FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES NOVEMBER 2012 51
The Three Amigos: Joe Tosh, Patrick Brennan and John
Wagner.
Photo by Charles Pritchard
“Patrick wanted to do a book on the mustangs and asked us if
that was a good idea and I thought it was,” recalled John. “There’s
a difference between my book on the mustangs and this one,
Three Amigos and the Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin. We knew
we wanted people to learn more about the mustangs and in this
book Patrick is showing both sides. I used to work on a ranch.
You really can’t let them keep breeding; but you also can’t take
them all. Right now the mustangs are really healthy looking. There
just isn’t a lot of grazing this year because of the drought. If we
get snow, they’re going to be in trouble. Some of the herds are
already starting on their winter feed areas.”
This year’s crop of foals will number about 55, all told. The three
amigos identify each one in terms of sire and dam, name them
and, of course, take many photos. They have met with people in
the Bureau of Land Management, rangers and other concerned
horse lovers, including those who have adopted mustangs after
herd reductions.
“It’s been fve years and the BLM are about a year behind
schedule to reduce this herd,” said Patrick. “We wanted to
memorialize these mustangs. The book will be out on November
15, if all goes well, and I’ve been marketing it intensely. It will help
to educate people about the wild horses. The book has some great
adoption stories and we hope that it will lead to more adoptions.”
Pro-Mustang
The three amigos are seriously involved. They know the wild
horses – their names, personalities and habits. “I’m pro-Mustang,”
said Patrick. “I see both sides and I understand the need for
reducing the numbers of wild horses. It would be great if they
could just live wild and free; but they keep reproducing. Efforts
at birth control haven’t worked very well and the BLM are looking
into other methods. Meanwhile, the BLM manage all of our public
lands and they have to balance the needs of all the wild life – elk,
a ton of antelope, the wild horses. I see the value of that and how
resources go a lot farther if you manage them in an intelligent way.
We have met some of the rangers at Sand Wash Basin. They do
a great job.”
So do the three amigos. Their book comprises more than
gorgeous pictures of the stallions, mares, foals and bachelor
stallions: the documentation alone may someday be priceless.
The photos are all captioned, offering insights into the various
herds, their behavior and daily life amidst the fauna and fora of
northwest Colorado near the Utah border.
Photos of Picasso, aka the Dean of Sand Wash Basin, tell
stories about the life of a stallion: old scars, relatively new wounds
and the ongoing fght for survival. The pinto mustang has only two
mares at this stage in his life; but he hasn’t given up yet.
“Last year, I saw Picasso every time I went out, but only a few
times this year,” admitted Patrick. “There are 162,000 acres for
this horse management area – that’s small by BLM standards. On
one of my frst trips out to Sand Wash Basin, there were seven
different family bands – about 60 horses grazing. John sat down
cross-legged and said, “be quiet, be patient. I just sit here. They
return to grazing when they know you’re not a threat.” It was
unbelievable. I go back as often as I can.”
Fast Friends, Literally
The wild horses helped to forge a great friendship, another
blessing noted by Patrick. Their collaboration on Three Amigos
and the Mustangs of Sand Wash Basin has provided him with an
incentive to wake up each morning and work on the book. Getting
out to Sand Wash Basin adds even more icing to his cake.
“John, Joe and I have become the best of friends – the three
of us have put together the best of our best photos from the last
three years,” said enthused Patrick. “I’m so excited about it and I
was there for a lot of the photographs. You get to know the horses
and see their offspring growing up. It’s been such a joy for me.”
Easy to see why they call themselves three amigos: they are in
total accord about the wild horses of Sand Wash Basin.
“Patrick really enjoys these trips. He goes at least once a
month
,
” said Joe, whose wife Wanda is equally crazy about the
wild horses and taking photos. “John and I go at least once a
week. The mustangs have been good for all of us.”
For information about the Sand Wash Basin Mustangs:
www.moffatcountytourism.com
Picasso, Dean of Sand Wash Basin
Photo by Patrick Brennan