. But has managed to keep these mares and raise a healthy wild horse family.

Solaris

Here comes Solaris and band to the water hole.

Solaris is a bay. He had a larger band last year, but still has two faithful mares and their young with him.

The grey mare we call Frosty. She has a yearling roan filly (Flare) and a new 2011 foal. The other mare is the bay who has a two year old daughter. They are called Sedona and Mesa. Real look  alikes. Here they are watering at Sheepherder Springs. Some of the mustangs' favorite water hole.

Frosty sees me and is very alert. She is not sure about humans.

Solaris

The new foal. He is a colt we ID'd as Satin.

It is so hard to tell the bays apart in this band. We will have to work on it so we make sure if there is a gather it is more humane.

I posted this so we could see the white on their legs. I think that is the 2 yr old, Sedona, looking at the camera.