Category Archives: Uncategorized

Visit to the Onaqui Herd by YEEHAAA and Salt Lake Center for Science Education Students

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I had the privilege of taking some students from the Salt Lake Center for Science & Education (SLCSES) out to see the Onaqui Herd. This was in conjunction with the “Youth Edification Equine Human Association and Alliance” (YEEHAAA). It has been raining constantly this spring and I have never seen so much rain! The difficulty that presents is that the herd is not using the watering holes so they can be difficult to locate and even more difficult to get to if they are off the main roads. The side roads are almost impassable. We did luck out (I had gone out the night before to locate the herd) and found the herd where they located the previous evening very close to the road. I believe the students appreciated this magnificent national treasure we are lucky enough to have in our “back-yard”. We were able to walk to the horses and they seemed to have a good time interacting with these wonderful animals. We only had about 1 1/2 hours to be with the horses in order to get the students back to the school by 3:30. We ran into a very nice group of folks from Salt Lake that brought a relative that lives in England to see this wonderful herd of wild horses! I only with the BLM could realize how devastating it will be for future visitors if they remove 80% of the herd. HOW SENSELESS!!!!  The stallions seem especially aggressive this spring.  Lots of fights!!!

Wild Horses Threatened Again!

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I just received this notification from the American Wild Horse Campaign (see below).  They are a wonderful organization that is putting pressure on the BLM to partner with them an the Salt River Wild Horse Management group to use PZP and NOT ROUNDUPS to manage the Onaqui Herd to reasonable numbers.  Please consider clicking on the link to contact your representative in Congress to stop the proposed legislation to slaughter 15,000 to 20,000 wild horses a year.

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Dear Greig,

Wild horses face an unprecedented attack. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and other pro-slaughter groups have cut a deal on Capitol Hill that would result in the roundup of 15,000 to 20,000 wild horses a year. The plan will result in more cruel roundups, more horses in captivity, and more of our public lands used for cattle interests.

We can stop this bad deal. Click here right now and tell your Representative: reject the appropriations language requiring an unprecedented 15,000-20,000 wild horses to be removed from the range.

This is a disastrous plan all-around. It actually increases the risk of slaughter by funneling more mustangs and burros into an already overburdened and costly government holding, with no guarantees of funding for their lifetime care. The language throughout this plan is so vague that it leaves inhumane sterilization methods squarely on the table. And the real kicker – it will cost taxpayers a billion dollars.

It is true that some humane groups, including the ASPCA and HSUS, are misguidedly supporting this deal in hopes that the BLM will use fertility and not kill horses. But we think wild horses and burros deserve more than hopes.

The only winners in this “plan” are the wealthy cattle interests and their lobbyists. Wild horses and taxpayers lose.

Be the voice for wild horses right now. Contact your Representative.

Thank you,

Suzanne Roy

American Wild Horse Campaign
P.O. Box 1733
Davis, CA 95617

May Visit To Photograph Onaqui Wild Horses

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The Onaqui Wild Horses never disappoint! The mud is gone, the road from Dugway to Pony Express Road is finally complete and easy to travel. The purples are gone but green is in! Lots of fights, lots of foals (too many, where is the PZP campaign), and lighting at sunset was amazing!

Amazing Purple Flowers – Utah’s West Desert – Onaqui WIld Horses

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In the eight years I have been photographing the Onaqui herd of wild horses in Utah’s West Desert, I have never seen the desert this colorful. The purples were AMAZING. Not sure what weed it is that produces these purple blossoms but it is breathtaking! The horses don’t eat this particular weed, but they seem to graze right at the edge of the purple blossoms.  If you are planning a trip in the near future, I hope the purple blooms are still there for your trip! We had to search all day to find the “main North” herd.  It was nice to see the “Old Man”.  Did not find “The Ghost” on this visit… If you are coming from the North, I strongly suggest you enter the HMA via the Pony Express road from Faust, rather than Dugway.  The dirt road from Dugway is still a huge mess!  Many more images to process. More to come.

Wild Horse Photography – Two Stallions in a Fight – Onaqui Wild Horses

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The lighting was great on this trip to the Onaqui herd in Utah’s West Desert. I found the herd North of Davis Mountain and there was a lot of fighting with most of the family bands. The bands were up on the slopes, rather than in the valley itself. I will post more when I get them processed.

This particular fight between a light grey stallion and a very light buckskin was one of my favorites.

Update on protest at BLM office on behalf of Onaqui Herd

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Friday there was a protest held on behalf of the Onaqui herd of wild horses. It was sponsored by The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group and the American Wild Horse Campaign. Both groups were absolutely amazing! I was amazed by the time and effort they extended on behalf of the Onaqui herd. We are all deeply in their debt. If you ever consider donating money to a wild horse group, please consider these two organizations. They are deeply committed to helping the Onaqui herd.

There are several videos about the protest if you just google “Onaqui BLM Protest”

I will try and put links to them below if I can figure them out…

Desert News Link

Fox 13 Link

Onaqui HMA in bloom

“The Ghost” – Photography of Onaqui Wild Horses 2019

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It looks like the Ghost has decided to finally become one of the Onaqui Herd of Wild Horses. This particular horse is seen about every 3rd or 4th year. He “appears”, fights with as many stallions as will fight with him, tries to breed with the best mares, and then disappears for several years. I first photographed him in 2015 (see first two photographs). He was MAGNIFICENT! Full of testosterone and incredibly majestic! At the end of a long day, he started running South and just kept running. I watched him for at least 10 miles and then he was gone.

The next time I saw him was in December 2018 (see next three photographs). He appeared out of nowhere and seemed like he was after my favorite mare (the young red mare with a blonde mane). At that time she was with the blue-eyed Palomino Stallion and his family band. The Ghost has the unusual markings of ancient Spanish horses which are “zebra stripes” on the lower legs and a dark dorsal stripe extending to the tail hairs.

Last week he was still with the Palomino family band, but the Red mare is no longer with that family band. The Ghost has become the Palomino Stallion’s 1st Lieutenant! Meaning, he appears to be teamed up with the Palomino stallion and fights off the younger bachelors that want to breed with the Palomino’s mares. The Ghost is the first line of defense, fighting off all intruders. When the time is right, the Ghost will make a play for the Palomino’s mares and there will be ha huge battle! We’ll see how soon this happens. As the BLM is planning to round up 80% of the herd in the next few months, I doubt we will have the opportunity to see how this plays out. Even if the Ghost was not one of the 400 horsed that will be rounded up and taken to pens in the mid-west, the Palomino’s family band will certainly not remain intact after the roundup. I think I am going to me sick…..

FIRST PHOTOS OF ONAQUI WILD HORSE HERD AFTER LONG WINTER!

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I have never seen such a long and wet winter for the Onaqui’s since I bagan photographing them 8 or 9 years ago! I have had at least four trips to the West desert in search of ANY HORSES and have only seen a few horses miles from any road and completely inaccessible. My luck changed a few weeks ago! Finally, I was able to brave the incredibly muddy roads and hike over a mile to be in the middle of my favorite family band!!!! The blue-eyed colts!!! Several of the horses that were with this family band have left (my favorite red mare with blonde mane). “The Ghost” is still with the band, hanging out on the outskirts. Not sure if he has a specific mare he is interested in, or if he will challenge the blue-eyed stallion for the whole band. It should be an interesting summer!!!

PLEASE NOTE IF TRAVELING TO THE ONAQUI. TOOELE COUNTY HAS THE DIRT ROAD FROM DUGWAY (LDS CHURCH) TO THE INTERSECTION WITH PONY EXPRESS ROAD COMPLETELY UN-PASSABLE! THEY WILL START ADDING GRAVEL TO THE MUDDY MESS LATER THIS MONTH BUT FOR NOW YOU MUST USE THE FIVE-MILE ACCESS.