MUSTANG 6782

 (Thursday, October 19, 2023; from my post on Facebook): I am picking this girl up at the Southeast Livestock Pavilion in Ocala FL in two hours. She is an untouched (un-gentled, unbroke, wild) mustang from the Devil's Garden Horse management Area (BLM). She is approx 3 years old, and 14.1h.

I won her August 7 (David Harmon's birthday - Pretty sure I am Living Like Dave). Currently she is "6782".... name TBD.

Hopefully my excitement will continue to override the current pains from RA and asking too much of a decrepit body...

I must try and practice what Zante taught first and foremost: Slow. Easy. Soft.

It's going to be awesome!

Background: There are a number of ways to adopt a mustang. All info is on the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) site here. My method was through the Online Corral, which is on that main page, on the right; scroll down. Or go directly here. There is a volume of info/links on mustangs within the main page. Statistics on populations etc would be in the Program Data page.

The Online Corral offers available horses through an online bidding process, which is held a number of times a year. There are many more horses (not listed in the Online Corral) in holding in various holding areas (see the main site for info... there are holding areas, and there are Herd Management Areas or HMAs. Those in holding have been gathered and are either waiting to go into auction or are being held for other reasons. The HMAs are designated areas within BLM lands that maintain wild herds. Each herd tends to have certain characteristics because they don't tend to intermingle with other herds and over time the populations exhibit characteristics of their original members, such as Spanish, draft, quarter horse etc.... Herds will exhibit the original characteristics but also become influenced by escaped or loose horses brought by pioneering ranchers. 

My girl is from Devil's Garden HMA (California). For some reason it is not listed on the site (??)! I learned of them through a Facebook group. Attached is a map where you can see the DG HMA, - but no link! You can see a nearby HMA: Red Rock Lakes description here.

P.s., I decided to simply use/add to this "old" blog.

Feel free to peruse the paintings etc. that follow... I am not planning to be back to painting for awhile (my tiny garage/prior art studio is now horse supply/hay storage, which does not lend itself to debris-free painting. If I decide to go mixed-media, and want texture e.g., hay bits, chaff, dust, debris, then I may change my mind..).

I have a mural project that will take me through February and then hope to have a few months "off" to do nothing but play with Ms. 6782!