After scoping out the situation at the watering hole from atop an adjacent hill, the mare decided it was safe to come in for some much needed refreshment. In tow, her yearling. Both were absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t help but reminded of the animated horse, Spirit, as mama sure looked a lot like him. Just gorgeous with that golden coat and black mane, tail and boots.

Keeping up with the band can be hard, especially when you are so much smaller than they are. This little filly, named Libby, wanted nothing more than to just lay down and take a break. Unfortunately for her, her mom, Holiday, was having none of that and quickly prompted her to get on her hooves and get moving.

The horses are believed to have been around since Spanish explorers, possibly including Francisco de Coronado, left them behind or lost them during their expeditions in the mid to late 1500s. The horses have thrived on the dry, high desert in the centuries since and this little one will help ensure their continued presence in Sand Wash Basin in northwestern Colorado.

Look at this fantastic mustang, Winchester. We spent a couple of days at the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area in northwestern Colorado photographing and observing the wild horses. This was only our second time going there and while it was light on action, it was a ton of fun to see these magnificent creatures.

As I trained my lens on Winchester, I was immediately drawn to those crazy cool blue eyes and he obliged by walking right by us. In the background, you see Bears Ears, two peaks that top out at around 10,500 and dominate the view to the southwest of where we were.

A special shoutout to Weekend Vibes Photography for showing us a few hotspots and backroads that we weren’t familiar with and will certainly take advantage of next time.

A rugged landscape but one in which the wild horses in the area have thrived. Going back three years to my first (and thus far only) visit to Sand Wash Basin in northwestern Colorado for this image.

This beautiful horse was alone and working its way across the terrain when it stopped and looked into the distance. A conversion of the image to black and white adds a bit of drama in my opinion, perhaps helps to harken back a bit to the Old West.

If goes as planned, I will finally return to this beautiful place this summer and once again get the opportunity to photograph these majestic animals.

A beautiful horse in beautiful country for #WildHorseWednesday.

Going back to last May and my wife and mine’s impromptu trip to the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area. We spend two days on the dusty, windswept terrain, admiring these magnificent animals and left wanting even more time.

The horses are believed to have been around since Spanish explorers, possibly including Francisco de Coronado, left them behind or lost them during their expeditions in the mid to late 1500s. The horses have thrived on the dry, high desert in the centuries since and Sand Wash Basin has as many as 700 of them today.

The stallions at the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area in northwestern Colorado don’t always play nice with each other.

On this day, the red mustang had brought his band to a watering hole for some refreshment. All was quiet until the white guy made an appearance, something that did not sit well with the leader of the other band. He quickly chased the interloper off, both thundering right by my wife and I.

It was truly an impressive display and a great demonstration of just how fast and powerful these wild horses are. 

A throwback to the end of May when this pretty mare, her foal and two other horses paid a visit to this watering hole in Sand Wash Basin. She was kind enough to step gently into the water, barely raising a ripple, allowing for a nice reflection to be cast as she started drinking. The water wasn’t calm like this for long as her friends soon joined and then another band came along and chased them off entirely.

Are you ready for some football? The countdown is on in Broncos Country with kickoff four hours away. Go Denver Broncos! Let’s ride!

If the dust on the horizon hadn’t been a clue as to what was coming toward us, the sound of dozens of thundering wild horse hooves certainly would have been.

Our late May trip to the infamous Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area was something I was looking forward to and it did not disappoint. These impressive animals have adapted well to the wild over the past few hundred years and are a great photo opportunity.

Here, one of three bands is seen racing toward a watering hole in a very impressive display.