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| This was one of the last trips I made to the herd, last fall. I always hope to be able to approach the herd in my car, at least within 100 or so yards; they're used to seeing a few cars and trucks everyday, rolling through the desert. If you have to approach them from out of nowhere, on foot, they're much more skiddish, as you can seem like a predator, rather than just a peaceful Joe with only a camera. This particular evening, I caught the herd a good ways from a dirt road. So, they didn't see me park my car. I hiked at least 1000 yards to get to them, and when I got within sight of them, a half dozen of them ran out to meet me; ears perked up, nostrils flared, looking for a showdown if I wanted one. I stopped where I was, and let them stare at me and my tripod for a while; long enough that they could all calm down a bit. By the time I got to start shooing some good stuff, the daylight was quickly fading. I was lucky to get the shots that I did; very few. But because of the lighting, this shot ended up being rather beautiful. These horses are so pretty. They are wild; they are quite different than any Quarter Horse you may have been around. They have a wild, natural spirit, and you can feel it if you try. I sure hope that these precious symbols of the wild American West will remain for many, many centuries to come. I'm crossing my fingers than man won't screw it up. |
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