Wild mustangs drew me to New Mexico for a horse photography adventure! And though the mustangs were my priority I found lots of treasures & beauty to capture. We stayed in Taos, a cute artsy town, less than an hour from the Colorado border where we found numerous bands of wild horses. Unlike the wild horses I have photographed in most of the Southeastern US, these horses represented a greater diversity in colors & markings. I enjoyed seeing such variety including blue roan, strawberry roan, black, bay, palomino, pinto, dun, chestnut, white & gray- their spectacular coats adding color to the already stunning backdrop of the Sangra De Cristo Mountains, fronted with the muted tones of sage brush, rolled out like a red carpet just for me. I was honored to take a front row seat to all the drama that played out before me!
Spending time in the presence of these magnificent animals was at times intimidating & certainly humbling. As I observed their fight to be first at their water source, their quickness to flea in the face of perceived danger, their disputes between them which often led to lashing out with teeth bared and hooves kicking, the burdens of the harsh elements on their food and water sources, and as I heard stories of the dangers they must face and overcome on a daily basis, I developed an appreciation for their remarkable presence. Though these horses are certainly wild, they are not certainly free. They live at the mercy of cruel people who seek to bring them harm; at the mercy of the weather; at the mercy of what the land will provide for food, and at the mercy of our bureaucracy. It was heartbreaking hearing the stories of cold blooded killers who would murder them for sport. Or those selfish people who think they are entitled to capture them and sell them to slaughter. While my experiences photographing the wild horses was a thrilling one for me, it was also a sombering one. Their world is a fascinating one and I am appreciative of the kind hearted people who look out for them, take an interest in them, and advocate for them!
34 Comments
Leave your reply.