
Officially named The Montgomery Pass Wild Horses, (click to enlarge)

these mustangs have a range of 50,185 acres,

spanning the borders of California and Nevada.

Photos were taken on the south shore of Mono Lake in California.

There has been no aerial round ups, or baiting population control efforts, with this herd for the past thirty years.

They are the only feral herd in the US whose population is managed entirely by natural apex predator (mountain lion) predation.

These guys are clearly advising me not to come much closer!

There were only two other people here, in the winter, and you can see the horses seemed more interested in the people, than visa versa.

These are shy and elusive creatures, I was fortunate to spend time with them.

I didn’t have my zoom lens and was pleased they allowed me in shooting distance.

The herd is estimated to have a population of over a hundred. We saw at least that many.

Cheers to you from The Mono Lake Mustangs~
For more info on these stunning creatures see:
https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/media/herds-across-west-montgomery-pass-mustangs
My next post will focus on Mono Lake and the strange formations you see in the photos.
Sehr schön Fotos die du in diesem Beitrag zeigst. Das Pferd auf dem zweiten und dritten Foto, sieht den polnischen Koniks sehr ähnlich. Ich konnte sie in Masuren im Nationalpark beobachten. Heute werden diese Pferde in vielen Naturschutzgebieten ausgesetzt. Ich weiß aber nicht, ob zwischen den von dir gezeigten Mustungs und den polnischen Koniks eine Verwandtschaft besteht.
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Danke schön Werner. Pferde sind alle miteinander verwandt. Koniks sehen aus wie Mustang-Cousins! დ
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They’re beautiful! The lake is too.
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Yes! Thank you დ
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Cindy, both you and Tim P are on the nature trail today. Love it! ♥
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Yes! We like to roam დ
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I’m thinking of getting the walking sticks adaoted with wheels and an engine gal… no better not! Hahaha! ♥
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I think this in an excellent idea!
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Haha! My Carer Richard yesterday suggested I get a pair of hover-sticks… which I had to smile at. Keepeth safe please. ♥
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Visa versa 2UX2 my friend დდ
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Sorry Cindy, 2UX2? Bet I feel af ool when you tell me and should have know… Hehehe!
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Back to you times two დ
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♥
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Wow, really cool to see!
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Yes indeed! დ
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Wow, Cindy, I can’t believe all the times we’ve been to Mono Lake I’ve never seen the mustangs. Stunning, aren’t they? The shots of them against the lake with the tufa towers is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you so much more Terri for appreciating them დ
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I’m pleased they allowed you close enough to obtain this fine set
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It seemed like shared interest, with respectful distance! დ
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Anonymous is Derrick
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Hi Derrick!
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Wow – how wonderful.
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Yes. Exactly! დ
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These are beautiful horses with their silken coats. How wonderful that they are allowed to live and range freely, and that they let you visit and photograph them!
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I know! It was an incredible experience დ
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I have never seen wild horses. How beautiful they are, how majestic. They look happy and free!
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It was the first time I was close to horses that were wild and free. They stared me in the eyes and they eyes were beautiful დ
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Great pictures, Cindy! 🙂 Wonderful horses. 🙂 I didn’t know they are there. We visited Mono Lake in 2004. By co-incidence, I only recently posted pictures from that trip here:
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Your captures are stunning! Coincidences seem really important to me დ
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Beautiful wild creatures, how awesome to spend some time with them ❤️
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It was just so much Fun! The lake in winter was a shock to me because the muted pastels were so ethereal. I went off trail to get closer to it, and then the mustangs showed up. It was a thank you God experience დ
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They’re gorgeous horses. Kind of amazing that they look so fat and healthy on that dry vegetation.
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Agreed. They were thriving. How amazing is this! დ
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I would love to see wild horses! And I think they look in remarkably good shape for wild animals too!
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I noticed how healthy they seemed too. It made me happy. No evidence of external parasites, ticks and such, which I often see in wild animals. Some had healed scars, but don’t we all! Thanks for noticing this Ann დ
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Such beautiful animals! Thank you, Cindy, for capturing them for us. And what fabulously clear, blue skies you’ve got!
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You are most welcome Debbie. It was really very cold. I have never been to Mono Lake in winter. The colors were like the most delicate pastels, bleeding into each other. It was so still, serene, beautiful, and empty, except for the wild mustangs დ
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They are magnificent. What a wonderful soul-stirring experience for you. Ha! Who needs a zoom! Gorgeous photos.
Alison xo
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I still haven’t gotten over it. It was just an amazing experience. They eyes were so different than domestic horses. They were wild eyes, with really clear irises, and they looked directly at you. Not submissive at all დ
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What beautiful horses Cindy, thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for appreciating them დ
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The horses are gorgeous, Cindy, thank you for sharing them. It’s interesting to learn that this herd isn’t managed by humans at all. The wild horse herds in Colorado have to be subjected to human management as there aren’t enough natural predators. That causes a lot of challenges.
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Human management, generally, in my experience “causes lot of challenges.” Not only with human introduced species who escape into the wild, and thrive. There seems to be almost resentment of them. They “bait” wild horses and burros, in addition to roundups, as human management, because they damage the environment, which is ironic since this argument is coming from humans. It is just sad. დ
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I agree, Cindy, it’s very sad. Some of the horses are captured and sold at auction, but if there are too many and no buyers are found, they are turned into horse meat.
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Yes. This is the truth. And it not defensible.
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I wrote about wild horses (mustangs) in Nov 2013. The post may be found here:
The purpose of removing wild horses from the open range has never been fully explained, largely because the federal government is involved. And, when they are involved, they are not terribly forthcoming. The Bush 43 administration tried to resolve the range issues but there was a reluctance by those special interests regarding public land.
The special interests are often competing interests, from ranching to utilities to anti-government types. In Nevada, for example to graze one beef cow, it requires 200 acres because of the scarcity of proper range grasses. They compete directly with the mustang herds. However, the mustangs will move on. Cattle don’t; they need to be herded to the next location. Also, the utility companies in Nevada want the land to expand their solar panel farms. We already know the entire state of Nevada can be paneled but still not have enough electric power to light the Strip (LV). Not only is it true in Nevada, but much of everywhere else. Solar is far from being renewable, but that’s a separate issue.
The Obama administration was kind of disinterested in resolving the range issues contrary to their public rhetoric. They more than doubled the number of wild horses in federal custody without increasing the funding for proper feed and water. The Trump administration, well, they didn’t give a fuck. In a matter of fact, they tried to reduce/eliminate the funding from the federal budget without success. The Biden administration, there hasn’t been a policy change from the Trump administration. The BLM administration of wild horses in federal custody remains at the FY 2009 budget level submitted by Bush 43.
It’s pathetic, but this is total truth. Say what you want to say about GWB, but he was the only one interested. They resolved the water issues with regard to the Colorado River compact, but when the Obama administration decided to void the federal consent decree, now you have water issues arising from the prolonged drought.
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There are reasons why we understand each other David, and this is yet another. Our country’s treatment of wild horse and burros is nothing short of shameful. Australians have told me they have upwards of 400,000 wild horses. The US has approx. 46,000, and yet we bait them, and feed them to coyotes, we round them up by helicopter, terrorize them, experiment with birth control. Our wild horse and burro “management” policies switch and swing like our elections. No rhyme or reason. In Death Valley, experts say the burros are hurting the desert, in Mono Lake they say horses are hurting the geology. Really? Human beings blaming animals we introduced for destroying the planet? That is of course so ironic, on so many levels, and so sad. Seeing these creatures who escaped us thrive under such hostile conditions is a testament to the beauty and power of nature, which we just seem bent on destroying.
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Oops, I can’t reply to your message. It’s says ‘unexpected error… Anyway, happy hump day! ♡(.◜ω◝.)♡
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Happy everything to you! დდ
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They look so happy living in the wild and great posers.
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They are natural, true beauties დ
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Oh, lucky you! Gorgeous photos!
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Thank you Melanie. They are majestic creatures დ
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Wow! These are such beautiful horses! Love the scenery as well. Are those rock formations in the lake?
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The lake is saltier than the ocean, and these formations are formed when fresh water combines with calcium in the water. I am doing my next post on the lake and the formations so stay tuned დ
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The wild mustangs are looking regal in their own kingdom. Splendid shots!!
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Thank you very much. They are goreous creatures დ
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You are welcome, Cindy!
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I thought these animals disappeared. Long time did not hear about them. What is on background of the pictures with the horses. It looks like small icebergs, but I doubt they exist in that place.
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I am going to post on those formations and the lake next, so stay tuned. The lake is salty than the ocean and the these towers are formed when fresh water combines with calcium. დ
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I’m a horse-lover and rider, so I sure loved these pictures! It’s interesting that this herd is the only naturally managed herd in the U.S. I’m familiar with the BLM and its wild horse and donkey programs and used to drive by a big herd now living on a large ranch in southern Oklahoma. Thanks for the link to more info.
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You’re most welcome Kathy! I ❤ my friends who ❤ horses დ
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Great photos ❤️
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Much appreciated! Thank you დ
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You are always welcome ❤️
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They are beautiful and look so sturdy. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you more for appreciating the mustangs დ
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Here you are, Cuz, out horsin’ around in the desert !!! As a confirmed conservationist, I am apalled by our “government’s” policies. Loved the pics of the ponies. )o(
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It is so good to hear from you cuz! How are you? I completely agree with you about our government. These mustangs deserve much better. I hope all is well with you cuz. I miss chatting with you!! Take good care დ
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They are beautiful! I can’t believe they let you get so close. Looks likes some even posed for the picture.
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Yes! They were curious, not scared. I could have probably gotten closer, but I didn’t push it. They are wild დ
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Such beautiful animals. This herd remind me of the film, The Misfits – which is a tough watch if you’re a real animal lover (or even if you’re not).
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My blogging friend Resa said the exact same thing! Bloggers rock. I am not watching it. I can’t stand seeing animals hurt დ
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Hallo Cindy, es gibt 2 fantastische Bücher von Stefan Schomann über Pferde. “Auf der Suche nach den wilden Pferden” beschreibt die letzten lebenden ‘Urwildpferde’, die Przewalski-Pferde. “Das Glück auf Erden: Reisen zu Pferd” beschreibt Anekdoten aus der ganzen Welt. Wirklich absolut lesenswert (und ich bin kein Pferdenarr). And, as per usual, beautiful photos!
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Ich kenne die Prezawalki-Pferde! Sie sind großartig. Vielen Dank für die Empfehlung der beiden Bücher. Das ist die Art von Sachbüchern, die ich gerne lese. Ich werde sie untersuchen. So glücklich, dass Sie die wilden mögen und vielen Dank, mein Freund https://wordpress.com/comments/all/cindyknoke.com?page=2#:~:text=cheers%20to%20you-,%E1%83%93,-Approved
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Wow, a big herd, and you got some outstanding shots of them!
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Thank you! Happy you enjoyed them & cheers John დ
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Cindy, thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photographs!
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Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Please enjoy seeing these beautiful photographs from Cindy Knoke!
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Thank you Charles on behalf of the wild ones and myself. We so friends like appreciate you! Take good care დდ
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Even without your zoom lens, these are fabulous photos of these wild mustangs. I wish I had seen them when I drove by Mono Lake. Next time…
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Much appreciated. Thank you very much! I suggest a winter visit. There is no one there, so the horses are not hiding დ
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I have always wanted to visit one of the many ranges that home wild mustangs and horses as there is a wonderful free and wild beauty to them! I am glad to have visited in your photos. 🙂
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I am happy you care about wild horses Jaya დ
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Wow. Beautiful. They appear to be eating decently and healthy. I’ve read that some wild horse herds are not so. Stay wild!
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Yes. I have read this too, like the horses on Cumberland Island. Sad დ
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Wow. They look healthy. Do they exist on just grazing? If some agency is counting them, are they also looking out for them in some ways?
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No one looks out for them. They do try to count them. They graze in a totally wild place. They survive on their own. The are only herd in the US that is not human “population managed,” meaning helicopter herded, baited, and often killed, to control populations. The US wild horse population stands at around 44,000. Australia’s is around 400,000. Go figure დ
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But I have to admit our Australian herds make a bit of a mess in the National Parks which affect the other animals. They do need to ‘thin them out’ but it has been argued backward and forward for so long and the herds have become so big that whatever they do it is going to have to be a ‘big’ hit to make it workable or it will just get worse. Maybe they need what we just got…isn’t our vaccine to sterilize us all and thin us out a bit? 😂 🤣 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋
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Smiling……. Solve one problem, create ten more!! Governments excel at this დ
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Bloody perfectionists…at nothing. No, wait, they do one thing very well, lining their pockets 😂 🤣
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Yes. They do. And it is getting truly tiresome……
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The images of the lake are absolutely breath taking and the horses must have been magnificent to experience.
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Beautiful!
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Grazie mille დ
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Free and happy. Merci beaucoup pour le partage… 😉
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Merci beaucoup mon Ami დ
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🙏🏻
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