November Monthly Highlights
Volunteer Highlights
Terry Staton is a new darter for the AWHC fertility control program on the Virginia Range. She has been involved with wild horses since she was first smitten by a wild bachelor named Peanut in 2016. He peeked over her back fence one day and Terry was utterly amazed at his presence and his wildness, tamed only to stop briefly to say hello. Terry has never owned a horse, but she was thrilled to get to know all about wild horses through Peanut and watching his herd dynamics. She watched him and his bachelor buddies daily as they came by to say good morning. Peanut then picked up a little mare and began to build his family.
One day, Terri met Corenna Vance moving horses on Rio Wrangler and stopped to help. It seems her destiny had been set and she's been working in one way or another with wild horses ever since. Darting and photographing the wild horses is very special to Terry. She enjoys helping lower the energy of the horses through breathing and she even uses lavender essential oils to do so. Currently, she is honing her documentation and spotting skills so that she can help update the horse identification database, and so she can be proficient at spotting horses on the range who need a birth control treatment. Terry is a great shot with her Dan-inject darting rifle and knows she is making a difference for each and every horse she treats. Prior to becoming a wild horse advocate volunteer, she was in sales for 39 years and currently has a business helping people heal through natural oils.
Peanut, the wild horse that started it all!
Terry and tamed mustang, Boomer.
Horse Highlights
This month’s horse highlight features the bachelor stallions of the Virginia Range! A bachelor stallion is either a younger or older stallion who does not have their own band of mares. The younger bachelors are typically pushed out of the band they were born into once they’ve matured and their hormones start kicking in. The older bachelors may have lost their mares to younger, ambitious stallions.
Being highly social animals, the bachelors typically live together in their own bands. They are very playful and active; a lot of the action you see on the range is from the bachelors! Once they mature, they will branch off to search for mares. They steal mares from other weaker or older stallions to create their own band. They are very fun to watch and observing their behaviors is a special treat!
Some of the bachelors having fun