Having been a while since I had been to the Pryor range, Ahnya and I decided to spend a night on the mountain. The first horses we encountered as we approached the top were Jupter and Demure. Jupiter is solidly built and I believe he will command a much larger harem in years to come.
Some of the changes on the mountain this year are still hard for me to accept as being more than short term, but it is far enough into the summer to discount them like some of the March and April events. It is still tough for me to think of Jackson’s band as someone elses. The next band I saw was another change that is still sinking in. In both cases things could return to how I have known them, but there is just as good a chance that they won’t. Dove was the easiest to spot in the band, but I did not even see Coronado dogging the band. Irial is the current band stallion. I think this is a pretty large group for his experience level.
I may have remained with this group a little longer, but I could see Galaxy and Cloud’s bands to the left …
and foals trump all else if they are ones I have not been able to observe. First was Ohanzee with Cloud, Inocentes and Feldspar.
Right behind them was Galaxy’s band with little Oro.
As we drove toward Penn’s Cabin we found that a few bands were in the meadow just above the pond. I saw Bolder over toward the cabin and some more horses down along the road before it heads into the woods on its way to Sykes, but decided to go for the nearby horses as I could see 2 foals. They were Okomi, who I had seen before, and Olivia, who I hadn’t. She was very active during the time I watched. While *Doc’s band*, Mescalero’s, and Blue Moon’s was present, the best discovery was of a new foal with Baja’s.
To cap off a great evening, the sun decided to turn the sky a yellow-gold which allowed me to do some sillhouette shots.
Wyoman Photography blog 
Thanks, Shawn! Was looking forward to these 🙂
I think it will take a long time for most of us to accept the changes… and I am sure things will continue to change for a while.
The silhouette shots are stunning! I think I need a print of the third one, is that Galaxy by chance? 🙂
Thank you.
It is not Galaxy. He was still up the road further. I am pretty sure it is Doc. I am getting them on my site (wyomanphotography.com) as I type, which is one option if you did want a print. I didn’t know where to put them, so I started a new gallery in the Pryor folder called “sillhouette or artistic”. Another place I have been doing prints lately is antzl if you can think of a caption or title that you would want with it and wanted canvas.
Awesome silhouettes!
I’m sure things will take a while to settle in with all these changes 😦 I wish young stallions would take a mare or two and not the entire band. Coronado loosing his band is news to me….that’s too bad. Raven’s three sons loosing their bands this year, momentarily or permanent.
It looks like Ohanzee is going to stay black and Okomi roaned out and it looks like Oro may as well 🙂 Washakie’s foal is a cutie!!!!
Thank you.
I didn’t know it when I was up there, but the center had posted a note that a visitor earlier in the year had seen Irial with Coronado, but when they went and checked he still had them. Maybe this is something that has been switching back and forth over the summer and will change again.
Wow Ohanzee really suprised me with his color! Based on the way his coat looked I thought for sure he would roan out. Him, Okomi, Oro, Olivia, and Washakie’s filly all look good. The changes are definitely hard. I think we will eventually see Irial and Coronado split the band. Or at least Coronado end up with Blue Sioux. The mares have switched back and forth several times this. I think the closeness of the band and their desire to be with Coronado has helped keep them intact, but I think eventually they’ll get split. Those silouhete shots are amazing!
I am not sure what will happen with Irial/Coronado. Irial has had much smaller groups before and lost them, but he is maturing and learning each time I am sure. I still think this is too big for him, and agree with you that maybe he will end up with a few split off. Ideally it would be a younger daughter of Coronado and maybe 1 older mare to help lead.
Not sure if you’re going to be picking a name, PMWMC said you reported it to them first. But in case you were looking for some ideas I thought I would mention these. I posted them earlier on the PMWMC fb too. Some potential Spanish names (to go with Baja) could be Ophelia, Orabela which means golden- beautiful, and Orinda which means gold. And we know she’s going to turn out to be a golden dun. But even regardless of meanings I thought those would be three pretty Spanish names for a pretty Spanish lady.
Nancy did contact me earlier in the week asking if I had thought of names at all, and I have talked to her some about possible names since. Another photographer was up there that day also, so I have written him and wanted to see what he thought since I have had the chance to name some in the past. I do want to see something connected to the lineage once a name is decided on, so my input will definitely try to do that.
There are 2 names that I have been able to link through research. The first sounds prettier, and it is Ojai. it is pronounced O-Hi as far as I have heard it. It is in California and has the same 4 letters with an H-sounding J, like Baja. It does have a native american connection as it is from the Chumash word awhai and means “moon”.
The second might fit Washakie and grandparents better, but I don’t think sounds as nice. It is Ochoco, pronounced O-cha- co from one source and o-chuh-ko in another. It is a mountain range and forest in Oregon. From my research, this is the area that Washakie grew up. The tallest peak in the range is Lookout Mountain, which could connect some to the grandparent Looking Glass. It is still western US, although much further north than Baja. There is actually a wild horse HMA in the Ochoco Forest, the Big Summit herd. It comes from the Paiute Indians and means “willow”.
I’m always glad to hear more suggestions and can pass them on. Ultimately, I am not the one that decides- but they do listen.
I find it really hard to think of them as “Doc’s” and “Irial’s” bands too
did the mares seem content with Irial? I agree with Sarah, I think Blue Sioux will likely make a bid to return to Coronado, maybe Adona too. Did Nickle roan out? Does Doc have all of Jackson’s former band (minus Niobrara and Maelstrom)?
I like both Ojai and Ochoco as names, love both the meanings too 🙂 it wasn’t my name idea but I know Oriata was suggested as a tribute to Damsel/Dancer if Cloud had a filly. Looks like he won’t this year but Washakie is Damsel’s half sister so it does kind of connect. Again, not my name idea but I do think it would be lovely for there to be a filly named for Damsel 🙂