Taking this photograph was one of the most amazing experiences I have had while photographing. It was a sight I will never forget. The entire Onaqui herd came together at the Simpson Springs watering hole. I refer to this as the “North” herd. There is another group of horses (about the same in number), that is a few miles South of this location. The two herds rarely come together.
After they had all watered, they were just meandering west of the water grazing. I followed them for a while, but they were getting a long way away from the car, so I headed back. A few minutes later I noticed the ENTIRE HERD on the run! They weren’t on their way to water, they weren’t frightened, THEY WERE SIMPLY ON THE RUN BECAUSE THEY COULD. THEY CLEARLY ENJOYED IT! A sight I will likely never see again. Hundreds of wild horses on the run just because they wanted to run!!! It really was a special moment. Few people could really appreciate this moment, but I was truly blessed to have been there. By next month most of them will be rounded up and sent off to pens to die… SHAME ON THE BLM. As they round up thousands of horses this year a sight like this one will likely never again be repeated. I wish I had thought to capture this moment on video, but I was so caught up in the moment it did not occur to me. What a shame…