Roaming Wild Among the Mustangs of the West's High Desert (October 2021)

A rather unusual trip this time, Alice and I took our husbands with us and it was about wild horses and the high desert. Less about photography and more about a day spent getting a wild mare and her colt back together as they were separated by a fence miles long with access points closed. It was interesting, when we approached, Sunshine several times walked toward us with her ears up and a look of anticipating a relief to her predicament.... "almost" like she was hoping we'd lend a helping hand. We had an opening a hundred feet away and thought it would be easy, but what was supposed to be easy, the mare lead us (like a Lassie moment LOL) in the opposite direction over a mile away- up hill. While it was a whole day, I took snippets and compressed a few moments into this video. We were trying to move them to a closer to a gate we opened up by the cattle guard, but as said, the mare had different ideas and a couple other bands complicated things where it felt like we took one step forward and two steps back. We were encouraged a mile later when it changed to two steps forward and one step back.
We also camped out on the Alvord desert, east of Steens and Alice's husband brought an incredible telescope that could peer outside of our own galaxy. It was a perfect clear and still night and stars big and numerous- it almost felt like you could reach out and touch them - stars, planets, star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies near and far. My favorite galaxy is the Pleiades/ the Seven Sisters and it rose over the desert in the east-NW and watched it several times when I woke up throughout the night seeing it through the roof mesh of the tent as it made its way through the sky overhead. On the other side of our tent was my other favorite- near the southern horizon was Sagittarius ... a Centaur..... half human half horse Archer. I was also finally able to learn without a doubt how to find Andromeda our nearest galaxy neighbor.
Rest in peace, Granite
So very sad we had to say goodbye to Granite, Shaman's mare from a few years back. Over the ten years we've known her, she taught us about wild mares, their roles, their care for foals, their positions and various hierarchies within bands, and moving through bands, and their influence on their stallions, the band, and the herds. We discovered her deceased when her band was all around an object in the sage which caught our attention initially and I was concerned as their behavior was intense and direct at the object before them. I had my suspicion and hoped this was not the case. We came back later after the band moved off a bit... the object was still among the sage and our concerns grew, and investigated. My fear was realized, it was Granite. We touched her and said our goodbyes. So sad, but grateful to know her final chapter, rather than wonder why she was no longer with her band. Looking around where she lay, it appeared as though she had just laid down and closed her eyes, no signs indicated otherwise. We do have a hunch- by knowing her history over the years, we suspect that from the past of having two fillies the same summer in 2014 three weeks apart (birth anomaly known as superfetation). We haven't confirmed, but if that is the case it could very well be likely that Granite had a second foal- perhaps lost it, and couldn't pass it for whatever reason and died of sepsis/infection. This seems to be plausible to the passing of an otherwise healthy 12 year old mare.
Rest in peace beautiful girl... fly with those eagles.
Protect to Preserve....
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Special Thanks to Opus Moon for allowing me to use their inspiring music for the mustangs. You can find there music here: www.reverbnation.com/opusmoon

[@donnac.1609]

Thank you for being in the right place at the right time! You certainly got your exercise!! Our Mustangs are a true treasure!

[@lareiger]

So beautiful! Lovely tribute to Granite ~ brought tears to my eyes

[@CC-xk6cp]

Thank you for all you do and for the beautiful photography. I pray they will always be able to run free...

[@cheriemoore1176]

Wow Thank You! They're so beautiful and that Mama & Baby❤️ All So Beautiful ❤️

[@Ottomaniac1]

Oh dear lovely Granite, you will be missed! Love everything about this! Thank you for making me feel a part of y’all’s journey with our mustangs! #myheartbeatsmustang #listentomywildheart

[@luckyduckyart291]

I love the wild mustang, Picasso will always make me think about them. Only trying to survive, yet man is selfish and destroys all. I think about the struggle they face often

[@karyleemontour9261]

What a beautiful video! Thank you for sharing!!

[@Ottomaniac1]

This is fantastic! I commend y’all for helping reunite them! Such gorgeous mustangs too!

[@jogger609]

Thank you so much for the wonderful videos. This is the only way I will ever get to see them .

[@AK-rh3vt]

How happy Pinyon looked, to see his mom! 😂

[@lynnwiltshire6220]

Thank you for this. So beautiful

[@carlenekingery2246]

Beautiful video! Loved being able to watch the wild horses and to see the stars and constellation Sagittarius. Thank you for sharing your videos and pictures.

[@kiramajor8490]

Thank you💛

[@wellslj]

Good job getting that baby back her momma!

[@marilynwargo6288]

Thank you as ever for this view of wild ones. That was a great campsite! Horses beautiful as ever! 🌸🐌💙🌙

[@juliechochrek6688]

Beautiful Awesome!!

[@deshaunbethea9117]

So freaking beautiful! 🐎🏇🐴 💙💖

[@lilnh1039]

beautiful

[@erinfletcher9060]

Amazes me how great they look!

[@fishingwithfilitsa]

SUPER

[@dennisgood2108]

Great video and music,thanks

[@sarienoppe93]

was beautiful thank you

[@wellslj]

How cool camping on that dry lake bed. Sad that the pretty mare died.

[@donnac.1609]

Sad..... Always sad to loose one of our Mustangs.

[@pamfisher7700]

Mustang WILD: Meg, you mentioned that you found Granite, former mare of Shaman deceased. What stallion was she with at the time of her passing? She wasn't alone, was she???

[@MustangMeg]

No, her whole family was around her and stayed near for at least a couple days. She had been still with Commander (Shaman's ex-Lt) who kept them and didn't let Shaman back in after Shaman was returned three weeks later after being bait-trap captured. Near the end you can see several horses standing together, and Granite was laying peacefully in the sage by them. Commander can also be seen there (a big red chestnut stallion). w

[@pamfisher7700]

@@MustangMeg Thank you for your response! She was so beautiful!

[@skyeblu9389]

I so envy the time you & ur friend are able to spend out on the range with all these beauties! I just left the Mid Coast of Oregon for Tennessee a few months ago but sometime wished I would of opted for the high desert of Eastern OR. So very sorry about Granite...God Bless ladies!

[@cheriemoore1176]

Save the Wild Ones!

[@denisekendall9588]

Really appreciated this video … the babies especially. If it’s possible to get photos of horses in Alvord-Tule Springs-Coyote Lake that would be very special for me to see. My mustang mare is from that herd complex - she came off the range in 2011 when she was a two yr old. Thank you for sharing these wild ones of Oregon!

[@AK-rh3vt]

Is it cooler there, because of the altitude?

[@MustangMeg]

Compared to other parts of Oregon, yes.

[@debbieshaw743]

I love your videos but wish you didn’t have to play the music. It would be nice to just hear the sounds of nature and some commentary.