The first flare-up was a little too close for the camera, but the second opportunity just a minute later would play out far enough away for a much better sequence of shots. All at the same time, I was trying to get in position for a better look at a gorgeous little foal that was also with the group. On this day, I'd get to have my cake and eat it, too!
I often debate which lens I should use for almost any (potential) encounter. It's impossible to know what I might encounter or how far away that subject might be. Even at close range and with big subjects like horses, my main lens is a big 500mm. With the little foal in mind as my main objective, the big lens was again the choice even if a wide angle might be better at certain times.
I spotted the group and rather than approach them directly, I walked out into the sagebrush away from them to a spot where I thought they might pass later. With a little foal, I've found that this is a better approach for potential close ups.
Most of the horses didn't seem to notice or really care that I was walking out a different direction. They continued to drift my way, exactly as I had hoped.
One of the males seemed a bit nervous about me and it almost appeared that he was trying to get the attention of the other horses. At that same time, the dominant male rushed over to him as if in protest of the subordinate trying to lead the group. Unfortunately, they were so close to me that I couldn't get the two of them fully in frame. They didn't end up going into full battle, and instead the dominant male ran towards a white mustang a bit further away.
At this same time, the main group with the foal was drifting closer and closer to me -- not quite realizing that I was even there.
The dominant (light brown) male and the white mustang were poised for battle. Should I stay focused on the foal that was approaching, or should I try to capture the males while they duke it out? I pointed the lens at the mustangs.
It was clear that the white horse was outmatched, but - judging by the blood and scars on him - for some reason he continued to challenge the leader. Even though the dominant male has a serious knee injury, it didn't hold him back.
The battle was brief, and the winner was clear. It was amazing to watch the stronger male's facial features and how he used his hooves during the fight. If you look closely, his front right knee has a very large abscess. In other photos, it's clear there's a serious injury but I would never have noticed as he didn't favor that leg at all. And, as gross is it is to point out, the white horse can be seen losing his lunch in three of the pictures at the end of the battle. This must be more common than I initially realized, as I've seen this a number of times now during fights.
At the same time, the main group of horses had drifted even closer and now the little foal was standing right in front of me without my realizing it. We were all distracted by the ongoing battle between the mustangs that we didn't know how close we were to each other.
I turned my attention to the little foal. Those pictures are in a dedicated post for the next encounter journal entry.
