I have been photographing the wild ponies at Grayson Highlands and Mount Rogers for the past several years. This is one of my most favorite places on earth! I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it is to find the ponies and sit back observing them, trailing them, and of course, photographing them! There are around 150 ponies on the mountain. Originally, it was my mission to photograph them all. But since I only come here once each year, it is becoming clear to me that it’s probably not a realistic goal. But it’s fun to try!
Some of the ponies are quite acclimated to humans and will actually walk right up to you, perhaps out of curiosity or wanting a snack. As hard as it is to resist these adorable ponies, it’s important to walk away from them and not succumb to their irresistible little faces. These ponies are not domesticated and are unpredictable. I have seen several attempted bites and in one instance, a child was knocked to the ground by a pony. The law requires you keep 50 feet away from the ponies. This is not only for your safety but for the well being of the pony too.
This year in addition to stalking the ponies on foot, I rode horseback to the top of Mt. Rogers. While I did see ponies that I had never seen before, I wasnt able to photograph them because they were too obscured by bushes and grasses. It was a wonderful ride though with a lot of breathtaking scenery! It felt good to be in the saddle again.
I was hoping to spend some time with Fabio, one of the most beautiful and more famous stallions there. I did see him on my first day to the park. However, he kept his nose to the ground and I was holding out for an action shot. I sat and watched him for quite a while before giving up on seeing any action and ventured on, figuring I’d surely see him again on another visit. But I didn’t. I did however see his son, a beautifully marked stallion who often hung out in the park.
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