Wild Horses: The Cremello Colts Come Home

Unfortunately when I am talking about "home" I don't mean back to the range that they grew up in - the McCullough Peaks Herd Area in Wyoming. They were removed forever from that home in October of last year in a BLM helicopter roundup. They will never see that home or their families again. But they are now in their new home with me in Colorado. It has been a long journey for the two three year old First they were transported to the Rock Springs holding facility, then sent to Steve Mantle's Ranch in Wheatland. They were not adopted at the April adoption in Powell, WY so they were sent back to Steve's ranch. I adopted them in April, and Rich Scott picked them up in May and brought them to his place for a few months of gentling and training.



I watched Rich work with them slowly, patiently, gaining their trust, and observed how things I don't normally think of as scary for a horse could startle them - like moving a hand abruptly toward them. He did a wonderful job working with them, and has made having them her at home possible for me.





Rich got them to a point where they could be caught, haltered, led and trimmed and trailered, which was what I needed, and then a month ago he brought them to my home near Lyons, CO.





They were so calm when they unloaded from the trailer - and investigated their new corral. They immediately figured out the automatic waterer and went into their shed. It has taken a little longer to get used to me.







I was so excited the first day when we turned them loose into my big pasture - I expected them to run off thundering up the hill - but they stuck fairly close to the corral.





Rich has continued to come out and work with me to improve my skills in approaching and handling them.








It has also been interesting seeing the differences in personality of the two colts. Claro, the one with one blue eye and one dark eye, is the boss. he herds Cremosso around. He is the one who investigates things first, and has been a bit easier to work with. Cremosso, who has two green eyes lets Claro boss him around, and has been more guarded.




I was thrilled the first time Claro approached me and let me stroke and pet him without a halter when they were in the field. Cremosso hasn't let me do that yet, but he is thinking about it - I can tell. They both spend alot of their time near the house, and always watch me when I am outside. I love seeing them out there, together, calm and content in their new home with a huge pasture to roam in. It reminds me of why I have been working to help keep the last of our wild horses free. They are worth it.

Why Wild Horses? Back to the Peaks.

Why Wild Horses? Why not remove all of them from our public lands and keep them in "Salazoos" in the Midwest and East Coast? Why not geld all the stallions and stop their populations from growing? And then in 15 years, there will be no more wild horse problem. Well, I say we cannot do this because we need them.

This weekend I have been spending time with the horses in the McCullough Peaks Herd near Cody in northern Wyoming. Last October almost half of the herd was removed in a roundup because the BLM contended that 225 horses were too many for 110,000 acres. I have found most of my favorite horses that were left on the range, but both Washakie and Indigo now have 2 mares each in their bands. Before the roundup there were over 30 horses in those 2 bands. I was delighted to see the young pinto stallion Tecumseh who had just won a family band this year back with his mares. But two gorgeous palomino mares, probably mother and daughter, and favorites of people in the area who come to see the horses, have been split up, in bands in very different areas.



And two of my favorite horses, two lovely creamy colored two year old colts in Indigo's band, Crispy Creme and White Lightning were removed, never to play together again, never to grow to their full strength and vie for mares.
But there are many horses left and soon there will be new foals.



When I go out with the horses, I usually go alone. It is quiet, peaceful, and I often sit and just watch for hours. It is the most peaceful time I get to spend. Spring is here, and this morning there was sparring going on between stallions. When I first arrived near several bands, the horses took off running and bucking in the cold morning air, just for the joy of being alive and free. This afternoon, it is warmer, and the horses have spread out grazing, some are snoozing, and they look up briefly as I take my camera out of my car, but do not move.



One stallion looks up periodically to check if I have moved (I haven't). I see a band a long way off making its way toward the other horses. A striking grey stallion, a ridiculously beautiful black and white pinto foal, the latest foal of last year, and a pinto mare with a blue eye and very long ears are slowly moving this way. I relax and wait. The magnificent Bighorn Mountains, still capped with snow form a wonderful backdrop.



As the band gets closer, the grey stallion snorts at me, a long abrupt breath. He lifts his head. We are not familiar with each other. I am absolutely delighted as he moves toward me at a stiff legged, alert trot. He is so beautiful. He stops again, then starts to move at a trot then a gallop as he runs past me, mare and foal following behind him. It is the most gorgeous stirring sight, and my heart is full of joy. As he reaches the other bands of horses, he stops and snorts again, looking at me. I say "thank you" quietly and consider myself the luckiest of people. The horses touch something in my soul. Their joy in life, their beauty, their sense of family, their strength, their wildness - these qualities are unique to wild horses. And it is one of the very best parts of my life to be able to witness this and to share it.




We need wild horses. They speak to the very best part of all of us and preserving their right to roam free is essential.
The wild horses normally don't need anything from us - except now they need our help so that they can remain free.
In Defense of Animals has an online form that you can end comments on the proposed Adobe Town and Salt Wells roundups where the BLM plans to remove 1000 horses from 1.5 million acres. Comments are due by April 2: http://bit.ly/chE8Ko