Photographs of Onaqui Wild Horses – Aug – Great Sunset

Posted on August 16, 2024August 16, 2024 by ghuggins

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Lately every visit to the Onaqui seems to be better than the last! This week we found the North herd at the North base of Davis Mountain. We spent a few hours with them and left to find the South herd. we found them near Simpson Springs and photographed them till late. Then we decided to go back to the North herd to see where they were watering. Wow! What a treat! They had moved to the main road and were headed to the trough watering hole just as the sun was setting! We were in Heaven! Another fantastic day with this magnificent herd.

wild horses in utah, wild horse photography

Onaqui Wild Horses – Late July

Posted on August 5, 2024August 5, 2024 by ghuggins

Another great visit to the Onaqui wild horses in Utah’s West Desert. Found both herds and despite the near 100 degrees temps we had a great shoot, especially when the North herd left the watering hole to graze. Can’t wait to get back out there soon.

HOT Trip To Onaqui In July

Posted on July 19, 2024July 19, 2024 by ghuggins

It has been almost too hot to visit the Onaqui these past few weeks. We decided to forego the heat and headed out to visit the herd. Luckily we found the North herd watering at the Sheep Trough. We photographed them for a while and then headed to find the South herd and to cool off in the air-conditioned vehicle. We spotted them on their way to water at Simpson Springs. We got to Simpson Springs just ahead of them coming in. It was a great sight, but using a long lens really amplified the “heat waves” destroying any sharp images.

The herd soon left Simpson Springs and we then drove back to the North Herd. Unfortunately they were now grazing where not roads were close so we called it a day and headed back home. Overall a good but short trip. The Onaqui never disappoint.

Onaqui wild horses, wild mustangs, mustangs, photography of wild horses,

Onaqui 18 June

Posted on June 24, 2024June 24, 2024 by ghuggins

I have several trips to the Onaqui that I have not yet posted, but finally got these done of a trip we did last week to the Onaqui. We found both the North and the South herds. I hope to get the other trips done and posted soon.

Sorry for all of the photo’s. It was a very nice trip with a lot of “keepers”.

Onaqui wild horses, wild mustangs, mustangs, Utah mustangs

The Year For Sunflowers

Posted on December 29, 2023December 29, 2023 by ghuggins

A friend just reminded me that I said in a prior post I had more images of the Onaqui in sunflowers. I must say that in the thirteen years I have been photographing the Onaqui horses I have never seen this many sunflowers. It must have been due to the winter and spring weather we had.

Hope you enjoy them….

North & South Onaqui At Watering Holes – Late September

Posted on October 5, 2023October 5, 2023 by ghuggins

Another glorious trip to see the Onaqui. Luckily we were able to be there when each herd came to the watering holes.

Rain in the West Desert

Posted on September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 by ghuggins

Although I have made several trips to the Onaqui wild horses this summer, this is the first one I have taken the time to post. I hope to post more in the upcoming weeks. Been so busy working in the yard and helping a friend with his racecar.

We were hoping for rain and lightning, but got light rain and a lot of overcast. It took a while to find and get to the horses, so a lot of landscapes as a result. Horses were high on the mountain and after a long hike we still didn’t get very close to the North herd. With all of the recent rain, they haven’t needed to use the watering holes as much as usual. Lots of overcast, virga and dark skies.

The South herd was high on the mountain in their area, but we could get much closer to them before it got too dark. Happy to say both herds are in great shape!

P.S.: Thanks for all of your recent kind comments. I don’t see comments until I get on my site to send images, so I apologize that it has taken me so long to approve and post those comments.

Onaqui wild horses, wild mustangs, mustangs, rain in Utah desert

A Special Place In Hell

Posted on March 25, 2023March 25, 2023 by ghuggins

I have been sick to my stomach ever since I read about this in a post by a remarkable photographer, Jen Rogers.

Last week two wild horses were brutally shot and killed near Simpsons Springs. Many of you will know one of them, the once colt, and now stallion, Jasper. He was the beautiful mustang with one blue and one brown eye. Ever since Ghost was rounded up, and the blonde, red-headed mare was rounded up by the BLM, (then she was returned to the range with an infection so bad that it resulted in her being euphonized by the BLM within hours of her release…) ever since that time Jasper became the horse I looked for every time I photographed the Onaqui. Years ago, he was in the Cremello’s band that Ghost was “shadowing”. You remember the Cremello, the stallion that was rounded up, and castrated by the BLM at the same time they rounded up Ghost… Anyway, as you can see from these few pictures of Jasper he was a kind an loving colt that grew into a magnificent, valiant stallion. He spent years watching over his little sister, the beautiful filly with two blue eyes seen in several of these pictures.

I can’t even begin to do justice in describing the lives of these two stallions. For a remarkably beautiful tribute and story of these two Onaqui stallions written by Jen Rogers you can click here

Jen is one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet. She fell in love with the Onaqui years ago, and moved to Utah just to photograph them. She knows more about the Onaqui wild horses than any other person, period. She also offers photography tours of the Onaqui. You will learn more about the Onaqui in one afternoon with Jen than I have learned in 12 years of photographing them. She personally and singlehandedly found homes for dozens and dozens of the Onaqui that were rounded up and put up for auction a few years ago. She started her own non-profit (Red Birds Trust), adopted several Onaqui horses herself, and has offer a reward of $5,000 (in addition to others) for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for these two deaths. For more information about the reward and additional information click here: reward

I HOPE THERE IS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL FOR THE PERSON OR PERSONS THAT SHOT AND KILLED JASPER AND ARSHAN.

May they rest in peace.

Trip To Onaqui In February

Posted on February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 by ghuggins

Finally made time to get back to photograph the Onaqui. I had been below freezing all week, so I was able to navigate the frozen roads unlike weeks ago in the mud. We found the herd that was usually on the South side of Davis mountain on the East of Davis. There were 100 horses in this group. After photographing for a couple of hours, we decided to try and find another group for the evening shoot. We spotted them North of the trough watering hole on the other side of the ravine. Luckily everything was frozen so we were able to cross. Great lighting! So many opportunities. Weather was 20degrees and windy but worth every frozen minute. The herd was in good health and great spirits. Lots of activity. As usual, a remarkable day with the Onaqui.

Sulphur & Onaqui Wild Horses

Posted on January 14, 2022January 14, 2022 by ghuggins

I have always wanted to photograph the Sulphur Wild Horses Northwest of Milford, UT because many of these wild horses draw their bloodlines from the Colonial Spanish horse. (the first horses brought to America by Spanish explorers in the 1500’s according to the BLM website). These characteristics are the very characteristics that “the Ghost” had which are zebra stripes on the rear of the legs and a dark dorsal stripe down their back. I have always felt that Ghost was originally part of this herd and migrated up every few years to have his way with the Onaqui mares.

Well, just like many other herds, I found the Sulphur herd to be nearly impossible to photograph because they are so afraid of humans. I spotted about 25-30 horses from route 21 near the Pots-Sum-Pa turnoff. I took the turnoff and before I could even come to a stop the herd was on the run. (see the third photograph in this gallery)

Had a great sunset that evening and got up early the next day to try and find some less spooky horses. Basically the same result. Even with my 500mm lens I couldn’t get any decent photographs, (fourth and fifth photograph in this gallery). Given the fact that the winds that night must have been near 35mph and not very pleasant in my little tent trailer, I packed up and moved to spend a few days with the Onaqui.

Between very warm temps, drifted snow, melting snow and a lot of mud, getting within 4 or 5 miles of the Onaqui didn’t seem likely. I found the majority of the herd very high on Davis Mountain again, but it was impossible to get across the gully to get to the roads that were still miles from the horses.

I did find a small group of Onaqui on the East of Davis Mountain that was within a mile or two of the the main road. I spent the morning with them and returned that afternoon.

On two separate occasions the herd became very frightened and stampeded for the mountains. One, when a large, loud military airplane suddenly appeared over Davis Mountain, and that afternoon when a large cattle trailer drove down the Pony Express Road. It was the same type of trailer that the Onaqui were put into when they were rounded up and driven to Delta, UT. I have seen this happen when Blackhawk helicopters fly close by, but never with a large transport jet and never with a cattle trailer. I wonder if/when the herd will ever get back to normal….