Exploring the Majestic Beauty of Wild Horses in the Pryor Mountains

The iconic stallion Cloud in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range

Imagine traveling to see wild horses in the wild. The Pryor Mountains feral horse herd is one of the most accessible feral horse herds in the United States. Visitors may come to the public lands of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range to enjoy observing these well-known wild horses and are encouraged to do so from a safe distance. 

Comprised of more than 39,000 acres the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is located in the southeastern portion of Carbon County, Montana, and northern Big Horn County, Wyoming, approximately 50 miles south of Billings, Montana, and 10 miles north of Lovell Wyoming.

The range can be easily accessed via a paved road which parallels Bighorn Canyon, and which provides excellent viewing of the horses. The range can also be accessed from Laurel, Montana, by traveling south on U.S. Route 310 and then taking the Forest Service gravel road to Dryhead Overlook. Some of the range may be accessed via the Crow Indian Reservation. A trespass permit from the Crow Nation is required to cross tribal land or exit a vehicle while on tribal land.

Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is a public, not-for-profit 501c3 educational institution located in Lovell, Wyoming dedicated to preserving the future of the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains. At the center visitors will learn facts about the breed, such as that their primary bloodlines did descend from Spanish Barbs and the best places to view them. You may arrange for a trip with PryorWild Tours to go to the top of the mountain with an elevation of 8,750 above sea level. Tours are from May 15 through September 30 (email for availability).

Hiking on the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse range is good, but there are no maintained or marked trails. Because elevations range from 3,850 feet to 8,750 feet above sea level, it's good to be prepared with layers and anticipate weather conditions before hiking to the higher alpine elevations. It's common to experience thunderstorms with lightning in the spring and summer months. The area is high in diversity and plants vary with elevation and precipitation from cold desert shrub to sub-alpine forests and meadows. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Field Guide to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses 10th Edition 2023.

TripAdvisor has a list of accommodations and restaurants reviews near Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center. The Hideout Lodge and Guest Ranch rates well on TripAdvisor and is 35.5 miles from Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center.

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For a recent look during fall 2023 at the mustangs and what it's like to travel to the Pryor Mountain Horse Range, watch this well-produced video on the YouTube channel @loristravels

Please read EquuStyle Art & Travel's Disclaimer https://www.equustyle.com/disclaimer

#wildhorses #pryormountainwildhorses #pryormountainwildmustancenter #wyoming #thecloudfoundation #horses #Cloud #wildmustangs #equustyle #equustylemagazine

Unveiling Photographer and Advocate Carol J. Walker's Passion for Wild Horses

Carol Walker wild horse photographer, one of the world's top ten fine art equine photographers, discusses her unrelenting advocacy for wild horses.

"Picasso Runs Up" The iconic wild stallion Picasso runs up a hill in Sand Wash Basin, Colorado

EquuStyle: Photographer and magazine publisher of Top Teny, Alex Mitchell’s article “Hoofbeats in Focus: Celebrating the 10 Best Equine Photographers” includes you in the top ten. How does it make you feel to be recognized as one of the top fine art equine photographers in the world?

Walker: It’s nice to be recognized, and if it helps get the word out about wild horses that is great.

EquuStyle: What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

Walker: When I was young I always wanted to be a writer. I was passionate about reading and writing, and I also loved photographing animals. I wished I had known that there was a way a marry those two loves and that I would someday in my books and blogs.

"The Wild Family" A mare with her foal and yearling colt before dawn in Palomino Butte, Oregon

EquuStyle: At what point in your career did you decide to begin taking photographs of wild horses? #wildhorses

Walker: I started my business photographing horses and their people in 2000. I had been photographing wildlife all over the world, but decided to focus on horses since I knew them so well, owning horses since I was 12 years old, and running a horse boarding stable for 3 years before starting my photography business.

I had a friend ask me in 2004 why I wasn't photographing wild horses, and I said wild horses? I don't know anything about them. A week later I received an invitation to photograph wild horses in Adobe Town, Wyoming. I had no idea what to expect.

As we drove out through the dry high desert lands with dramatic landscapes, we suddenly began to see horses at a distance. And we spotted ears in the sagebrush. An entire family of wild horses lying down for a mid morning nap. When I got out of the pickup truck, the stallion, a battle scarred grey started running toward me. I barely breathed. He stopped, and one of his fillies came up next to him and it looked as though she was grinning at me. I was in love.

I kept going out to visit that area of the Adobe Town Herd Management area every month for over a year. I started to learn about the herd and their habits, and several families whom I encountered on just about every visit. Then I found out the Bureau of Land Management was going to roundup

and remove most of these horses I had come to know. I went to the roundup and was horrified to watch helicopters driving them into traps, separating the families, and trucking them away from their homes forever.

I could not even look at the photos until 4 months later, and I decided that I wanted to show people that these horses were not starving but incredibly well suited to these lands, that they were beautiful and proud and free, that they had relationships, and deserved to live out their entire lives in their

homes with their families. That was why I published my first book, Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses in 2008. I honestly thought that those of us working as wild horses advocates would save our wild horses in a few years. And now it is 2024 and they are more in jeopardy of extinction than ever.

"Nuzzle" Wild mare Tradebead and her colt Tonkowa share a tender moment in the McCollough Peak, Wyoming

EquuStyle: How do you tell a story through your photographs?

Walker: A still photograph has to tell a story in one frame. when I select the images that I want to show people, and I often select images that show a close up of wild horses, that evoke their wildness, their power, or I love showing images that display a relationship, like a tender moment between a mare and a foal, two stallions who are wary friends, and entire family on the move to water together, for example.

EquuStyle: What do you believe makes your images successful?

Walker: I am able to capture the spirit of the horses in my images. My very favorite thing to photograph is horses running - I think that is when they are at their most joyous and elemental. But I also love the quiet moments I spend with wild horses, when they may look at me, let me sit with them and be in their world with them, and sometimes approach me and there is a sense of communion, connection. I want to show that to people who see my images.

EquuStyle: In what ways has your work as an advocate for wild horses impacted how you photograph wild and domestic horses?

Walker: It has changed everything. I have absolutely no interest in these days of photographing horses being ridden. What truly inspires me is seeing horses at liberty (for domestic horses) or in the wild, free like they should always be. I am now spending all my time photographing wild horses.

It's funny I had a friend ask me several years ago why I was still photographing domestic horses and I told him it was because people want to buy photographs of the "pretty" horses, the spectacular well-groomed Andalusians, or Friesians, not so much the rugged, dirty, and scarred wild horses. But more and more people are getting involved with wild horses these days, and I feel an urgency to be out there with them as much as I can before they disappear.

I have regrets that I did not spend more time with the wild horses of the Red Desert Complex, that I did not spend more time with them in 2022 before the horrific winter of 2022/2023 that killed over 50% of them. This year, the Bureau of Land Management is planning to hit Wyoming hard, rounding up and removing thousands of wild horses from herds that I Know and love. I plan to spend as much time out there as I can this year.

"Flying at Sunrise" Wild horses run at dawn in front of the sun in Salt Wells Creek, Wyoming

EquuStyle: You recently launched your podcast “Freedom for Wild Horses.” What has the response been like?

Walker: It's been almost a year, I can barely believe it! I launched in March 2023 and today my 26th episode came out. It has been a wonderful experience, getting to share my stories about wild horses as well as interview wonderful, committed people with a depth and breadth of knowledge about wild horses, helping educate people about the issues facing them. It's a work of love for certain. And it is an opportunity to meld several skills - writing, speaking and photographing. And it's a challenge and a new way to spread the word about wild horses and what is facing them today.

EquuStyle: You have authored four books including Horse Photography: The Dynamic Guide for Horse Lovers. What motivates you to write?

Walker: You can see what I wrote above for my first book, Wild Hoofbeats. I wrote Horse Photography after several years of going to Equine Events and Shows speaking about photographing horses. I saw a need for a book which would lay out simple guidelines to getting better photos of horses.

The next two books were about rescuing and reuniting wild horses families after they had been rounded up: Galloping to Freedom: Saving the Adobe Town Appaloosas was about 4 families rounded up in Adobe Town and removed in 2014, and then reuniting them at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. Both of these are hardcover coffee table books full of my photographs of the horses in the wild and after the roundup and at the sanctuaries. #wildhorseadvocacy

The next book, my newest, is Blue Zeus: Legend of the Red Desert. I followed Blue Zeus for over 3 years in the wild, asked a sanctuary owner to take he and his family if I could find them in the BLM holding facilities, and he and his mares were reunited at a sanctuary.

"Blue Zeus on the Move" The wild Blue Zeus running to his family in his home in Arapahoe Creek, Wyoming

The books tell an important story about what is happening to our wild horses, and about the importance of family. And although they both have what you could call a happy ending, it is so so bittersweet. Those horses have lost their homes forever. The stallions are gelded. They won't be raising the next generation to follow them. 

EquuStyle: Is there one wild horse you have photographed more than any other? What captivates you about this particular horse?

Walker: That would have to be Blue Zeus. Blue Zeus is a blue roan pinto whom I met in the Red Desert Complex, and when I first saw him I  thought he was the most beautiful wild horse I had ever met. It wasn't just his color and his striking high stocking markings, but a calm, wise and proud presence that absolutely captivated me. Every time I visited the area, I looked for him and his family. and I spent time just sitting with him, photographing him, breathing him in. Every time I go there now that he is no longer there, I miss him.

EquuStyle: Which is your most memorable sighting?

Walker: One of the most amazing encounters I had was with that wild family I mentioned when talking about my first trip to Adobe Town. The family was the scarred grey stallion, his beautiful grey mare and their two year old and yearling fillies.

In the afternoon, the mare was heavily pregnant and when I found them the next day, there was an hours old new foal, a colt, by the mare's side. She was lying down, and I approached slowly and watched. Mares are very protective of their newborns but she let me watch. The whole family was gathered around, and the stallion drove off two bachelors stallions who wanted to take her. She got up and the foal started nursing. It was a beautiful spring day with the sun shining, and truly a magical time with this family I had come to know.

"Thor Rears" the wild stallion Thor in McCullough Peaks, Wyoming rears up to chase away another stallion

EquuStyle: Where is your favorite place to photograph wild horses and why?

Walker: That is a tough question. I have several favorite places in Wyoming. Salt Wells Creek for one - it is such a beautiful location, the horses are fairly used to people so it is not difficult to approach and spend time with them, and there are the curlies. Wild curly horses with curling manes and coats, they are gentle giants.

One of my other favorite places is the Red Desert Complex, that is where Blue Zeus is from, and it has some of the most beautiful colorful wild horses I have ever known.

EquuStyle: Over the years how do you think your style has evolved?

Walker: I know I have become a better photographer because I am better at finding the good light, getting settings, etc. but I also have become more experienced at predicting behaviors of wild horses, being able to find them, which of course is important, and I also have better equipment now which allows me to get close without being close - the long lens is essential for photographing wild horses. And I think I am known for my style with the close ups.

EquuStyle: How do you maintain your creative edge and stay inspired?

Walker: I really love what I do, and spending time with wild horses never gets old for me. It is the most peaceful place in the world for me, just sitting with wild horses. Every day with them is different, and I consider it a gift.

EquuStyle: Do you still carve out time to teach photography workshops? If so how often do you teach?

Walker: I do not teach workshops anymore.

EquuStyle: How do you balance all of the time you spend advocating for wild horses, creating your podcast, and posting on social media with photographing horses?

Walker: That's a good question. Sometimes the advocacy takes a lot of time and energy, and can be quite exhausting. I have a routine for posting on social media daily and that's the easy part. As far as photographing I take week long trips several times a year and that's where I get my images.

"Sable Island Stallion's Long Mane"

EquuStyle: What does a typical day look like for you?

Walker: That's hard - there is not usually a typical day. Right after waking up I walk my two Australian Shepherds,  throwing the ball for them in my pasture after feeding my three adopted mustangs.

The couple of months before the holidays I do a lot of shipping and filling orders. Returning emails and posting on social media is daily no matter where I am.

Sometimes I work on new images and fill orders, work on the podcast, do billing. It all depends.

EquuStyle: Whose work has influenced you the most?

Walker: One of the most inspiring wild horse advocates I know is Ginger Kathrens who is a filmmaker and has done more to raise awareness about wild horses and show people that they have lives and families and deserve to be protected more than anyone else I know. A wildlife photographer I find extremely inspiring whose work is to show the beauty of marine life and he works to protect it is Paul Nicklin.

"Black and White Stallion" the iconic wild stallion Washakie of McCullough Peaks, Wyoming chases a rival away from his mares

EquuStyle: The image of Black and White Stallion is incredible. Did it take a long time to get this shot?

Walker: This is an image of Washakie, who was always my favorite stallion in McCullough Peaks. He was a stunning black and white pinto stallion with a huge personality. From the very first time I saw him I was captivated by him.

On this morning I was near a waterhole watching the horses that had come in to drink. Washakie and his family had already drunk and were grazing nearby. A bachelor stallion approached Washakie's family and he was not having it. He started chasing this stallion away and I was right in their path. I hid behind my vehicle and as he ran by I captured him - one eye looking at me, mane flying. It was an amazing moment.#livingimagesbycarolwalker

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Carol Walker's Living Images website

Wild Hoofbeats is Carol J. Walker's wild horse education website, where the podcast is hosted: http://www.WildHoofbeats.com

All images Copyright Living Images by Carol Walker, LLC -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Living Images by Carol Walker, LLC.

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Tony Stromberg: On Light and Fine Art Equine Photography

A rare interview with one of the world's top fine art equine photographers.

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Unicorn

Where are you from and how does that affect your work?

I grew up all over the west. My dad was a geologist for an oil company, and we moved constantly. 18 homes by the time I was 18. Very nomadic lifestyle, which is probably why I relate so well to the American wild horses… nomadic by nature. Because of all the moving, I became a loner at a pretty

early age. I am sure this has affected my work in many ways. I work best alone. In fact, when I was doing advertising photography, I would go back into the studio after everyone went home at night, and that’s usually when I did my best work. I get distracted when other people are watching and expecting me to perform, to the point where I can’t really focus.

3 Brothers

Who are your biggest artistic influences?

That’s a hard one. There are not specific artists or photographers that I get inspiration from. Rather, I think it is an accumulation of everything I have seen, read, or heard throughout my life that has informed my artistic sensibilities. I also get a lot of inspiration from nature, and being

immersed in nature. I think all good art imitates nature in some way. We live in a very technical world and spend an inordinate amount of time in front of a computer screen or a phone. I think all the technology dampens creativity, and sometimes the best way to connect with our creative self is to unplug from all the technology and sit in silence so we can actually hear ourselves.

3 Stallions

How has your style changed over time?

It’s always a process. When I started doing advertising work, I was all over the map. I did fashion, food, technology, architecture, still life, catalog work, special effects, landscapes, because I didn’t really know who I was and had not defined my creative voice yet. I experimented a lot. I am completely self-trained in photography, and never went to school. I tried by doing, and by making a lot of mistakes, and learning what NOT to do. Over time, my personal style developed, but it took 20 years to find that. I spent years emulating the popular photographers, only to realize this was not me, and it was not coming from within. What I ultimately came to learn was that I had a deep appreciation for lighting.

Luminous

When I teach workshops, I tell people that they are not photographing a horse, they are photographing the light falling onto the horse. It takes a fundamental shift in understanding to really grasp that concept, but it is all about lighting. Photographers start with a black canvas, and we add light. We literally “paint” with light. After 20 years of studio photography, I learned how to “see” light. I am always looking for the light, so to speak. After I shifted my focus to horses, I realized I could take 20 years of experience in lighting and apply it to something I truly loved.

When is your favorite time of day to photograph horses?

Late afternoon, for sure. Magic hour. The last hour of sunlight is the best. In fact, in that late afternoon light, it is hard to take a “bad” photograph.

What motivates you to continue photographing horses?

I just love horses. I was burned out after 20 years of advertising work. I had lost myself after trying to be so many things and trying to please so many people. It’s a long story for another time, but when I started spending time with horses, they showed me a way back to my authentic self, and that was a huge gift to me. My work, I believe, continues to be an “homage: to the horse". I showed my true self to the horses, and in return, they shared with me their true essence, and that is what I try to convey through my work.

How do you define success as a fine art equine photographer?

When I was doing commercial work, it was constant marketing and it always felt like pushing a boulder uphill. When I started working with horses and started building a body of work with my equine photography, doors would open in front of me without much effort. The sense of struggle was gone. The 4 books I have published all came with little effort. When I started teaching workshops, I created them and people signed up, and it’s been going strong even efter 20 years of doing them. I think “success” is being able to do what you love and also make a living at it, without having to commercialize it or change it to fit someone else’s desire. I have a dream job. I travel the world photographing some of the world’s most beautiful horses, in some very beautiful places, and I get paid for it !!!

What have critics and collectors said about your work?

That’s an odd question. People that collect my work do so because it speaks to them on some level, and they love the work. I don’t think I have any critics, and if I do, I don’t really care what they think. At one point in my life, I would do whatever I could to please them, but not anymore. I know who I am, and I know my work has value. If someone does not like it, they do not have to look at it!

Why do you offer workshops and how do you benefit or find meaning from sharing your artistic mastery with other aspiring equine photographers?

After my first book was published, along with calendars, people started to ask me if I would do

workshops, so I thought “why not”. I started doing a few in my hometown of Santa Fe, and it just grew from there. I am happy to share my photographic experience. It gives me joy to see people learning what I have to offer them, and I love to watch them grow artistically, and to find their own voice with their equine photography. They come to me because we all have a shared love of horses and photography and want to share our vision with the world. What’s not to like?

Click on the button to see more of Tony Stromberg's equine images

along with his stories behind these gorgeous photographs.

Gallery of Images

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All images Copyright Tony Stromberg Photography -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Tony Stromberg Photography.

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