Sep 9 - Staging the Stangs

Some of you may recall that we befriended the folks at Arapaho Wildlife Sanctuary a few weeks back. The benefits include that we call ahead when we are coming to the sanctuary and they organize the animals for prime viewing before we arrive. The last couple of times it has paid off nicely. The park personnel staked out moose, antelope and even a coyote for our last visit.

Well, after several visits to the Sandwash Basin we were a bit disappointed with the Wild Mustang viewing. So...we called to our friends at the Arapaho center and cordially complained. We politely told them that our previous visits to Sandwash only yielded distant glimpses of the mustangs and were a bit unsatisfying. We inquired if they knew anyone in the Sandwash area that could provide a similar service to that which Arapaho provided with the meese et al. I guess this guy must have been a waiter in a former life because he eagerly responded,

"No problem. When do you plan to go and we'll have things all arranged for you, Mr. Burton."

I told him that we planned to be there bright and early on the 9th of September. Once again,

"No problem," he chirped.

Folks...I gotta tell ya...it don't get any better!! We left "The Boat" before 5:00am this morning and arrived at Sandwash before the sun was up. I was concerned we might interrupt the guys herding the mustangs into position for our picture party. Whoa! These guys are good; they had everything completely arranged before we arrived. We hadn't traversed 4 miles of dirt before the first herd was spotted in position and waiting right along side the road. It was obvious that someone had talked to these studs because they were some of the biggest stars in the basin. On top of that...they didn't seem to be bothered as Jethro eased into place for some snaps.

But...forgive me...I'm excited and getting ahead of myself. Let's just slow down and put things back into chronological order. Within just a couple of miles of entering the area, the good folks from Sandwash Basin stationed a welcoming committee. Here they are:

It was a blissfully, beautiful morning as we entered the area...

...and waiting for us was the local welcoming committee. They chanted, "Welcome Burtons!"

Almost immediately after saying our good-byes to the welcome wagoners, we turned a corner and found the following group of actors awaiting us:

These are some of the best know studs in the area...

...and well equipped, I might add...

...seriously, these rough and tumble stallions adorn the walls of the art galleries throughout the "Boat"

Meet Bad Ass...and check out the battle scars. Ain't no easy life being a wild mustang stud!

These guys were cordial enough and hung around for snapshots like they had been instructed to do. I must say, it's a very different experience when the local park rangers set things up for you. We actually got a bit weary of this group. I guess they are not the best actors in the world and didn't know quite what to do other than to stand around. So...we moved on hoping to find some more characters to entertain us.

Well...not to be outdone, there was another welcoming committee waiting just around the next bend. These guy were magnificent, and just as cordial. I'm telling' ya', the folks in Sandwash Basin just can't do enough to accommodate the visitors.

These two fine looking gents were humming a few bars of "The Gang's All Here" as we arrived

After posing for a couple of head shots...

...one said, "Follow me, Lenny!"

Well...who am I to refuse a "deer" friend when he asks you to follow along. So...off we go!

Members of an entirely new herd awaited us just around the bend.

These ladies were not as experienced with special guests as the former stud stars. 

They were nice enough, but, obviously were new comers to the "posing for the Burtons"assignment.

Next thing you know we decided to go back to the more experienced group and ask for some special favors. We had seen some artsy-fartsy photographs that cost thousands in one of the downtown galleries. We thought that, just perhaps, these seasoned veterans might be willing to recreate some of their more famous poses. So...back we went to check out the possibilities...

I headed straight for the leader of the pack, Bad Ass. I ask him for, ya know, some special poses...

...and the answer came straight from the horse's mouth.  "SURE THANG," says he.

The following photos were all just a result of horsing around with the guys. They knew exactly what appealed and where to stand to get the best lighting. These guys were complete studs about the whole thing.

Pose #1 - High Contrast Silver Stallion   (totally his idea, ya know...my mane man)

Pose #2 - Everybody Loves A Cute Colt

Pose #3 - Backlit Silhouetted Mane Attraction   (again...all their idea)

Pose #4 - It's a Lay Down

Pose #5 - Black and White     (this is really big at the galleries, they said)

Pose #6 - Just Hangin'         (This guy claims the ladies love all his poses)

 Well...as you not only can imagine, but also see with your very own eyes...it just don't get any better. The herds told us to come back next year and they'll stage some battle scenes and show us how they get their nasty scars. I argued, suggesting that seems a bit unnecessarily brutal. They, on the other hand, boasted they had Hollywood make-up kits stashed up in them thar hills and loved acting out the role of serious, studly, stallions. I guess we'll just have to come back and see some of that for ourselves.

We certainly hope you've enjoyed horsing around with the Burton's. This was a unique experience for sure! We told Jethro to head for home and we rode off with huge smiles and a few horse laughs to boot.

 Be seeing ya along the trail...

...til next time...