Remembering Aspen

A few people have asked about Filly Willow and Mare Dixie. I saw Willow yesterday morning with her band near the park boundary. Usually, I would hike in and take photos of her, but since we can no longer jump fences, a 15-minute hike is now close to an 8-mile one. So, I took photos of her from afar. She took a short nap and walked off with her dam and baby brother. All was well. Next, I went looking for Amantes’ band to check on Dixie. She is wearing one of the collars and was also seen limping in the facility. I did not see what happened to her; however, she seemed to be doing much better walking yesterday afternoon. She and the band have moved to one of their usual fall spots, and of course, Blazo is still following them.

Now, I’d like to talk about the beautiful filly below. This is Aspen out of Mare Birch. She received a cut during the roundup, which the onsite veterinarian looked over and cleared her to return to the park with her band. When the band was released back into the park, they returned to their usual area near Jones Creek. She became much worse from that trek, and when she was found down the park made the decision to euthanize her. She should not have had to go through this, and we are all mourning her loss.

Aspen also deserves to be remembered in the same way as those horses we lost before her. So here is a little history of her time in the park. She was the second foal of 2023 and the first foal for Mare Birch. In the beginning, Birch did not like being around the young boys of Gunner’s band so she and Aspen would often leave on their own. They joined Applewood on one of those outings and would stay with him over the winter, forming his first band. Fate brought Aspen together with her great-grandmother Pretty Girl this year when she joined the band and took a shine to Aspen. She was a wonderful addition to this herd and is greatly missed.

Below are a few photos of Aspen that you may enjoy. Run wild and free forever, Aspen, and know that you were loved