Wild Horses: The Adobe Town Wild Horses in Prison
December 6, 2010Filmmaker James Kleinert and rock group U2 team up to save wild horses
March 11, 2011Wild Horses: A New Beginning for One Adobe Town Weanling
Mica chasing his brother
The brightest, best part of the Adobe Town roundup was at the end of the first day, on the way back to town after the helicopter had landed, I found a beautiful band of horses, still wild and free.
Mica and his brother run
A pale palomino colt ran, chasing his older brother, as his father, a gorgeous sorrel stallion looked on. The colt ran up behind his father, curious to see what was going on.
Mica and his father
Mica's family
Mica's mother and father - they will never see him again
Then the family came together, and then moved off. This was the last time I saw them in the wild. My friend Judy named the colt Mica, and I had a feeling I would see him again. I thought about him many times over the next month, wondering how he was, and thinking about bringing him home to live with my Cremello Colts.
Mica close up at Canon City
Two months later at Canon City, there were 1200 horses from Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek that had been hauled from their home in Wyoming. I visited on the Adoption Day and was saddened to see all these horses that I had seen so proud and free out in their herd area now in pens, separated from their families. There were hundreds of weanlings, but Mica stood out from the other April foals because of his color. Fran Aklee had been kind enough to take one of my photos of Mica in the wild out to the weanling pens and identify that he was indeed there before I came to the adoption.
Mica fooling around with a friend
Mica in one of the weanling pens
He was fooling around a bit with another weanling, and looked at me curiously. I filled out my adoption application that day for Mica, and arranged to have him delivered to Rich Scott at his place in Byers for a month of handling before he would come to my house. Rich has been continuing to help me work with my Cremello colts.
I thought he would be coming soon, but one of the stallions that had come from Adobe Town escaped when they were unloading them, jumping a 6 1/2 foot fence, and heading off to a 2000 acre nearby property. He defied efforts to capture him, tranquilizer dart him, and even turned the gentle saddle horse turned out to lure him in into a renegade. I named him Liberty for his fierce will to be free.
Mica still at Canon City
The state vet refused to release any of the horses from the property until all the horses had their coggins tests- including Liberty – so I had another chance to visit Mica and the other Adobe Town horses at Canon City on January 7 at the next adoption.
Mica looking at me as I come into the pen
As far as I know, Liberty is still out there, but the state vet relented and on January 12 Mica was delivered to Rich’s as it started snowing.
Mica in his pen at Rich Scott's place
Rich and I went into his pen, and Mica was remarkably calm for a baby who had been taken from his friends and trailered to a new place. He watched us closely and curiously, and moved to face Rich as he moved around.
Mica looking at us curiously
I left him to settle into his new home and his hay.
On Wednesday I went to visit, and Rich had been going into his pen several times a day, but this was the first day for Mica to have a halter on. Rich took him outside his pen, and Mica got to have his first experience of what the halter and leading was all about. Mica, just like his soon to be brother Claro, loves to roll in the mud, so he was very dirty when I saw him.
Mica being haltered
Rich touching Mica
Rich worked very slowly with him, with lots of time to rest and think about what was going on.
Mica takes a step
At the end, he came and stood in the part of the pen that was closest to us, watching us talk and watch him, and finally nuzzling my hand as it rested on the pen.
Mica's eye
It was so bittersweet to connect with this beautiful wild horse. He will never grow up with his family in Wyoming, but he will have a new life with me and my other boys.
His father the sorrel stallion was released back into the wild with a few other lucky stallions. My hope is that he can remain forever free in his home in Adobe Town.
The Sorrel stallion, Mica's father, still free
24 Comments
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Regina-Sophia, Carol Walker. Carol Walker said: New Wild Hoofbeats blog post about my Adobe Town colt Mica: http://bit.ly/fRL5LA #wildhorses […]
So glad Mica got to go home with you!
So glad you are the new caretaker of Mica. I’m hoping that this little guy likes baths!!!
Great post and a great beginning for Mica !
What a cutie! It’s amazing how fast Mustangs catch on to the right type of handling, and the close bond they develop with their people. And his papa is absolutely stunning! I don’t imagine they released either of his mares with him.
Amazing. Spectacular. I am always just blown away by the pictures and stories of these wild horses. Thank you for sharing; can’t wait to see more of Mica. 🙂
Carole, thank you for lifting my sad spirits with a window on this little fellow’s hopeful new life. But your pictures of his family before the roundup sadly show a world heritage the US government is destroying by tearing apart these wild herds and removing them from our magnificent wild public lands. US taxpayers foot the outrageous bill but special corporate interests are the only beneficiaries. How can we get your images out to the entire world so they demand that the US government preserve this unique wild heritage?
Thought bittersweet, I can think of no better place for him to be than with you and the other cremellos. His sorrel stallion father is truly beautiful and i’m so happy he has returned to the wild – where he should be!
What a beautiful Stallion and what a lucky Mica to have a good home. OSOM pictures!!!!
Very touching, awesome story
So glad you were able to rescue Mica. I like his eye and his intelligence. He has a beautiful new family and hopefully, a long and happy life. Rich has a great stance and attitude with Mica, too. Please keep us updated on Mica’s development and thank you for giving him a chance.
Spellbound, Carol, I’m spellbound. I love your style as well as your photographs. Thank you so much. Wellings-up of deep appreciation for the horses and for you. The struggle of the horses to stay free is just hard to bear. Long live Liberty. I hope the person who owns the 2,000 acres appreciates wild horses.
Unbelievably, I rarely cry in the midst of so much sorrow. When I saw these beautiful horses in the wild through your images, little Mica precious & pure, and then your starkly contrasting image of him in the BLM pens with his tag and mud all over him, I cried, I sure did.
Your album of these gorgeous horses in the wild, butted up next to the poor captive souls, really says it all. Warmed that Mica will be in your loving care. Great to know that his majestic father is free again.
All your images are breathtaking, and obviously professional. Honoring your work and of course the subject matter!
Thank you for sharing anf caring,,beautiful pix and story,hope you and mica have a long happy life together!!
Why is it that I always cry when I read the wonderful work you are doing. Every photo speaks of Aloha and the exceptional love for the wild and FREE horses of America.
I have seen a number of videos/special documentaries of abused and neglected horses in our country…Domesticated…purchased and ignored…off to the the glue factory.
In all of your blogs & all of the fabulous photos I have seen only healthy – FREE horses
They are beautiful…no skin and bones – Wild and Healthy..God Bless, Kirby
Than You for sharing little Mica’s story
Beautiful little colt Mica is! Bless you for giving him a new life…….I wonder what happened to his Mom? Have you seen her? I don’t know why do they have to tear families apart. Rich looks like a “Vaquero” if he does that type of training? you are lucky to know him! Keep us posted on Mica’s life!
As sorrowful as it is to have him taken from the glorious freedom he had, it is delicious that with every movement he makes under your watchful eye, you will see that freedom & admire it , embrace his true glory. He will be honored with you in a way he would not be with one who never saw him free. That is a blessing from God.
“The idea of wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders.”
Thank you Carol for sharing and for all you do for the wild ones!
It saddens me and I have shed many tears for the plight of the wild horses; in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and else where. It is always uplifting to hear about one or a few that have made it to good homes, but so, so many are still in holding pens wasting away, at taxpayers expense. Whatever happened to Mica’s mother? Please keep us posted on Mica’s progress and the many others.
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Nice idea, please explain more!
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