Incredible photographs depict two stallions duking it out in a test of strength at a horse sanctuary, their manes flying wildly.
The set of photographs taken in the Onaqui Wild Horse Sanctuary in Utah depict two stallions engaged in combat.
The two horses, a grey stallion and a brown stallion, are fighting for control in a dry environment.
The brown stallion won the competition, but neither horse was injured in the process.
Susan Goudge, a retired educator who now specialized in equine photography, had the good fortune to observe the stallions throughout their struggle.
She stated, “I enjoy observing horses since they are such free animals.” Their behavior is always very fascinating, and they enjoy picking fights.
Maverick, the grey stallion, was very hostile and tried to create fights with everyone.
The dust that was being churned up around them was incredible and produced a really nice effect, as did their hair blowing in the wind.
“However, the other horse, whose name I do not know, won and was quite smug about it.”
“At the conclusion, neither horse appeared to be wounded; they were merely exhausted with bruised egos!”
The refuge is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the Onaqui Herd Management Area’s wild horses.
The sanctuary collaborates with the Utah Bureau of Land Management to rehabilitate wild horses so that they can be returned to their natural habitat.
THE ONAQUI MOUNTAIN HORSES IN THE WILD
In the late 1800s, early settlers and the cavalry introduced feral horses to the region. Wild horses are mostly social and have few natural predators, with mountain lions being the exception.
The average weight of mares and stallions inside the Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) is between 800 and 1000 pounds.
Brown and bay are the predominant hues within the herding area. The Bureau of Land Management introduced wild horses from the Rock Springs, Wyoming region in the early 1990s, thereby increasing the number of colors to include sorrel, roan, buckskin, black, palomino, and gray. Currently, the population of pintos, grays, palominos, and roans is increasing.
Following a 2005 Bureau of Land Management roundup, the herd was boosted with around ten stallions and ten to fifteen mares from other HMAs.
This was done to promote genetic diversity, enhance the size of the animals, and make the Onaqui Mountain HMA wild horses more adoptable. Since then, 3-5 horses have been released every 3-4 years.
These horses originated from herd management areas in Utah, Idaho, California, and Nevada.