Hold Your Horses!

Just a few miles down the road from Custer, just south of Hot Springs, is the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. Founded by Dayton O. Hyde in the late 1980s, the sanctuary covers some 11,000 acres in the far south tip of the Black Hills of South Dakota, along the Cheyenne River. It is home to some 500 wild horses captured by the Federal government from overpopulated western ranges.

　

　

There is a children's lullaby that promises,

"When you wake, you shall have

All the pretty little horses,

Blacks and bays, dapples and grays,

All the pretty little horses."

It could have been talking about the wild horses we saw. They come in every color you can imagine, in addition to the blacks and bays, dapples and grays, there are paints, grullas, buckskins, roans, palominos and almost any other color horses come in.

　

　

John and I took a photo tour on October 1st with Guide Monte Matheson, and had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a number of the wild horses. In addition to photo tours, the Sanctuary offers a number of different tours throughout the year. If you're in the vicinity, be sure to pay a visit.



I named her Prairie Lightning

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees the wild horse herds. Because there are few natural predators to control their numbers, the wild horses frequently increase in number to more than the land can support. The BLM captures them and tries to find homes for the extra horses. However, many are too old, too wild, or in some other way not suitable for adoption or sale. Some of those are lucky enough to find a home at the Sanctuary.

　

Initially, only mares were introduced to the Sanctuary, but they have since been joined by several stallions, and a limited number of foals are born each year. This gives the bands a more natural makeup, and a sense of normalcy, and provides some mustang foals for sale to the public.



Prairie Dot



The Sanctuary is a non-profit, and depends on donations and income from tours to fund its operations. The horses are "wild" in the sense that most come from BLM lands and have never been haltered or ridden. They are, however, fed as needed since the range sometimes cannot support all the horses that live there. There is also a program to breed registered quarter horses and paints so that the sale of those foals can help fund the support of the wild ones.

We especially enjoyed seeing the Spanish Mustangs.  They are kept separate from the other wild horses to preserve their bloodlines. One way you can tell Spanish Mustangs is by their markings. Often they are a color called "grulla," (pronounced "grew-ya") a smokey gray or gray-brown that is supposedly the rarest of horse colors. Other characteristics include a dorsal stripe and barring on the legs. Don Juan, the resident stallion of the Spanish Sulphur Mustang herd, is a bay, but he does have the dorsal stripe and barring on his legs. Several of the mares in his group also have the characteristic grulla coat.

Don Juan

When we visited, Don Juan was busy courting one of his mares. There was a lot of kissing and "horse-play" (sorry, I couldn't help myself) going on, but ultimately the lady played hard to get for too long, and Don Juan lost interest.



Please, Oh Please!





Say "Pretty Please!"



BMOC of the other wild horses is Painted Desert. He has a rare coat color/pattern called a Medicine Hat Paint. In Medicine Hats the ears and top of the head are reddish, the face is white and the chest has a "shield" of the red coat color. We were told that the Plains Indians especially valued Medicine Hats, and felt that they had special powers or protection.  A brave was especially fortunate if he had a Medicine Hat to ride into battle.



 

And here are some of the other wild horses we met. 



Who cares if beauty is only skin-deep!



Boss Mare of Don Juan's Band



Don Juan Enforcing His Rules




Mustang Mom and Foal




Stallions Painted Desert and Red Roanie Settle a Disagreement



Tico, the Spanish Mustang Who Could Not Be Ridden



Beautiful Buckskin/Grulla




Prairie Lonesome





Painted Desert with Guide Monte Matheson



Black Hills Recap-2

And here are a few more images that wouldn't fit in the first post.

Some of Custer State Park's Bighorn Rams



Playtime for Dakota




Nickie says Prairie Dogs are harder to catch than they look!



It's Fun Being a Dog!



A Pronghorn Buck hurries his family out of harm's way



Black Hills Recap

We said goodbye to Broken Arrow RV and Horse Park on September 30.  As I said earlier, it's a great place to spend a day.....or a month or more.  We've enjoyed our month here.  Hospitality included every-night ice cream socials for park residents, and someone being available 24/7 for any issues or problems we might have.



We met a number of great folks, and their four-legged friends (horses, mules and dogs alike), and will look forward to retuirning next year. We loved the place, the people, and all there is to see and do. Special thanks to Owners Larry and Geri Gustafson for their hospitality and friendship. We look forward to seeing them again this winter if they pass through Central Texas, or next year when we (hope to) take another trip to Custer.

Here are some of our photos that didn't make it into previous blog posts.  We hope you enjoy them.

 

French Creek near the Horse Camp



Lucky Dog on Alert



Dakota with Her Old Collar



One of he Cowboys at the Bison Roundup



A Lovely Small Lake Near our Camp



Bighorn Sheep Ewes and Lambs



Gold is the Color of Fall in the Black Hills





...Usually!

 

Thundering Hooves!

The sun wasn't up and the moon was still high in the sky Monday morning when we loaded up and joined our friends, Mike & Pat, Mark & Dale and Rollie & Gina to "head 'em up and move 'em out" for the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup.

After entering the park, we joined a miles-long train of cars winding their way along the park's Wildlife Loop toward the roundup site. It was a glorious, cool, almost windless morning, so we sipped our coffee and enjoyed watching the sun rise as we waited our turn to park.

Once the dogs were walked (yes, they got to come too!) we found a spot to put up our lawn chairs and wait for the buffalo to arrive. And arrive they did!

First a few head appeared, accompanied by some of the park's burro herd. Then we saw the main herd pouring out of the canyon to our right. From a distance, it looked like a river of dark, rich chocolate headed across the prairie toward the corrals. Then as they got closer, we could see the individual animals, led by one of the matriarchs. At one point, the herd attempted to take a side canyon, and the riders really earned their pancakes turning them and moving the 800-1000 animals in the right direction.

The riders did most of the work, but there were a number of pickup trucks on hand, too. Mike and Pat, who volunteered in Custer State Park for ten summers, explained what was happening. They have participated in a number of roundups, so they knew what to expect.

The final challenge is to get the entire herd to go through the gates into the pastures and working pens. This year, everything went smoothly, and the actual penning took very little time. However, that is not always the case. Two years ago, the herd apparently got within a few yards of the entrance and turned back. I don't know how long it took to to corral them, but I'll bet it was some kind of exciting!

Most of the bison in these photos are cows, calves and young bulls. When the bison are rounded up, the older bulls are not included. Most do not stay with the cows and calves once the rut is over, and besides, Park personnel say they are just too unpredictable and mean to bring into the corrals. The fences are stout, but we were told that the older bulls could turn them into kindling if they panicked and charged.

Once corralled, some of the herd were put into pens for all us Tinhorns to look at. They are magnificent animals. After milling around outside the corrals and stirring up dust, and with the bison kicking it up inside, we were almost and sweaty and dirty as the cowboys by the time we headed back home. It was a not-to-be-missed experience, though, and one we'll look forward to the next time we're in Custer.

And speaking of those large, older bulls.  On Tuesday we came across a group of six hanging out in the Park and being glad that they weren't forced to join the roundup.  We were able to see the brand on one of them.....it was a 5.  That means that he was born in 2005, and is five years old this year.  What magnificent animals! 

　

Buffalo Arts Festival

Saturday dawned clear and cool, but quickly warmed up to shirt-sleeve weather. We joined RVing buddies Dale Bruss, Mike & Pat McFall and Rollie & Gina Thurston to take in the Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival in Custer State Park. 

There were a number of vendors of various arts and crafts, food concessions and an entertainment tent.

We especially enjoyed talking to Marshall Burnette, a Native American flint knapper, who was fashioning knives as well as spear and arrow points from materials found in South Dakota and surrounding areas. It was amazing to see how quickly he could turn a chunk of obsidion or knife river flint into a spear or arrow point.

 

We also talked with Ken Marso from Spearfish, SD. He makes "Ken's Canes," (walking sticks and canes) from diamond willow branches. They are beautiful, as you can see. John and I kept his card so that we can get in touch when and if we ever need one.

Many of the artists do outstanding work. One, however, stands out for me. This gentlemen, Wilson C. Hunt, of Chesapeake, VA,  was actually working inside one of the park stores. He said he comes and works in the park every summer, and carves the most amazing fish.  They are carved from black gum wood, which is very light.  Some of of his completed carvings are shown here. He said it takes an average of three weeks to complete each one, including the carving, painting, and finishing.

Dakota

Our lives have changed again. God has sent us another dog. Last week when we went to pick up Feathers' ashes from the veterinarian in Hot Springs who had treated her, we mentioned that Nickie and Lucky Dog missed Feathers and that we were considering adopting another dog. The vet gave our name to a family with a dog that needed a home and four days later they called to see if we could take their dog. Yesterday we bumped along a muddy country road to meet a bundle of wiggles and licks who stole our hearts. She will never replace our Feathers, but we hope she will become a companion to Nickie and Lucky Dog, and that they will serve as "big sisters" to her.

Called "Zavada" by her original owner, she is a tricolor Australian Shepherd or Aussie mix about 9-10 months old. After being adopted by a college student who gave her up when she moved, this young dog was taken in by a family that lives on a large ranch outside of Buffalo Gap, SD.  It sounded like a perfect situation for her, but unfortunately the puppy showed a remarkable interest in, and ability to catch, birds. After killing three wild pheasants (the State Bird of South Dakota) and almost doing in one of the family chickens, the family realized that she needed to be somewhere where her attraction to fowl was not a problem. (Since the family raises laying hens, staying with them was not an option!)

So......this beautiful young dog has joined the Bagley Pack. We have given her a new name....Dakota, or Kota for short, because this is where we found her (or she found us) and because we love South Dakota. We look forward to having her with us for many years, and hope that Lucky Dog and Nickie will soon accept her as a member of their pack.
　
　

1880s Train

Next on our Bucket List was a ride on the 1880s Black Hills Central Railroad, which runs between Keystone and Hill City, South Dakota. At one point, the tracks vary from a 4% to 6% grade, making it one of the steepest railroad routes in the U.S. We took the trip with our RV friends, Mark and Dale Bruss, shown here in front of the engine which pulled our six-car train.

　
We were told that this engine, a 2-6-6-2T articulated Mallet, was built in 1928. It is the only one of its kind in the world which is still in operation. It runs on conventional tracks, which are 4' 8" wide instead of the 3' width of the Narrow Gauge trains, and burns recycled oil.

The train crosses County Road 323 nineteen times. At each crossing, the whistle sounds two long blasts, followed by a short and a long blast. We were told this is Morse Code for the letter "Q." It seems that Queen Elizabeth started the tradition by having the ship on which she was traveling sound the "Q" so other ships in the area would know the Queen was on board, and would yield the right of way. Railroads soon picked up the signal, and now train whistles everywhere sound a Morse Code "Q" when approaching a crossing.

Scenery along the route includes not only track-side farms, ranches and residences, but views of the Black Hills and Harney Peak. We were pleased that the cool weather has turned the aspen bright gold, contrasting sharply with the dark green of the Ponderosa Pine and Black Hills Spruce.

While Dale and I gazed out the windows and snapped photos, John, and Mark just behind him, enjoyed a short nap between train whistles at the railroad crossings.