Internet Adopton Burro #5895 Challenge Painting #445

Burro #5895
Watercolor Study Miniature
3.5 by 2.5 inches
by Linda L Martin Artist
Painting SOLD

The BLM East Coast Internet adoption is currently ongoing and will end on September 11th, 2013. This miniature painting is of one of the  Burros currently available to be bid upon by approved adopters. Remember adopting a wild horse or burro helps to keep them out of  Long Term Holding.

If you would like to give a good home to one of theses deserving animals, please take a look at the available horses and burros:
Access the Internet Adoption page here: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/

Learn how to use the Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption sight here: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/howtoadopt.php

To have your adopted Mustang or Burro painted please contact me at info@llmartin.com  And be sure to write Paint My Wild Horse in the subject line.

~Remember if you  see a horse or burro on the Internet adoption and  it doesn't find a home, be sure to get its tag number in case you have an opportunity to adopt later. The BLM can find the horse or burro via the tag number. ~

Internet Adopton Burro #5362 Challenge Painting #444

Burro #5362
Watercolor Study Miniature
3.5 by 2.5 inches
by Linda L Martin Artist
Painting SOLD

The BLM East Coast Internet adoption is currently ongoing and will end on September 11th. This miniature painting is of one of the  Burros currently available to be bid upon by approved adopters. Remember adopting a wild horse or burro helps to keep them out of  Long Term Holding. If you would like to give a good home to one of theses deserving animals, please take a look at the available horses and burros:
Access the Internet Adoption page here: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/

Learn how to use the Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption sight here: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/howtoadopt.php

To have your adopted Mustang or Burro painted please contact me at info@llmartin.com  And be sure to write Paint My Wild Horse in the subject line.

Internet Adopton Burro #5906 Challenge Painting #443

Burro #5906
Watercolor Study Miniature
3.5 by 2.5 inches
by Linda L Martin Artist
Painting SOLD

The BLM East Coast Internet adoption is currently ongoing and will end on September 11th. This miniature painting is of one of the  Burros currently available to be bid upon by approved adopters. Remember adopting a wild horse or burro helps to keep them out of  Long Term Holding. If you would like to give a good home to one of theses deserving animals, please take a look at the available horses and burros:
Access the Internet Adoption page here: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/

Learn how to use the Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption sight here: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/howtoadopt.php

To have your adopted Mustang or Burro painted please contact me at info@llmartin.com  And be sure to write Paint My Wild Horse in the subject line.

Challenge Painting #370 Mare and Foal Owyhee HMA, Nevada

"Flurries"
Owhyee Mare and Foal
8.5 by 11 inches Graphite on #110 paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$150.00 Original
$35 Prints
To order prints e-mail info@llmartin.com

Sagewood 2012 Foal Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Painting # 349

The Legacy of  Davy Greasewood.

"Sagewood"
The Legacy of Davy Greasewood
4 by 6 inches Watercolor
by LindaLMartinArtist
$35.00

Most people will remember that early in 2012 Band Stallion Davy Greasewood was humanely euthanized on the range when he sustained a life threatening injury. It was later discovered that Davy G had a 16 inch piece of barbed wire wrapped around his leg.

Davy was a very  popular stallion with his band of two mares, Yarrow and her daughter, White Sage. Just a few weeks before  his death , I was told that the domestic mare, Demi, joined the band also. Very shortly after Davy's death  a sorrel stallion named by the horse watchers as Haze took over the mares and has had them to my knowledge until this writing.

Davy's death brought to light some of the real man made dangers to wild horses. Wire and other trash left behind on the range can cause untold peril for wild horses and other animals that frequent the range. The problem of the discarded wire had inspired many volunteers to help clean up the range twice so far in 2012.

While many of us are still missing Davy Greasewood, we are also delighted  to find that  over the summer White Sage delivered a dark chestnut foal. This filly was named, appropriately, Sagewood.  Now the fact is that actual patronage of a stallion to a specific foal in the wild is a bit arbitrary and can usually only be confirmed by DNA testing,  I think it appropriate to assign Davy G with father hood of this little filly. She has a look about her that reminds of him even though she is not his color or markings.

In truth she will know Haze as her father and Band Stallion until such a time that she leaves the band or is stolen by another stallion.

To see more of the amazing wild mustang horses of Sand Wash Basin HMA  go to facebook and like the Sand Wash Wild Horses Club Page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sand-Wash-Basin-Wild-Horses/101181969939406

Alder Hill Farm’s Branson Rescue: Part 3 “The Redemption”: Painting #94

"Spirit"

So far the two trips to remove the three horses near Branson, Missouri had been filled with twists and turns and a great amount of frustration. Three wily horses, tame enough to receive affection and food, but smart enough to evade the best professional attempts at capture them, were beginning to tax the resources of The Alder Hill Farm Team. 

"Spirit"
9 by6 Watercolor
By LindaLMartinArtist



The Alder Hill Team had followed the three horses to a property  in various stages of neglect but in which the owners of the three horses were discovered. They lived in the house trailer on the property.

The revelation that the owners were still active in the lives of the horses put everything into a different perspective. Upon meeting the owners and surveying the situation it was decided that instead of a long drawn out court battle to seize the animals; it would be better for Alder Hill Farm to simply purchase the Animals. This would take the horses out of their immediate situation and prevent a lengthy and expensive legal battle. The owner was agreeable and said she would take $100 a piece for the three of them.

It is not the policy of Alder Hill Rescue to purchase horses. However,  in this case the condition and safety of the horses made it imperative that the animals be removed quickly and with as less additional financial impact as possible before the horses or a person was injured.

During the course of the visit Scott’s suspicion that the horses were mustangs was confirmed. The owner’s had adopted a mare and stallion from the BLM many years ago. The two original mustangs had passed away but these three were full brothers and sister from those two adopted Mustangs.  The oldest  stallion was 10 years old and named Prancer. The most dominant stallion was 8 years old, named Spirit. The filly was a 3 year old and named Honey.

Now the race was on, not only to raise the funds to remove the horses from their dangerous situation but also to prevent the filly from being bred by one of her brothers.

Alder Hill Farm Rescue with its policy of transparency kept a running documentation going on their Facebook page and on the pages of the Rescue team members. Nearly the total amount of money to purchase the mustangs and make additional return trips to capture them was raised by the time the team when back to capture the first two.

Keep in mind that the three had never been handled. They didn’t have even the most basic of training. In fact they had been treated as pet dogs not as horses from the time they were born. There was no documentation of vet care and their pasture with its long neglected fences was filled with old appliances, farm equipment and what the Alder Hill team described as simply trash.

The impression is, that the dominant stallion, left to his own devices and filled with generations of intelligent independent mustangs in his heritage, pretty much took things into his own charge and took care of his family in the best horse fashion he could.

On appointed day the Alder Hill Farm Rescue Crew brought their capture set up to capture and remove the first two horses.Once Alder Hill paid them $300.00 for the horses the owners waved all rights of ownership.   and very shortly had the two submissive horses haltered and an hour later loaded the first into the horse trailer. This being their first horse trailer ride, it was amazingly uneventful and the two horses did very well. Plus Alder Hill already had a request for adoption for the submissive stallion, Prancer.

Tonight's painting is of "Spirit" the Dominant Stallion.

The removal of the two submissive horses left the dominant stallion, Spirit, alone on the farm.  Without his herd, he was considerably less excitable than on the previous trips. On the day the Alder Hill team went back to get Spirit, the owner put horse treats on the top step of the house trailer and he stood there calmly munching on them ,while one of the volunteers slipped the halter on Spirit. With the help of the owner Spirit was caught in good order, loaded into the trailer and transferred to Alder Hill Farm. Over all the Alder Hill Rescue team made 4 trips to the Branson Location.

Update. Both Spirit and Prancer have now been gelded. Applications are being accepted now for Spirit’s adoption. Potential owners will be carefully screened.  Prancer’s adoption is in the process. Honey will spend another year at the farm growing up and being a horse, then after training she will be offered for adoption as well.

Alder Hill Farm Rescue is a 501c3 Non Profit in the state of Missouri that rescues horses of every breed and every color. To see how you can adopt an Alder Hill horse or donate to the ongoing work or sanctuary of the Alder Hill Mustangs please go to www.AlderHillFarm.org

" First Touch" Fort Collins Mustang Makeover ~ Challenge Painting #77

"First Touch"
8 by 10 inch Watercolor
by LindaLMartin Artist

“First Touch”

Painting number 2 following the Fort Collins Mustang Makeover with Madeleine LeClerc and Robert Carlson.

The first step in gaining the trust of a mustang is being able to have them accept your touch. Everything else is on hold until you get to that point.  Getting there is step by step almost a dance of acceptance.  Entering the space, the small world step by step until your hand is gently on the horse’s shoulder and he doesn’t flinch, he doesn’t move away.. There is an intimacy there that the horse connects with the handler. With a mustang it cannot be forced it must come by degrees so that the horse is not only willing to receive but he wants it and comes willingly.

Madeleine LeClerc using the whip
to make first touch.
Its not to threaten or beat the horse,
 but just used as an extension of the hand.

The first time I ever saw a horse worked with in this way I discovered that the whip as a tool was really an extension of the hand. The lunge whip, that whip with the long leather on the end, folded around the whip and touching the horse, making space between the handler and the mustang but touching. When touched first with the whip.. soon he will except the hand.  The key is touch

To follow the ongoing details of Madeleine and Robert you can like their Mustang Makeover page at this link on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/2011-CO-Mustang-Makeover-with-RM-Performance/119433394800806


Robert Carlson Making first touch with his hand.
Photo illustrations and reference by Lightning Bug Creek.
Used by permission.



Steens HMA Week "Jingles and Juniper" Challenge Painting #67

"Jingles and Juniper"
5 by 7 inche Watercolor
by Linda L MartinArtist
SOLD

The Story of Juniper and Jingles as told by Tracy Westbury:

"The story of Juniper (colt) and Jingles  (mare) has captured a lot of hearts.  These photos were taken in late Oct, 2010.  Wildlife Photographer, Barbara Wheeler spotted Jingles and her newborn in mid-Sept.  When we reported that we'd spotted a mare who was extremely down in weight, we had a lot of people telling us that was normal for a mare who'd just foaled.  But upon seeing the photos, people were surprised at just how down in weight she was.  Coming into winter, when the snow could be several feet deep, we questioned whether she and her colt would survive.

When this photo was taken at the end of Autumn
you can see the dip in the mare, Jingle's,
 backbone,that is caused by loss of condition.
In an older mare such as Jingles, this is probably
 because she is feeding all the nutrients
she consumes to her foal instead of  building up
 her own stores for winter. Had the winter been
worse the mare would have probably perished and
her foal would have been nurtured by an aunt
with in the herd.

The two have been spotted a couple more times this winter.  Juniper is now 5 months and a very healthy colt.  Jingles, who at the time of these photos appeared to be a lead mare, now staggers along a good hundred to two hundred feet behind her band.  Her stallion appears annoyed with her, willing to leave her behind, not giving her a second glance.  When at the watering hole or a mineral deposit, Jingles stays a good distance away, waiting for everyone else to finish before cautiously moving in.

The winter has been kind to her...no snow on the mountain!  This has enabled her to continue to get enough nutrition to feed her colt.  If she were to die tomorrow, Juniper would be strong enough to survive.  But there is no doubt that Jingles won't be with us much longer. "

Editor's Note: This story was written in February and as of Tuesday March16 both Juniper and Jingles have been photographed. Juniper is in fine condition and has lost all of her baby fluff and has turned into a beautiful rich chocolate silver that just glistens in the sunshine. Jingles did indeed make it through the winter. The resilience of Mustang mares is remarkable. She is now beginning to put on weight. According to one horse watcher they are hopeful that after 15 years of having foals she will be barren this year and in coming years, which will allow her a chance to live out her life  healthy. If you would like to follow more of the Steens horses please log into Facebook and go to the "Sister's of the Steens" page. There are photos, discussions, and a number of people who can tell you how to visit these horses safely.

A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this painting will benefit Mustang U.

Silvers and Golds of the Sand Wash Basin " Band Stallion Tuscarora's Little Girl"Challenge Painting #63

Another Gray Stallion Tuscarora, seemed to have produced a beautiful late filly by the Black Mare Gia. She appeared in the spring of 2010. She probably was born in the late autumn of 2009. The first thing everyone noticed that saw her was that she was healthy and that she was missing the tip of her left ear.

Frost bite is an occasional occurrence in the SandWash Basin and several mares and the occasional foal can be found with part of a missing ear. One or two of the stallions have partial ears missing. While it might be attributed to bites during fighting. More likely that it was due to the harsh weather.

Gia with her Palamino filly

Tuscarora had two mares one was black , Gia, and the other rose gray. The rose gray was seen to have a  chestnut filly  who was a yearling in 2010. It is possible that Tuscarora is aother of the slow to gray stallions.  One of the important things to understand about color inheritance and wild horses is that in the spring as the mares drop their foals( give birth) and come into their first heat the stallions begin sparing for mares. There is a lot of mare swapping that goes on as a stallion might steal a mare who has already been bred. So its possible that with Gia's foal that he isn't the father.

The interesting thing about the Sand Wash Basin is at this time there is no Palomino stallion with a band or of breeding age as of the fall of 2010. The only stallion of color is Corona the Dunalino Stallion. So where is the growing number of Palomino babies coming from?  Well its possible that Tuscaro and Centauro carry the recessive gene for cream gene for Palomino.

Here is the color site recommended by our guest blogger Debra More McGuire : http://www.equine-color.info/content/dilutions

Quote from the page on dilutions of color:

" Palomino: A red horse (chestnut or sorrel) who is diluted to a golden shade over their entire body. They can be as dark as a true chestnut or appear almost white. They usually have a white, cream or silver mane and tail. Self colored manes and tails occur, but this is rare. Their eyes and skin are usually dark, but some palominos never attain full pigmentation. They may be born with blue eyes that never fully darken, and pinkish skin which develops mottling or freckles. They are very easily confused with the Gold Champagne phenotype, and also occasionally with flaxen chestnuts."



Gia on Left, Tuscarora center and
their palamino filly right.



One of the reasons I think that Tuscarora may possibly be the father of Gia's palomino foal has to do with her white markings. If  Tuscarora was a Chestnut with a gray gene and that gray only affected his base color and not his white markings then he could still father a  palomino if he has the recessive dilute trait. He has 4 shocks which you can see fairly clearly still in his photograph. If Tuscarora also had a dilute gene for palomino and a cream gene that would  have produced a palomino when bred to a mare with the same gene hidden away inside. You notice that  the filly has a wide blaze.. her mother also has a star stripe and a large snip but her  white markings are limited to her face unlike Tuscarora.

If I remember my history correctly,  It was often that sometimes a black foal would be produced from a palomino mare and a palomino stallion when the stallion didn't breed true. That black foal would when bred still produce palomino foals when bred to a palomino but with a one in 4 chance of producing a black or off color foal.

At one time, years ago the white markings of this foal by Tuscarora and Gia would have been  highly favored with her 4 socks and wide blaze. With so much flash she is a real beauty. However only time will tell if  Tuscarora's gray gene will show up in her. Should this little girl be rounded up a genetic test will be done that will confirm  her sire.

Kiowa Bachelor Stallion Sand Wash Basin HMA Colorado MADC Painting# 17



Kiowa Bachelor Stallion

 Sand Wash Basin HMA

Oil on gessoed Matte board
$75.00

By LindaLMartin



Kiowa is a band leader at Sand Wash Basin. This does not mean that Kiowa is a band stallion. His band is  one of bachelors consisting of  4 other stallions in ages ranging from yearlings to adult stallions. However being a band leader doesn’t mean he is the top horse. That honor belongs to the head stallion in the band. Usually an older stallion who has never had a herd or who has lost a herd to other stallions.

In a normal healthy herd of wild mustangs the family band would consist of  mares and their female offspring ranging in age from 3years to new born and their male offspring usually ranging from 18 months to newborn. Generally the males are kicked out of the herd and join other bachelors that band together in a bachelor band. During this time of weaning the young males learn to fight by playing with each other, grow in strength and basically learn to become self-sufficient and also work together as a herd.



Photo Reference by Sally Wright



In a band the pecking order or hierarchy is usually determined by experience, age, temperament and the ability to convince all of the band members that you are to be reckoned with on each and every decision; from eating, to drinking, to where to sleep and all other important variables. The job of lead horse in a band usually goes to the dominant mare in a family. And this lead horse generally decides who stays and who goes, as well as other decisions. She may even decide when its time to move to better grazing. A Stallion with a very good and loyal lead mare will actually be able to go out and fine more mares because no matter who tries to steal his band, his lead mare will always lead the band back to the stallion.



This is surprising team work you can see illustrated in the Ginger Katherine’s series about Cloud seen on PBS.

While horse behavior is often very predictable, there is no such thing as a standard precedence in how relationships will play out. The only constant is that individuals in the herd survive and thrive no matter what because of the independent thinking and ability to adapt to their circumstances in the wild.  Imagine the surprise of the horse watchers at Sand Wash Basin HMA when they discovered Sparrow, the little yearling mare, had been adopted into this band of bachelor Stallions.

Sparrow, as you will remember from previous posts, is the little underdeveloped mare that everyone is concerned may not make it through the winter. Sometimes harsh are the elements that wild Mustangs thrive and face.  Yet in October of 2010 there she was in a video taken by Mustang Watcher Nancy Roberts.  Kiowa leads the heard into view followed by  Moon ,   Willie, Nick and then Sparrow being protected by the current dominant stallion of the band, Roper.

In a normal horse family band the stallion will take up the rear to protect the weakest in the group and make sure they don’t stray while the lead mare leads the family boldly forward. In this great video by Nancy you will see this protection behavior.

Again Kiowa is a major part of this ongoing drama of little Sparrow.

Notice how the two horses with the strongest personalities protect the herd and stand between the photographer ( possible danger) and the weakest member of their band. Had Kiowa been a mare then his foals would have been following right with him: a yearling, weanling and new born.
Special Thanks to Sally Wright for the Reference Photo and to Nancy Roberts for the Video Clip. You can read more about the Sand Wash Basin Wild Horses on  Nancy's Blog: http://sandwashwildhorses.blogspot.com/

Alder Hill Farm's Rosie Mustang A Day Challenge #13

note: Alder Hill Farm is no longer an active rescue. A portion of the sale of remaining paintings and prints of AFH will be used continue the MADC wild horse project.

"Rosie"
Alder Hill Farm Rescue Mustang
5 by 7 inches
Acrylic on Gessoed Matte Board
by Linda L Martin

"Rose"
Refrence photography used by permission
Alder Hill Farm Rescue

About the Christmas Fund Raising paintings:

Each of these original paintings is of a unique Mustang that has been rescued at some time after its gather from the range at a Herd Management area in the west. All of these Alder Hill horses had been through the adoption process but then circumstances changed and they were either abandoned, sent to horse sales or  other wise surrendered to trainer Scott Litherland or Alder Hill Rescue.

Each of these original paintings is 5 by 7 inches in size and painted in acrylic on gessoed matte board, then signed by the artist.

100% of the proceeds( after expenses) of these 7 paintings leading up to Christmas break will be donated to Alder Hill for the care and feeding of the  Horses.

The paintings will be offered on Etsy Starting on Monday December 20th as they are painted.  They will be offered for $45 dollars each plus Shipping and handling. $10 will go to the Mustang A Day Challenge Project for fees and materials  used in the project and the remaining $35 will go directly to Alder Hill Farm once the once payment has cleared.

Lightning of Sand Wash Basin HMA Mustang A Day Challenge Painting #6

Update 1/13/2015:
News from Sand Wash Basin HMA in Colorado - It was reported today that  a  BLM  representative found  that former band stallion Lightning had passed away on the range. According to The Sand Wash Basin Advocate Team it was believed that Lightning was at or near 30 years old. In the remaining year of his life was photographed  many times by advocates, with Picasso. Even in his remaining months, Lightning remained, as always, a beautiful spirited and free wild horse.

 ~*~*~*~



Lightning
8 by 10
acrylic on canvas board
$265.00
by Linda L Martin (c) 2010
Reference Photography via Nancy Roberts

Lightning is a very flashy black paint horse with  what appears to be a large white dagger on his face in the form of a blaze then a lighting mark on his left side neck and stomach. He has other white markings too. Lighting is a perfect example of the ever changing circumstances of the band Stallions. Last year, according to heard watchers at Sand Wash Basin HMA , he had a small band of mares and foals, however by this summer one by one each mare had been stolen by other stallions until he found himself alone and fighting  stallion after stallion to try to get his mares back, or even trying to gain a mare.



Lighting
detail of Photo by
Nancy Roberts

There are a lot of reasons that a stallion running wild might loose his mares. Sometimes it has to do with age and weakening strength. Other times it has to do with the fact that during breeding season, because there are so many bachelor stallions running together trying to establish their own harem's that a band stallion might be simply overwhelmed with the constant challenges and diversions.

I'm not sure of Lightning's age or how long he was a band stallion but it was surely long enough to have sired foals as several in his small band had not his color but similar markings of white.

By late summer, from document photography I viewed on Face Book, Lightning had worried himself and been fighting so hard for his mares that his condition was not very good going into the Winter. He was thin, an unusual occurrence among the documented horses on that particular HMA.  Finally, right after Thanksgiving this fall, he was spotted with a herd of bachelor stallions. He looked fit, had gained weight and he was sparing playfully with the others. Not only that but he was sporting a nice thick winter coat.

You will notice in the painting I've done for the challenge that Lightning has a lot of battle scars. This is not unusual for wild stallions.

A special thanks to Nancy Roberts for the photography and the link to the video of Lighting of Sand Wash Basin

 Just a side note on the video: This was taken when Lightning still had his band.

The two horses he is confronting are young bachelor stallions who are challenging him but are not up to a fight.

Only 2 Days before the Mustang A Day Challenge Begins!!

Only 2 more Days before the Mustang A Day Personal Challenge Begins.

Prep Night for the Mustang A Day Personal Challenge
Every table top and counter space filled with drying
painting surfaces. My kitchen table held 11 of the 25
newly gessoed plannels and canvas boards.

I’m so excited!!

Tonight was prep-night. I prepped 25 surfaces for the MADC  December  Challenge Paintings.  Paintings Sizes will range in size  from 5” by 7” to  11 by 14 inches. Prices starting at $65 for those being sold from etsy. The 5 best paintings in the series from each month will be held as part of the traveling exhibition.  The first of the exhibition work will be ready to book in February.

Also selected paintings will be added to the zazzle store to be available for purchase as canvas prints, t-shirts, mugs. The sale of these items will help cover the expenses and a portion of the sales over the expenses of the project will go to mustangs in crisis/rescue groups  or watch/care groups  that document the Wild Horses. You can visit the zazzle store here: http://www.zazzle.com/LindaLMartinArtist*

If you have a horse you would like to see painted,  please email me or message me through Facebook . Any and all wild horses in the USA are eligible as subject matter for the project. I will also take commissions on the Mustang of your choice. All funds generated will go to funding the project.

 In the next two days I will finish updating the website.

Corporate Sponsor,  Event Hosting and  Press kit packets  will be ready to go by the 17^th.

Once all the basics are together I will be building an email base. It will update everyone interested on a monthly bases.  I would love to give you a preview to events, new products and background on selected Mustangs. Other work I am involved in will also be in these emails.

I cant wait to get started! We already have 2 galleries interested in Art from the Challenge. It’s going to be Awesome!!
And there will be some surprise announcements along the way.

Email me for specific info about the challenge or to become a sponsor, or to be on the news letter email list.

Happy Trails,
~Linda