Featured Image for September 2026

"Skirmish"
The sun was setting and the light on the hills to the east was that gorgeous pink.  I stood watching the herd for anything interesting to put in front of that backdrop in a photograph when these two stallions decided to put on a show.

Another moment on the range with the North Onaqui herd.
The thrill of being with a herd of wild horses is that there's never a dull moment -- and things happen fast.  One moment everyone is leisurely grazing, and then in the next moment, a stallion comes flying in, leaving a trail of dust, and approaches another stallion.  It starts with nose to nose (collecting scents) and stomping their front hoof on the ground (display of assertiveness); meanwhile the nearby horses saunter out of the way, in almost a "ho-hum, there go the boys again" fashion.  If you look closely, you can see the mares rolling their eyes (joking).  These two escalated their skirmish to standing on hind legs (rearing) in that sort of boxing stance, and lunging at one another with their mouths ready to bite (as shown in this featured photo). It looks dramatic, but doesn't usually go on too long.  Then they part ways and shake it off, and everyone goes back to grazing.

This image was taken in the Utah desert, southwest of Salt Lake City, at 7:07 p.m. on April 17th, 2026.

Find all my favorite images in the Fine Art Gallery.