Thursday, May 23, 2024

A Beautiful Spring


Spring came early this year, after a rather easy winter.  With spring’s arrival, the bachelors in their chosen cliques become even more defined in their territorial behaviours, though this year, thankfully, their aggression among themselves is not as fierce.


The rangeland is rich with things to eat, both here on the home range and down on the range in Tehkummah where our mares live and all the horses are fat from it.  The black flies and mosquitoes are out and this keeps the horses on the move.  There are days though that are cooler and breezy and the torment of biting insects slackens for a time and there is much dozing in the sun.


We are thankful each time spring comes and the grasses return - it is this wonderful habitat here on the island that makes it possible for us to continue to safeguard our wild horses so they can live as much as possible under their own autonomy.

 




 

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Images from January 2024




We had a couple of back to back snowstorms, but overall, so far this winter has been on the mild and friendly side of things.


The horses are doing well!  We've been able to continue to support both our groups, the nine bachelors who are with us here at Ravenseyrie and the eight mares who we are thankful can continue to enjoy living wild on their range an hour's drive from us.  


All are getting older!  Zorita is 22 this year!  Altamiro, Bella and Belina are all 19!  Even our last two offspring (Ousado and Rija) who were born the year we shifted from breeding conservation of our Sorraias to supported separate herds will turn eleven this year.














I remain so thankful to be able to share my life with these wild horses and continue to draw artistic inspiration from them.  Kevin and I both feel that our lives and the health of the land have benefitted greatly by the presence of these equine friends.


Monday, October 2, 2023

October Morning, After Glorious Rain

 





We’ve had a very dry autumn and so this morning’s unexpected rain was such a gift!  How fresh and moist it was as we went about morning chores.  I’m thinking the horses found it a nice sensory experience, too.



It is also the time of year for punk hairstyles, thanks to the Greater Burdock ingenious method of seed dispersal.  Believe it or not, last week I had all the boys tresses free from burrs - that only lasted a day!  So there are many more de-burring sessions for us this autumn and winter.




For a more dedicated ode to burdock season, I’ll post a link to one of my archived entries: