The colours of fall this year have been spectacular. In most areas the colours were so vivid which only added to the beauty of the countryside and the Alberta Mountain Horses we saw. The lack of moisture this fall though is having an effect on the forests and the grasses that the horses and other wildlife rely on. Despite this all the horses we have been seeing are in excellent condition for this time of year.
Bright late afternoon sunshine highlights the excellent condition the horses are in. This herd is taking advantage of forage they have found in this clearcut.
We found this herd around an abandoned well site, where there was still lots of green grass available. All the horses were bays except this little grey filly. Now where the heck did that colour come from?
This stunning red roan colt is the same colour as his stallion, a herd we have followed and seen several times. In these forest clear-cuts, the wild horses can still find soft green grass hidden close to the downed logs. The sun just helped highlight his colouring – what a beauty!
This stallion although a little way from his herd, kept a careful eye on us. In areas such as this the herd members will spread out in order to find their preferred feed. His mares and foals were grazing close to us but were paying no attention to us. Just a real peaceful scene.
This young stallion just had two other friends and were far away from the more travelled trails. He was very curious, but you can tell the way the sun is shining on him that he is in wonderful condition.
Look at this young boy with a brush cut mane and also notice the dark dorsal strip running down his back. Another characteristic of many of our Alberta Mountain Horses. He did not have the same colouring of either his mare or his stallion, which makes these horses so wonderful to see.
One thing about this warm fall weather though is that the annoying black flies are still out in full force. The horses, like this herd are seeking shelter from the bugs in the protection of the trees. Some herds will also seek the more open areas where the wind helps keep the bugs off.
One beautiful afternoon we had hiked back into a remote valley to see what we could find. As we made our way through a mature stand of forest, we heard the breaking of branches and turned to find these three young studs following us. They had found a beautiful area with water, shelter and lots to eat to stay in. The youngest one in the lead was very curious of who had invaded their territory.
More beautiful fall colours and gorgeous horses to make our day.
This black stallion was way off by himself but was on the move trying to find some company to be with. He paid very little attention to us and kept on travelling.
It is that time of year again where we have our fundraising calendar available for sale. This is our major fundraiser for the year and the money is used to help us maintain our rescue/handling facility, to purchase feed for the horses we rescue, and support our work in trying to get our Alberta Mountain Horses better protected. We are still dedicated to having the horses remain forever free on the landscape of our Alberta foothills.
We assure that all horses that come under our care are healthy, the studs are gelded and all of them properly vaccinated. Therefore, the funds cover the costs of veterinary care that they receive. Another requirement by the government is that all the horses be freeze-branded, and the money takes care of this cost too.
We are delighted that we have managed to keep the price of the calendars the same as in all the previous years despite the rise in the costs of postage, paper and printing. In order to do so we have made some format changes to the calendar with the main one being making it a 12-month calendar. You can order your calendars by clicking the link at the top of the web page. We thank everyone for your continued support over the years.