News Flash! Bolder Leaves Home

The coming five-year-old son of Cloud has finally left his mother and Shaman’s family band. Why now and not years ago you may ask? I think that the Texas filly, who is loved by Bolder, gave birth last fall to her out-of- season foal. I believe that when the she came in heat and Bolder wanted to mate with her Shaman signaled, “No way.” Whether a fight ensued is anyone’s guess. What I do know is that Shaman and his family were down in the Red Desert with Cloud and his family, and Bolder was nowhere to be seen.

I hiked through some knee deep snow on Sunday, February 26 on Tillet Ridge and set up my spotting scope suspecting the young stallion had gone up on Sykes Ridge where he grew up. I began to glass one finger-like ridge after another and after several hours I spotted him. He was on a windswept patch of open ground surrounded by snow near two family bands, Red Raven with Blue Sioux and their family, and The Rev and the black filly daughter of Electra, Cascade were nearby. Bolder was with Custer who did not have his mare with him. I hope nothing has happened to her.

Bolder was too far away for photos, but he looked like a sooty palomino with dark grey on his hips, as if he had fallen in ashes. A lot of horses darken up in winter and Bolder certainly has. I wished the son of Cloud good luck in his new life. Will he challenge band stallions for a mare this summer? Time will tell.

More on my trip to visit Cloud in Notes from the Field 2006 to be written.