My family and I have been watching the Pryor wild horses for most of my life, but it has been in the past few years that we have seriously kept track of and photographed the horses. We visit the wild horse range at least once a week year-round. We are also involved with the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, for which this blog was created.
We aren’t horse people per se – We are wildlife people. We love all of the wildlife of the horse range (bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bears, etc); but the horses are our biggest interest. The wild horses are fun because we can easily identify them on an individual level. With most other animals, this is difficult as they are so similar in appearance. Because we can do this with the horses, we are able to learn their individual personalities (Not all horses act alike!) and follow them throughout their lives (Which are very complex and comparable to a soap opera!). Every horse has a story. The stallions, mares, colts, and fillies all have something special about them that is worth sharing, though only a couple “famous” horses have received this recognition. The Pryor horses also exhibit very interesting and primitive behavior – Similar behavior can be observed in zebras. The stories and news that comes out of knowing the horses (and the surrounding ecosystem) like this is what we hope to share on this blog.
PryorWild 
Thanks for the blog Matt! I hope to read more about the horses soon. Please let us know how Flint and Boulder are doing, OK? And those who foaled out of season and their foals as well. I’m curious to know if they made it through the winter or not.
I’m hoping and praying that BLM and the Forest Service will leave these horses alone.
Sincerely,
RCG
Great job Matt! I enjoyed reading your blog, keep up the good spotting!
Trish
Nice job Matthew, Your photos & comments tell the Pryor story very well. Thanks for your great support. John
Fantastic set up! I love the pictures, it’s like you’re right there when reading. Very impressed.
Matt, I’d like to hear your thoughts on Phoenix’s injury. PZP shot?
Thank you for creating this blog. As someone who is deeply interested in wildlife ethology, but is so far away, it is very rewarding to read your updates. I am interested to know how cougars are managed up their. I know that some are shot from time to time, but I wonder if letting them be would keep the horse numbers in line naturally. While this is obviously sad for individual foals, it seems better for the herd (at least with respect to round ups, and darting). I guess I’m wondering how much passive management is taking place on the range, if any? Please keep me posted on anything new and interesting, one day I hope to see these things with my own eyes.
Thanks Again
CZ in CA
Matt I don,t know if you remember me but I took some pictures of Fools Crow when I was on the mountain and I can’t help but wonder how how he is doing. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Exhilarate who I also photograped and you later told me a story about before I bought the book that I am totally enthralled with.Sometimes I wished I lived a lot closer so I could join you on your trips into the mountains to keep track of the mustangs that I have learned to love so much.I don’t want to seem to be preduciced but I really love Fools Crow.I think he is probably one of the most beautiful animals I have ever seen. I also told you that I have a gelding that reminds me a lot of your Pryor Mountain horses. Maybe in tha future I will send you a picture of my Dusty. Depending on how you look at he is as wild as a horse can be while being fed every day and looking forward to my coming home. I love him a lot, if you couldn’t tell.
It’s me again. I have been doing some research on the mustangs and have come across some people who breed them. While I like to think of people continuing the bloodline, I can’t help but wonder about the whole “wild horse” thing. What do you think about breeding them for pleasure horses. Believe me, I value your opinion.
Thanks,
Teresa
Sorry about my delay in responding, as well as my never replying to any other comments. I’m still learning how blogs work!
Regarding the breeding of the wild horses, I think that there are some great people who are doing it to preserve the rare blood that many of these horses carry; and show the world that these horses aren’t a “trash” breed.
Like most wildlife in the current western US ecosystems, I believe wild horses need to be managed (don’t get me started on why this is the case!). With the Pryor horses, management consists mainly of birth control and roundups. If roundups are used, then it is fortunate we have people like the Pryor Mountain Mustang Breeders Association to ensure that these special horses are given the care and attention they deserve. The Pryor Mountain Mustang Breeders Association (http://www.pryorhorses.com)does an excellent job of preserving and promoting the Pryor horses off the range in a responsible manner.
One of the special goals of this group is to have a supply of Pryor horses that can be used to rebuild the herd should something ever cause it to decline to a dangerously low population. There are a few other wild horse herds that are very Spanish; but each is unique, and so there would be no other source for replacement horses other than responsible wild horse owners and breeders.
I hope I am able to answer your question here. I honestly don’t know much about other wild horse breeding groups, but I am confident that the responsible off-range breeding of the Pryor horses is good for the long-term survival of the herd.
Matt, I don’t have a lot of money or a lot of land, but I do have a lot of love for the Pryor Mountain horses. I would like to know if there is anything I could do to make sure that they do not disappear.I don’t know if you remember, but I have been to the BLM auctions before and none of the horese remotely resembled the mustangs that I went there looking for. I have four horses now that I love very much but I don’t ask much of them other than they provide me with the chance to watch them run. They are all gelded, so is there any chance that I could get a mare even though there is no chance that she could ever reproduce and give me a Spanish mustang offspring?
Matt:
We were up looking at the horses on Friday and met you at the museum. When we drove up there, a black horse was just walking down the road. I have a picture of it, but no other horses were around. What was going on there?
Teresa,
There is a good chance of getting a Pryor female. More than likely, another roundup will take place on the Pryor horses in the next few years; and you could possibly adopt a female yearling from there. The other option for a Pryor female is to contact some of the people who only breed Pryor horses and their offspring.
JC,
The black horse you saw was likely an old bachelor we call Pepy. He was born in about 1989, and he led a successful life as a stallion with a family. However, he is now a bachelor stallion.
Last year, he befriended a young colt who was kicked out of his family after another stallion took them. The two were often together, and I think this helped the colt to learn how to survive on his own. He can still often be seen with that colt and the other bachelors he now roams with, though lately I have been seeing him alone mostly. He can be seen all over in the Bighorn Canyon area, especially around Mustang Flats. Sometimes he is down near the road like you saw, but he can also be seen high up on the face of the mountain in those grassy meadows.
I’m happy you were able to see him; I hope you are able to return in the future to see more of the Pryor horses in that area!
Thank you so much for doing this blog! We are visitors to MT/WY and visited the Pryors for the first time 2 weeks ago. At that time we saw Admiral and his family in a gorgeous setting. What beautiful horses they are! Loved the area so much that we returned this last weekend and were disappointed to find the Wild Mustang Center closed. We again visited the Crooked Creek area and saw Admiral and his family again, but also saw Sam and Hightail. Is it possible that Hightail’s left rump injury is from “darting?” Sort of looks like it could have been an infection from something like that. We’ll continue to “watch the horses” from your blog from wherever we are. One thing we were hoping to find out from the WMC is if there are ever Jeep tours into the upper Pryor areas to see the horses up there. We were reluctant to take our own Jeep, not knowing the area.
Thanks for your hard work and love of the horses. Jan
Hey Matt. Always glad to see that there are more posts about the horses. But I was wondering- what happens to the responses to those posts? I have left several, but then when there is a new post the responses to the old ones disappear, and I have not been able to find where they go and if there has been any response to my reply. If you could clear this up for me I sure would appreciate it! Thanks Matt.
Roughcolliegirl,
As far as I know, all of the comments posted are always on the entires they were posted to. I am sorry that I didn’t respond to your posts and some of the other early posts. At that time, I was just emailing the responses; but I’ve started leaving replies here as others might be interested to see my answers to questions posted.
Thanks!
Matt
Jan,
I’m sorry the center was closed when you came that weekend. At least you did get to see some great horses. Admiral and Sam have great families to see. It is definitely possible that Hightail’s injury resulted from the darting program.
As far as tours of the wild horse range, this is definitely something we are planning to do at the center. We like the idea of getting people up there without them worrying about their vehicles and also telling people which horses they are seeing as well as stories about them. We’ll likely have this all figured out by next summer, and I think it will be a lot of fun.
Thanks for all of your support! I hope you are able to come to the range again soon.
Matt
I hope you got my letter about the mouse pad that I would be more than happy to give you. I now have the picture of Fools Crow as my background on my computer. He is always on my mind and as much as I would like to have him in my pasture just to see him every day I realize that he has a much larger purpose in life and that is to breed more of the Pryor Mountain horses that you and I have grown to love so much.I also have a connection that can make us the jigsaw puzzles that we talked about. I would be willing to do anything in my power to make sure that the Pryor Mountain horse continue to survive as they have for so many years.
I make it a point to go out west each year and I can only hope that next year I can come and see you and take a trip up into the mountains and see the horses that I did not get to see this year. I know that by being with you I will get to know each and every horse by name and their background. I came to know them just by talking to you. You are the best friend these horses have ever had.I only wish that I could have such a legacy after I am gone . Best of wishes
Matt- just letting you know that finally figured out how to see the replies to my entries under the threads- click on the title and PRESTO! there they are at the bottom. ~blush~ Imagine my embarrassment…… Thanks Matt! keep up the good work!
Hello Matt,
We enjoyed our visit earlier this month to see the Pryor Mustangs so much. The area is wonderful and it was a real privilege to see the horses in their natural environment. Many thanks to you and your mum for being so generous with your time. Let’s hope we’ll be coming out again some time and can get up into the mountains. Our best wishes to all of you at the Centre, and good luck with the horses, I hope they all winter well.
Charlotte (UK)
Thanks for your updates. However, I believe if they would stop killing the mountain lions then we’d have a natural predator and the roundups and birth control darts would not be needed. Along with that lightening and sickness also kill some horses each year. The Darts are causing all kinds of problems, off season foaling, sterilizing some horses all together that are young and have never given birth. Now with Phoenixs injury and others closely resembling it, it looks to me like the darting is to blame, I doubt its pure coininsidence that these wounds are near where they get darted at. Your pictures are wonderful and your blog keeps me up to date, so thanks for doing it. Ihope the Pryor Mnt. Horse Center can teach people about the beauty and importance of keeping these blood lines going.
Charlotte,
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your visit. That really was a great trip we had. In the days before and after you had come, some people didn’t even get to see any horses on the range. On top of that, I still haven’t seen the peregrines since then either. I hope you are able to come again soon so you can see some of the other families!
Thanks again,
Matt
Doris,
Natural population control is definitely something I would personally love to see on the mountain. Until it is established, we are faced with the difficult choice of how to manage the herd. With other ungulates whose natural predators have disappeared, the option is hunting. Luckily we don’t hunt horses here, and so the options are roundups or birth control programs. Using these as artificial forms of natural selection is also difficult as the decision on which family lines are most successful comes down to decisions made by managers.
Both roundups and birth control programs have their pros and cons, and these are definitely something that are often debated among advocates and managers of the Pryor horses.
One important part of the Pryor horses, as I have mentioned, is they would be very hard to replace should their population ever drop too low. Thus, care must be taken in managing the herd; and the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is definitely behind the idea of managing the herd so that future generations can come here to see Spanish-type mustangs.
Thanks for your input, this is definitely an issue I have many opinions and observations on.
Matt
Matt,
Totally agree with your response to me. I realize there has to be some management, its just disheartening. I just wish someday/somehow BLM would use part of their budget to do an indepth study on a natural poplulation control and see if that could be established and maintained. If it didn’t work after a few years then go back to their way, but at least try natural predation for a limited time.
Its hard after viewing these horse bands as a family unit, to see that unit destroyed by the round-ups. Heartbreaking, even if it is needed.
I hope though that all the supporters of the wild horses and the Pryor Mnt. Wild Mustang Center can get thru to the BLM or other powers that be, that removing to many horses will affect the genetic viability of the herds though before they remove to many or dart to many. I’d hate to see the herd get to low. I hope the BLM listens.
I heard one time they considered bringing in wild horses from Utah if that happened. Whats your thoughts on that? To me personally, seems silly, get rid of the horses that are born there only to add horses from someplace else??? Who comes up with that idea????? Perhaps I just read the article wrong or something?
once again, thanks for your updates and wonderful photos. Love the website and all the information you continue to provide.
doris
I don”t get on internet very often. My main concern is for the horses.I love to see the pictures and the updates. i would really love to have a copy of the lineage. I don,t know if you remember, but my favorite so far is Fools Crow. I think I told you that he is now the background on my computer and I keep a picture of him on my desk at work. Being mostly Native American I think it is a shame how a lot of Native American species of animals have been obliterated in the name of progress. I like to think that the Pryor Mountain horses can somehow redeem us for all the wrong we have done. Please let us let nature take it’s course without humans interfering. As much as I don’t like the idea of any of our horses dieing, if that it what is to be then so be it. After all, if the mountain lion is to be introduced back into the wild then this is what will happen. I love and respect the mountain lion too. Thanks for listening.I have to agree with Doris. I think the horse will better understand losing one of their own to a mountain lion than just disappearing one day after a stressful day of darting and roundup
Doris,
It is hard to deal with management issues. I think that all involved parties find difficulties in it, in fact.
The issue of natural predation in the Pryors is tricky. When there was such a bad year for mountain lion predation on the Pryors (2004), it was quite possible the first time that mountain lions had ever done something like that since the horses have been closely monitored. What caused that particular group of lions to become horse predators? Why haven’t others followed their lead? There has been some definite mountain lion predation following the 2004 incident. But it’s just been relatively limited. In this area, it is also very possible that wolves could end staying in the Pryors. I have heard of sightings from a few people, but these were just mostly individual animals that were passing through the area. The wolf situation definitely may bring natural predation to the Pryors, and it is impossible to predict how the horses will respond.
I think that the BLM will take care in ensuring the horse population on the Pryors remains healthy.
At one time there was talk of bringing Sulphur horses from Utah to the Pryors if the Pryor population became too low. The Sulphur horses are also Spanish type mustangs. I don’t think this plan is given much thought anymore, though. There are some better and more sustainable options available to replenish the Pryor herd. There actually was a time when outside horses were brought in. These were horses from Oregon, and I even understand some from southern Wyoming. It was soon after realized that this was a mistake; and, to the best of my knowledge, there is no genetic trace of any of these horses left in the herd as they were all removed.
Thanks for your input and support!
Matt
I definitely remember your favorite horse is Fools Crow. He is a pretty special horse.
The lineages of the horses is pretty interesting. However, it is also really complex; and we haven’t figured out a way to make it easily readable. The lineages can also become funny when it comes to the sires. A lot of times, we are really certain who a horse’s father is. There are many other times, though, when we just can’t say with any confidence who it may be. Nonetheless, our information on the mothers and foals is very accurate.
The issue of natural predation is also complex. As you can see in my above post to Doris, there seems to be some factor that isn’t really encouraging the mountain lions to engage heavily in horse predation. That is to say, it just hasn’t been documented too much; and we can’t say for certain why this is. In the mean time, it will take careful planning and management to keep the herd viable.
Thanks for all of your great support!
Matt
Matt,
You said in an earlier response that, “there are better and more sustainable options available to replenish the Pryor herd.” What does that mean? After reading you blog, I am sure that if you have an idea as to what can be done, ther are those that would not only take your word for it, but would be willing to help. Just ask us and we will respond. I think that we all respect your opinions in respect to the horses. Beside this, I was wondering if Merlin’s grulla mare has a name. Thanks, Teresa
Your blog is wonderful, Matt! Gorgeous photographs of the horses!
This is good work, you should get a grant for it!
Currently I only had time to quickly skim the blog, but I hope I can spend a more lengthy visit and make more postings soon.
And you are too modest! I think you should at least mention your first name in the “about me” description!
Keep up the good work!
Talk to you later!
– Mike
Thanks for all the great pictures and stories! I love to learn about the family relationships of the horses and their unique histories. I have visited the area twice now and am amazed how beautiful the top of the mountain is. If we wanted to donate to help support this site what is the best way for us to do that?
Teresa,
If it ever did come time to replenish the Pryor horses due to some catastrophic event, I would personally advocate for the use of Pryor horses and their offspring that now are owned by private individuals. This is a pretty extreme situation, though; and I am hoping that with proper planning it will never occur.
As far as other immediate action for the Pryor horses, there isn’t really much that needs attention right now, in my opinion. I don’t know of any near-future plans that could stir some controversy. As always, there is always the potential for it; the same holds true for all wild horse herds. If anything like that did get planned and released to the public, I would definitely discuss it here.
Thanks!
Matt
Mike,
Thanks for your post and support! There are some things I’ve seen since you were gone that would have been excellent for your project. You could’ve easily gone through all your film the day that Looking Glass’ son was causing all the trouble.
Hopefully you can come back soon.
Matt
Joe,
I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the blog. The individual stories of the horses are really interesting, and I’m happy to get to share it with others. It’s great you’ve been able to come to the Pryors. Hopefully you’ll be able to come back again in the future. Your offer is very generous, and I appreciate it. However, I don’t really have any operating costs for the blog. WordPress.com gives 50mb of storage for free, and I have only used 30% of it thus far.
Thanks for your support!
Matt
Matt, as usual, your updates about the wild ones are great! How about a few photo’s of the mountain from down low? I’m sure a lot of us would like to see the snow on the Pryors where the horses live!
Thanks for all you do.
Trish Kerby
Matt~Thanks so much for all that you are doing for the PMM. They are beautiful. We were out there 2 years ago and I felt at home on their range. We are blessed with some great shots of a then yearling stallion, sorrel with a large T blaze. He was very curious and walked boldly toward me. What is his name? Has he been captured and adopted out? I haven’t seen him on your blog but will continue to look. Thanks for your help with my questions. My husband and I hope to be out there again next year. What can we do to help from here (Maine)? Thanks.
Carol Rogers
Carol,
Thanks for your support in reading my blog!
The horse you saw is the only surviving horse from the birth year 2004. After he was taken with his mom and little sister by another stallion, he was kicked out of the family and has been a bachelor since then. His picture has appeared in a couple posts of mine; you’ll be able to find them in the Dryhead horses section.
I hope that you are able to make it out again next year. As far as help now, the Pryor horses don’t have any immediate threats right now. However, if there did come a time when they could use some all around support, the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center will communicate this to people. Until then (if there ever is a then!), just enjoy and get to know these special horses some more on my blog and other resources on them.
Thanks again for your support!
Matt
Trish,
Sorry about my delay in responding, something was glitching with the comments section recently I guess.
That’s a good idea on the mountain photos; I will try to snap a few from the center while I’m down here today to get posted. Since yesterday a good portion’s already melted, so it’s not quite as dramatic as it was last night.
Hope you’re able to get up some soon; maybe we’ll have another random meeting walking around Cheyenne Flats or something.
Hope things are well, thanks for your support!
Matt
I don’t think I have heard of Lone Wolf before but I suddenly have a soft spot in my heart for him. I would love to add him to my herd. God knows that he would live a life of leisure. He reminds me of my Dusty. You know from previous e-mails that Fools Crow is probably one of my favorites. I think it is a shame that we cannot breed him with Baja’s blue roan mare. I think this would make one beautiful foal. Unfortunately, this is not a decision that is up to us.
Lone Wolf is a pretty horse. You do know of him to an extent as he is the stallion that came and stole Fools Crow’s family before kicking him out when he wasn’t quite a yearling. Lone Wolf is also Medicine Bow’s father.
I think that when Fools Crow gets his own family, we’ll see some fine offspring coming out of there. He comes from two great lines; and, much like Baja, he is going to be a very tough stallion due to all he’s gone through. Next time I see him, I’ll post some pictures of him and his friends as I haven’t seen them in quite a while. I know where they are generally at, but finding them in that area isn’t too easy.
Matt,I am torn between the fact that I would love to have more pictures of Fools Crow and the fact that he got his name by avoiding humans. He deserves to live his life without human intervention, yet somehow I would really like to keep track of him.Being my favorite, it would break my heart if something happened like what happened to Pierre. Of course you must take into consideration the fact that you are talking to someone that doesn’t allow hunting on her property and feeds every living thing that comes her way. This includes putting out salt blocks for the deer that every hunter is out there to get.I take a lot of criticism because of this, but I think I can take it. I think that I have mentioned this before, but I think that wild animals have a place in our lives and the Pryor Mountain horses are a big part of that. Again, I feel the need to express my thanks to you personally for the work that you are doing.Of course if you happen to get a picture of Fools Crow I would love to see it.
I’m really jealous that you live in such beautiful countryside with wild horses. Thanks for this site, it’s fantastic 🙂
I just logged on and was overwhelmed by the nonsense I encounterd by our hypocrytical government people. It is taking all that I have in my upbringing not to cuss. These are God’s creatures and should be treated as such. There is plenty of land to instill the longevity of these creatures that deserve to live. I am not only talking of the horses that we have grown to love, but also of the predators that have kept their numbers at the place where they should be.Please Matt tell me if you do not agree with me.
Matt
I saw that you saw Exhilaration and Medicine Bow. Where is Fools Crow? Please tell me that he doing well. He used to hang around with the other bachelors. I miss seeing pictures of him.
I’m not totally sure where Fools Crow is right now. I am very sure he is doing fine though. The area that many of the Dryhead horses winter in is pretty rugged, and so you have to rely on luck to find them out there. I was out this weekend and saw some neat things I will be posting about, and I plan on being out there next Saturday as well as much of Christmas week.
Thanks!
Matt
Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting the Dillon Family and some of the Horses and their Families. Thank you Tom, Nancy,& Matt for and experience I will long remember. Hearing and reading about wild horses is one thing but actually seeing and being close to them is totally a different experience. It brought back memories of my child hood when I first saw wild Mustangs outside of Denver. Once again thank you. David
Hey Mat.
First I Hope all is well with you.
Thomas and I was in Wyoming last year in september and wee just want to thank you and Nancy for showing us the horses and telling us about them we saw. I hawe tried to write you at the e-mail adress i got from you but i am not shure it got through but i will try again.
Love From Tove and Thomas from denmark
(I Hope you can read my bad englisch writing :o)
Dave,
Thanks for your kind comments! I’m really happy you were able to see the horses we did as it was a great and rare opportunity. I hope you’re able to come back out again.
Matt
Tove,
I’m happy to hear you have looked at the blog. We saw some great horses that day – That had been the first time I’d seen Seattle’s family without binoculars for some time. Hopefully you’ve received an email from me too.
Thanks again,
Matt
I notice you refer to one of the stalions as white cloud. Is this the same horse the Cloud foundation is based on?
White Cloud and Cloud are the same horse. When I started watching the horses, I was first introduced to him as White Cloud and so it’s just through habit I call him that still. There used to also be a Red Cloud on the range when I first started watching.
Thanks!
Matt
How old is Cloud and how long does a pyor stallion live before he gets to old and losses his band?
I was told he was born in 97. Does he have a very large band or just one or two mares?
I sure love “seeing” the horses through your eyes (and camera) and feeling like we’re following them with you. I’m concerned about Merlin’s family, too, now, so hope they have just been elusive. I’ll never forget running into them unexpectedly on the road to the view overlook in the Fall. The horses have a special place in our hearts now.
Matt, great job on the blog. Your photos and commentary make virtual visiting as real as it can get for one so far away (all the way down in Houston, TX). Many thanks for sharing the beauty and wonder of these great animals. I hope a visit to the PMWHR is in my future, I’m definitely putting it at the top of my list. 😉
Thanks again,
N.
We were at the center this past September and spent 2 days looking at the horses and marveling at their beauty. We did see Cloud and a stallion we now know was Exhileration and a pretty good sized group of grulla and blacks down by the road after the big canyon. We went up to Penns Cabin and saw horses all over the place. That is where we saw Cloud. We ride Oregon mustangs and every wild horse carries part of our passion and pride.
Lanny,
White Cloud was born in 1995, and so he is really at a prime stallion age now. It varies when stallions never have another family again. Shaman kept his until he was about 20 while there are a few older bachelors that didn’t quite make it that far. Some of these old stallions keep trying to get another family until the day the die too.
White Cloud currently has perhaps the biggest family on the range. He has three mares, three fillies, and three foals.
Thanks!
Matt
Jan,
I’m happy to hear you are enjoying the blog. I really am curious about Merlin’s family. Finding them is one of my big goals right now.
It really was a lucky time this summer when Merlin was staying around the overlook area! That had been the first I’d seen them in quite some time when they appeared there.
I’ll definitely be posting about his family when I learn more.
Thanks!
Matt
Nancy,
I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying my blog! I really do hope you can come see them first hand some day. There’s just only so much that can be captured with writing and photographs.
Thanks!
Matt
Lea,
That’s great you had two days on the range. I think I may remember meeting you; I remember talking to someone about their Oregon mustangs. The family with grullas and blacks you saw was likely Seattle’s. I hope you are able to return again in the future!
Thanks!
Matt
Hello Matt,
It seems an age since our memorable visit to you and our trip to see the horses, not forgetting the wonderful peregrines. Since then we have travelled to Guatemala and spent Christmas and New Year in Tobago. West Indies, but we often think of our time in the Pryor Mountains and how beautifully remote and unspoiled it was. I was looking at your latest photos of the horses and it amazes me that they look so well in such harsh conditions, they truly must be very hardy. What is this ‘darting’ that I am reading about in your blog? Who does it? I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year and hope to see you all again some time. In the meantime I’ll keep checking your blog with all its great pictures.
All the best
Charlotte
Thanks for the lovely “snow” photo of the Pryors!
Trish Kerby
Thank you for the pictures. I’m so grateful to you for creating this blog; it’s expanded my knowledge of wildlife in the North in so many ways. I feel like I know all of these horses personally, and I can tell you really love photographing them and blogging them.
BLM must leave these horses alone – they’re treasures to our world. Let us know if they try to do anything! From this website alone, with a petition, we could get over a hundred signatures to save them.
Thanks,
Carly.
Thanks for sharing
Please let me know if you see Fools Crow, I am really very worried about him
Matt, as always you do incredibly important and fine work. If not for you I would know nothing about the Pryors. Being a Pennsylvania behavior trainer and advocate of natural horsemanship, to me there is nothing more beautiful and pure than the wild horse. I sincerely thank you for the important work you are doing and I truly hope that the local citizens appreciate and understand the living history that is in your midst. Looking at the picture from Pennsylvania, we have Gettysburg, pictures and monuments; yet you have a living testimonial to what is indeed world history. The preservation and care of such is in our collective hands and it is our responsibility to make certain these walking monuments do not become a simple vestige. We have to hand them down for the future generations to appreciate and care for. Pride in our history cannot be solely visualized in a text book, it must remain tangible so that we can be reminded of just who we are as a people, and where we came from as a nation. Thanks Matt! Kerry
Matt,
I only wish that I could have put into words the way I feel about “our horses” like Kerry did.
I read through your Q and A section and I feel the need to ask if you could put the whole thing in plain English.The questions were simple, but the answers were way too complicated. Just tell me how many horses the Pryor Mountains can sustain and what age they should be. I am not convinced that the BLM should take the older horses off of the mountain.
I think that anyone that cares about these horses knows that your opinion matters a great deal.What do you think is the best way to deal with the situation?
Matt
I stumbled across the PMWHR website and your blog doing a web search on wild horse. I’m interested in photographing the mustangs on the reserve. Could you share some suggestions on what I might experience and how to approach this. THanks
Your photos are delightful. Do you know approximatly how long it would take on horseback to get from the south side of Crooked Creek up into foothills hills of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and how long to get all the way to the high meadows around the Penn cabin?
Matt,
You are doing a great job with this blog. I enjoy our times out with the horses and the sharing we get to do with other people. If the people only knew of the love you have for the horses and the job you are doing, I think it would surprise them. They need to go on a few hikes with you to really fill the love of these special horses. Thanks for your hard work son.
Hi,
We met you a couple of weeks ago, and I just got the thank-you and the photo for the Wind Drinker 1000 program.
Could you tell me the names of the horses in the Photo? I will write it on the back.
Hope all is well with them and the new foals
Helen
tks very much for great day with you you are very good at your job tks ross
Hello,
Three years ago, our 10 year old daughter, Jeanette, read about Cloud and has been talking about him ever since.
Her mother, Marie, and sister Lydia Rose (age 7) and I are planning on visiting Lovell at the end of July and hope there will be time to take them on one or two day trips if possible. While I do not think we will get to see Cloud, Jeanette is hoping.
Marie has owned and shown Arabians for 20+ years. She and our girls are so involved with horses that I have commented that “any horse who comes on our property comes to our table.” Both girls were riding horses before they were born and after. We are not yet familiar with the Mustangs but after reading how Monty Roberts got his start with them we are hoping to become informed.
I understand you are on your honeymoon. Congratulations.
Marie and I are coming up on 13 years.
I hope we will get to see you when we come to Lovell.
Matt,
I just got an E-mail from Lynne that said that the BLM is thinking of euthanizing our horses. What do you think about this?
Matt,
Love your blog! My wife and I have been up the mountain 4 times in the past 3 years. We were fortunate enough be up there in July, 2007, at the same time Ginger was up there filming. We were just up there a week ago, on the weekend of July 12/13 – 2008. For the first time inany of our trips, we found Flint. He was hanging out with several other bachelors. Got lots of great pics of him and the other horses. Got pics of Cloud and his family, Prince and Electra, Teton and Phoenix, Red Raven and his family, and Bolder and his band. I’d love to share them with you and/or the other readers of your blog. I’d like your help in identifying several of the stallions and families we didn’t know. Let me know! Larry
Mr. Dillon,
My 8 year-old daughter is horse-crazy. We have family in Powell WY whom we recently visited. We just heard about the Pryor Mountain mustangs this year in an article in her Highlights Magazine so the Preserve was definitely on our itinerary when we visited. After everything we read and watching the DVD we received, we thought we would be lucky to see even one horse. Were we ever wrong!! We were able to see a dozen or more and they were right by the road. When we first went to the preserve, their was no one at the Center so we went to the building at the Bighorn Canyon Recreation area. The people there were very helpful. They gave us a map and even marked it so we would know where we might find horses. After we were able to see and photograph so many, we stopped at the center again. We, especially my daughter, were very pleased to talk to your mom. My daughter showed her photos she had taken and your mom told her the names of every horse-except one. According to your mom, my daughter had taken a photo of a foal she had not yet seen-apparently the foal of Sacagawea and Merlin. My little girl has talked of little else since that day and has been contemplating a name for the little one ever since. The preserve definitely left a lasting impression on all of us.
Hi Matt,
I am wondering what is going on with the horses. Are you going to be able to post something soon?
Thanks Julie
Matt, are you still there?
Helen
Hi Matt,
Looking forward to some updates, it’s been a while.
Scott
I have a small herd of Pryor Mountain Mustangs. It is a reservois of the breed, apart from what is on the mountain. At this time, I believe there are only two of us with small herds apart from the mountain. Love your photos and stories on the horses. They are truly remarkable. Smart, great dispositions, gaited, very loving and absolutely fun to work with. Check my website for my own photos. http://www.carnahanranch.com. I have placed several Pryor Mustangs with people who are absolutely in love with them.
Bess
Hi Matt,
What ever became of the little foal you had taken video of?
The one that was struggling to walk.
Scott
hi matt how is everthing there was just woundering we you were going to have another list of the horse and your nov report tks ross
Matt- I just stumbled upon your site… I grew up in Hardin MT, living now in AZ, and WOW I feel like I’m home again! 🙂 Truly enjoyed the photos, and narative, and am looking forward to visiting your site again. THANKS!
Hi Matt…I came up there with Mark C in Aug/Sept. Thank you for your hospitality. We will be back next summer…with tents 🙂 It is truly one of the best experiences with animals, if not the best, I’ve experienced. We will continue to support your efforts.
Dear Matt,
I am a free lance photojournalist from Germany. I have been to the United States many times and currently I live in Pryor, Montana. Mustangs have been one of my subjects for a long time, and I have been on the PMWHR a lot.
I am working on a book project about Mustangs and would like to get in touch with you. I know Guenter Wamser, his mustangs are here at the ranch of my friend for the winter.
I need to take photographs of the Pryor Mustangs in the winter (snow) and wonder if you are going in some time and maybe would let me go with you.
My phone no. is 406-855-6417, would be great to hear from you either by email or phone. My website is http://www.sorrel.de, there you can find informations about my business.
Thanks in advance, best wishes
Gaby
Matt, Where are you and what are you doing?
Matt,
I realize your main concern is the Pryor Mountain horses but do you realize that a senator in your state is advocating the slaughter of unwanted horses for the usee of dog food or any other use is okay? I know that you love horses as much as I do and will not think this is okay. I am willing to do whatever it takes to take care of this. We can’t just stand by and let this happen. Just because a horse has outlived his usefulnessw does not make it a candidate for slaughter. If this was the case we would have to slaughter a lot of our senators. Please send me an answer.
Well Matt, It was a pleasure for Marie and I to meet you, John and his wife. We are sorry we missed you wife.
When we came last summer I thought we might get to see a couple of Mustangs but was certain we would not get to see Cloud. However, through the information provided by the PMWHR center and especially you taking the time to drive us into the wilderness in your 4 wheel drive (that was my first experience at real 4 wheeling), we were able to see more than 75% of the mustangs there as well as the pièce de résistance (Cloud and his herd on the snow patch).
As a result of that experience, Marie and I changed our vacation plans and never did visit the other places as it would have been anti-climatic.
Jeanette and Lydia Rose still talk about seeing Cloud, so I expect a return visit will be in our plans. Thank you again.
Charles