Wild Horses in the Desert
When my friend, Maria, invited me last winter to go with her to photograph the wild horses in the desert of Nevada, I absolutely said YES! I have admired Maria Mariott’s work for a long time. She is a lover of horses and fine art photography so she executes her images with amazing creativity and heart. It is easy to see why her work has received so many accolades and hangs on the walls of serious collectors. It was a privilege for me to tag along.
Wild Horses
This photography excursion was more than just photo opportunities. It was a chance to learn about the horses, their habits, history, and their future in this desert. Maria was a wealth of knowledge, and although not official, she knew the names of all the horses. Apparently, the wild horse advocate groups would prefer to call the horses by name rather than number. She seemed to know each one well and shared her stories and facts about them.
Get Out of the Way
I had expected the herds or bands to be skittish and far from us. Yet, they are used to having people around at a distance and didn’t seem to mind us visiting their desert home. For being wild horses in the desert of Nevada, they were remarkably tolerant of us. However, if they began to run or spar with each other, it was up to us to make sure we were out of the way because they don’t care what or who they run through. Knowing that was a little unsettling, but fortunately it never occurred.
Showing Off Just a Little
“You occasionally see one, and it’s the thrill of a lifetime. But mostly all you ever see is a cloud of dust after they are gone. It’s their stubborn ability to survive that makes them so remarkable.”
Snaking
The images below show a behavior display that is unique to wild horses. It is called ‘snaking’. When the stallion wants to move his band to another area, he pulls his ears back and lowers his head stretching out his neck. Then he begins to move the herd in the direction he wishes by getting behind them and urging them forward.
Sizing things up between these two never really materialized into anything… which was fine by me. They seemed to settle the whole thing without any serious conflict.
All-in-all the horses looked pretty healthy. But, I cannot help but wonder how they received all the scars and wounds while living on the desert of Nevada. As in the quote above, they seem to have a stubborn ability to survive.
For now, he’s still king of the desert mountain.
To see my wild horse photos from a trip to Mono Lake a few years ago, go to Mono Lake.
* * * * * * *
As a published, featured northern California fine art photographer living in the greater Sacramento area, I specialize in fine art landscape and still life photography. My style is authentic, fresh and personality-driven. I offer several educational opportunities. You can learn about them by going to SERVICES. While currently living in rural northern California with my husband and a couple thousand walnut trees, I post regularly to Instagram.
Please CONTACT ME with any questions or to schedule your learning session.
Serving Yuba City/Marysville, East Nicolaus, Wheatland, Lincoln, Woodland, Davis, Roseville, Rocklin, and the greater Sacramento area.
(530) 633-7575
