They are about two hours from my house; the Onaqui herd of wild horses.  Likely the descendants of escaped or released horses from the late 1800’s, the herd is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management and can typically be anywhere from 120 to 240 horses. To mange the herd’s size and ensure ecological balance, the size of the herd is managed by the BLM using birth control or sometimes rounding up horses.  

I make the drive out there every so often to make photos.  Many days it is easy to find the herd, other times they are elusive and are not to be seen.  The drive takes you on the path of the historic Pony Express and Overland Stage routes that operated in the 1860’s. 

When you find the herd, you park your car, gather your gear and slowly walk to where you want to be, being mindful and keeping a respectful distance from the horses.  BLM rules ask people to stay 100 feet away from the horses.  And then you wait.  It is easy to make an image of a horse. They are mostly just standing around. It is harder to make an image that captures the energy of the herd; sometimes running, other times fighting with each other for supremacy.  Take some time, watch the herd’s behavior, it will make it easier to predict what they may do.

Sometimes other people are also out in the Utah West Desert looking for the horses, some to photograph, others just to watch.  Lately I have started asking people where they are from.  I had expected people to tell me they are from different parts of the state.  I was surprised to find that some had come from as far away as Florida, and that this was not their first trip to the desert. 

The horse management area represents year-round habitat for mule deer and pronghorn. The eastern most portions of the Onaqui Mountain HMA encompass Sage grouse brooding and winter habitat.  The Bald Eagle, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and Ute Ladies tresses occasionally call the HMA home. A few of the nesting species in the area include Ferruginous Hawk, Swainsons Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, and Great-Horned Owl so keep your eyes and ears open.  It is not just about the horses.

Photographing the horses is a reminder that I live in a pretty special place.  We have wild horses roaming in our deserts. We have eight National Parks within a five hour drive of my home not to mention the state parks and national monuments. We have amazing dark sky locations.   We have world class skiing and will be home to the 2034 Olympic Winter Games. The Great Salt Lake is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the Bonneville Salt Flats is the otherworldly site of many land-speed records. 

If you get tired of Utah, our neighboring states have their own bounty of photo opportunities. 

Try this, ask your favorite AI software to plan a photo trip to Kanab, Utah for example.  You may be amazed with the results of that query, and if you go, you will able even more amazed by what you can capture with your camera.

Thanks for stopping by.