Salt River Wild Horses, Arizona
Our Thanksgiving weekend was spent in Scottsdale, Arizona on a golf resort (for Dwight of course) and a quick drive for me to the Tonto National Forest where about several hundred wild horses call home. This was my 4th trip to photograph these horses. I often enjoy repeat visits to a particular wild horse range because I know my way around and I feel confident I wont go home empty handed. As the date for our departure drew nearer, I reached out to several of my Arizona friends and learned that due to a drought, fencing, and other factors, the horses' migration patterns had changed. I was warned that although I would be able to find them, the finding would be hard but I was prepared! Just being in the warm climate and amongst all those sajuaro and desert brush gets my heart racing.
Action shots are probably at the top of my hope to get list and water shots would be second. In the Tonto National Forest where these horses live, action shots are often obstructed by the dense desert brush and low branched trees. It's very challenging to get a clean shot of two stallions sparring or a warning kick. For this trip my main hope was that I'd get shots of the horses in the water. My hope, combined with putting myself in the right places at the right times, combined with pure random luck made a reality of my hope! All total, over a period of 4 full shooting days, I witnessed the horses either crossing the river or drink and bathe in the water for 7 occurences! Anytime what Im hoping for comes to fruition I feel super lucky and super thankful. This trip showed me
