Sunshine

April has been a long and cold month here in Alberta.  The snow has hung on in locations and often during the month new snowfall added to the wet conditions.   Many back roads are not in very condition as I travel through wild horse country checking on the herds.  This time I just wanted to bring you up to date on a couple of the foals we reported on last time.

Blondie’s baby

The last time we saw this little filly it was snowing, so cold and it had just been born hours before. Here it is now a week old, much stronger and beginning to explore on its own. The ability of this young one to survive such a harsh environment shows the resilience of the wild horses even at this tender age.

Cute boy

This is the other foal that we reported on last time and we’ve identified it as a colt. As you can see he too is doing exceptionally well. Being a few days older, he is much more adventuresome and loves to run around kicking up its heels.

Everything is so fascinating

He is not afraid to wander away from mom a bit to taste new things that he finds. The whole time he is exploring, mom is busy building up her body reserves again to ensure a good milk supply for her offspring.

Back off dad

Even though the mare appeared not to be paying attention to her young one, she is. Here the stallion of the herd has approached in a manner she did not appreciate. She moves in front of her baby, flattens her ears back and lets him know he is too close. Over the years that I have been observing wild horse behaviour, this is one that continually amazes me as I continue to learn about their herd dynamics. The stallion has his place in the herd, which is to protect them, but he still has to mind himself around the new foals.

Baby on it’s way

As we continued on our travels this day, we came across other herds where the mares appear to be so close to foaling as you can see by this beautiful young mare. She is so gorgeous and in such good shape considering the time of year. The likelihood of her having a healthy foal is strong. I can hardly wait to visit her herd again to see the foal when it is born because the sire is Napashini.

Napashini

This is the stallion, Napashini, a young boy we have watched grow and mature from the very beginning. His sire is the magnificent Raven.

Again this day road conditions dictated where we could explore to locate the different herds that we know about. Many of the herds we could see in the distance but could not get close enough to find out if they had new foals with them. Although our day out there was not that long because of this, as we were leaving we came across Tahatan’s herd. One of his beautiful mares had a new foal with her.

Tastes so good

Here the snow was almost gone, the sun was warm and the whole herd was enjoying the easy pickings in this meadow. Keeping a watchful eye on us, mom was still calm enough to allow the foal to nurse. As soon as it finished, it laid down to rest.

What a great way to end our day.

Bob

Spring time in the Rockies

March in wild horse country started out looking so promising for an early spring. In the middle of the month we even found the first wild horse foal of the year that we told you about previously. Hopeful that we would be able to find it again, we have travelled out many times to check on its welfare. Such is our love for these beautiful animals and their welfare. The only time our trips took us on a half decent day we were unable to locate the foal and its herd. Nonetheless we continued to check on the herds we knew about, but no other mares at that time had produced any foals.

The overseer

In our travels out there it is amazing to me, even with all the time I do spend out there what you do see and what you do run into at times. This includes the deer, elk, moose, bears, even cougars and so many different species of birds. On this trip however, with the only nice weather we’ve had in a month, we headed toward the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch. Travelling up the road, as has happened in the past, all of a sudden we were confronted by a herd of bighorn ewes and lambs.

The confrontation

Numbering about 30 individuals they came right up to the vehicle to obtain the salt that clings to the vehicle. So interested in this were they, that I could lean out the window and physically touch them without them getting alarmed. Next thing I knew coming from the other direction was a herd of bighorn rams. Caught in the middle all I could do was let my camera snap away in amazement and joy.

Road blockade

Since then we have tried a few times to check on the horses. On the weekend of April 6, 7 & 8th a spring snow storm hit the foothills west of Sundre with a vengeance. Travelling down the back roads at times we were pushing the snow over the hood of my vehicle. This type of weather is probably the worst thing that can happen to newborn wild horse foals. With this worry in my heart, I travelled many miles again checking on as many herds as I could find to see if there was any new foals. That day we could not even get into area where the foal we’d seen earlier in March was.

Setimika’s herd

Travelling through the snow it was nice to see that the herds we did find were all doing extremely well despite the despicable weather.

April showers?

Here are two young boys who are trying to make the best of it in an open meadow during another snow squall.

First snow, now sun. Oh, well.

These mares belong to the stallion I call Bear and they were pawing through the deep snow to get what ever forage they could find. During the next week the weather did not improve at all and we were not able to travel forth until yesterday, April 15th.

We left home with the sun looking like it was going to break through the clouds which would be welcome after two more days of heavy snow. By the time we reached the end of the pavement, guess what, it had started to snow again. Many of the side roads were impassable and even the main forestry road had not been plowed  yet. Undaunted, on we went and it was as we were checking the location of one of the herds we knew about, the gloominess of the day was suddenly lifted. In this herd we found two of the mares had foals with them.

Brand new

This young foal was still very wobbly on its feet having just been born hours before into this terrible weather. It was still amazing to watch it follow its mom through the meadow and the willow thickets as she secured a safe distance from us.

Trying to follow mom

Despite it being so young, you can see it was able to leap over some brush and through the heavy snow to stay close to her. It is sights like this that continue to endear the hardiness of these beautiful horses to my heart.

Wait for me

A couple of days older, this young one would follow its mom wherever she went for feed. It was amusing to watch it, as every once in awhile it would run around jumping and kicking as young foals do when they are feeling happy and secure.

On the go

On the warning of the stallion off goes the mare, the foal and the protective other mare. We noticed in this herd that when one of the mares with a foal would wander, another mare would follow closely and stay by her and the baby. No wonder we love them.

The weather person is predicting warmer temperatures and sunshine over the next few days and this may be all these young ones need to gain strength and improve their chances drastically of survival. You can be assured where we will be going again in the next few days!

Bob

Can you see us

It turns out that although skeptical of the government numbers in the past, their totals for this year’s count are more indicative of the true numbers.  In the past my estimation of the numbers were lower than their’s and it is through this collaborative effort that we can now have a true tally of the wild horses roaming in our Alberta foothills.

High above horse country

Aerial counts were done in four different areas:

Kananaskis Country – #1 Highway south to Ware Creek – 66 head.

Ghost River north to the Red Deer River – 174 head.

Red Deer River north to the Ram River – 485 head.

Sundre west to Eagle Lake and north to the Clearwater River – 128 head.

Areas further to the north, Nordegg country are yet to be counted as I write this.

A good view

On my behalf I have to say that these areas were thoroughly covered and I felt accurately indicated the true number of wild horses. I just want to thank the ESRD staff that I flew with who were very professional and enlightened in regards to knowledge of the areas and other factors that affect wild horse country.

On the fly

With fresh snow on the ground and sun shining, the ability to locate the wild horses was made a lot easier. Upon locating herds we would circle a few times to assure the number of horses in each group and to also identify how many of the 2012 foals were still with these herds. On this point as we already knew, but as this count confirmed, mortality rate for these foals was extremely high last year.

A large herd

The numbers between all areas that were counted total 853 wild horses. This number appears to be even above the numbers given by the government but I must admit, in my case for sure, the search for the horses was extensive and thus maybe why the numbers are higher for this count. I want to thank the ESRD staff for assuring that the counts were as accurate as reasonably possible.

We still have to continue to work to assure that the wild horses are protected adequately and that previous methods of dealing with them are changed to allow a more humane way of managing these herds. I continue to ask for your support in letting the Alberta government know that you too want this to happen.

Bob

Sunshine meadow

Saturday, March 16th here in Olds was cold, foggy and snowing. Wind chill -32C. Not wanting to sit at home, we decided to head into the west country to check on the wild horses. First checking on some herds in some of our normal areas, we found the temperature had warmed up but the skies were still cloudy with snow. These herds are still doing quite well. Leaving this area, we decided to move further to the west into some valleys we hadn’t visited for awhile. Here we found sunshine and temperatures around zero degrees and this certainly lifted our spirits. We found this herd with several pregnant mares feeding in this meadow. The snow here was certainly less than that on the areas just to the east.

Flying

Here you can see that there is little snow cover making it easier to the wild horses to move about and forage for feed. This young stud came flying out of the trees and across the road to join his herd in the meadow below. Glossy, shiny and in excellent shape, he exemplifies the beauty that I find in the wild horses.

First born found

As we continued in our travels checking on the herds, lo and behold high up on a ridge we came across a familiar herd and there standing next to the mare was this beautiful young foal only a few days old. Mom and babe both looked in excellent shape. The rest of the herd were helping the mare to protect its young one. Feeding below the mares was the stallion, which is a common trait of wild horse behaviour, but they are always on extreme alert for dangers to their herd.

How dare you!

 Upon seeing us he just came a-flying to put himself between us and his herd. Nostrils flaring he issued a loud snort to warn us off. Upon hearing this the lead mare also took this as her signal to vacate and she led the rest of the herd, including the young baby off into the forest.

Keeping up with mom

As we continued our journey that day, we found no other mares with foals however we there were several that were extremely close to term. This calls for another trip quite soon again to check on them. We especially want to check on this young foal as waking up Sunday morning, the weather was worse than on Saturday at home.

Who’s tougher?

We came across these two young stallions engaged in showing off their fighting skills. In March I’ve found that this is quite common with young bachelor stallions to exercise their future skills needed to gain their own herds. What I found fascinating about these two is that there was a pregnant mare and yearling with them and all appeared to be living harmoniously. After their little skirmish as if showing off for us, they all went back to peacefully grazing together.

Bob

Oh that sun feels soooo good!

The sun is starting to warm up and hopefully winter is on its last legs. The horses are using the open hillsides to enjoy the warmth that the early spring sun brings. A recent couple of weeks have brought an onslaught of new snow which has covered areas that had been exposed for a period of time. This has caused the horses to roam a little bit more foraging for feed. As the sun rises higher it will not take long for the grasses to be exposed again for the horses. This is especially important for easing the stress on the pregnant mares, many appear close to term, as their feeding will be a lot easier.

Scruffy, but healthy

We are still grateful that there was not capture season this year where young ones like this one had to be taken away from their natural range and their families. As you can see they are fat, healthy heading into their second year of life. It is hoped this year that Mother Nature will cooperate to help the foals that are born this year to survive their first few months. In our travels it is quite obvious that many herds do not have foals from last year with them.

Itch, itch!!

Another sign that spring is on the way is that the wild horses are starting to lose their heavy winter coats. In order to help alleviate the itching and to speed up this process, we find that every time we are out we notice a lot of the horses rolling in the snow. It is obvious to us by their body language that this feels so good for them.

This is delightful!

On our last journey out to observe the wild horses, we came across these three young bachelor boys who became so fascinated with us and the dogs that they came strolling down the road to see what we were all about.

Hi there.

It was fun to watch their antics, as they came within 20 feet of us then stood there cocking their heads as they watched our antics and the  dogs. They made no attempt to move off and instead it us that finally moved down the trail. It is moments like this that keep the wild horses so precious in our hearts.

Strolling along

Take a close look at this young boy’s hoof and notice how perfectly shaped it is. This is a fantastic trait that has evolved in the wild horses of Alberta. Due to the fact that they are constantly on the move and using their hooves to forage for feed, their hooves are naturally trimmed down. A wild horse without sound feet cannot survive.

One of the saddest things I see as a horseman myself are the number of domestic horses whose hooves are overgrown and in some cases deformed due to neglect. Due to the strength of the wild horse hoof and its perfection, a lot of farriers are looking at this and adapting their farrier skills to mimic this on the domestic horses they work on. All these physical characteristics that allow the wild horses to survive in such a harsh environment, show us that they do belong with all the other wild animals.

Standing guard

Probably one the behaviours of a wild horse stallion that still endures them to me, is the way they will always put themselves between their herd and perceived threats. Here is one magnificent stallion who is giving us the eye until his herd has found the safety of the forest beyond. Got to love them!

Bob

Winter sunshine

There was excellent news out of the ERSD today and that was that there will be no capture season this year.  For that I thank all of you who wrote your e-mails, letters or signed on line petitions.  I do strongly believe it was your voices that were listened to by the government.   That was the the main objective that we wanted for this year.  Now the work will continue in order to have the wild horses re-designated as a “Heritage Animal” .  There is still a lot of work to be done along this line and it will take a bit of time in order to convince the government of Alberta that this would be beneficial for all parties involved.

Truly wild

Some of the things that will have to be done includes having document proof  of the interaction that the horses have both with domestic cattle on the grazing leases and with all other wildlife that co-exist on the range that the wild horses occupy.  What impact do the horses really have on the natural grasses and forages throughout their range?  Only one study has been done in Alberta, (Salter 1972)  In my years of documenting the wild horses I have accumulated many binders of information and made notes on most of these points.  In order to hopefully protect the horses I am working on collecting the data and producing a paper. It is hoped that when completed I plan to present to the stakeholders committee where they can have a true understanding and the role that they play in the current ecosystem of our Alberta foothills.

On alert for danger

The other initiative that I am working on is the creation of a research and rescue facility for wild horses that may need it. One individual has offered for use for this purpose a section of land next to the forestry. This would be an excellent location to facilitate further research into the wild horse behaviour. It would also allow adequate range for horses that need to be rescued for what ever reason. It could become a focal point for the public to witness the wild horses first hand. This will take some funds but I am sure through e-mails that I get that there are donors out there who would readily help get this off the ground.

The other important task that is necessary is to have an accurate count done throughout wild horse country on the number of wild horses that inhabit it. There are individuals willing to help out with this too. So the work continues but with renewed optimism that we can succeed in our goals and objectives.

Open range

As you all may know this winter has been incredibly mild and lacking snowfall, which you can see in the above photo of Sandor’s herd enjoying the sun and the open grasses. His mares are heavy in foal and last year’s babies are thriving. It is good to know that the mares in foal that we do see will be able to carry through their pregnancies without worry.

Fat and sassy

Bob

It has come to my attention that there is a person on Facebook soliciting money for “whoas”.  This person is stating that the money will be used for DNA testing and saving the wild horses.  Alledgedly they are also selling pictures.  The funds are directed through a Paypal account.  This is not a legitimate fundraiser for WHOAS, as we only fund raise through the annual sale of our calendar and unsolicited donations.  When questioned by some this individual directs them to ask me.  This solicitation, site and person are not sanctioned in any way by our society.

Bob

Young wild one

The Calgary Area Outdoor Council have asked me to do a presentation at their headquarters building on February 11, 2013, at 6:30 PM.  There will be a slide show and talk on the horses.  It is open to the public however they would like you to phone to register for this free presentation at 403-270-2262.  The office is located at 1111 Memorial Drive NW in Calgary.

Bob

Wild Horse Country

Despite the dire predictions of a harsh, cold winter, Mother Nature instead has been kinder so far to our wild horses and the other wild creatures. It’s near the end of January and although temperatures have been moderately cold, there has been very little snow since the first of December. In many areas that we visit, there is almost no snow under the trees and very little out in the meadows. The snow that is there is still soft and easy to paw through for forage.

Winter range

The one thing we are finding in our travels throughout the last two months is that the horses are harder to find compared to other winters due to the fact that they are able to move more freely about. All these factors are enabling the horses to maintain excellent body condition and health. Even the late born foals are thriving. The mares that are obviously pregnant are also very strong. Therefore if the spring allows it, this year’s foal crop will also have a good start in life.

Thriving foal

One of the reasons I spend so much time out with the wild horses is to observe their behaviours and habits. With this information it is hoped that facts will support our efforts to protect and save the horses. One of the fun and interesting little behaviours that I observed was the actions of a herd stallion and a couple of his troupe when they were going after road salt. Where does this road salt come from? As a result of industry vehicles travelling the main roads before going into their job sites, a lot of times the salt laid down on the roads will gather on their vehicles. When they park their vehicles the salt residue will then drop and accumulate on the ground. In the winter months, when the natural salt licks are buried, the horses and deer will go to these locations to pick up this tasty delight.  Usually the action of a horse to forage or to obtain minerals is the pawing with their hooves. This is just a pull back motion and on ice this is not a very practical way to get to the salt.  In this one stallion’s case, he instead would kick forward using the toe of his hoof to break up the ice and therefore reveal what he was after. The others with him, upon observing his actions, implemented this technique themselves.  To me this exemplifies the wild horses’ ability to adapt and survive in their ever changing environment. Another behaviour that all horses exemplify, but is fun to watch is the apparent joy that these beautiful animals take in rolling in the snow that cleanses their coats. No matter how often you see this, it is delightful to witness as they seem to have a smile on their lips.

Tasty treat

Feels sooooo good

Also on a positive note, the Minister has not made any decision on the issuing of capture permits for this year. We hope that this is a good sign that there will be no capture season as according to the regulations the season only runs until February 28th. However, we still want to encourage you to continue to write and email the Minister voicing your objections to any capturing of our wild horses.

Moving about

I have noted that the spokesperson for ESRD continues to feed both the public and the media the same unscientific arguments against the wild horses. One of the things she also states over and over is that the horses are just stray or turned loose animals indicating that they have only been roaming the Eastern slopes for a short period of time. Therefore, she completely ignores the early history of our province which shows that the horses have been running free and wild since before the first incursion of the white man. The government also fails to see the fantastic potential that the horses can represent for tourism in our province. These continued attempts to malign the horses is a terrible injustice to the wild horses and to Albertans.

Wild and free

In regards to trying to have the horses given a distinct identity, such as a “heritage species”, the ESRD and the Minister are totally unreceptive to this idea so far. I strongly believe that because of all your support for this cause, the media here in our province has taken a strong interest in it. I’ve given many television, radio and newspaper interviews outlining why the wild horses deserve this distinction. It is very reassuring that the media has seen this as a positive newsworthy story, instead of only focusing on the negative events that have affected the horses in the past.

Considering the current financial woes of our government and the challenges they face, there is very little chance that our efforts to have the wild horses given this distinction will be addressed in the near future. We, however, are not going to give up and will continue to work toward this cause.  One of the ways I intend on doing this, like I have stated, is to work on researching and gathering scientific information to refute the arguments used against them. This will take considerable time and effort but I am up to the task as the wild horses are my love and my passion.

I want to thank everyone for your continued support.

Bob

Winter’s solitude

2012 is coming to a close as winter deepens its grip in wild horse country. The forests are quiet now and the horses and other wildlife have settled into their winter survival routines. Although the snow is deepening quickly out there, it is still soft and allows for easy foraging for all. All the horses and other wildlife we’ve come across have excellent winter coats and are in good condition to face what is yet to come. A lot of the wild horse mares are now starting to show the signs of the new life that they are carrying within them.

Happy herd

As far as word from the government if there is going to be a capture season, we understand from the Minister that no decision has been made. The consultant’s report, based on the input from all stakeholders, is still being reviewed. We have had an overwhelming response to our requests for email and letter writing by concerned Albertans and Canadians asking the Minister not to have a capture season this year. My email box daily is filled with messages offering moral support in our efforts to save the wild horses. We still encourage all of you to continue in your messages to stop a capture season this winter. It is time that the ESRD and the Minister started listening to the majority of Albertans instead of a very small group of those who use our land for their own financial benefit and are opposed to sharing it with the wild horses.

Proud boys

One of the problems that a very small number of wild horses get themselves into is in the area right along the forestry reserve boundaries. Here fences that are supposed to be maintained by government, lease holders  and/or property owners are in poor repair. A broken top strand or two allows the wild horses to walk over or jump the fence in order to gain forage along the road allowance or in private pasture. Several times in the past we’ve been called upon to assist in moving these wayward horses back into the public forestry. In doing this we have also assisted in fence repairs and/or providing supplies to remedy the fencing problems. Such was the case just this last weekend when it was reported that there was a herd of wild horses out on a road allowance and outside the forestry reserve boundaries. The problem with this is that at that point the horses become a target under the Stray Animal Act for anyone to legally(?) remove them. So responding to this, we travelled out to the area and found the “bad horseys”!! With the aid of our trusty dogs, we managed to move the herd back into the safety of the forest and then set about repairing spots along a half mile of  fence line.

Wrong gloves for barbed wire fence – ouch!

Getting the job done

At this time of the year, we would like to thank all our supporters for their words of encouragement in our efforts to save our wild horses.

Thank you for helping me

On behalf of the wild horses, we would like to wish everyone season’s greetings. We would also like to say thank you to everyone who purchased our calendar, but that as of December 22, it is sold out.

Dashing through the snow – where’s the sleigh?

Bob