The 'Blind One"

In April of 2009, we head out into the Twin Peaks area...driving along the Buckhorn Byway.

Looking across the draw we can see this single horses standing and I decide to stop and
see if I could get closer to him.

 Slowly, walking, staying behind trees in hopes that he will not see me...

I keep getting closer, and closer.  I can see that his nostrils are flaring as he is

trying to smell me...to get wind of me... but he does not run,, he just stands there.

He never turns to look at me,, so I step out from behind the trees ..

still no response from him..he is still blowing trying to get my scent.

I walked around in front  of him, he still did not move..

Still he just stood there as I walked around in front of him so I could

look at his other eye.... What a pretty boy..

He seemed to be very bored with the entire deal..yawned a few time and

moved up closer to a tree..maybe wishing that this thing he could smell would

go away....and I did....I said goodbye to him...

took another picture and left him to enjoy the rest of his day

I don't know for sure that he was blind..but he never acted like he saw me
This is where I left him...about 20 feet from where I found him...

October, 2009

Once again traveling along the Byway....we find two horses grazing on the hill side.
I hike up to them and take a few pictures..

Neither horse was very afraid...they looked at me and even came a little closer

It wasn't until Sept. of 2010 that I realized that this was "the blind one"

I met Cathy at the wild horse roundup, and sent her a few pictures that

I had taken....It wasn't until then that I reconized the other horse.

If this horse was blind, somehow he had found his way to this pretty

little mare...He stayed close to her...still never really acting that he

could see me..

She is a pretty little mare...

After Cathy saw the pictures that I sent, she said that the roan colored

horse really looked familiar..and sent me a picture that she had taken

in Redding in  April of 2010 at a BLM adoption..

This photo above  taken by Cathy..her blog Where The Wild Horses Are 

Cropped and put together, there is no doubt that this is the same horse.

They were captured Nov./Dec. 2009.   Cathy and I have wondered what

happened to "the blind one" if he was indeed blind.  How could he

manage being rounded  up..and if he was...I am sure that BLM would

not have let him live....we will probably never know....

Nov. 2010..after the Roundup at Twin Peaks

November 6, 2010

I decided to go out and see how many horses I could find  after the Twin Peaks roundup, with

a sad heart, as I knew that the places I would travel would flash me back to the last time

I was there.  The Roundup was going on and the horses were being removed from their

home range.  I knew that Painters Flat would remind me of the Paint Stallion

that while being run into the catch pen, hit the gate post and broke his neck,

killing him instantly....But my love to see the wild horses  was much greater than

the bad memories that the roundup had left in my mind.
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The old French Ranch Ranch, now empty, was pretty with the colors of fall

I wondered how much of the roundup this guy had witnessed..

Not far in, we saw  these three stallions...there were not afraid

at all ....my heart was singing...

He is very pretty, and not worried about me ...

As always he pranced around and blew at me...but then was more

interesred in his buddy...as if they were just getting to know each other.

These two put on quite a show....

I could have stayed here forever watching these guys, but I was anxious

to go and see if I could find any more...

Even in the late fall there is color in the high desert....it is always pretty

The reservior at Painters Flat was over flowing with water...but we only

saw one wild horse, slowly making his way across the center of the flats.  We talked

to three guys on quads. They had been riding for two days in that area and had

seen a total of 4 horses.  Very sad..!!  We decided to go the Buckhorn Byway and

see if we could find any horses.

 ~~~~~~~~~

On the South side of Round Corral, we found a pretty herd...

 They were not afraid and so I took my time, walking slowly to get closer

to them...they didn't seem to mind at all that I was there..

This guy loved his family....I was so happy to at least know that there

was still horses out here....

What a sweet guy he is....!!!     to cute...nickering sweet nothing to

his lady :-)))   Love it..!!

So pretty, sleek and shiny..going into winter in very good shape, and

still lots of grass for them even his late in the year...

This herd is just so relaxed..enjoying the warm fall day and not

paying any attention to me...I was lovin' this...

I was looking back to see...if you were looking back at me...

He is a cute guy !!!

I spent a long time watching this group...My heart was singing...

I was so happy just to know that I was still going to be able to

find my beautiful horses, maybe not as many as before..but  this

was better than none at all..

On the way back, at the very same spot we had found the horses above,

this group had moved in..

This stallion is beautiful....

With the dry mud on him I would say that they had come up from

Round Corral Reservior...

They didn't stay but a few minutes..and they were off over the mountain.

But another group that is still there..!!

We saw a few lone stallions...

All the horses we saw were in very good shape.

In all this day we have seen 46 horses.  A couple bunches took

off as soon as they spotted us..

Observation Mountain from the west side.

Heading home..It had been a good day...I had found some horses..

for now, they were living free and wild...as they should be..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 14, 2010

Once again we head out to the Twin Peaks area to look for horses.

He had a mare and yearling colt, but they took off  so no pictures of them

We had seen this horse last weekend ....he is running along..

This time on the Buckhorn Rd. we only saw 4 horses all day.

Old cabin at the Horn Ranch..

Two baby graves on the east side of the Horn Ranch..

I hiked a ways to get to this group..but they took off before I could

get very close to them....Pretty family unit..

We saw more horses this time going into this area, but they were

very afraid and ran as soon as we were spotted...By the time I hiked up

to these guys..they were gone..

Big Springs...the sun is going down and its time to head home