El Mariachi and Hope Update

I decided to hold off sharing the Green Mountain and Stewart Creek Woming HMA horses for just a bit. I felt it was about time for a feel good story to balance the more difficult news of late concerning our wild horses.

On October 16th (which took a long time coming!), Tom and I flew down to Arizona for a quick visit with El Mariachi, Hope and Michael (Blake). I was SO excited about getting down to see everyone again.

The first picture I took from the road up to the ranch. El Mariachi and Hope. El Mariachi has definitely filled out.

I knew Michael was probably working in his studio (and Michael would expect no less from me – HA!), so Tom and I stopped off at the barn first and went down to try to find the horses near the creek area where we had seen them as we drove up.

And there they were just in front of me. Still not particularly interested in being too close, but such is the nature of a wild horse. So darn good to see them again!

Peeking out at me

I wonder if he knows how my heart smiles whenever I see him

Such a handsome boy

I see you pretty girl

Hope has recovered as well - she looks good

Hanging out with the other horses - so peaceful

This was a big step for Hope - to lay down in front of me and roll. Not long ago, she would never have considered letting her guard down like that.

We heard, then saw Michael on the road in his old pickup (which he LOVES). It’s the very vehicle he drove to the Black Hills of South Dakota to film “Dances With Wolves.” Guess I can understand why it means so much to him.

Hope spots Michael on the road

A view of the landscape

That's Hope at the bottom of the photo

I’d gotten my horsey fix for the moment, so we followed Michael up to the ranch house. He had all sorts of news to share. Though we e-mail and talk on the phone periodically, it’s really good to spend some “real” time with him. Michael has a ton of stories about his life and all of them are interesting (some of those stories can be found in his book, “Like a Running Dog” – a fascinating read).

Later that afternoon we had the opportunity to meet professional photographer Lori Faith Merritt. Lori lives in Arizona and had met Michael about a month earlier at a fundraising event in Tucson where he had invited her to come out to the ranch at some point. Through a series of events, Lori and I connected and it was decided that she would come out to the ranch during our visit. Lori was very easy to be around, an obvious lover of all things horsey and a talented photographer. I really love her work. It was a pleasure to get to know her a little bit. I hope we’ll see her again on one of our trips and next time, we’d love to meet her husband William too (a western/cowboy music singer).

Pointing out who's who to Lori

Lori Faith Merritt

Little Boy had some cactus in his cheek and he patiently stands for Lori as she pulls the spines out for him.

And then he thanks Lori for her kindness

Lori told me that every photographer needs their own photographer. Thanks for the photo Lori. Standing in front of Twelve's grave.

Early evening means dinner time for the horses. They head up to the barn and Lori and I hang out and watch them.

El Mariachi and Hope hear someone coming down the road

It's their favorite person - Michael.

Michael and Lori

The horses were fed and the four of us chatted away until the sun went down. Then we all went up to the ranch house and talked some more. For Tom and I, it had been a long, but very satisfying and enjoyable day.

Next morning, Tom and I were down at the barn early to check on the horses, serve up breakfast and tackle a few chores.

The dogs, Timid, Diana and Scout escort us to the barn

Pretty feisty first thing in the morning - Timid and Diana

It's so peaceful just to sit with the horses in the morning. No one around. Just the sounds of the land and its critters.

El Mariachi has actually gained a little too much weight back, so his feed has been modified and cut back a bit. Because of his experience, he may have food issues for quite some time.

I just had to share this photo. Look at that beautiful foot. El Mariachi's feet look fabulous again. The rocky terrain ensures that his feet will stay naturally trimmed and healthy. Hope's feet were in worse condition, but they look almost as good.

Tommy cleaning water tanks

Diana can't resist a clean, cool drink

Tomas supervises Tom's poop removal efforts

Around 1:00, we headed up into the Santa Rita mountains in southern Arizona. We were going to meet Marianne Blake and the Blake children; Quanah, Monahsetah (Mo) and Lozen. Marianne and I had e-mailed, but hadn’t met yet. I knew by our letters that we had alot in common, but I was still a little nervous. Turns out, I didn’t need to be. She put us right at ease and took us on a tour of the ranch and all its animals.

This is Lucky. An orphaned Brangus calf that the family took home and cared for. I'm told that Lucky thinks she's a Bassett hound! She actually guards the house, just like a dog would. Too funny.

And this is one of Lucky's role models - Cowboy.

And Bean Bag - all tuckered out.

Since I can’t do the critter introductions justice, I’ll just post the information Marianne sent me about them. Notice her great sense of humor.

“Lucky The Cow, about 7 months, orphaned twice, thinks she’s an oversized, good-looking, smart (HA!) Basset hound.
Bean Bag and Cowboy, Lucky’s brothers, true hound dogs.
The horses:
Lilly, one year old filly.
Luna Sombra, almost nine months.
Frost Bite, Luna’s mama.
Penelope, AKA Grandma (Lozen’s horse), age unknown.
Burrito, Monahsetah’s gelding. AKA Don Rito because of his Mafia ways when it comes to feeding and loving.
Skinfaxe, almost two year old stallion. AKA MiniWinney.
Mark, plus forty year old gelding. Slightly senile. The self-appointed traffic cop of this outfit.
Rambler, over 30 year old gelding. Reservation horse, Hollywood Ham and con artist.
Cookie, 7 1/2 year old blue roan, Hancock, quarterhorse mare. Temperamental during feeding time. Curious and trouble prone.
And finally there’s Rosebud – 4 year old daughter of Cookie, major trouble maker, escape artist extraordinaire, curious, cowhorse who’s afraid of the very dangerous horse eating rocks and boulders covering the ground in this area.”

Monahsetah (she let me call her Mo since I had so much trouble with her beautiful name) and Mark - the 40+ year old gelding.

Rambler - the 30+ year old Reservation horse.

Monahsetah with Cookie (enjoying a good scratch)

Tom gives young Lilly a good scratch

Marianne, Lilly and Tom

Marianne (pronounced Marianna - she's Danish) and Tom

Monahsetah and Lucky as Cowboy looks on.

Lozen watches Rick (family friend and business partner) trim the plaster of Paris horse she's just made.

Quanah reaches for a ball. It was so nice to see all the kids playing outdoors, making things and enjoying the animals.

They had stories of their own to tell about each 4-legged family member, (Marianne is a huge animal lover) the cattle they raise and some of their misadventures with them. Despite what they told us (there’s a certain bull I don’t want to meet), Marianne and Rick invited us to go up into the mountains to check cattle with them on a future visit. I just have to figure out a safe way to bring my camera with me when we go.

Along with the ranch and the cattle, Marianne owns a publishing company called Hrymfaxe (http://www.hrymfaxe.com – be sure to watch for an exciting announcement from Hrymfaxe). She also owns Double Eagle Films, Inc. and has the rights to “The Holy Road,” the sequel to “Dances With Wolves.” Right now, it looks like she’ll be making the movie in the summer of next year. Something to look forward to. Very cool!

We visited for 2-3 hours and then headed back to Michael’s for some evening shots of the horses before we had to leave way too early the next morning for home. We didn’t get those evening shots however. We got back, started talking with Michael and before we realized it, the sun was disappearing. Tom and I hurried down to the barn, but only got a few shots of the fading light over the horizon. It was beautiful.

We walked back up to the house in total darkness. Lori had told us that the tarantulas come out at night which made us both a little uneasy about our footsteps as we followed the road. Luckily, we had no squishy encounters.

We had to leave the ranch at about 4:00 AM the next morning to make our flight. We gave ourselves an extra 10 minutes so that we’d have time to say goodbye to the horses. What a wonderful time of day that is in Arizona. Cool, slight breeze and so quiet. The horses must’ve thought we were crazy, but we talked to them briefly and then headed down the road. Until next time…

A painting of El Mariachi and Hope made by Monahsetah for Michael's birthday. I love it.

(Below is some video that I took with a point ‘n shoot camera that my Mom lets Tom use on our trips. It was an experiment, I don’t know how to edit so please excuse the noise of the wind, but I hope you enjoy the very short clip of an evening feeding. Maybe I’ll do better next time. ).

Related stories:

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/rescuing-an-american-icon/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/el-mariachis-thunder-road/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/new-book-twelve-the-king/

Cloud: Challenge Of The Stallions – The Companion Book

I just received my copy of the new “Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions” companion book in the mail yesterday. I opened it up immediately. It’s a beautiful compilation that continues the amazing, ongoing tale of the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains and in particular, the life of the pale colored stallion Cloud. I am honored to have some of my photos included to help tell their story. Thank you Ginger and The Cloud Foundation for considering my work when this book was being developed. It is a privilege to be acknowledged alongside those talented, devoted folks who also contributed.

“The book, Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, was made possible through the generous help of Front Range Equine Rescue and Marion Jo Souder. Many of the photographs in this book were donated to The Cloud Foundation by these talented individuals who care about preserving wild horses in the wild: Ann Evans, Thomas Homberg, Deb Little, Jody Miller, Pam Nickoles, Makendra Silverman, Carol Walker and Tony Wengert.”

I am offering a photo of Image, Cloud’s grandson which appears in the new book with 50% of proceeds to benefit The Cloud Foundation. This is the link to the order page on my website: http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/fundraising.html

Order your own copies of Ginger Kathrens’ new “Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions” DVD and the companion book here: http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/online-store/cloud-gifts

Photo Of The Week – 11/04/09

Last photo as we were leaving the McCullough Peaks HMA in Wyoming one summer evening, 2006.

Dishpan Butte Wild Horses

Backtracking a bit to September (after the roundup). When we left the Pryor’s, we decided to head towards a herd area we’d never been to before – part of the North Lander Complex in Wyoming. I had heard a roundup was going to be conducted there, so I hoped to see the horses before that occurred.

Upon entering the Dishpan Butte HMA, we came upon this band. The first wild horses I’ve seen with blankets. I was pretty excited…and they were pretty nervous.

After the spotted band of horses left, Tom and I drove around for quite a while. We didn’t see any more horses, so we went across the highway to another HMA; Conant Creek (or it could’ve possibly been Rock Creek Mountain). Over there, we never saw a single horse (and very little sign), but we did come across many cattle and the usual range wildlife of sage grouse and antelope.

We hadn’t made it in too far when we were stopped by a very muddy creek that looked like it could swallow up the Jeep, so we turned around and went back to Dishpan Butte. Our luck improved by late afternoon.

Mare and foal

They moved so beautifully and effortlessly through the sagebrush

The stallion in the group

The entire family

Again, these horses were nervous and did not hang around

The grey stallion and his mare

The mare and foal from a more comfortable distance for them

I walked a ways and finally spotted horses over a hill. They were a little less uneasy with me and as I got closer, I realized why. It was a small group of bachelor stallions. The bachelors are always easier to approach and usually less cautious. Most of the time, they’re very curious. I really enjoy spending time with the bachelor bands.

A curious bachelor band

The grey boy is trying to catch my scent, but the breeze is not in his favor

They're distracted by something off in the distance

They start to move off

What is it that they see?

Aha, it's the grey band stallion. Apparently, he thinks these bachelors are a bit too close to his family and is on a mission to chase them away

They start to leave and the grey band stallion calls off the chase

But, like I mentioned, the bachelors are curious and as soon as the grey stallion was out of sight, they stopped and started towards me again. Love these guys.

My Halloween photo from a previous post - the grey stallion is spooked by something in the sagebrush

We finally say our good-byes to each other

I am always grateful that the horses allow me these glimpses into their lives. It’s such a privilege.

On our way back, on the same 2-track we’d come in on, we came upon a scene that had unfolded while I’d been off taking pictures. Wildlife drama. A prairie falcon had just killed a sage grouse.

We decided to call it a night and find a place to camp. We headed down the highway until we found a forest service road. We took a little 2-track road off the main dirt road until it dead-ended at a fenceline. We were shocked to find a perfect little parking pad at the end of the road in the middle of no where. No where. Well Tom, he was pretty happy about the find as it meant it would be a lot easier to level the Jeep (for sleeping without a head rush) and unload the gear onto a cleaner surface. It felt like “cheating” to me. We were supposed to be roughing it, but I suppose we’d been directed to this slab of concrete for a purpose. So there we were, somewhere in rugged, remote Wyoming, watching the day come to a colorful close…on a parking lot.

The next morning, we loaded up (Tom was right – with the exception of some moths that moved in overnight, our gear stayed really clean) and drove back to Dishpan Butte.

The spotted band had moved back to the area where we had first found them. I felt bad that they appeared so troubled by my presence. I stayed way back and stood very still hoping they’d relax a little.

Running to regroup with the rest of the band

They trot off to find a place devoid of humans

The next family of horses I spotted made me work for their photos. They were a long ways off, but it was early, I was still fresh and willing to make the effort.

The band stallion

This was a very nervous bunch too

This mare had quite a mane

I didn’t want to push these guys, so I hiked back to the Jeep and we continued to drive through the herd area in search of more horses.

Out of the corner of my eye (I’m blessed with wonderful peripheral vision) I caught a glimpse of something white in the distance between hills. Tom saw nothing, but I convinced him to try to find a 2-track that went west where I think I’ve seen something. He locates a road and we’re on it for a while before I start to doubt that I saw anything. We both decide to go over “one more hill” before turning around. And there they were, just over that next hill. A large group of mostly white (grey) horses. Even I wondered how I managed to see these guys. Cool!

They must have felt threatened in the valley where we spotted them and they head towards more open ground

Some colored horses in the group too

They have to pass by me to get to open ground - I leave them plenty of room in hopes they won't just keep running

All the pretty horses - never seen so many greys in one band together

They settle briefly to look at me

But they're taking no chances and off they go

Tom and I were at Dishpan Butte for almost 2 full days. We counted just over 30 horses. I began to wonder about the timing of the roundup. Had it already taken place? It would sure explain the low count and just how uneasy the horses were. When we got home, I e-mailed the Lander BLM office and got my answer. The gather had taken place in July.

“We gathered 1053 horses and removed 804 from the 4 (four) different HMA’s. We returned 245 horses to the various HMA’s in which they were rounded up. We returned 50 horses to the Dishpan Butte HMA and missed 10-20 horses in the roundup..so there is probably 60 – 70 horses in the Dishpan Butte HMA.”

The North Lander Complex is approximately 375,000 acres for the small number of wild horses that are left. Heartbreaking. What I failed to ask, and what the BLM range specialist failed to mention when I e-mailed was the number of fatalities that occurred during this roundup. I was extremely saddened by the staggering number of horses taken off the ranges, but devastated to learn that 17 horses died and 7 of those were foals (the full story can be read HERE). I just can’t understand the continued annihilation of the herds. When will it stop? When will people become so enraged that they come together to do something to save our wonderous herds of wild horses? I choose to think that most people are just unaware – if they fully understood what the mustangs were going through, surely they’d be much more proactive.

Through these posts and photographs, that is the story I’m trying to tell, along with so many other wild horse advocates. Please, share, share and share our information with whoever will listen…before it’s too late.

(Wild Horse News, Information and Links)

Please Sign the Petition

Stop the Roundups of America’s Wild Horses & Burros!

Target:
President Obama
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
BLM Director Abbey

Sponsored by:
www.saveourwildhorses.com
www.thecloudfoundation.org

Please sign the petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/STOP-THE-ROUNDUPS-SAVE-OUR-WILD-HORSES

An immediate moratorium on all but emergency roundups is called for in this resolution. Please sign to help protect our remaining wild horses and burros on our western public lands.

Pryor Mountain roundup - September, 2009

Happy Halloween

A bit of levity…

A little Halloween fun - bachelor stallions at Dishpan Butte HMA. Something on the ground really did spook the grey boy so I just thought I'd improvise a bit in the spirit of the holiday.

A Happy Halloween greeting from the Nickoles' dogs. L-R: Kaylen, Sage and Brihten

Everyone have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Photo Of The Week – 10/28/09

Band stallion from the Green Mountain HMA near Baroil, WY

Since the roundup of the Red Desert Complex in Wyoming is supposed to take place in November, I thought I’d show off one of the many beautiful horses from that area.

My Mom loves this stallion. He’s from the Green Mountain HMA which is part of the large Red Desert Complex. I took this picture in April of 2007 as he was slowly working his way towards me for a better look. He had a beautiful pinto mare with him and a uniquely colored brown and grey yearling stud. I didn’t see this guy the last time we were out (this past September), but I saw a bachelor who looked very similiar right down to the stockings and distinctive white marking across the hindquarters.

It’s hard to comprehend that these gorgeous animals are about to be so cruelly displaced. Maybe this stallion will be one of the lucky ones that gets released or better yet, never captured. I so wish that for all of our wild horses…

There is a list of the herd areas, by state, that have pending roundups posted on my website:
http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/gathers.html

Folks should be outraged by the sheer numbers to be taken, the wasted money spent to conduct these roundups and the incredibly sad fate of the horses losing their homes only to languish in long term holding or worse. Please speak up for the horses – we must inform the public and educate others about what is happening to these icons of the west (and the west is where they should stay – not removed, sterilized and relocated to private, unmonitored “sanctuaries” in the midwest per Ken Salazar’s proposal. There has to be a better solution that can be implemented).

Lots of wild horse information: http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/wildhorseinformation.htm

New Feature: Photo Of The Week

Sometimes, there just isn’t enough time in a day to get a bunch of photos and a story compiled for posting, but there are so many images of the wild horses that I’d like to share. So I’ve decided the best way to showcase these magnificent animals is by featuring a “Photo of the Week” in addition to the more in depth stories. I hope you enjoy them.

Isn’t he gorgeous? This is Tango and I took this picture right after a storm. Unfortunately, Tango broke an ankle/fetlock and was lost to us in 2006. He was from the McCullough Peaks HMA near Cody, Wyoming. He lives on in photos…

Sign up for automatic e-mail alerts of new content via the “Subscribe to Pam Nickoles Photography by Email” link located at the right just below the Previous Posts link.

New Cloud Documentary Premieres This Weekend

Wild stallion Cloud of the Pryor Mountains

From The Cloud Foundation:

“Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions” premieres Sunday evening, October 25th, 2009 on PBS Stations nationwide. This program is the next chapter in the exciting life of the charismatic stallion, Cloud, and the wild horses of the spectacular Arrowhead Mountains Of Montana.

Watch a trailer of the program at the link below:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1226379302/feature/96

Plan to watch this with your children, your grandchildren, nieces and nephews and anyone not aware of the plight of these magnificent animals. Start a dialogue about how to save the remaining wild horses. Have the kids write letters (many hand-written letters) and get these letters sent to the appropriate agencies/representatives (addresses provided below). Have the children talk to their friends, their schools, whoever will listen about the plight of our living legends. Now is the time to involve the next generation of wild horse advocates before there are no horses left to fight for.

Every little girl or young cowboy that has dreamed of having a horse of their own, (but for various reasons can’t have one at home) actually owns many horses – all of the wild horses belong to them. Their horses to cherish, admire and protect. The BLM wild horses belong to each and every one of us. If more people knew what was happening to their horses, I’m sure much more would be done to save them.

Contact your Senators and ask them to support S.1579, the Senate Version of the Restore Our American Mustangs Act (ROAM).

Contact Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar
exsec@ios.doi.gov or 202-208-7351
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240

Contact President Obama
http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

BLM
Director: Mike Pool (Acting)
E-mail: Mike_Pool@blm.gov
Deputy Director (Operations): Mike Nedd (Acting)
E-mail: Mike_Nedd@blm.gov
Chief of Staff: Janet Lin
E-mail: janet_lin@blm.gov

BLM Washington Office
1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665
Washington DC 20240
Phone: 202-208-3801
Fax: 202-208-5242

When writing, please be sure to mention that it’s not just the BLM managed wild horses that you care about – all of our wild horses need and deserve protection including the horses living on US Fish and Wildlife Service lands and National Parks Service lands.

And from The Cloud Foundation:

Phone calls to make:

Ask for the release of the older horses and reform of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program – fax your comments as well:

White House Switchboard – 202-456-1414 (fax: 202-456-2461) Ask for Senior Advisors: Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod. Ask for Michelle Obama too, her office is recieving a tremendous number of calls and they need to continue.

Call your Senators – switchboard 202-224-3121 and ask that they support S1579, The Restore our American Mustang (ROAM) Act.

Call the Senate Committee of Natural Resources – 202-224-4971 (fax 202-224-6163) Email here. ask that they push the ROAM Act through immediately– it must go up for a vote soon in the Senate.

RELATED STORIES:

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/shaman-of-the-pryor-mountains/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/clouds-image-pryor-mtns-mt/

“Stampede to Oblivion”

Peabody-Award-winning Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp and Chief Photojournalist Matt Adams present a must see report into the wild horse issue. Please watch and share the full program, presented in 5 segments:

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11285225 (Channel 8 – Las Vegas, NV)

First Post

I’ve been told that I should write a book about the many adventures my husband and I have shared during our years of following and photographing the wild horses. Some of the stories would be funny, some pretty uneventful while a few might be in the realm of having been a bit dangerous – one of those, “lucky to be back in one piece” episodes. Well, I’m not organized enough to keep notes for a book, so, instead of a book, why not a blog? Many of the people I’ve met during my wild horse photography trips have blogs of their own, and I follow them regularly (when there’s been an update – yes, that was for you Matt). I find that I really enjoy other’s perspectives, thoughts and observations. Maybe a few of you will find that you enjoy mine…

A short clip featuring the wild horses of Sand Wash Basin, CO

Wild Horse Viewing

I thought I might offer some tips and thoughts from our most successful wild horse viewing trips…in case you decide you’d like to venture out to see these magnificent creatures on your own. These are my personal observations, beliefs and experiences, and as such, are offered only as guidelines.

My husband and I have developed what we call our “wild horse etiquette” that we follow when we enter any HMA or herd area. Please be sure that as you enter an HMA, you follow any official regulations that are posted at entrances. I know, for example, that the McCullough Peaks HMA near Cody, WY has a 500 foot viewing distance rule – and they enforce it. It is really hard for me to judge distance, but I do my best to honor that rule while photographing there. It’s generally only an issue with the more accessible horses that have become somewhat habituated to people. Other, more remote bands within the HMA will enforce that viewing distance themselves!

We stay on the roads. If there is a 2-track, we’ll use those as well. I’m always prepared to do alot of walking. Alot.

We try to determine where the watering holes are. These are good places to look for horses, but we try not to be so close to these sources that horses will avoid drinking due to our presence. 

Krueger Pond - Pryor Mountains, MT

When approaching a band, I don’t try to sneak up on them. I try not to startle them either (with a slamming car door as I get out). I walk out towards them with a happy mental image while silently projecting that I’m only there to admire, not harass. (Crazy? My aunt, a lifetime horsewoman, is convinced horses can read our minds so we should always visualize good and happy things when we’re around them – and I believe her). I approach and stop if I sense a lot of uneasiness from the horses. I take my first shots (which are sometimes my only shots). I call these my “horse dot” images. If the herd settles down, I move forward. I let them take me in and work my way closer if I can. My desire is to observe their natural behavior which isn’t necessarily glimpsing their hindquarters as they disappear in a cloud of dust, but it does happen, especially in the less visited areas. Bachelor bands of horses are often the most curious and will generally come the closest to investigate. The bachelors can be a lot of fun. Bands with foals are more wary. I try not to disturb them by getting too close. I find the herd dynamics fascinating and the solitude of the range therapeutic. I’m constantly amazed by what I observe. I’ve acquainted myself with specific individuals over the years and I’ve seen their distinct personalities emerge. Of course I have my favorites, but I marvel at them all.

McCullough Peaks, WY bachelor band.

We don’t bait or otherwise attempt to feed wild horses. Doing so can make them very sick or even kill them. Take the tragic example that occurred at Shackleford Banks, NC. In this blurb from their website, it tells the story of a very special white, orphaned foal. “On January 2, 1997, we found Spirit’s remains, along with the body of a young mare whose company he had kept since the roundup in November of 1996. His death was the result of human interference; probably well meant, but nonetheless devastating. .” Though they don’t mention specifics, hearsay is that someone left some sort of food source out for the horses that they couldn’t digest. While visiting the Pryor Mountain horses of Montana a couple of years ago, we witnessed a visitor attempting to offer bread and carrots to the wild horses. If it isn’t natural to their habitat, please assume it isn’t good for their system.

Shackleford Banks horses. They are also known as Banker Ponies, but they are not ponies.

A bachelor boy with a buddy - Shackleford Banks, NC.

When we hit a high spot anywhere on the range, we get out and take a look around (especially behind us). It’s a good opportunity to “scan” for the tell tale sign of wild horses (stud piles, dust, etc) and you can sometimes hear them – which is why, even though it’s dusty, I like to drive with the windows at least partially down and the radio off.

We don’t usually take our dogs when we visit the ranges. The biggest reason is, it’s just too darn hot and there are alot of snakes, spiders, cactus, etc. Most of the areas are remote and getting veterinary treatment in a timely manner just isn’t practical. We have taken the dogs with us for winter and early spring shots, but we let them out only when there are no horses in the vicinity. If you do take a dog, I would try to keep it leashed. Dogs have natural instincts and even the best trained animal may find itself chasing a band of horses that are spooked into running at the sight of a perceived predator. Foals are especially vulnerable in this circumstance. And there’s no telling what a protective mare or stallion may do to your dog if it gets too close.

Though these are harmless Bull Snakes, we have seen enough Rattlesnakes to worry about our dogs encountering one in these range areas - McCullough Peaks, WY

Speaking of the little ones, as a side note – typical foaling season is from March through mid July. It is really important to keep your distance during these months or a mare may become stressed and abandon her foal. My photos from “The Stallion and the Foal” series may have come about from this very scenario. There was a happy outcome for the foal in my images, but many are not so fortunate. Without the mare’s milk and protection, they starve or are taken by predators. 

“The Stallion and the Foal” video:

For documentation purposes, I take many “reference” shots of individual horses and range conditions. It’s good information to have for comparison from year to year. I also document injured and deceased animals when I find them.

When we see trash or wire as we’re walking in the ranges, we pick it up or take it out of harm’s way. If you have a domestic horse, you understand how easy it is for them to embed the only nail in the paddock/pasture into a hoof or cut themselves on the tiniest loose flap of tin on the barn, etc. Murphy’s Law – if they can get into trouble, they seem to. My Vet actually nicknamed my young gelding “Good for Business” if that tells you anything about my personal experiences. Wild horses don’t have the luxury of veterinary care, so if we see something that could cause potential trouble for them, we try our best to correct or remove it. 

Wire that Tom rolled up while I was out photographing the horses at Sand Wash Basin HMA.

Happy Valentine’s Day

McCullough Peaks HMA, WY

Winter Travel into the Horse Ranges

We were supposed to be on a wild horse photography adventure to Adobe Town, Sand Wash Basin and the Little Book Cliffs with 3 other wild horse lovers/photographers this long weekend, but the Colorado winter weather nixed the trip. It’s been since October since we’ve made it out to see the horses and I was SOOO looking foward to this trip, however, it is important to pay attention to weather and road conditions when venturing out to these remote areas. We’ve been stuck in the horse ranges by both rain and snow before and they can be pretty stressful situations, unless you’re prepared, and even then, it can be what I refer to as, “more excitement than I signed up for.”

Contacts in Craig, CO said the HMA roads were impassable even with chains at this point. Unless the roads are frozen (so you know all winter trips are COLD), they’re pretty much impassable and you just don’t attempt it.

Going over Rabbit Ears Pass into Craig, CO

Last year, even when we thought the roads were fine, we fell through what we figured must have been a wash out area in the road that the snow had drifted into at Sand Wash Basin. There have been many trying situations while out in these ranges, but this particular trip had me really worried about Tom’s safety. (We hadn’t seen a soul all day and there were no tracks in the road). It didn’t look like much when we got out to see what had stopped our forward motion, so we unloaded the dogs and started digging thinking it wouldn’t be long before we were on our way again. It was about noon on March 3rd, 2007. (We had plenty of food, clothing and cold weather gear, so we were prepared to spend the night if we had to, but it really wasn’t part of the plan). I made a call to my Mom to let her know where we were and what had happened (the nice thing about Sand Wash is that there are cell phone towers out there and you typically have good coverage) so someone would know to come looking for us if things took a bad turn.

We didn't think we were in too much trouble here, but the drift area below our Jeep was deceptively deep.

Tom is working at the end that wound up falling pretty deep into the hole.

The more we dug underneath the Jeep, the further it fell into this “hole.” I quit taking pictures shortly after we discovered it wasn’t going to be as easy as we thought – but the images are still pretty vivid in my mind. Tom didn’t have waterproof clothing and we didn’t have a tarp, so he was getting pretty wet through his efforts to free the Jeep. It was about 19 degrees and there was wind of course. It was COLD! Every time we thought we were finally to the bottom of this hole, the Jeep would drop down some more until it was actually sitting dangerously cock-eyed with the rear end sticking out and up. This is when I really started to worry. Tom had to get underneath the Jeep as it sat in this precarious position to continue digging.

Our dog Brihten tries to help Tom while little Sage plays in the snow.

Tom digs out while Brihten and Sage enjoy the wintery playtime. Where's Kaylen - probably at my heels as she's my shadow.

We tried the chains we’d bought for this trip. They didn’t fit, even though the specs said they would. (Mental note – make sure chains fit properly before you need them!) I called a tow company thinking we now needed some professional help to avoid any mishaps. I was told that no one in the area made “off road recoveries.” Huh? Not good news. I called my Mom again to keep her aprised. I told her it looked likely that we would be spending the night right where we were and not to worry – we’d be fine. Mom, in turn, called my brother Chris who looked up our exact location on the internet – cool how you can do that now (always have a good map with you!).

Tom decided he’d try jacking up the Jeep to level it out and possibly give us more traction. We also unloaded everything from the back (all of our supplies, the cooler, etc.) in an effort to eliminate some weight. Watching Tom with a very unsteady, whimpy, factory-provided jack trying to lift a vehicle in that position made me VERY uncomfortable. (We now carry a sturdy “handyman” jack with us). What would I do if something went wrong? No one was there to help. I was told no one would come. I forced myself to keep a better picture in my head and went about grabbing all the loose sagebrush I could find (for traction). The dogs seemed happy enough to be following me around, but even their little feet were starting to get cold. The sun was going down. I thought out a plan and when I got back to Tom, I ran it past him. (It seems that when we get into these situations, Tom and I always work well together and keep our heads – I think that’s the biggest reason we always manage to get out safely!).

I figured we had one opportunity left to get ourselves out before I would insist that he get out of his wet clothes and we’d hunker down with the dogs inside the Jeep for the night. (I’d experienced a hypothermia episode with someone before, so I knew it was something I needed to take into account as we watched the day coming to a very chilly close). Tom agreed. So, we got everything in place and prepared to give it one last try. I got behind the wheel and Tom got in the front to push me backwards. He made one last comment as I started up the Jeep – if I felt myself budging at all, gun it and don’t stop. I nodded, said a little prayer and put it in reverse. I couldn’t believe it – we were moving! I floored it and the Jeep and I flew backwards about 50 yards before I finally braked. We did it!! We still had to go back and get our gear (took a few trips), but we were hopeful we’d make it out of the range yet that night. The sun went behind the mountains. It was almost 6:00 – unbelievable timing. I called my Mom to give her an update and that’s when she told me that Chris had called the local Sheriff’s Department and they had sent someone out to look for us. That set off a relay of phone calls to get the deputies called off, but I was sure grateful someone was at least attempting to check on us! (Thanks for the assist Chris).

After loading up the dogs and all our gear, Tom tried to get behind the wheel to drive out, but his pants were frozen and he couldn’t sit down! That made us laugh a bit nervously while we waited until he “thawed” out enough to finally come to a sitting position in the seat. We still had to backtrack at least an hour to get to a main road and it was dark except for a full moon. Tom had used a GPS device to track our path in, but I argued with it at one intersection on the way out. I just KNEW we needed to turn right when it said to turn left. How does that happen?! I don’t know why, but Tom decided to turn right (I am lucky to possess a pretty good sense of direction that he’s come to trust I suppose) and that led us out. We noticed new tire tracks turning around in the road about 1/2 way out and assumed the Sheriff’s deputies had gotten the dispatch that we were okay right about there. We thanked them out loud for their efforts.

We drove for over 2 hours with the heat on full blast to the motel in Craig. I didn’t think either of us would ever feel warm again, but after hot showers, we were good. Tom never ceases to amaze me either. It was only Saturday – would I like to try Adobe Town on Sunday for some winter wild horse shots since after all that time at Sand Wash Basin, we hadn’t seen a single horse? Gotta admire his fortitude…and of course I took him up on his offer.

Mare and foal at Adobe Town, WY

A stallion runs over the snowy ridge - Adobe Town, WY

Mare and foal - Adobe Town, WY

Small family band - Adobe Town, WY

Mare and youngster - Adobe Town, WY

Unusually colored band stallion - Adobe Town, WY

Heading home from Adobe Town, WY

New Legislation

Some new legislation was introduced by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ). Read about The Restoring Our American Mustangs (ROAM) Act (H.R. 1018) here: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=504&Itemid=27

This is some very good news for our wild horses and burros!

Horse Antics

I have been trying to get a picture of our 2 horses playing with their “toy” ever since I saw my young gelding pick this bucket up over a year ago. Sometime between now and then, the two of them discovered they could play with it together. It’s been so much fun to watch this game between them. I’ve seen them hit each other over the head or come up from below and knock each other in the chin. (Luckily, it’s a really flimsy rubber bucket!). They’ll drop it and start chasing each other and then go back and pick it up and start swinging it at one another. They’re a hoot!

The tricky part has been that these horses live in our backyard and every time I’d get my camera in hand and try to quietly open the back door to photograph them, they’d hear me and come running over to the gate. Game over.

A couple of days ago, the wind was blowing and they were feeling rather frisky out there in the paddock. They started playing their bucket game and I ran for the camera. I figured I might get lucky and the wind would drown out the noise of the door opening…and it did! Finally – I managed to get a few images to share of Gold (my 6 year-old Palomino Foxtrotter gelding) and Sammy (my husband’s 13 year-old rose-gray QH/Appy gelding) playing with their rubber bucket.

(Excuse the condition of the paddock – it’s been a bit too mucky lately to get the tractor out).

Gold and Sammy. (Barn names are so original, aren't they?)

Gold smiling.

Let the game begin.

Floating bucket...

Life’s Challenges

About a week and a half ago, it was discovered that my Mom has a very aggressive form of cancer. She had pretty major surgery almost immediately and she’s now in recovery. It was such a shock to all of us (including her) since she was actually more mobile and feeling better the last couple of years than she had in a long time. It’s hard to comprehend that she’s now so sick.

Mom recognized my love for photography early and made sure I had camera equipment growing up (as a single mother with 3 kids and the soul supporter from the time I was 6 years old, that was NOT an easy task – I don’t know how she did it. ). And, somehow, when I was 15, she also managed to bring into my life, my first horse. I had no idea how much her acknowledgement and support of my passions would affect the entire rest of my life. Photography and horses have always brought me some of my greatest joy, my most creative moments, a sense of accomplishment, unconditional love…and an amazing source of therapy. Something I can truly appreciate right now.

Over the past few years, Mom has happily endured many a bumpy ride, hot and dusty day, or windy, freezing conditions to share in my adventures with the wild horses. She loves them. I’m hoping I’ll be able to take her to see more of the wild ones sometime in the near future, just like we planned.

In the meantime, she needs her family’s love, care and support. Time with Mom is understandably more important to me than most anything else right now. We remain positive that with the surgery and subsequent treatments to follow, she’ll recover. As a bit of therapy for myself, I’d like to continue this Blog and offer a “Wild Horse of the Week” type of entry. But today, meet my Mom…

Mom at the top of the Pryor Mountains, MT

Mom and Tom near Krueger Pond, Pryor Mountains, MT

Mom watching Diamond's band go by below her perch - Pryor Mountains, MT

Mom at Pryor Mountains, MT

Enjoying the horses below the ridge - Pryor Mountains, MT

Mom and Tom at McCullough Peaks, WY

Tom and Mom at my Artist's Reception.

A favorite photo of Mom in her sanctuary of flowers.

“Cloud” – Wild Stallion of the Pryor Mtns.

Like many others who have fallen in love with the wild horses, it was filmmaker Ginger Kathrens’ portrayal of a wild stallion in the Pryor Mountains of Montana that inspired me to go see this horse for myself several years ago. It was an unexpected, life changing experience.

Horses have always been in my blood, but the wild horses hold a special place in my heart. Beautiful, hardy and very family oriented, I find them fascinating. Observing and documenting the wild horses over the years has motivated me to fight for their protection/preservation. The goal of my photographs, DVD’s and this Blog is to better acquaint people with these incredible animals and possibly inspire folks to act on their behalf.

The pictures below are of the famous Cloud – wild stallion of the Pryor Mountains. I believe Cloud is 13 now (14 on May 29, 2009). My hope is that he will always run free on the mountain.

Handsome boy, Cloud

Cloud and band stallion, Prince

Cloud and band stallion, Chino

Cloud and band stallion, Chino

Cloud and his grandson, Image

Cloud and Shadow, who is also known as Hailstorm

Cloud and Arrow

Pearly whites

Related stories:

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/pryor-mountain-roundup-962009/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/pryor-mountain-roundup-972009/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/pryor-mountain-roundup-982009/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/pryor-mountain-roundup-992009/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/clouds-returning-home-print-available/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/shaman-of-the-pryor-mountains/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/clouds-image-pryor-mtns-mt/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/new-cloud-documentary-premieres-this-weekend/

“Major” – McCullough Peaks, WY

Major is a gorgeous, grey band stallion from the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) just outside of Cody, WY. Born in 2000, Major maintains a large band that he keeps on the Eastern portion of the range area. Major is one of the very first wild horses I saw at McCullough Peaks as his band and several other horses were very near the highway when we arrived. They were pretty much oblivious to our presence as they were busy chasing or sparring with one another, trying to steal mares and change or maintain the pecking order. Being new to the wild horses back when some of these photos were taken, I wasn’t sure what to expect and regretfully, I didn’t know what an opportunity I’d been handed. I didn’t stay as long as I wish I had to continue taking pictures. Instead, Tom and I drove on to find more horses. As many times as I’ve been back to see Major, I’ve never had a similar encounter present itself. One of those live and learn lessons…

Major

Major and another stallion, Hooter

Major and Hooter sparring

Major and Hooter

Major with one of his mares, Tiaga and her foal Running Bear

Major

Band stallion, Major

Problematic Pickens Plan?

“We really appreciate Mrs. Pickens’ proposal, but it has presented some problems,” said Ed Roberson, assistant director of renewable resources and planning for the Bureau of Land Management, which runs the wild horse program.” Read the rest of the story here. Thanks to Deanne Stillman for this link.

There are many related news stories published here.

Wild Horse Advocacy

I’ve mentioned this legislation before, but please contact your representatives and ask them to sign the new Bill, HR 1018, introduced by Congressmen Rahall (D-WV) and Grijalva (D-AZ) which offers wonderful new protections to the existing 1971 law for our wild horse and burros. You can read about the Bill here.

A listing of the House of Representatives by state here.

McCullough Peaks, WY wild horses

A Proud Moment

I’d never been a huge fan of instrumental music, but from the first time I saw the movie, “The Man From Snowy River” and heard the soundtrack, I discovered the exception. Bruce Rowland’s music was so moving that I found myself listening to the songs over and over through the years. First I had the cassette, then the CD, then the ITunes versions of the songs. I just loved the music. When I started going out to the wild horse ranges, it was “The Man From Snowy River” soundtrack that was playing as I searched the landscape for signs of the wild ones. And it was on one of these trips that I contemplated the idea of creating a DVD that showcased the beauty of the wild horses through my images along with the perfect music – Bruce Rowland’s powerful compositions. I loved the idea, but it turned out to be a tall order.

I’ll spare you the details and difficulties of licensing music. Suffice it to say, I hit roadblocks with the music/movie companies and spent months writing letters and e-mails in an effort to get things done legally. It was my goal to sell the DVD once it was made and be able to offer it as a fundraising tool as well as donating some of the sale proceeds to several wild horse organizations that I have a personal connection with. It’s no wonder there are agents that do nothing but license music for events, movies, etc. It was frustrating! In fact, I almost gave up. But, family members and friends believed in the project and kept nudging me on – and it had become such a dream to me personally. I wanted to see it through, so I actually reached out to Bruce Rowland himself as a last ditch effort. It was Bruce who finally got the ball really rolling for me. The man is not only very famous and talented, he’s down-to-earth and approachable. I couldn’t believe he took the time to respond, provided me names and numbers and even got his agents in Australia to contact me (for some additional compositions not related to the movie that I used). So, after almost a year of trying, I managed to get the music licensed – my project was on. I was so excited!! I had also acquired the awesome talents of 3 other musicians for the project and together, I believe we created something special to honor the wild horses.

Of course, after what he’d done to help and the fact that he’s a horse person himself, it was really important to me that Mr. Rowland liked how I used his wonderful compositions. Once the DVD was finished, I sent him a copy and waited to hear back. Printed with permission, the note below is what he sent me:

“Hi Pam — I loved it! I particularly loved what you did with the photos during ‘’Cattle Drive” – it just worked perfectly. In fact, I also think that the multiple composer approach worked seamlessly & the different styles complemented each other beautifully! But enough about the music. You have taken some absolutely stunning photographs in some absolutely stunning locations. I’m sure it’s taken days if not weeks or months of photography and you’ve achieved an absolutely stunning result. I’m very proud that you asked me to be part of it and I want to thank you for asking me to be involved. I think that what you have achieved is probably the best photographs of their kind ever taken. I think your work is magnificent! Bravo.”
-Bruce Rowland

His note made me cry and it came at the perfect moment to lift both mine and my Mom’s spirits during a difficult time. He couldn’t have guessed as he was writing his e-mail how much it would mean to me. I teased him that I was going to frame his note. Well, I probably will!

And of course, many thanks to everyone else that provided wonderful “reviews” of the DVD after viewing it and to all of those that participated in its creation. I so appreciate how it all came together and my hope is that in some way, the DVD makes a small contribution to the protection and preservation efforts of “Our Wild Horses.”

Oh, and yes, “The Man From Snowy River” is playing in the background as I write this…

Australia's finest film composer, Bruce Rowland

Free No More

The following images were taken at the end of September, 2008 just before the BLM gather at Sand Wash Basin, CO in October. Both the mare and the colt were brought in during the roundup. I’m not sure about the mare, but I was told the little stud colt was put up for adoption – taken from his mother and his short life of freedom on the range. My hope is that he found a caring, forever home. He was so uniquely marked – I was looking forward to documenting his life in the wild through the years. Along with this foal, over 200 horses were permanently removed.

Protective mare shielding her colt from me

Family portrait - foal, mare and stallion

Action Alert!

I received this e-mail alert today…

33,000 Wild Horses at Risk: Contact Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Now! The National Wild Horse Foundation needs your help to save our wild horses and burros as part of our American heritage.

It only takes a few minutes to complete the form at the link listed above. Please do what you can to help save these magnificent animals.

McCullough Peaks, WY band of wild horses

The Little Book Cliffs

Our first wild horse trip of the year couldn’t have been much better. We visited The Little Book Cliffs just outside of Grand Junction, CO. We were fortunate that Billie Hutchings (who has the “Wild Horses of the Little Book Cliffs-Billie’s Space” blog) offered to show us where the horses winter in the lower canyons near Cameo. Tom and I left home around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday morning (wanted to beat the ski traffic) and arrived at the range just about 9:00 a.m. where Billie was waiting for us. The weather was perfect. In the 70’s with a slight breeze. It doesn’t get much better than that for hiking.

The first horses we came across were Spin, a Palomino colored stallion and his mare Fish.

Fish

Can you see how she got her name - her star is in the shape of a fish!

Spin was quite entertaining throughout the day as he dashed down the side of the canyon, sparred with band stallion Magnum and later, stole one of Magnum’s mares and her foal. All within a span of 5 hours!

Spin and Fish

Spin charging down to spar with Magnum

Magnum and Spin

All the activity probably made Spin thirsty – he and Fish headed down to the creek.

Fish and Spin at the creek

Coming up and out of the creek

Spin and Fish

Magnum and Tonopah watch Spin and Fish run off

We saw a total of 4 bands – Spin’s, Magnum’s, Diamond Rio’s and Laramie’s (who I’m told is the most photographed horse on the range. Well, he was pretty cooperative and could strike a lovely pose).

Laramie at the creek

Laramie

Laramie rolling

Handsome boy Laramie

Laramie

I marveled at what I saw the horses eating. What looked like prickly sagebrush! I don’t know how they got around the barbs, but they seemed to enjoy the new green on the bushes. Amazing what they can get by on. I thought all of the horses looked pretty good.

Beauty eating from the prickly sagebrush bush

Choca - Beauty's foal

Choca

Band stallion, Diamond Rio and Choca

We were also lucky enough to see a small herd of Bighorn sheep. A ram and 2 ewes. The ram had a crippled rear leg, but he seemed to get along just fine despite the handicap. It’s amazing what animals can learn to adapt to.

Bighorn ram jumping down to the creek

Female Bighorn jumping into the creek bed

Another ewe jumps down into the creek

I could certainly tell by the next day that we’d hadn’t had a wild horse adventure in much too long (since last September). After climbing up and down and hiking all around that range area, my feet and calves were pretty dang sore! Hopefully, we’ll be able to go more regularly and I’ll once again become accustomed to the long (painfree!) walks into the horse ranges that I enjoy so much.

At least I was able to relax and recover not far from the horse range at “Nick’s B&B” in Whitewater. That’s how we describe my father-in-law’s place. He spoils us each time we come over so it’s always a treat to visit him.

There are many more images that I took while at The Little Book Cliffs. I hope to have them posted on my website soon.

Thank you Billie for sharing your horses, knowledge and time with Tom and I. It was so much fun to go with someone who has such a connection to the area and the wild horses that live there.

Calling for his mother - Ajax

Missing Mustang Stallion

There is information and a flyer posted here: NetPosse.com

“Utah” – McCullough Peaks, WY

Meet Utah – a black, 1999 Sabino stallion from the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area. I’m going to fess up and admit that Utah is one of my favorite mustangs from any area. There’s just something about him that both my husband and I love and admire. Well, and he’s a handsome fellow. He was part of the first group of horses that we saw on our initial trip to McCullough Peaks. He was a bachelor stallion at that time, trying desperately to steal a mare and start a family. When we saw Utah last spring, he was in the company of two young mares, Shakira (a black Tobiano) and Two Bears (a bay Tobiano). Though we were too early to see them, both mares had little Utah babies last year.

Utah

Utah sparring with Hooter

Utah with another bachelor stallion

Utah with mare Shakira

Utah and mare Two Bears

Two Bears, Shakira and Utah

Band stallion, Utah

Urgent – Neglected Mustangs on Nebraska Ranch

Scores of Neglected Mustangs Imperiled on Nebraska Ranch
Ranch Owner in Jail and Need for Aid is Urgent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jerry Finch 409-682-6621

19 April 2009

Alliance, Nebraska -– At least 60 horses are dead and more than 100 others are seriously emaciated at a mustang facility in Morrill County, Nebraska. Habitat for Horses, an equine rescue organization, received reports last week of problems at the 3-Strikes Ranch. Jerry Finch of the equine rescue organization Habitat for Horses returned from flying over the property early Sunday, and reports that “The situation is even worse than we suspected.” They spotted another 20 animals on the range, several barely able to stand. Another 50-100 emaciated horses are in holding pens with only a small amount of muddy and trampled alfalfa. They are suffering from a variety of ailments including severe worm infestation and terribly neglected hooves. Two young foals, approximately four months old, were found dead. Necropsies have been performed on both; a full report, including toxicology results is due back Friday.

3-Strikes Ranch, according to its web site, is a “Mustang outpost, a Non-Profit habitat to hundreds of mustangs from all over the United States, a natural environment for wild horses to run on the open prairies of the Sand Hills.” Mustangs captured by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that were not adopted after three attempts — three strikers — were sent to Jason Meduna at 3-Strikes Ranch. Meduna also accepted horses from people unable to care for their mustangs, and those in need of special training. A number of private owners who had placed horses with Meduna have already retrieved their animals. The BLM was at the facility last week and removed one of the three horses for which they currently hold title. The others were reported to be dead.

According to ranch owner Meduna more than 300 animals were living at the ranch in January. He has attributed the deaths to toxic poisoning, but to date no proof of this has been provided. Meduna is currently in jail on an animal cruelty charge stemming from the horse already removed by the BLM.

Habitat for Horses is assisting local law enforcement, the Bureau of Land Management, and a number of volunteers in caring for these animals.

Hay and feed-based wormer are urgently needed. Local families are urged to contact Finch if they are able to provide tactical support for this operation. Donations for hay are being collected by Front Range Equine Rescue in Colorado. Donatebuy@frontrangeequinerescue.org If you do not have access to Paypal you can mail donations to: Front Range Equine Rescue, P.O. Box 307, Larkspur, CO 80118. Please notate on your check and/or Paypal donations that it is for “3-Strikes Mustangs”. Any and all help with hay is greatly appreciated.

Habitat for Horses (HfH) is a not-for-profit equine protection agency committed to the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of neglected, abused and homeless horses. The largest organization of its kind in North America, HfH operates a rehabilitation ranch in Hitchcock, Texas, as well as a growing network of foster homes throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Louisiana. The organization has taken a leadership role in horse protection issues and has been instrumental in developing and promoting legislation to eliminate the slaughter of American horses. To learn more, visit www.habitatforhorses.org

Breaking news can be found here: http://www.alliancetimes.com/breaking%20news.htm

Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch

More Than One Hundred Neglected Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch
Ranch Owner Signs Over Horses to Rescue Agencies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jerry Finch 409-682-6621
Jill Starr 661-727-0049

21 April 2009

Alliance, NE – More than one hundred emaciated horses found at Morrill County 3-Strikes Ranch were legally surrendered Tuesday to horse rescue groups Habitat for Horses and Lifesavers Foundation. The agreement to sign over the animals was coordinated by the Morrill County Sheriff’s office, which earlier in the week arrested the owner, Jason Meduna, on one county of animal cruelty.

3-Strikes Ranch, according to its web site, is a “Mustang outpost… a habitat to hundreds of mustangs from all over the United States… a natural environment for wild horses to run on the open prairies of the Sand Hills.” Mustangs captured by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that were not adopted after three attempts — three strikers — were sent to Jason Meduna at 3-Strikes Ranch.

Jerry Finch of Texas-based Habitat for Horses found that Meduna’s ranch had pastures devoid of grass with little or no edible grazing. On Sunday, Finch accompanied a sheriff’s deputy in a flyover of the property. It was then that the bodies of more than 60 dead horses were discovered. Nearly all of the animals on the ranch were malnourished, their back, ribs and hip bones were very pronounced. Two animals were so compromised, it was determined that humane euthanasia was necessary. Lab reports on the cause of death will be returned by Friday of this week.

Finch applauded Meduna’s decision to surrender custody of the animals, stating “we can now give these horses the medical treatment they need to get them on their feet again.” The horses have been moved to the Bridgeport Rodeo Grounds where veterinarians and volunteers will examine and treat each horse as needed. Finch estimates that more than 30 stallions were comingled in herds, indicating that many of the mares may be pregnant. According to Jill Starr of Lifesavers Foundation, “the ultimate goal is to place these animals in homes and facilities capable of addressing their needs and where they will have the opportunity to thrive.”

Donations are urgently needed to help cover the cost of medical care. Donations are being collected by Front Range Equine Rescue in Colorado. Credit card donations can be made online at http://www.frontrangeequinerescue.org. Donations can also be mailed to: Front Range Equine Rescue, P.O. Box 307, Larkspur, CO 80118. Please notate on your check and/or credit card donations that it is for “3-Strikes Mustangs”. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Habitat for Horses (HfH) is a not-for-profit equine protection agency committed to the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of neglected, abused and homeless horses. The largest organization of its kind in North America, HfH operates a rehabilitation ranch in Texas. The organization has taken a leadership role in horse protection issues and has been instrumental in developing and promoting legislation to eliminate the slaughter of American horses. To learn more, visit www.habitatforhorses.org
Lifesavers specializes in the rescue of American Mustangs. Since 1997, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, a program of nonprofit organization, Lifesavers, Inc., has provided refuge, training and adoption placement for hundreds of horses in need. To learn more, visit www.wildhorserescue.org

Breaking news can be found here: http://www.alliancetimes.com/breaking%20news.htm

Neglected Horses Begin Road to Recovery

Nearly 200 Neglected Horses Begin Road to Recovery

April 23, 2009

Animal Welfare Groups Come Together to Aid Rescued Mustangs

BRIDGEPORT, Neb. — Nearly 200 horses rescued from the 3-Strikes Mustang Ranch are now being transported to safety at the Bridgeport Fairgrounds. This is one of the largest equine rescue operations in Nebraska history.

When members of the Morrill County Sheriff’s Department raided the 3-Strikes Ranch last week they found the nearly 200 mustangs living in crowded, filthy pens without access to proper food or fresh water. The horses were severely emaciated and suffering from overgrown hooves and other untreated medical conditions. Unfortunately, help came too late for approximately 60 horses found dead on the property.

“This is one of the most disturbing cases of cruelty that I have come across in many years of equine rescue,” said Jerry Finch, director of Habitat for Horses. “These mustangs are part of our American history and deserve respect and proper care.”

The property owner, Jason Charles Meduna, was arrested last Friday and charged with cruel neglect of an animal, a class IV felony. According to its website, 3-Strikes Ranch adopts wild horses and burros from the Bureau of Land Management and also cares for horses for rescue organizations and private individuals.

The surviving horses have been seized by The Morrill County Sheriff’s Department. Habitat for Horses has called in The Humane Society of the United States, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, Front Range Equine Rescue and a cadre of local volunteers to assist with the transport and care of the mustangs. The groups involved are currently reaching out to mustang rescue groups across the country to find permanent housing for these animals.

The Humane Society of the United States arrived on site Wednesday with a team of a dozen equine handlers and animal rescue specialists. The HSUS will be providing much-needed logistical, administrative, intake and sheltering support for these neglected mustangs.

“The HSUS is proud to come to the assistance of these noble mustangs. We will be here to provide them the comfort they need as they start happy, healthy new lives,” said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services for The HSUS.

Individuals interested in making financial donations to support this rescue effort can do so through The Humane Society of the United States or Front Range Equine Rescue. Local residents able to donate hay and feed-based wormer can drop those items at the Bridgeport Fairgrounds.

Follow The HSUS on Twitter

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.

Breaking news can be found here: http://www.alliancetimes.com/breaking%20news.htm

Rescued Mustangs Ready For New Homes

Hundreds of Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch Ready for New Homes
Rescue Agencies and Volunteers Continue to Care for the ‘Nebraska 200’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jerry Finch 409-682-6621

1 May 2009

Alliance, NE – More than two hundred neglected horses and burros found at a Morrill County ranch are now available for adoption through Habitat for Horses, a Texas-based equine protection organization.

On April 22nd, more than two hundred horses and burros were seized from Three Strikes Ranch, a private mustang facility just outside Alliance, Nebraska. An additional 74 animals were confirmed dead. Necropsy results on a number of these animals revealed significant fat and muscle atrophy, which is consistent with starvation.

Jason Meduna, the ranch’s owner, was arrested on one count of felony animal cruelty, but additional charges are expected. The animals are now recuperating at their temporary home at the Bridgeport Rodeo Grounds. The Humane Society of the United States, Habitat for Horses and Front Range Equine Rescue have been working alongside the Bureau of Land Management and area veterinarians to feed, treat, and assess the 220 animals, including a number of foals born since the seizure. According to Jerry Finch of Habitat for Horses, “the outpouring of support from the local community is humbling. From home-cooked meals for the volunteers, to hay provided by the local Farm Bureaus, we could not ask for more or better support.”

Of the 220 animals at the Fairgrounds, 22 have been identified by their owners and will be returned to them. The remaining animals are available for placement with qualified individuals or groups. Those interested, should contact Hillary Wood of Front Range Equine Rescue at 719-481-1490. The horses have all received a negative Coggins and have been dewormed, vaccinated and microchipped. Finch strongly cautions that they are looking for those with experience in handling and training wild mustangs. According to Finch, “these are not back yard ponies.”

A dedicated website has been setup which includes photographs and descriptions of the available animals, as well as forms and contact numbers. For more information, please visit: http://nebraska200.horsereunions.com/.

Donations are still needed to help cover the cost of medical care. Credit card donations can be made online at http://www.habitatforhorses.org/getinvolved/donatenow.html. Donations can also be mailed to: Habitat for Horses, P.O. Box 213, Hitchcock, TX 77563. Please notate on your check and/or credit card donations that it is for “Nebraska 200 “. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Habitat for Horses (HfH) is a not-for-profit equine protection agency committed to the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of neglected, abused and homeless horses. The largest organization of its kind in North America, HfH operates a rehabilitation ranch in Texas. The organization has taken a leadership role in horse protection issues and has been instrumental in developing and promoting legislation to eliminate the slaughter of American horses. To learn more, visit www.habitatforhorses.org

Rescued Mustangs Moving

Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch Head to Wyoming & Texas
Homes and Donations Urgently Needed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: HfH Office 866-434-5737
Jerry Finch 409-682-6621

6 May 2009

Alliance, NE – More than 70 neglected horses and burros found at a Morrill County ranch have found new homes through Habitat for Horses, a Texas-based equine protection organization. Placement efforts are continuing for the more than 50 mares (females), who will be moved to the Cheyenne Stockyards in Wyoming. The males, both geldings and stallions, will be moved to Black Beauty Ranch, a Texas-based sanctuary.

On April 22nd, 211 horses and burros were seized from Three Strikes Ranch, a private mustang facility just outside Alliance, Nebraska. An additional 74 animals were confirmed dead. Necropsy results on a number of these animals revealed significant fat and muscle atrophy, which is consistent with starvation. Jason Meduna, the ranch’s owner, was arrested on one count of felony animal cruelty, but additional charges are expected.

Since the seizure, the animals have been gaining weight and strength at their temporary home at the Bridgeport Rodeo Grounds. Horses are being placed with private adopters as well as rescue organizations throughout the United States. James Weber, a Box Butte County rancher, has been volunteering every day since the rescue began. Weber proudly talks of the four horses he adopted, “#3815 was the colt I led from the hills. I believe his mother was the last horse to die on the ranch. I found him standing over the body, and the mare had dug a halo all the way around where she died.”

More than 20 animals have been reunited with their owners, including Dr. Richard Porter of Nebraska-based KV Vet Supply. In an email statement, Porter said “I’m thankful for all those who responded so quickly to the rescue effort. I estimate my horse is at least 150 to 200 pounds underweight and will take several months to gain that weight back. It’s going to be a long road for all these animals. With 74 dead animals it’s a tragic situation really. We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to help save as many animals as we can.” Porter’s organization donated and shipped much needed supplies to assist in the recovery efforts.

Finch, who has been on site since April 18th, will travel with the mares to Cheyenne. While pleased with their efforts thus far, he remains focused on finishing the mission. Finch is particularly concerned about the mounting costs with the upcoming move, stating, “We could not have done this without the support and efforts of the local community, volunteers and partner organizations, but our work is far from done. We still must find suitable placement for nearly 50 mares, many pregnant. The need for financial support has never been greater.”

A dedicated website has been setup which includes photographs of the available animals, as well as forms and contact numbers. For more information, please visit: http://nebraska200.horsereunions.com/. Donations can be made online at http://www.habitatforhorses.org or mailed to: Habitat for Horses, P.O. Box 213, Hitchcock, TX 77563.

About Habitat for Horses:
Habitat for Horses (HfH) is the largest non-profit equine protection agency in North America, committed to the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of neglected and abused horses. The organization has taken a leadership role in horse protection issues and has been instrumental in developing and promoting legislation to eliminate the slaughter of American horses. To learn more, visit, www.habitatforhorses.org

All Rescued Mustangs Adopted

Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch on to Greener Pastures

All 211 Animals Placed in New Homes, Involved Parties Thrilled with Outcome

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: HfH Office 866-434-5737
Jerry Finch 409-682-6621

Update May 14, 2009

Cheyenne, WY – Just three weeks after more than 220 neglected horses and burros were seized from a Morrill County ranch, all of the animals have found new homes through Habitat for Horses, a Texas-based equine protection organization.

On April 22nd, 211 horses and burros were seized from Three Strikes Ranch, a private mustang facility just outside Alliance, Nebraska. An additional 74 animals were confirmed dead. Necropsy results on a number of these animals revealed significant fat and muscle atrophy, which is consistent with starvation. Jason Meduna, the ranch’s owner, was arrested on one count of felony animal cruelty, but additional charges are expected.

Following the seizure, the animals were moved to the Bridgeport Rodeo Grounds in Nebraska and later, the remaining mares were relocated to Cheyenne, WY. At the same time, the geldings and studs were sent to Black Beauty Ranch, a sanctuary in Texas owned by the Humane Society of the United States. On Thursday, the last of these mares was loaded on a trailer to her new home, bringing an end to the three week rescue operation, the largest of its kind in Nebraska history.

All 221 equine were placed with rescue organizations and adopters in more than 15 states. Katie Smith, a Wisconsin-based horse trainer, adopted two mares. Smith, a competitor in the Midwest Mustang Trainer’s Challenge, drove more than 14 hours to pickup her new charges, now named Snickers and Kimico. Asked about their adoption, Smith says “I went through all of the photos on the website, looking for horses with a ‘soft eye’. I couldn’t be happier with my choices! I was surprised to find that Snickers is halter broken. Kimico is still very scared, but is getting more curious every day. I’m amazed by her progress given what she has been through. Once they’re healthy and have had their foals, I’ll train them both for trail riding. Since hearing about this, I have been so angry and sad that these horses were allowed to deteriorate to this point – now I’m just beyond grateful for their rescue.”

Jerry Finch of Habitat for Horses has been managing the rescue since April 18th. While relieved to return to his home in Texas, he is overjoyed with the outcome. “We started out three weeks ago with what seemed an insurmountable task – find placement for over 200 horses, nearly all unhandled mustangs. Today, every single one of these horses is in a safe, qualified facility and will never know the agony of starvation again. This extraordinary success would not have been possible without the efforts of partner organizations, volunteers and the local community.” Asked about what led up to the events at Three Strikes Ranch, Finch states, “These horses were not starved because of the economy or lack of domestic slaughtering: Meduna never sought help, continued to recklessly breed, and remains adamant that he did nothing wrong. We’re constantly bombarded with stories about the ‘Unwanted Horse Crisis’, including unsubstantiated reports of thousands of abandoned animals. From what we’ve seen here, this is not a crisis. With better controls on breeding and a little bit of time and effort, we can find safe placement for every unwanted horse. Unfortunately, too many people want the easy way out, which ultimately means their animals will endure tremendous suffering.”

A dedicated website was established which now includes photographs and updates of the adopted horses. For more information, please visit: http://nebraska200.horsereunions.com/. Donations can be made online at http://www.habitatforhorses.org or mailed to: Habitat for Horses, P.O. Box 213, Hitchcock, TX 77563.

New Book – “Twelve The King”

A new book I very much look forward to reading, by the author of, “Dances With Wolves” and several other novels.

From the website:

Less than one percent of humans who live in America have ever seen wild horses running free. I have spoken with many of the few who have and each has said the view they made will never be forgotten.

As remarkable as a distant sight of wild horses can be it remains the tip of a glorious iceberg. The actual lives of wild horses reveal to humanity the privilege having a life on the planet earth and how vital it is to respect the privilege.

Twelve the King is not a novel or a non-fiction study. It is a short memorial based on a wild horse stallion in whose presence I spent nearly fifteen years of my own life. He never had anything put on his back and was given all-access to the ranch he lived on after surviving a brutal capture in Nevada.

The book has been written to honor his existence and share with anyone the inspiration and knowledge he exhibited each day of his life. It is hoped that those who read about horse number 1202’s intimate state of being will feel something that will provoke action. Action that will oppose the link between politicians and corporations which has been playing a shell game for generations to kill and remove every wild horse in America.

-Michael Blake

Available June 15th from Perceval Press

In Memory – Bones and Phantom

To honor a couple of the wild ones that are, unfortunately, no longer with us…

Bones was from the Spring Creek Basin, CO herd. She died while trying to bring a new life into the world. Bones had broken her pelvis at some point – the reason she was not able to deliver. I observed for myself her strong will to live (despite the damage to her body) on a visit to Spring Creek in 2008. She was a tough little mare which won her a soft spot with many. It’s a shame that these will be the only images I’ll have of her.

(You can follow this herd through TJ Holmes’ Spring Creek Basin Weblog).

Bones - mare from Spring Creek HMA, CO

Bones

Bay stallion Poco with Bones

Bones with her stallion, Poco

The Little Book Cliffs, CO herd lost a member this Spring as well. Phantom was just 12 years old. According to Billie Hutchings’ blog (Wild Horses of the Little Book Cliffs), his mares were found with another stallion and some horseback riders found Phantom’s body several days later. There was no obvious cause. Again, I was fortunate to have photographed this big, handsome boy with the unusual face marking (that earned him his name) in 2006.

Band stallion Phantom from The Little Book Cliffs

Phantom

Phantom

The memorable face of Phantom

They live on in our photographs and memories…

BLM Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses

PRESS RELEASE – from The Cloud Foundation
June 11, 2009 – for immediate release

Documents Reveal BLM Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses

Documents obtained from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) via the Freedom of Information Act by a Phoenix-based non-profit, The Conquistador Program, reveal shocking and detailed plans to destroy healthy wild horses in government holding facilities as well as those still remaining in the wild on public lands.

BLM employees as well as a USDA veterinarian held weekly “Implementation Team” meetings beginning in July of 2008 in which they discussed and developed strategies aimed at ridding BLM of thousands of mustangs. In October they completed a 68 page document entitled “Alternative Management Options”. Tactics included in this document are reminiscent of those used to wipe out Native American tribes in the 1800s.

The BLM team created scenarios for killing mustangs using barbiturates, gun shots, or captive bolts. Bodies would be disposed of through rendering, burial or incineration. They discussed killing 1200-2000 wild horses per year. The document states that “the general public would be prohibited from viewing euthanasia.” Additionally, the Team felt that “increased support from public relations and management staff would also be needed to insulate those doing the actual work from the public, media and Congressional scrutiny/criticism.”

“Minutes from these meetings as well as the Draft Plan reveal what amounts to ‘the final solution’ for the American mustang,” states Ginger Kathrens, filmmaker and Volunteer Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. “Despite a huge outcry from the American public last year regarding BLM plans to kill wild horses in holding, the agency is still pressing forward with a plan to destroy our American mustangs both on and off the range.”

Division Chief of the Wild Horse and Burro Program Don Glenn told The Cloud Foundation that “no decision has been made to move forward on a large scale with this plan, yet.”

BLM meeting minutes speak for themselves. “Security at facilities and at gathers would need to be increased to combat eco-terrorism. Having the people that are willing to put down healthy horses at gather sites could be a problem. Having vets putting down healthy horses at preparation facility[ies] could also be a problem.” Meeting minutes reveal the psychological toll that employees would pay—“have counseling for employees and contractors that have to euthanize the healthy horses because it is very stressful.”

The report created an option in which wild horses of all ages could be sold “without limitation”. In other words, horses could be sold directly to killer buyers in unchecked numbers. The Team admitted that “some wild horses will go to slaughter”.

“Once they are gone, they’re gone” says Karen Sussman, President of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros. “To lose this incomparable species would be a travesty.”

Team Members formulated ways in which they could circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act, asking “How many (wild horses) could be euthanized during a gather (roundup) without having NEPA?” BLM discussed ways to circumvent the federal carcass disposal law (43 CFR 4730.2). Conversations included how many wild horses could be rendered at the Reno Rendering plant or “disposed of in pits”. The Team concluded that “there will not be large numbers of horses euthanized during gathers or in the field. This is due to state environmental laws.”

Recommendations include the creation of gelding herds, and sterilization of mares to create non-reproductive herds in the wild in place of natural herds. The team recommended changing the sex ratio from the normal 50% males and 50% females to 70% males and 30% females. Then the experimental two-year infertility drug, PZP-22, would be given to all mares that are returned to the wild. Plans call for rounding up the wild horses every two years to re-administer the drug.

“Mares on the drug will cycle monthly and, with the altered sex ratio, the social chaos will be dangerous and on-going,” Kathrens explains. “Any semblance of normal wild horse society will be completely destroyed.”

Kathrens has spent 15 years in the wild documenting mustang behavior for her PBS television documentaries which chronicle the life story of Cloud, the now famous pale palomino stallion she has filmed since birth. “Even Cloud and his little herd in Montana are in serious danger if BLM implements these options,” she continues. “The BLM plans a massive round up in Cloud’s herd beginning August 30, 2009.”

The BLM will not guarantee that Cloud and his family will remain free.

The BLM documents referred to above and photos of wild horses are available from The Cloud Foundation (and below).

BLM – Wild Horse Alternative Management Options
BLM – Implementation Team meeting minutes

The Cloud Foundation, Inc.
107 South 7th St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-633-3842
719-633-3896 (fax)
info@thecloudfoundation.org
thecloudfoundation.org

More information:
The Conquistador Equine Rescue and Advocacy Program

Cloud Portrait in winter

Free No More Update

Back on March 18th, I wrote an entry entitled, “Free No More” about a wild mare and her young colt that I had photographed just prior to the Sand Wash Basin, CO BLM gather in October, 2008. Regretfully, I would not be able to follow this foal’s development in the wild as he was offered for adoption. But, I also included in that writing – “My hope is that he found a caring, forever home.” Below is one of the images from that post.

In mid April, I received an e-mail from a very nice gal (Mary) out on the Western Slope of Colorado who wrote:

“Dear Pam, I am compelled to write you – I came across your blog by total happenstance – and to my delight and astonishment, I stumbled on your photos of our dear babies! The little paint colt in your “Free No More” post was adopted by us! – along with 3 other weanlings from the Sand Wash gather.”

The power of the Internet can be an amazing thing in its ability to bring folks together. Mary has since sent me many photos of the “babies” and has honored me by addressing them to “Aunt Pam.” As yet, I have not been out to see the youngsters myself, but Mary and her husband Dusty have extended the invitation and I plan to take them up on it. The following is an image I took of “Nobody” in the wild and images sent to me by Mary.

Dusty with Nobody

Nobody, Hazel and Dusty (on crutches)

Mary and Nobody

Ahhh - Mary and Nobody

“We have been involved with the Adoption program for over 9 years. We have 3 other horses we have adopted from the Sand Wash herd over the past years. (One was gathered at 6 years old and was destined for the sanctuary. We took a chance on him – he was no problem gentling and anyone can ride him now!) When we first saw “Nobody” (the paint colt – he is actually a Medicine Hat as it turns out), he was so small and sleeping sound among the mass of babies. It really tugged at your heart. It is sad to dwell on the gathers, but we try to move past it and do what we can to adopt a horse and teach it to live in the domesticated/human world. In a sense we are grateful the BLM has the adoption program for it has afforded us to become family and friends with a wild horse – an opportunity MANY folks will never embark on nor have a chance to experience. We both grew up involved deeply with horses, however, since becoming a wild horse adopter, we have learned volumes from the mustangs.

“Nobody” was so tiny we just knew he had to get into a home with some personal care, though in the long run, I imagine many folks would have elected to adopt him because of his markings. My husband had his eye on a palomino colt; we could have stopped there, but a black colt with a white ring around his eye (like the dog in The Little Rascals!) and a distinctive looking filly had also grabbed our heart strings – so madness prevailed and all four have their home with us. I also saw on your website you had a photo of her with her band. Her name is “Sister Hazel”; the palomino’s name is “Sheepcamp” and our black colt with white on his face is nicknamed “Petey” – real name is “Two and a Half Bars.”

Nobody (who we knew from first sight that he is SOMEBODY!) has grown like a weed! Vet and us are fairly certain he was just a late foal being so much smaller than the others last fall. Petey is easily as tall as some of the older mustangs. They are all doing well and learning halter and feet trimming, etc. I know they are not out on 160,000 acres, but they enjoy us scratching their itchy spots and giving us kisses.

Your photos are beautiful and please continue your wild horse adventures and sharing your talent. I know it is not as inspiring to follow Nobody growing up in captivity as it would have been to follow him in Sand Wash, but I just wanted you to know he was here and very well cared for and loved. He makes ME smile everyday!! He is so funny – a total character! Hazel is beautiful and so dear. Petey is in your pocket. Sheepcamp is so athletic.

P.S. Dusty is on crutches due to hip replacement surgery, NOT falling off our wild horses!”

Below are images of “Sister Hazel” as a wild foal at Sand Wash Basin HMA, CO., and pictures from Mary after she and Dusty adopted her.

Hazel and Dusty

Hazel and Mary with Sheepcamp in the background

Hazel, Nobody and Dusty

Mary and I continued to correspond and I learned more about their other “adoptees” and their experiences with the wild horses.

“August of 2000 – from internet adoption. I was nervous as heck doing the online bidding! Adopted a pair – mare with a weanling. Lucy and Diamond (Diamond was actually born in a facility after Lucy was gathered). They are from Nevada. I picked them up at Canon City.

November 2000 – Went to a Wild Horse Workshop and adoption in Golden and adopted a 1 year-old burro. His name is Steely – he is awesome, a total pet!

October 2001 – Went to Sand Wash gather with a best friend (who adopted also) and adopted Cowboy at the onsite adoption. Back then, they were doing competitive live auction – it was scary! I actually “lost” the bid of the horse I really wanted. So after the auction the BLM put the “no sales” up for a silent bid and I got Cowboy – sorrel 2 year old with blaze. I adopted him for $125 – the horse I lost during the sale auction went for $1000! Too steep for me! He was a big strawberry roan and I had his name already picked out – Santana, but he went to a ranch in Steamboat, CO. Cowboy is the smoothest riding horse – you would not spill a drop of champagne if you were holding a glass and trotting circles!

July 2002 – Dusty’s nephew actually adopted Nevada – a 3 yr-old roan pinto, at the Longmont 4th of July adoption. He has lived with us from the beginning because we had an approved facility. He has ended up being our horse. Nevada is so sweet and like a little Clydesdale!

October 2005 – At Sand Wash gather (again!) we adopted Imagine, sorrel weanling and brought him home from Maybell (BLM now only does silent auction bids!) He is massive now! – as big as my Warmblood dressage horse that wears draft size everything! I am hoping to take Imagine into the dressage world – he is extremely smart and a quick study with nice gaits. From this gather, we also adopted, A Boy Named Sue. A bay 6 year old stud! Sue would have been put out to sanctuary and NOT in the adoption program because he was “too old.” But Dusty had been watching him at the corrals during the gather and just saw something special. We worked with the Canon City office and requested to adopt him regardless of his age – we promised we would not return him!! Anyway we had to go to Canon City to get him because Sue had been shipped down during the gather with most of the horses during the processing (they only keep a few for the onsite adoption at a gather.) So really it was November 2005 when we adopted Sue AND…while we were down there picking up Sue, we adopted – Pussy Cat (bay 3 yr-old from Nevada), Wonderland (black 2-yr old from Nevada) and Mac (bay pinto 2 yr-old from McCullough Peaks, WY).

Going down to Canon City to adopt is really fun and much less stressful than trying to make it to a special off-site adoption. You just can’t have a felonious police record because they won’t let you into the prison!!

October 2008 – (yes, you guessed it – Sand Wash gather again!) Anyway, we had no intention of adopting. We just went to have a little get away to some beautiful country. The studs, mares and the BABIES were just amazing and gorgeous! The HSUS was doing the PZP and we just thought about what an uncertain future it is for this herd. We left for home all the while contemplating the thought of “how to help the Sand Wash horses” and what is going to happen to the quality of the herd…???

November 2008 – yup it was crazy, but went down to Canon City and adopted the kids – what’s the point of getting one when you can get 4! We know we “didn’t have to do it” and were accepting responsibility for alot of horses now, but do NOT regret it for a second! They have been so much joy. All the horses are still with us! We have 4 domestics right now in addition to all the mustangs.”

Petey

Dusty and Petey. That is a very unique eye patch and does look just like the Little Rascals dog, Petey doesn't it? For those that remember...

Dusty and Petey

Dusty, Petey and Sheepcamp

Sheepcamp

I asked Mary about her experiences with the adoption program and her life with the Mustangs, and this is what she described.

“Joy, but also it has dramatically changed our knowledge of horsemanship and training. The wild horses have taught us SO MUCH about working/communicating with a horse. Both Dusty and I grew up with horses, though from completely different backgrounds. Dusty – a CO rancher, team roper, worked in feedlots, rodeoed and started colts, etc – all the “cowboy” stuff. I came from New England and grew up on a large farm. We kept our horses at home not at a fancy show barn. We did foxhunting, jumping, pony club, 4-H, polo, dressage and I spent alot of time riding my ponies on the trails, in the woods and in the fields. My folks were very close friends with riders who were and are on the US Olympic team.”

Clearly, these are two people who regard the Mustangs very highly and don’t see any limit as to their use and abilities. For the sake of the many wild horses currently available for adoption, I wish more folks thought this way. For their part, Mary and Dusty should be very proud – they’ve saved several living symbols of our nation’s heritage. Symbols that are all too rapidly disappearing from our public lands. And, it looks like more Mustangs than just the little pinto colt I photographed found that caring, forever home I’d hoped for.

Rescuing an American Icon

I thought long and hard about writing this story. It’s been such a horrendously heartbreaking event (for many); I just didn’t think I could relive any part of it. However, it seems there is always some good that shines through a tragedy and my experience is no exception. To do the story justice, I have to start from the beginning.

In the spring of 2007, I photographed a magnificent tri-colored pinto stallion from the White Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) near Rock Springs, Wyoming. I have photographed many, many wild horses, but this particular Mustang made more of an impression somehow. To me, he was the epitome of all the exceptional and unique qualities embodied in the wild horses. And for that reason, I vowed that if I ever found out he’d been rounded up, I’d do my best to save him.

El Mariachi in the wild - White Mountain HMA Wyoming

El Mariachi and his band in the wild - March, 2007

El Mariachi in the wild, 2007.

In November of 2007, there was a BLM roundup of the White Mountain HMA. Six hundred horses were taken off their range and the magnificent pinto stallion I had photographed, and so admired, was one of them. He was no longer running free. Rounded up in the prime of his life, but too old for the adoption program which left him destined for – what? Long term sanctuary or possibly sold to a kill buyer under the “sale authority” provision? Now I needed to seriously think about the promise I’d made to myself…and to him.

El Mariachi at the Canon City, CO BLM holding facility

El Mariachi at Canon City, CO facility in December, 2007

His eyes and mine always seemed to meet.

At the BLM holding facility

I purchased El Mariachi (as I later learned he was named by artist Dwayne Tanner in one of his paintings) in January of 2008 and relocated him to a ranch in Nebraska where he was to live out his life running wild just as he had for all of his 11 years. That lasted just over a year before there were serious concerns and allegations made regarding the ranch and it became necessary to re-rescue my horse. If it can be called lucky, El Mariachi (and another Mustang we rescued at the same time) was one of the fortunate ones. He survived the ordeal. Since the case is currently in litigation, that’s all I’ll say about it other than I pray for justice for every horse and every person involved.

Dwayne Tanner's painting of El Mariachi

El Mariachi at 3-Strikes Ranch in June, 2008.

El Mariachi on 4-16-2009. These photos will always make me cry.

Seeing El Mariachi in such emaciated condition took me to my knees. I was absolutely heartsick. I went back and forth between uncontrollable tears and utter rage. It was a terrible scene and what I witnessed there will haunt me forever.

Through the efforts of my ever supportive husband Tom and another gal, Amanda Davis (who helped Tom and I get the two wild horses loaded in our trailer), El Mariachi and Hope began their recovery on April 16th, 2009 under the very competent care of two veterinarians from Alliance, Nebraska. Drs. Jim and Tom Furman. I was amazed that they would even consider taking on two completely unhandled horses, but that was all part of the good stuff that was to come out of this terrible situation. These were awesome people who really went out of their way to help us through something we all viewed as incomprehensible. I’m very grateful to them.

After a week and a half at the Vet clinic, “Dr. Tom” offered his personal farm and care to continue the horse’s rehabilitation until I was able to find a suitable, permanent situation. Seems El Mariachi had worked his magic again – Dr. Tom had become quite taken with the big guy (he refers to El Mariachi as, “our boy”). With time and patience, he was actually able to touch El Mariachi gently on the nose. “It was awesome” he said. I could only imagine at first, but I got my chance later on.

El Mariachi and Hope at Dr. Tom's farm - 5-16-2009. One month into their recovery.

El Mariachi on 5-24-2009. Appx 5 weeks into recovery.

Me offering El Mariachi a flake of hay. 5-24-2009

After several hours of sitting with and feeding El Mariachi, he allowed me to touch him twice on the nose. A bittersweet moment for me. My hope for his complete freedom could never be...

Hope, El Mariachi and me. Taken 5-24-2009 by Dr. Jim Furman.

Hope and El Mariachi. 5-24-2009.

Hope and El Mariachi. 5-24-2009.

El Mariachi on 5-25-2009. He has such kind eyes.

I worried every day about where to place the horses. I was sick, sleepless – completely shell-shocked that the situation I’d placed my horse in had turned out the way it had. How was I ever going to find a safe place for these two wild horses? I had someone offer a place for them for which I was grateful, and I considered it, but my gut kept nagging at me that it wasn’t a perfect fit. I continued to pursue other options.

A friend of mine mentioned the name of a very well-known and highly respected wild horse advocate out of South Dakota. I knew the name and was certain she’d be a reliable source of information. My trust had been shattered, so having someone so well thought of to consult with was a real blessing. I contacted Karen Sussman and explained my situation. She was familiar with the case and said she thought she might know of someone who could help – she told me she’d be in touch. Those few days I spent waiting for her to get back to me were long, but, she didn’t disappoint. She had indeed found someone who could help and my new hero (how could I consider him as anything else?) took the horses sight unseen. I am forever grateful to Karen for her efforts in coordinating the horses’ placement with this big-hearted, very generous man. Michael Blake (author and screenplay writer of “Dances with Wolves”) offered to take the 2 horses and allow them to peacefully live out their lives on his very private, remote ranch at the base of the Rincon Mountains in southern Arizona. I could not believe it! What an incredible outcome for these two survivors. My gut no longer nagged at me and the decision was made. The horses would be transported to Arizona.

Loading the horses for the trip to Arizona - 5-26-2009.

The horses arrived at Michael’s ranch on May 27th, 2009. He’s been so kind keeping me informed of their improving conditions and the entire goings on as they adjust to their new life in the safety of his care. And he was gracious enough to let me know that I could call anytime or come visit the horses whenever I wanted. So, I took him up on it! My Mom, Tom and I went down to Arizona on June 26th, 2009 to visit El Mariachi and Hope and to meet Michael so I could personally thank him for the gift he had given me and the horses.

Michael himself had rescued a BLM stallion that had been captured after running free for 20 years. He named the horse Twelve and he has a very touching memoir of their time together entitled, “Twelve The King.” He also rescued a Mustang mare named Samantha as a companion for Twelve (who lived to be almost 40 years old!) who is now in her mid 20’s. Other ranch residents are Tomas, a big, bay 3 year-old gelding that Michael rescued after Tomas had been starved and Little Boy, Michael’s retired riding horse. Rounding out the animal family are three dogs, a cat and a raven. Obviously, Michael is an animal lover. He sees himself as a caretaker, not an “owner” and I admire that. It’s the same way I feel about my relationship with El Mariachi.

Michael is just what I expected after speaking with him on the phone several times; kind, generous, interesting, passionate about his beliefs and very real. But let me tell you how surreal it felt at one point to be chatting away so comfortably and then to realize, hey, this is a man who stood at the podium at the Academy Awards – the recipient of an Oscar for his masterful creation, “Dances with Wolves.” Unbelievable. I think about just how much good stuff transpired to get the horses to this new place and person in their lives – our lives. I finally begin to believe there are better times ahead. The horses are safe and I’m no longer immobilized with fear and worry about their futures. Michael, and ALL the people who played a part along the way have given me more than they’ll ever realize. I don’t even know how to begin to thank everyone, but know that I do. I’ll never forget the kindness and generosity that was shown to me and these beautiful, beautiful horses. Never.

Mom (who is battling cancer) watches the horses eat. This is before their release. They're very comfortable in the stall and run area. The stall has a fan overhead that they seem to really appreciate.

Both horses continue to fill out nicely. Michael is doing a beautiful job with their rehabilitation. They're now in the outdoor arena, just before we open the gate to the rest of the property. It was so nice of Michael to wait until we could be there to witness their first time out.

These two are so close. They've been together about a year and a half now. Hope is still pretty skittish while El Mariachi continues to be sensible and calm. He's an amazing boy.

Taking care of each others itchies.

Samantha, Michael's Mustang mare is still the boss and gives young Tomas a bit of a reminder that she's still got it.

Mom toughed out the flight and the Arizona heat to see El Mariachi. She just loves that horse. I'm grateful to Mom for her support and the help she gave us covering some of the horse's medical expenses. Most of the cost of our trip to see the horses was her birthday present to me. She knew just what I wanted! We found ourselves sitting on the bench a few times (as it faces the horse's stall area) just to watch Hope and El Mariachi eat. They'll never be hungry again!

While Mom and I enjoyed the horses, Tom did what he always does - went about helping out where he could. Poop removal is a constant chore on a horse ranch! Thanks Tommy.

Michael and Tomas. I really like this picture of both of them.

The horses head out to explore the rest of the ranch with Tomas (who has a crush on Hope) following closely behind.

Checking each other out - no drama. They were just fine.

It was strange how the horse's went right down to where Twelve is buried. El Mariachi is standing in front of the metal horse that bears the numbers 1202 (Twelve's BLM hip brand number).

Hope at Twelve's gravesite.

Enjoying a bite together.

Hope and El Mariachi.

Hope, El Mariachi and Tomas.

Hope watches Tomas make a spectacle of himself as he runs around the property trying to impress her. Actually, he must have because she did run off with Tomas for a bit before El Mariachi decided to go collect her.

Well, Hope does seem to fancy the good looking boys. This is Tomas.

Heading calmly down to the creek area to collect Hope from her playtime with Tomas.

Looking for Hope.

El Mariachi scolded Hope (very gently) and in this photo, she appears very apologetic for having run off.

Michael puts the little instigator away for the day.

El Mariachi and Hope come in on their own for the comfort of the fan and something to eat.

Mom enjoys a real treat by being able to get up close to El Mariachi. People have told me that El Mariachi (who was so elusive in the wild, I could never get very close to him) displays a certain amount of gratitude by allowing himself to be more approachable. He's still wary and will never be asked to be more than what he is - a wild horse - but, it's good to know that there are a certain few that he will learn to trust. He'll be able to relax and enjoy the rest of his days in as much carefree freedom as possible given he'll never be completely wild again. It's the best we can do when we take wild horses off their range. I believe El Mariachi and Hope will have a wonderful life in their new home.

Obviously, this story doesn’t have an end, so I will be doing periodic updates as I get opportunities to visit the horses and Michael. It’s just so gratifying to know that the horses are recovering and will have a quality life despite what they’ve been through. I know that the next time I see them, they’ll be back at optimum weight.

In the meantime, I feel a certain responsibility to try to get people thinking about what happened to these two horses and why. The wild horses need to be better understood and managed as do the “sanctuaries” in which they are sometimes placed. This incident should never be forgotten and I can only hope for positive changes as a result of the many horses that suffered and died. Something just has to change.

El Mariachi is smart, strong, put together well and possesses a proud, yet gentle spirit. He has every quality I would look for in a horse companion. And there’s an added bonus that many Mustang owners enjoy of a bond of trust unmatched when the horses are handled correctly and patiently. We could learn alot from the wild horses, if we’d only give them the opportunity and time. They do require patience. I can’t think of a better trait to embrace though – it would benefit not only ourselves, but the people we encounter in our daily lives. I will just never understand why the wild horses are not used, appreciated and PROTECTED more as the gifts they truly are.

Important note: Before I purchased El Mariachi, that beautiful horse belonged to each and every one of you. All of the BLM managed Mustangs belong to you. Many people don’t even realize this, but the wild horses belong to the PUBLIC. You. Their futures are in your hands as well. If you ever have an opportunity to view a wild horse in its natural surroundings, I guarantee that you’ll be changed forever, and maybe you’ll begin to understand why many people work so hard to preserve them. Hopefully, you’ll become involved in the wild horse protection efforts yourself. There are so few wild herds remaining, it’s imperative that people act NOW. The wild horses are magical, spiritual creatures and they absolutely deserve their place on our Earth.

Related stories:

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/el-mariachis-thunder-road/

http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/el-mariachi-and-hope-update/

H.R. 1018 (ROAM) Going for Vote Today

***UPDATE – H.R. 1018 passes***

From: Karen Sussman
Subject: Urgent! HR 1018 coming to floor tomorrow for vote
Date: Thursday, July 16, 2009, 5:46 PM

We have received notification that H.R. 1018 that will restore protections to wild horses and burros by reversing the Burns amendment and more will be coming to the floor tomorrow (Friday, July 17th) for a vote.

Can you please call your Congress person and ask that they vote in FAVOR of H.R. 1018. This is critical to the future of wild horses.

You can also call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask that you be transferred to your representative.

To find your representative and phone number go to: www.congress.org

We appreciate every effort to help save America’s wild horses!

Karen A. Sussman
President, ISPMB
PO Box 55
Lantry, SD 57636-0055
Tel: 605.964.6866
Cell: 605.430.2088
Saving America’s Wild Horses and Burros since 1960

www.ispmb.org

Become a member of ISPMB today!
http://www.ispmb.org/membership.shtml

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“Hooter” – McCullough Peaks, WY

I just learned that a stallion from McCullough Peaks that I had come to admire over the years, is gone. Hooter, a red roan tovero colored horse, was approximately 15 years old. Not the most handsome boy or even a very big, impressive horse. What I admired so much about Hooter was just how scrappy he was in his efforts to claim a family. It seemed that almost every time I saw Hooter, he was either fighting to keep a family, or fighting to gain one. I always saw him as a bit of an underdog, but never lacking in courage. At least he died as he lived – wild and free with offspring that will carry on his legacy.

Scrappy little stallion, Hooter

Hooter and Major - these two were always going round and round

Hooter and Major

Hooter and the black sabino stallion, Utah

This was the last mare and foal I saw with Hooter as their stallion - 2008

Hooter (far left) with some colorful horses of McCullough Peaks

My favorite image of Hooter (with Major)

Drastic Removal Planned for Cloud’s Herd

Read the full Action Alert.

Watch Ginger Kathren’s new YouTube video regarding this issue.

“We are asking that everyone contact Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, exsec@ios.doi.gov or 202-208-7351. We need to go to the top to save this unique herd of wild horses should the BLM move forward with their disastrous plan!”

Wild stallion Cloud of the Pryor Mountains

Wild Horse Weekend

The weekend of July 25-26 started early Friday evening with Michael Blake (author and screenplay writer of “Dances With Wolves” and several other books) as the Guest of Honor at the Zuma’s Rescue Ranch fund raising event in Littleton, Colorado. Michael spoke briefly about the importance of protecting our wild horses, saving our natural resources and restoring balance (selfishly, I wish it could’ve been much longer) and then spent the rest of the evening visiting with and signing books for folks. Just a couple of days prior to his Colorado visit, Michael had just completed 8 appearances in 8 days along with television, radio and newspaper interviews, travelling a total of close to three thousand miles. Whew! Where ever he showed his new documentary (“The American West: On the Road with Michael Blake) it was met with a standing ovation (I can’t wait to see it for myself!). He’s a very inspiring speaker. See him if you get the chance! (For those of you who are not aware, I have a rather unique connection with Michael Blake – he cares for my 2 rescued Mustangs at his ranch in southern Arizona. He’s a very generous and kind man. You can read about that story HERE).

Me with Michael Blake

Joining Tom and I for the evening were Rene and Craig Ferdig from Bennett, CO (they’re great horsey people with their own “herd” of 4) and my friend TJ Holmes from southwestern Colorado (who documents in detail the lives of the Spring Creek wild horses near Dove Creek, CO). TJ was making a quick loop around Colorado. She planned to stay overnight with us after the book signing before heading up to Craig, CO to take in the Sand Wash Basin wild horses. She had asked if we’d like to go with her, but having just weathered the 2nd worst wind and hail storm in Colorado history a few days earlier, (so much damage!), we just didn’t think we could get things cleaned up enough to even consider going. It was Tom that decided on Friday night (at the book signing!) that we should go. Okay then, that was a surprise, but I was good with it! And so the 3 of us set out early Saturday morning for the northwestern section of the state.

Once we arrived in Craig, we met up with Amanda Conner, an intern with the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) who identifies and documents behavior bands in Sand Wash as part of a PZP (birth control) study. It’s always fun to go with someone who knows the horses and area so well, and Amanda does. We very much appreciated the time she spent with us.

TJ’s Spring Creek Basin herd has had several Sand Wash mares brought in to promote healthier genetic diversity (the Spring Creek herd is small – around 50 horses) so TJ had a special interest in the area and one stallion in particular – Corona (aka, Fabio). Raven, one of the new mares to Spring Creek had been part of his band and had given birth to an unusually colored baby named Corona – in honor of her most likely sire.

Upon entering the HMA, it wasn’t long before we ran into horses. Cosmo’s band initially took off when they saw us, but then unexpectedly turned around and came right up the road towards us. We never figured out why, but it presented an awesome opportunity for some closer photos.

Band stallion Cosmo

Cosmo's band

Mare and foal

We also came across this bachelor band.

Bachelor boys

One of the bachelors

After visiting with the bachelors, we decided to press on in hopes of finding more horses. Shortly into the next leg of our drive, TJ’s Jeep came to a stop, Amanda’s binoculars came out and I could see the 2 girls making all kinds of motions and gestures inside the vehicle. ??? TJ came running back to us and pointed to the left – “it’s Corona!” Aha, TJ would get to see the stallion she’d travelled so far to meet.

The Palomino colored stallion Corona with family

Corona stands in the middle - there is one other mare and foal in his band. A beautiful pinto mare and her injured foal.

Corona's pinto mare and her injured foal. The foal has a pretty severe hock injury. We hope the little guy makes it...

TJ, on the left, zooms in on Corona's band while Amanda evaluates the injured foal's condition through her scope.

A storm was approaching so we made the decision to head out of the basin. Raindrops started pounding the windshields as we picked up the pace (Tom and I were stuck in Sand Wash for almost 2 days in rainy conditions – we didn’t want a repeat of that stay). We barely outran the rain, but when we did, we stopped and pondered going back. The clouds had passed quickly and it was still pretty early in the evening. Ah, now these were my kind of people. Everyone was game. We turned around and headed back to some horses we’d passed on the way out. It was Picasso’s band and as you’ll see, he was worth turning around for. He’s very uniquely marked and at 20+ years, he’s still a band stallion. Impressive.

As we made our way out towards Picasso's band, TJ heard a noise that made us stop and look around. Curled up in a sagebrush bush that Amanda had just walked past was this rattlesnake. As we watched, he started making his way towards us - probably attracted to our body heat since it was a pretty cool day outside. Creepy.

Seeking out the heat source - US!

Now we all had the “willies” as we walked out towards the band carefully listening for warning rattles and checking out the many holes in the ground. Picasso soon had us preoccupied with other thoughts however. He’s a majestic animal – we did our best to capture his essence through our lenses to share with folks, many who will unfortunately never be privileged enough to see this horse for themselves in his wild world.

The majestic stallion Picasso

Picasso with one his mares and her foal

Picasso's band moving off

Then Picasso turned his band in the other direction...

We bid Picasso’s band goodbye and headed back out of the basin stopping to grab some parting photos of the stallion Cyclone.

Cyclone

One last treat – burrowing owls. They were quick and small. I needed a much longer lens to get a closer photo, but maybe you can pick out the little guy on the right.

Burrowing owl

Thanks for sharing this wild horse adventure with us TJ and Amanda. It was a great day!

As TJ referred to us - The Three Amigos. TJ on the left, Amanda in the center and me.

Leaving Sand Wash Basin

TJ and Amanda went back to Sand Wash Basin on Sunday, but Tom and I hadn’t made it to Wyoming’s Adobe Town HMA in a while, so we decided to spend the morning there before heading home. We left Craig just after 5:00 AM and arrived at the herd area just before 8:00 AM. I’m always distracted enroute to anywhere, so we had to make a few stops for photos along the way. We watched a Bald eagle fishing (and he successfully wrangled a trout from the river for breakfast – so cool to watch) and on the entrance road, we came across this Golden eagle who posed very patiently for me.

Golden Eagle

We spotted horses a ways off near an oil rig and though I hiked around for quite some time, I never found them. Getting out that time of morning with no one around was a great way to start the day regardless.

Just a little bit up the road, I spotted a huge congregation of horses. They were a LONG ways off, but that many horses was well worth the walk. I headed out towards them. I took my time hoping they wouldn’t move off before I could get close enough to observe them. Off to my left was a solitary stallion that I worried would sound the alarm, but he was pretty tolerant of me. I didn’t make eye contact with him much and just casually walked by like I belonged. I was AMAZED when I came upon 2 antelope (we call them “guard-a-lopes” as they are the sentries for wild horse herds) and they too let me pass without making any fuss. That was just weird, but I was grateful.

A lone stallion watches my approach

This is just a portion of the horses gathered together. As I got closer, I watched foals pop up all over. It was like a wild horse nursery.

Even though I had come up to them carefully, with youngsters around, many mares are just too cautious to hang around. Many small bands of horses moved off, but a few stayed to let me watch and photograph them.

This big grey stallion seemed more seasoned and calm than most of the others. He and his band never left.

Another grey stallion moves his band off a bit from me.

The big grey stallion decided to get a closer look at me.

He wasn't sure at all about the sound of my camera clicking.

Before all of the horses became uncomfortable with my presence, I decided to leave and as I was headed back, Tom was on his way to meet me with a water bottle. I'd been gone for a while and hadn't taken any water with me. I get so wrapped up in the horses, that Tom says I'd forget to drink or eat if he wasn't there to make sure I did.

We drove over to another area where we usually see horses by a large water hole. Though we didn’t see any horses, we did see this awesome little hawk.

And these grouse…

It was getting close to noon and we decided we’d better start back. On our way out, we came across this family band. The dark, dapple grey is a stallion (a younger stud), but the white boy is the band stallion. I wondered how long the band stallion would allow the handsome grey to remain part of the family before kicking him out to begin his life as a bachelor in search of his own band. I hope to get back soon to find out.

A weekend in the wild horse ranges is just what Tom and I needed. It was easier to get back to reality after having spent 2 peaceful days amongst the wild ones. I pray there never comes a time when these magnificent creatures aren’t there for those of us who rely on their “wild horse magic” to enrich our lives.

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West Douglas, CO Herd Removal Blocked

Some good news for a Colorado herd of wild horses: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20295785/detail.html

http://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/federal-court-slaps-the-blm-says-mustang-removal-illegal/

I never understood the reasons claimed to zero out this herd (and of course wrote a letter in protest along with many other folks). I’ve been to the area 3 times and only seen horses (and only a small group of 3 at that) on one of those trips. The other trips consisted of alot of horse “sign,” but no horses. I’m going to happily put this HMA back on my list of areas and horses to photograph. Many thanks to those who participated in the efforts to get this reprieve for the Colorado horses. (And thanks to Deanne Stillman for sending the news link and to Joe Camp for his excellent story of what transpired).

East Douglas-Piceance Creek family, 2006.

East Douglas-Piceance Creek stallion

This little mare was so pretty. I hope she found a wonderful home during this adoption event. There was alot of interest in her.

East Douglas-Piceance Creek mare at BLM adoption. Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Golden, CO May, 2008

Seized Horses Available For Adoption

For Immediate Release – Aug 6, 2009

Jeffco Sheriff’s Office seeks homes for horses:
http://jeffco.us/sheriff/sheriff_T62_R270.htm

Jefferson County, CO. – Sixteen horses and one donkey seized by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office during an animal neglect investigation are now available for adoption.

The Sheriff’s Office recently received a court order granting it ownership of the animals, although the court case is still pending. The animals’ former owner — John McCulley — is charged with 38 counts of animal neglect and one count of felony animal cruelty.

In May of this year deputies responded to the residence at 12601 W. 82nd Ave. after receiving reports that a live horse was being dragged by its head and neck behind a truck. Deputies found the injured and emaciated horse behind an outbuilding on the property. The horse had to be put down. While investigating the incident, deputies noticed that other horses on the property appeared to be malnourished and in poor condition, and they took custody of the animals. This was the second time in two years that horses had to be removed from this address due to grave concerns about their health.

The horses have responded well to the care they have received from Animal Control officers, as well as veterinarians, farriers and others in the local equestrian community. “It is my hope that people in the horse community will step forward to provide loving homes for all of the animals,” said Animal Control Manager Carla Zinanti. “Many of these horses have trust issues and will need patient and consistent training. Some apparently have never been haltered or ridden. Others have special needs and may require additional care.”

Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest to Jefferson County Animal Control by August 28, 2009 via email at animal-control@jeffco.us or ATTN: Horse Adoption, 700 Jefferson County Parkway, #160, Golden, CO, 80401. Animal control officers will conduct site visits and interviews with potential adopters to determine a good placement. If more than one person is interested in a particular horse, names will be drawn from a hat. An $18 Brand Inspection fee is required to take ownership of the animal, along with a donation to the Table Mountain Animal Center to help offset the cost associated with bringing these animals back to health.

Please visit our Web site at www.jeffcosheriff.com to view photos and details about each horse.

I got to “know” these horses (and Sonar, the donkey) just a bit when I volunteered to provide the adoption photos – I’d love to see them all placed into good situations. Please forward this information to anyone you think might be interested in giving one (or more) of these horses a caring, safe home. Thank you!

Buddy is one of the horses available for adoption - he's a grulla colored Mustang gelding.

“Nub Ear” – Fifteen Mile HMA

One of the most remote Herd Management Areas Tom and I have been to (so far) is located between Meeteetse and Worland, WY. Both times we’ve visited the horses there, we never saw another person. No tire tracks, no structures, no sounds – no indication of people in any way. It was so far out in the “boonies,” it felt like we were in a movie playing the parts of the only two people left on earth. But at least there’s an upside to our script – some wild horses are left too.

The Fifteen Mile horses were VERY hard to approach and photograph. They were cautious and kept their distance. We didn’t see many bands, but the roads were in bad shape so we really couldn’t explore much either. I walked quite a bit, but it was pretty spooky to tell you the truth. Both Tom and I felt like we were being “watched.” We were extra careful and walked out together when we saw horses (we did have a mishap at this location, but that’s another story for a later date). A couple of times, I was lucky and had a stallion come up for a closer look, but they were gone as soon as they heard my camera. Except for a stallion I call “Nub Ear.”

Nub Ear is a muscular, bay boy who is missing most of his right ear. I envisioned him losing it in a fight with another stallion since Nub Ear has a pretty good sized band that I’m sure he must have to defend regularly. Although skittish and protective of his group, he allowed me time to observe. One of his mares and two younger studs came running up to me to see what I was. I found their curiosity very amusing. They didn’t seem particularly bothered by the fact that I stood on two legs rather than four and hung around quite a while before Nub Ear gathered them up and moved them just a little further away from me.

My first sighting of Nub Ear - April, 2008

One of Nub Ear's mares and 2 younger studs come in closer to investigate me

Nub Ear on the left with some of his band

Nub Ear

The sun was going down and we really didn’t want to chance getting lost in this particular area, so we decided to head out. I thanked Nub Ear for sharing his family with me and told him I’d be back to check on him soon. In July, 2008, that’s exactly what we did. And, Nub Ear was pretty much in the same location as we’d found him in April. There was a new addition to the family – what a little cutie. It was good to see them and just as before, Nub Ear was tolerant of my presence. His band was the only one we saw on that trip. Most of the roads were washed out, but we were lucky and managed to get on one that took us to where we’d remembered seeing Nub Ear in April.

Nub Ear and his band - July, 2008

Nub Ear moves his family in my direction

The fact that this stallion is missing most of his ear certainly doesn’t take away from him in the least. I say it just adds character. I hope that when we make it back to the Fifteen Mile range, we’ll be able to find and photograph this beautifully unique boy and his family again.

S.1579 – Senate Version of the Restore Our American Mustangs Act (ROAM)

Senator Robert Byrd has sponsored a Senate version of the Restore Our American Mustangs (ROAM) Act, formerly known as HR.1018. The Senate version is numbered S.1579.
Here’s a link to the bill:

http://www.aowha.org/documents/s1579.pdf

After giving it a cursory reading the language appears to match the version of the bill passed by the House.
We’re working on generating support for the bill along with encouraging a few minor improvements, such as making the bill applicable to all free-roaming horses and burros on Federal lands and fixing a couple of minor technicalities. More info will follow.
Aside from fixing those troublesome issues caused by the Burns stealth rider, S.1579 should:
1. Provide a more concise definition of “thriving ecological balance” and it reasserts relevant Federal land use policies.
2. Convert some “authorized” activities and methods into “required” activities and methods with respect to taking inventory, making determinations and application of peer reviewed scientific methods as the basis for developing management strategies, and it requires consistent evaluation and management practices across all public lands.
3. Permit BLM to establish sanctuaries and exclusive use areas, however the Secretary is required to assess and report on a number of conditions specifically listed in the bill prior to establishing those areas.
4. Authorize BLM to identify and appropriate additional rangeland for wild horses and burros through various means, subject to the conditions and requirements set forth elsewhere in the bill. Those conditions include avoiding any potential conflicts with other lawful public lands activities and uses as identified in the bill.
5. Require BLM to develop and implement enhanced fertility control, as is presently used by a number of private sanctuaries and non-BLM horse management agencies. While the science of equine fertility control is relatively new, it shows great potential in reducing horse recruitment rates (expansion of populations as birth rates exceed mortality rates) without decreasing the genetic diversity of the herds.
6. It charges BLM with the responsibility of undertaking all practical options for maintaining a thriving ecological balance on the range.
7. Prohibit BLM from maintaining horses in prohibitively expensive contract corrals and short term holding facilities for longer than six months, upon which horses in such holding facilities must be moved to more cost-effective facilities or appropriate alternative ranges.
8. Charge BLM with improving its marketing strategies with specific examples provided.
9. Reinforce BLM’s authority to remove horses and burros under conditions stipulated in the original Act.
10. Require BLM to provide additional data with respect to its management activities, and that data is to be more transparent and available for public inspection on the BLM website.
11. Expand BLM’s ability to enter into cooperative agreements to address program deficiencies and needs.
12. Outline specific program reporting requirements so that Congress and the American public can be informed as to BLM’s progress with respect to complying with the provisions of this bill.
If you agree that this bill will benefit America’s wild horses and add professionalism to the management of our public lands, please contact your senators and urge them to support S.1579.
http://www.senate.gov
(Use the “Find Your Senators” feature on the upper left corner.)

“Cloud’s Image” – Pryor Mtns, MT

With the Pryor Mountain BLM gather looming at the beginning of September, I thought it appropriate to feature one of the many horses likely to lose its freedom if it proceeds as planned.

Young stud colt Image - 2008

This handsome little colt goes by the name of “Cloud’s Image” or “Image.” He is Cloud’s grandson – a yearling now. Carefree, happy, healthy and born wild, he has no idea how his family is about to be torn apart. Image will be absolutely terrorized and run down the mountain alongside all the other horses, chased for miles by a helicopter over rough and treacherous terrain. Hopefully, his young body will be able to withstand the distance and the stress he’ll be forced to endure. Hopefully, he won’t be one of the casualties (and there are always injuries and/or casualties with this method).

Cloud and his grandson, Image - 2008

Image and his dam Cloud Dancer who is also known as Damsel.

Image with Shadow who is also known as Hailstorm

Image plays with Ember who is also known as Incendia

Every one of these wild horses carries unique genetics that will likely be lost by the numbers of horses the BLM intends to remove. Taking the numbers so low will destroy their genetic viability. (Read Equine Geneticist, Dr. Gus Cothrens’ letter regarding genetic viability HERE).

The deadline for letters and comments to the Billings, Montana BLM office was today. I suppose we will have an answer about the future of these horses sometime soon. It’s clear the BLM is very determined to carry out this roundup. I pray for some type of intervention. My hope is that there will be a more positive outcome for these horses and all of the wild horses still scheduled to be gathered yet this year.

What can you do?

Sign the petition at the following link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/stop-the-massive-removal-of-cloud39s-wild-horse-herd

Contact your Senators and ask them to support S.1579, the Senate Version of the Restore Our American Mustangs Act (ROAM).

Contact Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, exsec@ios.doi.gov or 202-208-7351.

Contact President Obama, http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT

When writing, please be sure to mention that it’s not just the BLM managed wild horses that you care about – all of our wild horses need and deserve protection including the horses living on US Fish and Wildlife Service lands and National Parks Service lands.

**NEW** Sign up for automatic e-mail alerts of new content via the “Subscribe to Pam Nickoles Photography by Email” link located at the right just below the Search box.

Finding A Way Back

It was easily 20 years ago that I first heard the name Marty Marten. My aunt raised Spanish Barbs and it was Marty she trusted with her training needs. She and my cousin both raved about how good he was with the horses and how the horses just seemed to love him. My aunt is a lifetime horsewoman. She has extensive knowledge of all things horsey and she’s a pretty good judge of people as well. I knew her endorsement of Marty hadn’t been given lightly – he had earned it and I always kept that information in the back of my head.

My first opportunity to observe Marty firsthand was in 2004 while photographing a Mounted Patrol training session he’d been asked to lead. I introduced myself and mentioned my aunt and cousin who he remembered and asked about. It was a pleasant exchange and I remember watching and listening carefully to his training methods and suggestions. He was kind to the horses, spoke quietly and got a good response from those he worked with. I liked what I saw so I bought both of his books.

Marty gives a trailer loading lesson - 2004

Demonstrating some obstacle training

Accepting a Certificate of Appreciation from Sheriff Ted Mink (Marty's sister Sheri on the right)

Marty and Sheri

It was probably 2 or 3 years after seeing Marty at the Jeffco training that I heard he’d been in a bad fall (unrelated to his horse activities) and was not well. I wondered if Marty would ever ride or train again. As happens sometimes, the rumors swirled and the last thing I heard was that Marty had a brain tumor and it didn’t look good for him. It was inoperable. I suppose it’s human nature to assume the worst when you hear something like that.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I considered enlisting the help of a professional trainer to assist me with some problems I was having with my gelding. If I was going to move the partnership forward, I needed someone who could guide me to the next step. I wracked my brain for names of trainers – and one kept coming to mind. Not possible I told myself, but I went online and typed in Marty Marten’s name. I was shocked when his name popped up followed by information about a Trail Obstacle clinic to be held that very weekend! Marty was okay? Marty was training again? I e-mailed immediately and received a very nice reply from a Jody Marken (not a typo) saying I could join them at the upcoming clinic with my horse, to take pictures, or just watch if I wanted. We opted to audit the clinic and headed up to Berthoud.

We were greeted warmly when we arrived at Two Spruce Farm by both Marty and Jody. Five participants unloaded their horses and proceeded to the Obstacle Course to begin their lesson. And it was quite a course. Tom wasn’t surprised at all when I decided to take some pictures of the activities.

Marty began by taking everyone through the obstacles with his horse Cashew and then he turned everyone loose to work on the course as they chose. First on the ground and later in the saddle.

Marty and Cashew come through the fingers

Marty and Cashew navigate another obstacle

Over the tires

This is a tricky one - through the chute with flapping blankets

And through the curtain

Picking up and carrying scary things

Tanya and Fred take it all in

Sue and her mare came all the way from Kiowa for the clinic

I met Martha and her Foxtrotter. She told me she was at the clinic to build up her confidence for trail riding. I could relate completely. I have my own confidence issue to deal with after being seriously injured in two separate horse accidents. I was even more encouraged now. There were others like me!

Martha and her Foxtrotter

Marty and Martha - it was so nice to see that they keep the classes to a maximum of 6 participants so folks get alot of help throughout the clinic

The other participants started on the course. Jody had told me the obstacles would be fun for both rider and horse and it sure seemed like everyone involved was having a good time.

Tanya guides her horse over the bridge

Randy and his Paint mare go over the tires

Sue and her mare through the fingers

Marty and Jody watch for a bit from the sidelines

During the clinic, there were brief opportunities to speak with Jody. I learned that Marty’s tumor was nonmalignant and it was deemed inoperable because it sits too close to his optic nerve. Marty’s condition affects his equilibrium and balance. It’s somewhat difficult for him to walk, but he can ride. Jody explained to me that the horses were in Marty’s blood. He had to find a way back to them and with Jody’s help, he was able to. She introduced Marty to equine therapy (Jody founded the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center - a riding program for people with disabilities) and later found him a very dependable mount in Cashew. Marty does have some limitations – he’s no longer able to react quickly enough to work with very young horses so he recommends fellow clinician Rich Scott as a trainer and instructor. He says Rich works well with youngsters, problem horses, or horses ready for advancement. Rich frequently attends Marty’s clinics to lend a hand. A team effort all around since Jody is quite an accomplished rider and instructor herself. Following through with that team theme, I also learned that Jody and Marty became lifetime partners in 2008.

Rich Scott at the fingers obstacle

Jody works with Fred and his horse

Jody with Rich Scott's horse

There were two rain “intermissions” during the clinic. Well, it is something you may encounter while out on the trail. Everyone was good-natured about the interruptions and just took it all in stride. Such a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.

Rain? Rich Scott

Lots of rain! Marty and Cashew

Tanya gets soaked

I left the clinic with a renewed enthusiasm to work through my fear and improve my horsemanship skills. Marty was an inspiration. I’m sure he has that effect on folks where ever he goes.

I absolutely believe that people are brought into our lives at the perfect time to guide and/or help us along. Fortunately, through his determination to rise above adversity, Marty is available to offer his years of knowledge at just the right moment in my own journey. I look forward to the ride.

Marty Marten - a truly inspiring individual

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on the links below for more information:

Marty Marten
Jody Marken
Upcoming Clinics
Rich Scott

El Mariachi’s “Thunder Road”

Something I just had to share – a very mini El Mariachi update I received from Michael Blake today (posted with permission).

Dear Pam and Tom –

Brief update. All five horses have been covering the fenced acreage with each other. Mariachi and Hope have filled out and seem content. Even Hope is less paranoid. Yesterday when I went down to feed, Tomas, Little Boy and Samantha were standing together inside a rear stall. Hope was outside and alone. Mariachi had disappeared. Worried that something terrible could have happened to him, I walked into the arena, whistled and called out his name several times. No answer. I called and whistled again. No answer. I started toward the open gate, knowing I would have to make a search, when the road to the barn started to pound with hooves. Here he came, galloping with thunder. He flew through the gate and came to a stop ten or fifteen yards away. The look on his face said, “what’s up?”

Later–MB

Absolutely magical…

El Mariachi - June, 2009

(For those of you who may be new to this Blog, El Mariachi and Hope are both wild horses. Related story: “Rescuing An American Icon“)

“Shaman” of the Pryor Mountains

Yesterday I read on the Pryor Wild Blog that they lost the gentleman stallion Shaman last week. Shaman was approximately 21 years old and at the time of his death, the oldest stallion on the Pryor Mountain range.

The gentleman stallion Shaman

Shaman spars with Bigfoot with Custer in the background

I call him the gentleman stallion because he was such a kind boy. His mares seemed to adore him, even after they were stolen by Bolder last year. (Shaman was a secondary/satellite/lieutenant stallion to the band for some time before Bolder finally pushed him out of the group entirely). I watched several mares mosey up to Shaman when Bolder was distracted for some mutual grooming. The bonds were still strong between the longtime band stallion and “his” girls.

Shaman at top right with Bolder's band at Krueger Pond

Bolder and Shaman

A disagreement between stallions - Bolder and Shaman

Later that same season, I saw him hanging out alone or with Flint. Shaman had become a bachelor…and I felt for him.

Flint and Shaman - bachelor stallions

Early morning on the mountain

The saving grace regarding the timing of his death? Shaman will not be subjected to the gather scheduled to begin this week. It appears that he may not have survived it. He was able to stay on the mountain where he had lived all of his days. That's the best conclusion to the life of any wild horse.

Shaman

Please go to my Wild Horse Information page on my website for updated/current information about the Pryor Mountain Roundup and how you can help.

Trip Highlights – Stories to Follow

Just a quick note with the highlights of our week-long trip and the day by day updates to follow as I get images processed.

Meet Donnie – a Pryor Mountain Mustang owner I recently met who uses his mare for trail riding, working cattle, roping and as a Pony Express horse on the NPEA Re-Rides. (From their website: NPEA is the National Pony Express Association – an all-volunteer, non-profit historical organization for the purpose of identifying, reestablishing and marking the original Pony Express trail through the eight states it served: California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri).

Donnie and his Pryor mare Maggie.

An update on “Nub Ear,” the stallion from Fifteen Mile HMA near Worland, WY (scheduled for roundup next month).

Band stallion Nub Ear from the Fifteen Mile HMA - September, 2009

Follow our experience at the Pryor Mountain Roundup (Tom and I were there for 4 days – from September 6th through the 9th).

Pryor Mountain wild horses being rounded up - September, 2009

Cloud and his band are rounded up - September 7, 2009

A visit to the McCullough Peaks wild horses outside of Cody, Wyoming (scheduled for roundup next month).

Small band at McCullough Peaks - September, 2009

Photographing the wild horses at Dishpan Butte, Wyoming (the North Lander Complex of wild horses, which includes Dishpan Butte, was gathered earlier this summer – 1053 horses were rounded up, 804 removed and 245 returned to the 4 different HMA’s within the Complex)

Bachelor band - Dishpan Butte HMA, Wyoming - 2009

Band at Dishpan Butte - September, 2009

Going back to the Green Mountain HMA near Bairoil, Wyoming (scheduled for roundup next month). It’s been about 3 years since we’ve visited these wild horses. Unfortunately, we found them midday (harsh lighting) and just ran out of time to be able to go back later in the day. They’re beautiful horses even though photographed in unflattering light. Stewart Creek HMA (scheduled for roundup next month) overlaps the area and we saw many horses there as well.

Two bachelor boys - Green Mountain HMA, 2009

Eyes on Roundups

I was going to start posting photos and information from our recent trip, but based upon my observations while at the Pryor Mountain roundup, I began to think that maybe another issue needed to be addressed first.

It seems to me that having “eyes” on the roundup activities at the Pryors created some accountability. This was my first experience but I believe more time was taken with the horses, there was an effort made to keep bands together in separate corrals and possibly the personnel more aware of their actions while processing the horses. If you think about it, it just makes sense that folks might operate at their highest levels if they knew the world was watching. It wasn’t always the case as seen in several posted photos and video clips of this particular operation, but it certainly had to be a deterrent.

Observers being led by escorts back to the corrals from the ridge where you could watch and photograph the horses being brought down from the mountain by the helicopter - September, 2009

After we left the Pryors and visited some of the lesser known areas, I wondered about these particular horses. Who would be there to watch over them when it’s their turn to be gathered? That is the question and reason for this post. My thoughts? As long as these roundups continue, I think it’s a good idea for observers to be on hand at each one.

Please don’t misunderstand my intent when I suggest that people show up for these roundups. I would hope that anyone attending as an observer would conduct themselves in a responsible manner just as we did at the Pryors. We were polite, respectful of the boundaries (even if we didn’t agree with them) and we remained calm and civil during a very emotionally charged event. Offensive behavior might give cause to try to exclude the public and any appointed humane observer from future gathers and that is not what we want. So, with all of this in mind, maybe some individuals might consider volunteering to be the eyes for our wild horses during the many roundups still scheduled to take place this year. I have a list of the herd areas, by state, that have pending gathers posted on my website:
http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/gathers.html

Exact dates would need to be confirmed through the various field offices managing the herd areas. If anyone knows of other locations, including those areas not managed by the BLM, please feel free to contact me and I will add them to the list.

Bolder's band and the Judas horse - September 6, 2009

Will it make a difference? We won’t know if we don’t at least try. Our wild horses deserve every effort we can make on their behalf.

Pryor foal in holding corral - September, 2009

Wyoming Cowboy – Update on Nub Ear

I’ve mentioned my Aunt Peggie a few times before in my posts. She and my Uncle Wil live in Wheatland, Wyoming and a trip to the Wyoming/Montana horse ranges just wouldn’t be complete without a visit with these two. Aunt Peggie has extensive knowledge of horses – Spanish breeds in particular (they raised Spanish Barbs), so of course she appreciates and loves the Pryor Mountain horses. (A couple of her favorites are Duke and Hildalgo). If she could still travel, I know she’d be joining me on some of my wild horse adventures to the mountain.

Hildalgo as a foal

Band stallion Duke - 2008

Duke (far left) and his band at the Britton Springs holding facility - September 8, 2009

Several weeks ago, Aunt Peggie told me that she’d met a young cowboy who was into photography and owned a Pryor Mountain Mustang mare. Of course, that got me into the conversation (Aunt Peggie is one of my biggest fans/supporters) and before I knew anything about this new friendship of theirs, I’d gotten a nice e-mail from that Wyoming cowboy, Donnie Norvell. We corresponded back and forth and when it came time for Tom and I to head north, we made arrangements to not only stop off at my aunt and uncle’s, but to make an additional stop in Douglas, WY to meet Donnie and his mare.

Donnie Norvell and his Pryor Mountain mare Maggie

Donnie explained to us that he got Maggie when she was six (she’s nine now) from a friend who’d been diagnosed with cancer. Donnie’s friend Jeff wanted Maggie to go to a good home and had Donnie start riding her when he no longer could. After Jeff passed, Donnie made arrangements to buy Maggie.

Maggie (who’s registered name is Encantata Morena De Oro) is the offspring of a wild PMMBA stallion, El Morro and mare, La Estrella de Oro. She is a first generation domesticated Pryor Mountain horse. She was raised on the Carnahan ranch near Ft. Laramie, WY. Both of Maggie’s parents were captured in the wild from the Pryor Mountains.

Donnie says that despite the fact that Maggie is small and stocky, she’s fast and loves to run in the NPEA Re-Rides she and Donnie participate in each year. She’s great on the trails (has the smoothest trot in the world – that special Pryor Mountain gait), works cattle and even jumps a little. Maggie is an easy keeper, possesses those amazingly solid Mustang feet and a lovely temperament. Donnie really seems to appreciate her special qualities – and, she’s pretty as well. I look forward to photographing these two during next year’s 150th Anniversary of the Pony Express Re-ride.

After leaving Douglas, we continued northwest through Wyoming in hopes of getting to the Fifteen Mile HMA before nightfall. By the time we got close, we knew we’d have less than 2 hours in the herd area, but I just had to see if I could find Nub Ear. There is a round up scheduled for his area next month and I longed to see the magnificent boy in all his wildness at least one more time. Of course I’m hopeful that when/if he’s rounded up, the Range Specialist will see that his torn ear will not make him a likely candidate for adoption and leave him out on the range for the rest of his days. Judging by the size of his band, I would think Nub Ear may be an older stallion as well and that would automatically place him into long-term holding/sale authority status. It’s hard to even think about.

Luck was on our side that afternoon as we noticed a large band of horses way off to our left and then found a 2-track road that took us pretty close to them.

As soon as I saw his head peek over the ridge, I knew we'd found Nub Ear!

Part of Nub Ear's band which included about 12 horses

And here he came to check me out - Hi boy!

I just stood there quietly and didn't move much in hopes Nub Ear would, as he always had, allow me to observe his family for a while

They went back and forth a bit but never moved off. They actually worked their way a bit closer to me. What a privilege.

Coming right towards me - I stayed very still

He's not quite sure what to think of me - I tried to project peaceful thoughts to him

I was never able to get his whole band in a photo, but this is pretty close to all of them

It was hard to leave that night wondering if this was hello and goodbye all in one visit. Nub Ear is a proud, handsome stallion and I hope that he will be allowed to continue to live out his days as the wild boy I’ve come to love and appreciate. He has given me several glimpses into his life to share with others and I will always be grateful for that gift.

Nub Ear amongst his family

Pryor Mountain Roundup – 9/6/2009

Tom and I were not at this roundup from the beginning. We arrived Sunday morning, September 6th, 2009. My posts will focus on the four days we were actually there and what we witnessed first hand to the best of my memory.

We left Worland, WY (near the Fifteen Mile HMA) before dawn in hopes we wouldn’t miss much of the day’s activities if we managed to get to the Britton Springs facility by 7:00 AM. However, at 7:00 AM, there was no one else in the parking lot when we arrived at the corrals. A BLM employee met us at the entrance and informed us that nothing would be happening until the “morning briefing” at 9:00 AM. She explained that we needed to stay behind the barrier, handed us a map with printed instructions and said we were free to use the porta-potties before she left and headed back to the main building.

I had read on Matt Dillon’s Pryor Wild Blog that most of the Dryhead (lower area) horses had already been processed and released. We decided to head over to Bighorn Canyon in search of some of those horses until time for the briefing. There were some wildlife sightings along the way.

Sandhill cranes

Wild turkey

We drove the entire length of the horse range through Bighorn Canyon. We didn’t see a single horse. On the return trip, we spotted Seattle’s band high on a hill. Though they looked fine, they appeared very lethargic. None of the horses moved while we were there. I snapped a few photos and then we headed back to Britton Springs.

Band stallion Seattle

Yearling colt

Mare and foal with the distinctive blue dot that indicates they were processed and released to the helicopter pilot

Briefing began and we learned that operations had been underway since early morning to transport captured Forest Service horses to the holding facility. They were to be permanently removed from their home. The news was both sad and frustrating. The BLM employee who spoke with us in the morning did not provide us with this information. Tom and I had time to get up to that area had we known anything was going on. A deliberate effort to mislead us? Not a day into the experience and we’d already been subjected to less than forthright tactics? It was a very disappointing notion to say the least.

We started up Crooked Creek towards the Forest Service area. We didn’t get very far before we ran into other observers coming down the mountain. Things had wrapped up on the Forest Service side and the helicopter was set to start gathering horses from the Burnt Timber area. We all went back to Britton Springs.

While we waited for the helicopter to bring the horses down, we were allowed a walk-through of the corrals to view horses already in holding.

We waited for hours while the helicopter was at Burnt Timber. The pilot would have to chase the horses down approximately 10 miles of steep and rocky terrain to reach the holding facility. All the while the horses would try to dodge, circle back or outrun the loud and scary machine overhead. Who knows how many miles that added to their trip down the mountain.

The small shaded area was where we were to wait until we could be escorted to the viewing ridge.

BLM personnel got the call that the helicopter was close by. Our group of observers was escorted to the ridge where we could watch the horses being manuevered down by the helicopter. I wasn’t sure how I’d react to the sight, so I tried to mentally prepare myself. The first band of horses to come in was Chino’s, a buckskin stallion easily recognizable by his scarce color in the Pryors.

Chino's band

The helicopter pushes the weary, frightened horses to the holding area

Emotions were evident - Author and advocate, R.T. Fitch

Filmmaker Ginger Kathrens, Ann Evans - The Cloud Foundation Board Member and Ben Susman - Intern for The Cloud Foundation

Tom takes it all in

Then it was Bolder’s band being herded towards the corrals. (Bolder is the dark palomino-colored son of Cloud)

Bolder's band

Running with the Judas horse

Diamond's band - Cloud's blue roan brother

The day ended with an escort out to the parking area, through the gate and out onto the road. No one from the public could remain on the grounds past 5:00 PM. It was evident that for us, the roundup would take place between the hours of 9-5:00. Strange to maintain such normal working hours for an event that was anything but business as usual.

(More to follow…)

Pryor Mountain Roundup – 9/7/2009

Having made it through our first day with a decision to commit to a second, Tom and I arrived at Britton Springs at the designated time for briefing. Briefings were held to present the plan for the day’s activities/goals. At the end of these briefings, we were allowed to ask questions (specific to just that day’s operations), but it was clear queries were to be kept to a minumum. There were times when the Independent Humane Observer was cut short with her questions and requests for more and closer access to the horses. Elyse (The IHO) was persistant, but she was often met by less than cooperative attitudes by some of the BLM personnel. I was told that her admittance to the area had been better earlier on (when the press was there), but shortly after the media left, so did most of Elyse’s access.

BLM personnel delivering the morning briefing

R.T. Fitch, Elyse Gardner (the Independent Humane Observer) and Ginger Kathrens at the briefing

At the conclusion of the briefing, we were allowed another walk through to view the captured horses.

Exhilaration with Chino in the background

Bolder's band

Horses tagged for adoption

Flint - who is also known as Blue Moon

After going through the corrals, we were told that they were going to begin processing horses – putting them in the squeeze chute, taking hair samples, shaving necks, freeze branding (for those going up for adoption) and PZP’ing the mares. We were escorted to an area where we could watch, but it was from a pretty fair distance.

The squeeze chute is an incredibly loud device. It has to be a very frightening experience for a wild horse.

Horses to be processed

Processing a horse through the squeeze chute

And then there was quite a commotion – a terrified young stallion was trying to escape from the chute.

They did finally get the stallion through the process, but I’m sure he was quite shaken. It was very hard to watch and feel helpless to do anything.

With the processing complete, we were escorted to the viewing ridge.

Looking down at the holding corrals from the viewing ridge

Ginger Kathrens, Ben Susman, Sandy Elmore, Terry Fitch, me and Elyse Gardner at the observation ridge

Behind the jute fence

Bringing in Morning Star's band

As we listened to the helicopter approaching with more horses, we started to hear radio chatter going on behind us. Most of us had our lenses pointed towards the direction of incoming horses and when they finally came into view, the reason for the increased radio communication was clear. It was Cloud. Apparently, there was some concern that our little group might go ballistic or something at the sight of Cloud being captured, so our escorts were being forewarned. I remember hearing one of them relay back to the base folks, “they already know.” With that, the radios were silent and we watched the powerful, pale-colored stallion direct his band from one side of the valley to the other, giving the pilot a run for his money trying to save his family. Just before reaching the end of the jute driveway, Cloud did the most amazing thing – he turned and faced the helicopter. One last defiant gesture by the courageous stallion before he was forced to continue down the capture chute with his family.

Cloud and his band - several family members were about to lose their freedom forever

Shortly after Cloud’s family came in, Jackson’s band followed.

Walking back from the ridge at the end of the day

As we walked by the holding corrals on our way back from the viewing ridge, I looked over and snapped my last photo of the day. His eyes spoke volumes and mine filled with tears.

A captive Cloud

(More to follow…)

Fundraiser for the Wild Horses

It’s not much, but it’s what I can do to help…

Through October 15th, 2009 (exlcluding wholesale orders), $10.00 from sales of either of my Wild Horse DVD’s (or $20.00 from the sale of a set) will be donated to The Cloud Foundation’s Freedom Fund. I believe that the increased awareness and momentum we are currently experiencing at the expense of the Pryor Mountain wild horses (and all of the horses and burros that have lost their freedom) will come to benefit all of our wild horses still left in the wild (and hopefully, those in holding). That is my dream.

“Our Wild Horses” is $19.95 plus tax (if in Colorado) and “Our Wild Horses II” is 29.95 plus tax (if applicable) and shipping.

The discounted price for the set of both DVDs is $44.95 plus tax and shipping. Full descriptions of each DVD (with reviews and short video clips) are posted on my website.

These DVDs feature wild horses from many different areas including the Pryor Mountains. There are no graphic images. These DVDs were made in an effort to highlight the horses in all their wild beauty.

Please go here to order: http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/cardsdvd.htm
(For pesky tax and record keeping purposes, please note that your purchase is for “TCF Freedom Fund“)

A list of purchasers/contributors will accompany any check I write to The Cloud Foundation.

Related story: http://nickolesphotography.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/a-proud-moment/

I hope to have the next post about our 2nd day at the Pryor Mountain Roundup completed in the next day or two. I wasn’t prepared for how hard it would be to go through the images and have to relive the experience…

Pryor Mountain Roundup – 9/8/2009

We had been shuttled off the grounds pretty quickly the night before. There was a sense of urgency about it and we all felt uneasy and suspicious of why. At the morning briefing, it was disclosed that Jackson’s mare Brumby had tied up after coming in and Cloud’s daughter Rain had colicked. Sickening, troubling news, but the Vet assured us that both horses were doing fine. We asked for and were granted a walk through of the corrals so we could see the condition of the horses for ourselves.

On the way into the corrals, you pass the youngsters - several of Cloud's family are in this pen and available for adoption including Image, Rain, Arrow, Ember, Summer and Sage. From L-R: Ben Susman, Ginger Kathrens, Carol Walker and a BLM representative.

Little Image looked so sad and lost

Image

Ginger Kathrens peers in at the babies she's known and documented since their births.

Brumby - the mare who tied up

Jackson

Jackson's band

R.T. Fitch, Ginger Kathrens, Elyse Gardner and Terry Fitch at the corrals

Bolder

Bolder's band

Bolder's filly

Cassidy - tagged for adoption

Band stallion Chino - he has gorgeous amber eyes and he's a rare color among the Pryor horses. A beautiful buckskin.

Band stallion Duke

A foal from Duke's band who was very sore

Duke's band

Morning Star's band

Ben Susman, Ginger Kathrens, Carol Walker, Sandy Elmore, R.T. Fitch and Terry Fitch.

Cloud

Later, we were taken over to Greasewood Flats to observe more horses being processed.

Starman in the alley while he waits for other members of his band to be processed

Bolder watches the activities

A lucky group - they all have the blue dots that indicate they will be released

The band stallion Cappuccino bangs his head in the chute in an attempt to escape

And he does get out

He frantically runs up and down the alley way looking for members of his family

Finally, another family member is processed and released into the alley way

Band stallion Mescalero did not want to go into the chute. BLM personnel haze him with plastic bags attached to whips

They actually hit this horse - a member of Mescalero's band

Mescalero released into the alley way

Once the processing was completed, we were allowed back up on the viewing ridge.

Baja's band

Baja's band - Baja's mare Bacardi and another foal were missing as the others were brought in. We were later told that the foal just couldn't keep up so the pilot decided not to pursue them. They were left behind without their family.

The two foals that did come in with the band were very, very footsore. It's inconceivable to me to push any horse, let alone a foal, that hard for that many miles.

(And though I failed to mention it in my earlier posts, if the distance wasn’t enough, these horses were also forced down the mountain in 95+ degree temperatures).

After Baja’s band came in, we were told no more horses would be brought in. The helicopter was finished for the day. It was pretty early yet. Again, we wondered about the motives for this move.

One of Baja's foals that came in so very footsore

Another footsore Baja baby

Tom and I left Britton Springs, Lovell and our fellow observers that afternoon. We had made the difficult decision to move on to the McCullough Peaks HMA to photograph the horses there before the scheduled round up. We had just enough time to capture a few evening light photos before finding a place to stay in Greybull, WY. Though we were exhausted, we both had something nagging at us that we finally discussed before calling it a night. It wasn’t over – we hadn’t seen the conclusion or outcome of this roundup and it didn’t feel right to either of us. We knew we had to go back. We decided to leave Greybull very early and catch some first light photos at McCullough Peaks which would put us back at Britton Springs close to noon. Nothing much (other than the briefings) really went on until then anyway – or so we thought.

(More to follow…)

Stay updated on the latest wild horse news and information available on my website under the Wild Horse Information link: http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/wildhorseinformation.htm

Pryor Mountain Roundup – 9/9/2009

We made it out to the McCullough Peaks HMA around 6:30 AM and saw many bands. It was like visiting old friends so it was hard, but we left the Peaks around 11:00 and headed back up to Lovell and Britton Springs. We were hopeful that we hadn’t missed anything but the morning briefing (which we knew we’d be updated about).

When we arrived at the facility, no one was around. It was about 12:30. One of the BLM folks came down to the covered area where we were waiting and explained that everyone else was watching/photographing the release of the horses. She told us that the roundup had been suspended. ??!! We were told before we left that releases would most likely occur on Thursday the 10th or possibly even Friday. What had changed we wondered? Tom and I felt a huge wave of disappointment that we missed witnessing the horses reclaiming their freedom, but that was followed by equally strong feelings of relief for the horses that were now going home.

About 20 minutes after we arrived, the BLM employee walked over to us again to let us know there was a break in the schedule of releases and the group of observers was headed back. Once they were back, we were filled in about all the changes.

The horses had been chased around quite a bit on top of the mountain and basically, the BLM feared they might have some (more) injuries if they continued, so the roundup up was ended early. Good and bad. Some horses slated for removal were never gathered. Some that were to be released, but were still in the holding pens, were substituted for the ones not gathered. In total, 57 horses were removed from their home.

Fellow observers also told us a little bit about the releases – how Cloud’s family didn’t want to leave band members behind. How heartbreaking that must have been to watch, but I was saddened that Tom and I hadn’t been able to. That’s why we had come back – to see the releases. Again, we took comfort in knowing that at least for many of the horses, the day had brought them back their freedom.

Ginger Kathrens prepares to film the last of the releases for the day.

Ferdinand, Galaxy, and Fiesta are released

Fiesta

L-R: Galaxy, Ferdinand and Fiesta

Galaxy

The last horses to be released for the day were Sam and Hightail

And then they were gone – headed back up the mountain to their home.

We all went back to the parking area. It was early enough that there was talk about driving up to the top of the mountain since restrictions had been lifted when the roundup had been suspended. Ginger Kathrens, Carol Walker and Ben Susman left and went on ahead while Tom and I stayed behind to catch up a bit with Matt Dillon and his Dad, Tom (from the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center). This “gather” had been tough on them as well. Matt knows every horse and monitors them year round. He did an awesome job of documenting and reporting the daily activities on his Blog. Half jokingly, I asked him when he slept (figuring he probably hadn’t – and I was right). I hoped this day had brought him some kind of relief.

Having said our good-byes, Tom and I left Britton Springs and headed up Crooked Creek. When we were almost at the top, we ran into a guy in a 2-wheel drive van who had wanted to see the horses, but felt he must be lost (as he never reached the top) and was on his way back down. We told him where we were headed and that he could follow us if he liked. We were about half an hour from the top. Out of his rear view mirror, Tom watched that poor guy bounce around like crazy in that van. I guess he was determined to see the horses.

Once we made it to the top, we ran into Carol who said Ginger and Ben were on foot looking for horses. Carol had driven up and down the length of the road (from Krueger Pond, to Burnt Timber and down by Penn’s Cabin) and not seen any horses. It was disappointing and worrisome. We wanted a closer look at the horses and we wanted to know that they’d made it back to the top safely after their ordeal. Mike (the very nice guy in the van who turned out to be a fireman and photographer from Michigan) was getting ready to make the drive back down the mountain when he noticed horses off to the left. They were headed towards Krueger’s Pond so we all grabbed our cameras and ran that way as well. (It was obvious Mike was thrilled by his first sighting of wild horses).

It was Doc’s band. They had managed to evade the helicopter and had not been gathered.

A member of Doc's band

Band stallion Doc

Doc's band at Krueger's Pond

Just about the time that Ginger came walking out of the woods after searching for horses, we saw a band coming in from the Burnt Timber area. It was Bolder – such a wonderful sight. He’d made it back to the top of the mountain with his family.

Bolder and one of his mares

Bolder's band on the way to the pond

Bolder's family at Krueger's Pond

After a dip, there's nothing better than a good roll

Bolder's turn

And then the little filly

Shaaake!

Bolder and his filly

Handsome Bolder - son of Cloud

We went back down to the pond and Two Boots had brought his family in for a drink - they hadn't been gathered either

And then we heard more hooves running in our direction. We went to the top of the hill, waited and watched to see who would come through the trees next…

It was Cloud and his family making their way to the pond

Cloud called out several times looking for his missing family members

Two Boots' band moves off as Cloud's band arrives

Cloud and his band walk by Ginger Kathrens as she films them

Two Boots leaves the pond area with his family

Shoulder striping

Phoenix - Cloud's mother and a member of Diamond's (aka Teton) band

Band stallion Diamond - his family showed up shortly after Cloud's

Lovely Phoenix

War Bonnet, Diamond and Phoenix

Phoenix