Part of a Larger Mustang Band on Steens Mountain
by Belinda Greb
Title
Part of a Larger Mustang Band on Steens Mountain
Artist
Belinda Greb
Medium
Photograph - Photograph, Photography
Description
I don't think this band came to the waterhole where I wascamping while I was there. I saw them in the distance on a hillside with my binoculars and kept expecting them to come down, but in the evening they looked like they were gathering for the night under a tree and in the morning they were gone. The next day, when I drove the backroads, I came upon part of the herd, with the rest spread out behind some trees up a slope. Look carefully or you may miss the pinto foal that blends into its mother's coat. Another photographer and I were talking about how the mountain seemed really bereft of horses. Normally going to certain places you would seen hundreds of horses. Before the prior year's roundup, the herd was estimated at 1000-1500 and 700 were rounded up and 150 returned. However, during my 5-6 day stay, I saw about fifty. The other photographer and I drove some of the back rutted dirt roads and I saw some bands that I hadn't seen at the waterhole and others I did. One waterhole that is normally very crowded with various bands coming in from different directions was completly empty as was the area around it where you can usually see them in the distance. It's possible that some of these bands worked their way up to the higher portions of the mountain as it is an immense place. On the positive side, the horses all looked in great shape, well fed going into the winterr. I had been the prior year, and the horses I had seen were gaunt, so it's wonderful what a good year will do.
Uploaded
September 28th, 2023
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