So far behind in posting recent trips to the Onaqui Herd. The BLM will likely be rounding up the herd soon, so I am trying to document the herd as often as I can.
Entire Onaqui Herd Of Wild Horses On The Run
Between 150 and 200 Onaqui Wild Horses running through Utah's West Deseret
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…
This is a panorama of four images stitched together. The full-resolution image is much too big to email or post on the web. Email me if you would like access to the full-resolution image.
Cedar Mountain Wild Horses
I had the privilege of visiting the Cedar Mountain herd of wild horses in Skull Valley. The Cedar Mountain herd has been rounded up much more regularly than the Onaqui Herd and they are VERY SPOOKY when it comes to interacting with humans. We found them at one of their watering holes. The BLM has water trucked into this location, there are little if any natural springs in the area (unlike the Onaqui Herd Management Area). We slowly came around a bend in the road and spotted the herd watering about 1/4 mile from our location. Even at that distance we could see that they had spotted us and were “on edge”. The herd is apparently even more spooked by vehicles so we got out and started to walk slowly to get closer. We were watched constantly by the herd. We would stop and photograph them for several minutes hoping that they would become a little more accustomed to our presence. We didn’t want to get too close too soon if all of the horses had not watered. We were about 200 yards from them when they decided they didn’t want us any closer. The entire herd moved slowly up away, into a draw. We did spot another group several miles from this herd, but terrain didn’t allow us to get any closer than a mile. Notice the beautiful markings on several of the pinto’s. You will also notice that the mares carry a different BLM brand than the Onaqui herd.
Final Push To Prevent Onaqui Herd Roundup By BLM
Thanks to the American Wild Horse Campaign for sending this easy way to send comments to the BLM. The BLM is within weeks of rounding up 90% of the Onaqui Herd and removing nearly 400 of these beautiful horses to spend the rest of their lives in a pen somewhere in the Mid-West. We are so lucky to have this herd within an hour drive from Salt Lake.
The BLM doesn’t seem concerned about reducing the 2,500 head of sheep and the 2,000 head of cows it grazes in the Onaqui Herd Management Area. According to the BLM only the 500 head of Wild Horses need to be reduced. Please follow the link below to submit your comments to the BLM.
Thanks!!!
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Greig,
Earlier this week, we wrote you about the urgent need to speak up for the wild horses in the Onaqui HMA in Utah. Many of you had trouble with the BLM site that was accepting public comments, so now we have secured an easier and more reliable way to submit comments.
Thanks,
The AWHC Team
American Wild Horse Campaign
P.O. Box 1733
Davis, CA 95617
United States
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BLM Asking for public input on Onaqui Herd – Please consider giving your input!!
I just received notice from the BLM specifically about this wonderful herd of wild horses I love to photograph. They are looking for public input on the issue of thinning the herd from their estimate of 450 horses to between 120 and 200 horses. They state the reasons in the attached pdf. I am always amazed how they (the BLM) are happy to have around 2,000 head of cattle and 2,500 head of sheep use the Herd Management Area each year, BUT IT IS THE WILD HORSES THAT ARE THE PROBLEM! Anyway, I would ask that you consider giving your input to the BLM on behalf of this wonderful herd of wild horses that do not have a voice in this issue. They need our help.
Thank you for your consideration. This link should open the BLM’s pdf on this issue that gives instruction on how to submit your thoughts.
Photography of Utah’s Wild Horses – Onaqui Herd – May 25
What a great trip we had in late May. The stallions were very aggressive defending their harems with the younger single stallions trying to entice the mares away. Lots of new beautiful foals and lots of great opportunities. The herd was again split into two locations. One to the North closer to Dugway on the other herd that is almost always South and West of Simpson springs. Everyone seems healthy and happy. Little do they know that they will soon be rounded up by the BLM and most of them trucked off to pens in the Midwest… It will truly devastating to the herd and it’s dynamic and also to those of us who love the herd. There has to be a better way to manage this magnificent treasure that we are lucky to have here in Utah… Next time we visit I hope to find the beautiful foal with one blue and one brown eye.
Onaqui Herd May 8
We were lucky enough to find both herds on this trip (one to the North and the other South of Simpson Springs). The fighting between stallions was much more prevalent than the last time we photographed the herd in April. The 2,000 head of cattle that winter on the Onaqui HMA were about to be rustled up and hauled to their summer range (it’s funny how the HMA can support 2,000 head of cattle and 2,500 head of sheep each winter but according to the BLM there is not enough range and water for 300 horses….). If you are planning a trip to Utah’s West Desert to see this magnificent herd, I suggest you go soon. The BLM is planning to gather at least 1/2 of the herd and transport them to pens in the Mid-West where they will live the rest of their lives in captivity.
One more post and I will be up-to-date. Enjoy…
Onaqui Herd April 2018
Just haven’t had time to get these up. Now I am at least 2 trips behind in my posting of photographs.
Onaqui Herd – Wild Horses of Utah – March 2018
I finally found some time this weekend to finish processing the last photo shoot I had with the Onaqui Herd of wild horses. It’s amazing how well-known the herd is. I ran into a photographer from Minnesota that tries to get out and photograph the herd when they come to Utah for skiing every year.
This years foals are just starting to be born. Several of the mares were really big. Glad to have found the majority of the herd, the last few times it has been difficult to find them. There were a lot of cows in the area. Grazing permits seem to take priority over the wild horses. We guessed there to be over 1,000 head of cattle on the Onaqui Herm Management Area. The BLM also grazes about 2,500 sheep in the HMA every year…..but the herd will be cut in half this fall by the BLM because there isn’t enough resources for that many horses. To give you an idea how big the HMA is, it would cover the Wasatch Front from North Salt Lake, to Orem; and from the Wasatch mountains to the Oquirrh mountains…
March 2018 Foals Of The Year – Onaqui Herd
Finally found the time to get out and photograph the herd. On the previous two photo shoots I found it difficult to find very many horses. Not so this trip. We probably saw 250 horses on this trip.
I haven’t had time to process many, but the foals that have been born in the past week or two were unbelievably cute. Here are a few….
