Jaspar and Charlie

Wild Horse Education has already made multiple visits to Fish creek to begin to create the required documentation to successfully meet the objectives of the management plan. To read a background piece in the “fight for Fish Creek” go here: http://wildhorseeducation.org/2015/04/27/home-on-the-range-fish-creek-update-overview/

The most enjoyable part of this journey are the wild horses of Fish Creek themselves.

Fish Creek has a broad spectrum of the “genetic brush.” That spectrum includes magnificent roans, bold bays, flashy palominos and one of the most unique curly horses in the world.

We want to take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the wild ones at Fish Creek. (We are working on a booklet with BLM that will include images of pre-operation, during the operation, in holding and after release images of individual wild horses. The project is intensive as we are matching each individual to images, patterns and genetic information. We will notify you as the project nears completion).

Meet a few of the horses

Sarge back home

Sarge: We have been receiving many inquiries to a “sooty palomino” stallion named Sarge. In spite of efforts to identify Sarge as a domestic he was released. For years Sarge was documented fighting off three “interlopers” that kept trying to steal his mares. Sarge is back on the range and the three followers are in tow. Life is starting to normalize even after weeks held hostage.

“Sarge,” beloved stallion of Fish Creek in captivity, now free

Sarge during release

Aubrey is a huge white stallion that was not captured. Aubrey retained mares as they hid from the initial operation but has since picked up a new mare that was branded and released. (We have pre operation documentation on his band and are continuing to track them).

Aubrey post release date

Some of Aubrey’s mares

Bachelor stallions are always a lot of fun, inherently curious and full of energy.

The bay in the foreground is “Sweet 16”

Sweet 16 is a 5 year old released back to the range. He was documented post operation and several times since the release.

Larry, Curly and Moe have formed a small bachelor band. The grey and the bay are both “Fish Creek Curly Horses.” All three of these were documented prior to the operation and it was so much fun to see them all free on the range. Larry was not captured. To see them together again was such a treat!

Larry, Curly and Moe… our “three stooges.”

Mares treated with fertility control in 2015 will give birth to the babies they conceived in 2014. We will closely document foaling rates over the course of this project and will retreat as needed.

Ethel

 Ethel is a release mare. She has a buddy named “Lucy.” Ethel has found a new band stallion that we are now calling “Fred.” Fred is a very attentive step dad to Ethel’s new colt (a baby boy). We have seen this new family on more than one occasion and are tracking their progress.

New family of released wild horses

We have taken over 10,000 images since the release back home and are matching them to pictures in pre-operation, in captivity and back home. We will bring you much, much more.

Fish Creek Day 3, Palomino named “Chad” during capture

Chad “dancing” free during the release

Chad post release hanging out with Raul

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Wild Horse Education is actively documenting multiple ranges as we head into a fourth year of drought. Please help us stay active in the fight to preserve and protect our wild horses free on the range. http://WildHorseEducation.org/donate