Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) – The Wild Horses

Viewing and photographing the wild horses was the primary goal of the trip in early October 2018. We had the good fortune of a prior consultation with Deb Lee Carson before our trip. Deb has spent a lot of time with the Wild Horses of TRNP. Having never been to TRNP, her insights were very helpful and greatly appreciated.

“It is difficult to explain one’s love for horses, it cannot be explained, it is simply felt.” ~ Deb Lee Carson

The Wild Horses of TRNP are majestic animals to say the least. Their unbridled beauty roaming free was amazing to witness in person and photograph. Three days total time in the park didn’t seem near long enough. I was grateful for the exposure and the time I had with the horses.

[Read about the background and history of horses at TRNP]

The 46000 acre South Unit of TRNP is an incredible backdrop for these beautiful creatures. All that space does make for a lot of places to roam out of sight. Tuesday afternoon when we arrived we did not see a single horse. The next morning we had a dusting of snow and it was cold and windy. We managed to find a few horses.

Our luck turned around on Thursday. After photographing sunrise from Badlands Overlook we continued on the loop counter-clockwise and found Grey Ghost grazing by himself.

Grey Ghost

We encountered Flax and his band a few different times on Thursday. He is a handsome stallion. Dolly and Kat are two of his mares.

Flax

Dolly

Kat

We saw quite a few more on Thursday just after sunrise. Lots of horses snoozing in the warm early morning sunlight.

Bad weather in Wyoming brought Deb Lee Carson to Medora late Thursday evening. She accompanied us in the morning to photograph. A sunrise opportunity didn’t really present itself, but the light was pretty amazing that Friday morning regardless. The clear skies and the bright sunlight back-lit the horses and illuminated their surroundings. What a great end to a terrific photo trip to TRNP. We saw a nice large group of horses that morning and spend a good amount of time photographing and observing them.