28/10/2026
🫶🏻
In a domestic setting foals are forced to be separated from their moms as common practice at 4 months. That means in 3 months little Capitan pictured here would be ripped away from his mother Mocha and kept isolated where humans began telling him how to be a horse.
When horses are simply being horses the scenes are much different. The mares will nurse their c**ts until 1 year of age, sometimes longer, and for their fillies it's not uncommon at all to see the 2 or 3 year old filly nursing from them mom for comfort long after they've naturally weaned.
This is an incredibly heartwarming scene from this weekend when the range was blanketed in fog to the valley floor and the herd was allowed some peace from the harassment they've been experiencing constantly with off-road drivers, hunters, and visitors who wander straight into the herd. But for this morning atleast, all was calm and was a reminder of how life used to be out there with lots of peace and quiet and wild horses simply being wild horses and bonding with their families.
The grey horse sleeping alongside the c**t and his momma is Sunstar. I've grown to think of him as the Goliath of the north herd. His mares LOVE him, he is one of the best babysitters you can find out there and although he's formidable in size he doesn't use it unless he's forced to. He's had a rough couple months losing his long time Lt. Gabriel, then Lancelot and now is under siege daily from younger, fresher stallions trying to oust him. But for this day, his morning was filled with peace and love from his son and one of his sweet mares.
