Gallery 2: Home on the Range

It is not until you see mustangs in the rugged western settings that you get the full impact of their wildness. The next fence can be 20 to 30 or more miles away. The foals are born free and can live the rest of their lives that way. When the horses are framed in front of a distant purple butte or snow capped mountain, they look even more wild. Deep skies and thunderclouds can make the scenes yet more dramatic.

I've been to some of the HMAs several different times. In several cases, I have personally witnessed the transfer of power from the old stallion to the younger and more aggressive challenger. If they don't succeed one day, they come back the next. Most of the action happens in the Spring, but it can go on to some extent year round. Mares come back into season roughly nine days after dropping her foal. That can stir up a lot of hormones any time of the year.