After a trip to the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area and experiencing the thrill of seeing horses in the wild, we realized there may be others who wish to observe unbound Mustangs. So armed with our cameras, binoculars, maps and 4WD we will venture into these wild and rugged places. Within these electronic pages we will share what is out there… Where The Wild Horses Are… living life naturally. Exploring also some of the places they come to be when removed from these management areas.

The posts contain many photos, click on them to enlarge for more clarity, but please do not copy or reproduce without permission. email us. Thank you for visiting and we hope you enjoy the trip!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Story of Disappointment

"As she was drifting to sleep her thoughts were of horses, and of the open country, and of horses. Horses still wild on the mesa, who'd never seen a woman afoot and who knew nothing of her or her life yet in whose soul he would come to reside forever".
adapted from ~Cormac McCarthy

A story of a girl and Wild White Stallion.

Photo by Leslie Sterling, Sacramento Bee

This girl came to be an ardent admirer of an amazing guardian and father while doing Biology research and writing her thesis for a Masters degree, in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area near Susanville, CA. The Stallion and his band were intentionally/inadvertently within the confines of a small grazing allotment at Spanish Springs, Summit Trough near Ramshorn Campground, off Rye Patch Road.

Guarding his family.
While in this small allotment many admirers of wild horses came to visit him and his family, but this one girl, she was totally swept away by the vigilant care he showed his family, the way his large band of mares and offsping looked to him for guidance and protection, and the way his babies mirrored his every move displaying to the world confidence and comfort in their high desert home.

  His youngest son already taking charge of his world. 
Photo by Leslie Sterling, Sacramento Bee
On August 20th, 2010 he, his family along with 2 other family bands, seen in the below photo, were gathered by helicopter at the Shinn 1 trap right on Rye Patch Road.

BLM Photo
Soon after the roundup this girl, with images on her computer and in her mind of this battle scarred Wild Stallion, decided she must do something to keep him in his wild home. It couldn’t be his rightful home but she found the next best thing.

BraveHeart giving warning to another stallion.
With a new sanctuary home secured, correspondence began with his captors and guardians at the Litchfield WH&B corrals in October. By way of photographs, many descriptive emails and phone calls the wranglers said they had identified him, but neither the promised tag number nor photographs were returned to her by email. According to staff he had been deemed un-adoptable because of his age so he was the considered “sale authority”, now hip branded and gelded. The correspondence continued with very few, delayed replys, still no tag number and no pictures just apologies and word that the sale authority horses would be available on January 1st, 2011.

Last seen here 8/21/2010 the day following his capture.
Word finally came from the corrals on December 9th, "we may have sold him with a load of 40 sale authority horses going to Michigan" then the same day "we think you should come to the corrals and pick him out".

A visit was paid on January 4th to the corrals hoping to find her freckled white stallion gelding. The search lasted most of the day checking every pen. He was not there! She left the corrals very disappointed, with only a list of 17 appaloosa and gray horses that had been shipped to long term holding on December 8th, and a "good luck finding him" wish from the staff.

Why was it the very day after horses had been shipped to long term holding that she was told he might not be there? How could it be that a horse who had a private home may now be a long term ward of the Federal Government? Why were long term horses shipped before Jan 1st when they were said to be "available"? Where has he really gone? How many others has this happened to?


BraveHeart and his family will forever reside in this girl’s thoughts and soul.

She says "Every horse deserves special consideration, and should not be just pushed through the process." 


Our girl will not give up on the search for her BraveHeart.

*UPDATE:  We received word today about the search for BraveHeart...

March 18th, 2011 
"We discovered today that our BraveHeart is dead. It is not how he died that matters, it is how he lived … and I think you are aware that this special stallion lived the true wild horse life. He was extremely dedicated to his family and he loved his world each and every day that he had on the range, being who he obviously was put on this world to be … a very, very special wild stallion. His story will be told. He will not be forgotten."

BraveHeart will live on through his many admirers, many photographs, his young son Pableu's Cloud Blanket, and in the heart of our girl.
.

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Foals

Photographs sent to us by a friend who visited the corrals on January 4th, 2011.

photo by J. Johnston
photo by J. Johnston
photo by J. Johnston
Survivors...
They have endured capture, captivity, weaning, the harsh weather, and an outbreak of Strangles which stopped adoptions the beginning of December 2010. These babies would now be happy to find new homes.

Adopt a Wild Mustang

November 24th, 2010 continued...

The Twin Peaks roundup concluded Sunday, September 19 with a total of 1799 horses and burros gathered. So far there have been only 8 adoptions from the Litchfield WH&B corral. There are many that need good homes.
The following shows the process after paperwork is complete.

Bringing up the weanlings.
Sorting the 1 to 3 year old mares.


Mother and baby reunited.
Removing neck tag.
Loading into trailer. 1
2
3


Adopt a Wild Horse or Burrow

The three we brought home were from the first herd we saw here at Summit Trough at Spanish Springs.

Moving Horses

November 24th, 2010 continued...

1 to 3 year old mares.





Weanlings






These horses are ready for adoption please visit the BLM's site for more information.

The Bag Boys

November 24th, 2010 continued...

What is everyone looking at?

A plastic bag came tumbling across the adjacent pen toward the yearling geldings.
Got it!
Whoa look out!
My turn.

These geldings are ready for adoption please visit the BLM's site for more information.

November Visit To Litchfield WH&B Corrals

November 24th, 2010


As you look through the following pictures notice what the horses are eating and what is on their lips. Photos were taken at approximately noon, hay has not been put out yet. They are fed once a day, a straight alfalfa ration, that lasts them about two hours.

Cryptorchid pen.
Cryptorchid pen.
Cryptorchid pen.
Older mares scheduled for hip branding as sale authority the following week.



Possible release mares and mules along with mare mule pairs not yet weaned.