I’ve never been more intimidated in the field with a camera in my hand than I was at this moment.
I’m primarily a bird photographer so the most serious dangers my subjects usually present to me are things like hummingbirds flying nearly into my face or gulls pooping on my head. But this experience felt very, very different.
Several years ago I spent a morning in May with the Onaqui wild horse herd in Utah’s west desert. I was out of my element but a good friend helped in locating the herd and showing me the ropes. It was a unique and fascinating experience to walk amongst those iconic symbols of the wild west and attempt to get some interesting photos without intruding too much on their space.
The tension within the herd in spring was palpable. Fights broke out often and without warning as members of the herd competed for dominance but the combatants were usually on the outskirts of the herd and not close to me. Most of the horses were calm and accepting so I didn’t feel personally threatened. Mostly I stayed in the same spot and eventually some of the horses mingled within a few yards of me. I didn’t approach them, they approached me.
And then all hell broke loose only a few feet away.
1/800, f/8, ISO 400, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 275mm
With no warning that I noticed these two stallions started duking it out and they were very, very serious about it. They were so close they seemed like incredibly agile, angry and animated skyscrapers trying to knock each other down. They were pawing and trying to bite each other and for such huge animals they were incredibly quick in their fighting maneuvers.
I was definitely closer, much closer, than I wanted to be. They weren’t after me of course but if I inadvertently got in their way I’d have absolutely no chance of avoiding injury. This shot was taken at only 275mm and the photo is almost full frame vertically.
A vertical composition of the same photo probably gives the viewer a better feeling for how vulnerable I felt. They seemed like pissed off, out of control towering giants and I felt like an ant beneath them. The two rocks or dirt clods flying through the air between their lower bellies should tell you something about the power and fury of the combatants.
Several years later I don’t remember how the fight turned out. At that point all I cared about was that I’d survived the encounter without injury.
This is part of what lulled me into a sense of complacency – three adorable and mischievous foals scampering about so I spent much of the morning watching for photo ops with them in good light. When you’re focused on harmless and very young horses through your viewfinder it’s easy to become less aware of your other surroundings than you should be.
I learned some lessons that morning and once I’d swallowed my heart back down to where it belonged I realized that I’d had, and survived, a very special experience.
But next time, if there is a next time, I’ll definitely pay more attention to my immediate surroundings.
Ron
Horses are such magnificent creatures and the fighting shot demonstrates that fact in an incredible way. I am gobsmacked!
The youngsters are adorable, though.
I was gobsmacked too, Marty. And almost smacked literally.
When I was young I was feeding a neighbor’s horse a carrot, kept my hands clear but left my body too close after the carrot was gone and she proceeded to nibble on my chest!…quite a sensation I must say.
Noble creatures to be respected at all times.
Your last sentence says it all, Dave.
Once in school, I was feeding horses in a corral and walked behind one. Thought I was keeping plenty of distance but she managed to land a kick on my hand. I though for sure it was broken, though it wasn’t. Only thing more nasty than an Arabian horse is a pregnant Arabian horse. I also remember seeing two horse fighting and seeing one tear a chunk of hide off the back of the other. I’m not sure if I was more surprised at how thick their hide is or that their teeth could bite through it.
I’m amazed you got those astounding photos. I would have had my head turned the other way to see where I was running.
Lyle, my first experience with being horse-kicked came from out of nowhere. I was maybe 10 years old and riding my thoroughbred Star next to a friend who was riding his Morgan horse named Peggy. We were right next to each other when Peggy kicked SIDEWAYS with her left front foot and kicked me in the right ankle. Hard- it hurt like hell but nothing was broken. I had no idea a horse could kick in that direction.
I always thought Peggy was an asshole…
Amazing shots! I’m sure that if I’d even been able to raise a camera in that situation, my knees would have been knocking too hard to get anything but a blur.
I was a bit of an equestrian, long ago. I learned very quickly that even when hormones aren’t much in play and everything seems calm, you need eyes in the back of your head. Turns out there’s an ass***e in every herd!
Thanks, Robyn. One should never take unnecessary chances with horses, wild or domestic. The first time you do could be your last. .
These are beautiful! This is one photo op Ihave not done. I have gone out on the area several times for other reasons, we have looked for the horses but they have been way out in the desert, farther than I want to walk and not where I can drive in my car. I have seen atv and 4 wheel drive out close to the herd, I don’t know what the rules are regarding getting that close with vehicles is.
April, you take your chances when you’re looking for this herd. Sometimes they’re easy to find, other times not so much.
Wow! — or whoa! — is right … that’s an incredibly powerful image with manes, tails, dirt and rocks flying. I would not have been able to watch, let alone photograph, that scene, am a total coward when it comes to battles between any creatures, 2-legged, 4-legged or winged. Now those frolicking little horsies (‘scuse my terminology) are a whole ‘nother story — I’d watch them all day! 😉
“I’d watch them all day! ”
Chris, I’ve learned from experience that isn’t necessarily a good idea. For your own safety you need to keep an eye on the adults too.
I envy you that you were able to photograph this!! Really, this has been a dream of mine to be able to visit the Wild Horse Herd at McCullough, Wyoming. Each spring when we take our group of students (Youth to Yellowstone) for 8 days of camping and exploring Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Bear Tooth Mountain we pass their territory, sometimes we see some of them, sometimes we are not so lucky. I have never been able to return on my own to view them but hopefully I will do this sometime in the future. Thanks so much for the Pics. FANTASTIC!!!!
Jim, I hope you get a chance to spend some time with that WY herd. Doing so is really pretty neat.
WOW. What an experience. I am very glad that their action didn’t take them any closer to you. Even viewing the photos I could feel my heart pump up several notches.
EC, my heart just about exploded in my chest. And I’m not kidding.
Wow. Or more appropriately, whoa! The dark stallion has scars. He’s a brawler for sure. Amazing photo. And the foals really are adorable.
“the foals really are adorable”
Yup, and that’s part of what nearly got me in trouble Arwen. I paid too much attention to them without watching my flank.
Incredible shots, thank you for sharing these. I have seen the wild horses on the outer banks in NC from a distance, a pretty thrilling experience! Beautiful creatures!
They sure are. Thanks, Theresa.
It looks to me as if your camera was about the height of one foot above the top of the tail of the black horse, and the animals truly were towering over your line of sight. I’ve seen photos of fighting stallions, but it was clear the photographer was a lot further away. The detail here is amazing, and the power clearly shows. Wow!
Thank you, Nancy.
WOW! 😲 Fantastic shots! 😀 Good thing your “auto pilot” kicked in and you didn’t freeze. Might have been a “clean my jeans” thing when it was over! 😉 What a wonderful experience! Thx for sharing!
Ha, I don’t remember having to clean my jeans but I suspect I might have checked them out to see if they needed it. Thanks, Judy.
And now I’ve had John Denver’s “Eagles and Horses” for an ear worm all day…..😀
I’m less familiar with that song than many of his others so it didn’t happen to me. Thankfully.
Yes, those scars on the black stallion attest to his years and stamina in the wild. Most likely he was being challenged by a young bachelor trying to take over the herd. Hopefully he was able to fend off the youngster.
Cindy, I can’t remember who came out on top – too much adrenaline…
Wow– what a change from your usual subjects–Pierce’s observation about the
scars on the back and sides of the darker stallion is most salient–nothing
“picturesque” about those marks–they’re certain evidence of the struggle for
genetic, if not physical, survival of very tough animals–thanks for the reminder,
and I’m glad you captured it unharmed.
Kris, it’s difficult to find a single adult horse without fighting scars and virtually impossible with the stallions.
After finding the herd, were you able to just park your truck and approach them walking without them running off ?
Gary, I had to walk to get to their general vicinity but after that with the passage of time they approached me instead of the other way around.
An one-in-a-life-time encounter. So well captured and documented. I especially love horses and I don’t know why. When I was around 6 years old, everytime I was watching a horse documentary (or a western) on television, I could smell the horse’s smell and the feel of the dust on my skin. It was a weird feeling, as if I had experienced this before, but I was too young and had never been in the presence of a horse. Horses are animals of great elegance and beauty. Your photos are exceptional. Have a great day!
Much appreciated, Laval. I had my own horse growing up on the MT farm and that may have given me a false sense of security with these horses. I definitely know better now.
Wow !!! A testosterone explosion. The photos are outstanding, but to be close by would definitely be a remarkable experience. I have only seen wild horses from a distance. That photo of the foals is adorable plus. Nature can’t get much cuter than that. Excellent photos and great story. You never cease to entertain and educate us.
Thanks very much, Everett.
Beautiful and impressive. Nature at it’s aggressive best; with that dust about their feet I can imagine the pushing going on. Two towers not wanting to relinquish an inch! You were brave. When I was in Missoula, my friends took me out to some areas where prong horns and bison were. No way was I getting out of the car with the bison near by…I got some very good photos from the inside. I didn’t think that thin strand of barbed wire would protect me in the least. I remember one prong horn was lying down with his back to me but he kept his head turned to such an angle that I could see he was keeping close watch of our movements out of the corner of his eye. These animals deserve all the respect in their domain.
Kathy, in my experience bison are far more dangerous than wild horses. Here’s an example from Antelope Island just a few months ago:
https://www.today.com/news/man-dead-after-possible-bison-attack-antelope-island-utah-t190477
Stunning photo of these fighting stallions. My heart is in my throat just looking at the picture. I can only imagine your fears and feeling of vulnerability. You are so very fortunate to have gotten out of the situation unharmed. And we are so grateful that you escaped! The fact that you raised your camera and caught that battle is no small feat. How did you flee the scene without injury? I don’t believe my feet would have touched earth as I ran away (think the Looney Tunes Roadrunner – meep meep!). Adrenaline is a powerful fuel!
“How did you flee the scene without injury?”
I didn’t flee the scene, Melanie. There wasn’t time. I may have backed up a few steps but that’s about all I could do.
Exciting gorgeous photos! Loved seeing them and reading the tale of your experience! Thanks
Thank you, Joanne.
Wow. All the scars on the back of that black stallion. Not his first fight!
Definitely not. Some of the stallions especially were even more scarred up than this guy. Thanks, Pierce.
These photos are amazing! The amount of power you can feel coming through is very real. Thank you for sharing this experience with us.
“The amount of power you can feel coming through is very real”
Good, that’s exactly what I was trying to convey. Thanks, Shane.
Wonderful photos of the potential of collateral damage when two male mammals are having a go at exerting dominance! Female mammals are much more subtle about it all . . .
Thanks, Teri. On this morning the mares were having their share of squabbles too, especially those with foals.