The light was fading fast, but in the last few minutes of the day a glorious beam of sun perfectly lit the eastern sage brush. Dark clouds punctuated the sky and the air was almost perfectly still.
A small family of three wild horses poked their heads up in the distance. A mare, a stallion and their young colt. The adults seemed indifferent to my presence, but the colt couldn't stop looking at me with inquisitiveness.
Soon, the colt started running over to me, only to pause about a hundred yards away when mom, dad and his uncertainty caught up with him.
Three hundred feet between us must not have been satisfactory to the young one, and he quickly decided to come much, much closer. I parked myself in the dirt and effectively invited him to explore.
The father was happy to stay put, but mother reluctantly followed behind the colt almost as if to watch after her rebellious son. At around 30 feet away, even she wasn't comfortable coming any closer. She stopped in her tracks as the young horse cautiously continued ahead.
He was bold, curious and mostly fearless. I stayed seated on the ground alternating shots and setting the camera down for some reassuring eye contact.
Mother mare turned around a bit and gave herself some space as she watched on. The little colt was soon only five feet away, after being at least a thousand feet away less than ten minutes earlier. He looked at me closely and gently smelled the air.
His curiosity satisfied and perhaps realizing that I wasn't another horse that he could play with, he decided to drift back towards his parents.
The sun set behind the mountains and the day concluded. His spiky mane and distinctive single white mark on the forehead make me inclined to refer to him as "Spike".
Looking back at the photos, the contrast in attitude between the mother, father and son seems so clear. Supportive, concerned, but not nearly as much of a risk-taker - the mare watches on with a caring curiosity. The dad wants none of it mostly, and he stands by in the background. The young colt was full of confidence and an eagerness to explore his world. The next day I spotted him running up to other young horses with a playful and feisty attitude. Perfect little encounter to start this latest trip to Sand Wash Basin. The long shadows, spectacular light and extremely close proximity made for a fantastic combination.
