This summer I visited wild horses in Oregon for the first time. One of the most enjoyable mornings was just before dawn in the Palomino Butte Herd Management Area. And yes there are Palominos there!
We saw a group of horses a few hundred feet from the road, so I got my camera and started walking slowly to them. The gorgeous Palomino stallion was the first to see me and he watched me for a little while and then went back to grazing.
The Palomino stallion
Pretty soon, more family members started looking up, and then began moving toward me. This is absolutely one of my favorite parts of being out with wild horses. The herds that are not sued to people tend to be very curious, and when their curiosity wins out over their fear, they will come check me out, and are as interested in seeing me as I am in seeing them.
They notice me and start moving forward
A sorrel mare and her buckskin foal
The youngsters are the most curious
I had taken a seat on the ground and was watching quietly and taking photos with my 600 lens. At one point they came so close I could only get 1 horse in the frame.
Mother and yearling Palomino
The bravest one!
Soon a beautiful pinto buckskin mare came close with her pale Cremello yearling and her foal.
Mare, shy yearling and foal
Looking for reassurance from mom
Pretty soon the Cremello colt felt braver and came quite close as well.
The Cremello
Even the stallion comes close
As the sun started coming up, the colors of the horses and the landscape were beautiful.
A beautiful threesome
After a while, the horses start to go back to grazing, and the stallion moves behind them, encouraging them to move away. I feel grateful for the peaceful and intimate encounter.
The stallion moves the family away
Images from this post can be found in my Palomino Buttes Gallery: