Post by prizmbluekigers on Sept 1, 2009 13:33:23 GMT -5
Hi,
I know I promised video, it's still coming but we spent three days on the Kiger HMA and I need time to pick out what to post that won't be used in the documentary.
We filmed so much we depleted two camera batteries and the laptop battery by Sunday night. We saw the large herd and the Band of Five again. We camped in the spot near the Ant Hill and the Five came at dusk. We had just finished showers and were enjoying the fading light when we felt the vibration of hooves so we moved cautiously to where we could see the area below us and there they were. We saw them again Monday morning at the gate to the Lambing Grounds. We got good footage on the Lambing Grounds of a grulla stallion who was with a dun mare and two foals. He moved toward Rick and gave that amazing snort they use to intimidate us. Then he would run a distance, stop and come back to see us again. The other three remained as if statues until he finally decided we were not fit company and moved them off. We saw two stallions - Pancho and Lefty we've dubbed them, near the head of Swamp Creek. Pancho is a very dark dun with a slender face and Lefty has more of a "baby doll" head - fuller cheek, shorter head.
Rick was able to follow the large herd from the Lambing Ground over the ridge to the valley with the main road. There is a large meadow up there where they stopped to graze, a few babies laid down to rest and much of the time they did not know he was there so they were all pretty relaxed so we saw babies nursing, mares hanging together, a foal trying to get older brother or sister to romp and two young stallions sparring a little.
I could have stayed much longer. It seems the more we watch them, the more questions I have about their behaviors. Most mares with young (this years) foals also had last years foal with them. The family groups did not all remain together but seemed to regroup as one large herd at times. With water and forage plentiful now, if it stays that way till the 2011 gather we will have some nice horses available. I already have my eye on a grulla foal
. There is also an adorable Red Dun foal who seems to be from a grulla mare. I am undecided if one of the mares is grulla or claybank so maybe I can post a shot of her for you to see.
Has anyone ever seen a mature medium to dark grulla with a freeze brand who is missing the tip of his right ear? Just wondered. He and his family are part of the larger herd. We heard from a local that there is a herd of 20 or so on Big Hill so next week we will head that way and then move to the Riddle HMA as we have a tip on their whereabouts also.
There are controlled burns scheduled in September on the Kiger HMA so we are going out to film some of that also. If anyone is headed out to the HMAS we would be glad to share more intel on locations.
I wish I could stay a week at a time.
I know I promised video, it's still coming but we spent three days on the Kiger HMA and I need time to pick out what to post that won't be used in the documentary.
We filmed so much we depleted two camera batteries and the laptop battery by Sunday night. We saw the large herd and the Band of Five again. We camped in the spot near the Ant Hill and the Five came at dusk. We had just finished showers and were enjoying the fading light when we felt the vibration of hooves so we moved cautiously to where we could see the area below us and there they were. We saw them again Monday morning at the gate to the Lambing Grounds. We got good footage on the Lambing Grounds of a grulla stallion who was with a dun mare and two foals. He moved toward Rick and gave that amazing snort they use to intimidate us. Then he would run a distance, stop and come back to see us again. The other three remained as if statues until he finally decided we were not fit company and moved them off. We saw two stallions - Pancho and Lefty we've dubbed them, near the head of Swamp Creek. Pancho is a very dark dun with a slender face and Lefty has more of a "baby doll" head - fuller cheek, shorter head.
Rick was able to follow the large herd from the Lambing Ground over the ridge to the valley with the main road. There is a large meadow up there where they stopped to graze, a few babies laid down to rest and much of the time they did not know he was there so they were all pretty relaxed so we saw babies nursing, mares hanging together, a foal trying to get older brother or sister to romp and two young stallions sparring a little.
I could have stayed much longer. It seems the more we watch them, the more questions I have about their behaviors. Most mares with young (this years) foals also had last years foal with them. The family groups did not all remain together but seemed to regroup as one large herd at times. With water and forage plentiful now, if it stays that way till the 2011 gather we will have some nice horses available. I already have my eye on a grulla foal
. There is also an adorable Red Dun foal who seems to be from a grulla mare. I am undecided if one of the mares is grulla or claybank so maybe I can post a shot of her for you to see.Has anyone ever seen a mature medium to dark grulla with a freeze brand who is missing the tip of his right ear? Just wondered. He and his family are part of the larger herd. We heard from a local that there is a herd of 20 or so on Big Hill so next week we will head that way and then move to the Riddle HMA as we have a tip on their whereabouts also.
There are controlled burns scheduled in September on the Kiger HMA so we are going out to film some of that also. If anyone is headed out to the HMAS we would be glad to share more intel on locations.
I wish I could stay a week at a time.
