Summer Stangs May and July 2014

We were on four different herd management areas (HMAs) on SE Oregon's high desert.
Three of my friends joined me- Alice of Pony's Wild West Images, Ginger of Out West Originals, and Terry of Terry W Smiths Images on the Outside (their photography pages can be found on fb).
Chasing the sun, we hiked and searched various portions of herd areas from sun up to sundown, taking a break on one of the very hot days in July for a couple hours to head to the summit of the mountain to escape the worst of the heat. Driving down the steep grade, when we reached the bottom, the brakes were both literally smoking! We went from 90's to 71 degrees near the summit of the mountain- a welcome relief. Thunderstorms hit at random, we slept under dark and starry skies,, and sat recounting the day around a campfire. At one point, long after the sunset, following a lightning storm, in the distance a pink glow shined on the bottoms of the clouds... there was a wildfire on the far horizon, south of camp. Several other wildfires were reported also along the east side of the Cascades.
We had hiked for countless miles, working our way between shade of various juniper trees in the mid-day heat as we made our way to a little known waterhole, stopping to drink water frequently from water bottles weighing us down, and dousing our cloths and ballcaps with water to keep cool. But we made it. We hunkered down patiently and waited. Our patience paid off, and we were treated by band after band of mustangs coming out of various hills and rimrock to water... bands we were familiar with, and bands we were not, or have never seen.
We are always aware of traveling back roads and precipitation, as roads can get slick and easy to get stuck in. Confidentally tried settling nerves by explaining the virga- rain evaporating before it hits the ground in this heat. I quickly had to withdraw that, as the cell billowed big and fast. We started to see drops on the windshield and we were trying to outdrive the ever-expanding thunderhead. We drove miles in the middle of Absolute Nowhere, on rutted rocky roads meandering through the sage. All being experienced at being stuck in the mud at one time or another out there, realized being caught in the downpour will turn these little used roads into slick and thick mud soup. But it looked like the thunderhead was distant enough for a venture. "Okay... the next hill, and the next... Okay to the bend in the road... Okay, down to the dry creek bed below", and on and on... We were the heck out there watching the sky at what looked like a beginning of a repeat of yesterday's weather show.... The cell grew bigger and bigger, darker and darker, menacing with thunder and lightning. The virga, which was just a while before evaporating before hitting the dirt, grew longer and more insistent in being a downpour as the cell turned monster. This cell grew so fast that it eventually covered the sky, and as it got later and the atmosphere cooled, it created a forceful downdraft that when it hit the ground, which we at first saw in the distance. The downdraft of the cooling frankenstorm caused downdrafts in all directions from it's center.
Curiously, we still were inspired to stop and photograph a 'megabull' briefly, as we've never seen a bovine this size and muscle-- to where he walked in slow-mo... seemingly difficult to walk and move that heavy beefcake.... Suddenly, we noticed a wall of dust headed our way getting quickly bigger. Finally hearing our insistent yelling and frantic arm waving and pointing, the photographer firing off shots, looked back and smiled, and in sudden aha moment had a double-take, dove into the pickup and we were once again trying to outrun the frankenstorm and it's hatchling dirt wall-cloud rolling our way. Driving like Indiana Jones on the rutted bumpy roads, finding our behinds often off the seat, while listening to Chris LeDoux's "Stampede"- fitting the moment to a "T"- we looked back often to track this wild storm- so close you would think you could reach out and touch it. We couldn't out-pace the dust storm, and were quickly over-taken by dust and grime. Drops began and we held on tight as the rig bucked and galloped as fast as it could go, knowing we were on the fringe of..... Frankenstorm.
The smell of the sage, the vast and distant spaces in our high desert west, wild horses with unruly manes to go with their unruly attitudes, the unpredictable weather and temperature extremes, the rumble of thunder and the thunder of hooves in this... our still wild-wild west... a place so wild it regenerates that untamable wild spirit hidden deep within us all.
Keeping the wild in our west, and our west... WILD!
~Mustang Meg
MustangWILD
PO Box 785
Lebanon, OR 97355
[e-mail]
www.mustangwild.com website
www.mustangmeg.com fb

[@DianeHennessy]

they're so beautiful. Love to see them in their own habitat...

[@carolv8450]

Beautiful vid

[@bonechka81]

beautiful video! So interesting to see interactions between horses.

[@richardandjudybernard1097]

Beautiful , healthy wild horses in their beautiful habitat

[@user-oy8tc4pj3i]

👍👍👍👍

[@georgiegirl1940]

Huge hock on the one bay horse although he seems to be walking sound on it.

[@carolv8450]

Arthritis?

[@megan2233]

cavalos são animais tão belos vivo livres e a natureza cuida deles provêem seus sustemtos

[@carolv8450]

Do mares have babies up until they can't anymore?

[@mateussantosesteticaebelez2460]

Meu querido !aonde fica esse lugar?e esses cavalos eles são,selvagens?

[@ewarodewicz7577]

Dlaczego nie możesz napisać po angielsku?

[@AdelWilliams-sz7nt]

There are plenty of wild horses in usa but are in danger of people getting rid of them

[@mariedelozier2530]

Hope ol'Mirages' purty lil'filly did alrite...

[@lindsaygrove6153]

Too bad the snapping of the camera for photos was so distracting it took away from the sounds of the horses.

[@wjkahl4900]

or a clean lens on a tripod

[@kaylaalmendarez7669]

I no

[@georgiegirl1940]

So turn your sound down if you dont like it. Chances are you could not hear the horses regardless except for an occasional whinny

[@joanwoolvertonfreeman9973]

B

[@ellimae1548]

at 3:57 looks like that foal has a hurt back leg

[@ewarodewicz7577]

At least it doesn't have a rope in its mouth.