Wild Horse "Generations"
- Maria Marriott
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Every so often a story plays out in a way that is so unforgettable it must be recorded. That is definitely the case with two wild stallions on the Fish Springs Range of Nevada. As it so happens, these two wild stallions are father and son…
In 2018, one of the most dominant stallions of the Fish Springs Range was a blue roan who the local advocates refer to as “Blue”. This muscular stallion had amassed a large band of mares and their foals. The large band and the leadership Blue displayed was the subject of my limited edition image called “Blue’s Band”, showing Blue pushing his family back into the Pine Nut Mountains against dramatic skies as a storm came across the range.
Integral to this story is that foals eventually mature, become young adults, and begin to carry out the ways of the wild. For young stallions, this means seeking a mare of their own to start a band. At this time, three of Blue’s offspring had developed into strong young stallions who were ready to begin their own families - all with solid black coats and muscular bodies.
It’s not unusual to have a group of bachelor stallions tag-team a lead stallion - taking turns to tire him in order to one day finally take over. What this means for a lead stallion is constant lack of sleep and new injuries. Eventually signs of weakness become apparent.
Despite lack of sleep and constant disputes with multiple younger stallions, Blue was able to successfully defend his band over the course of several weeks. But, as expected, the day came and a few stallions finally took him down, resulting in severe injuries. One of these bachelors was an upcoming stallion named “Onyx” - an offspring of the blue roan.
With Blue in the remote wilderness recovering from his wounds and not seen for many months, the story turns to Onyx, his son. Although able to keep some of his sire’s mares, Onyx was repeatedly rejected by each and quickly lost his mates. I remember watching him for several years, persisting in every way trying secure a mare - stalking other band stallions, positioning himself as a “lieutenant” for a lead stallion, constantly engaging in disputes just to frequently get knocked down and sometimes coming out of fights badly injured. Despite a few successes, he was never able to keep mares for long.
This is a whole other story… But his incredible persistence and resilience caught my attention - Onyx never stayed down, bouncing back even more determined. Because of that, this black stallion was the inspiration and subject of my limited edition image, “The Face of Resilience.”
Fast forward to 2025… Blue had been fully healed for a few years now and had been reunited with his lead mare, who he had lost back in 2018.
Onyx, through his persistence and resilience, had finally been successful in securing a mare who has been his steady companion. Today, both these stallions largely stay away from the main herd, satisfied with a single mate each, likely to avoid the drama and inevitable disputes that would occur when mixed with the herd.
In March of 2025, as every Spring, all of the bands that call the Fish Springs Range home came down out of the mountains to reunite on the plains. This brought about a chance encounter between Blue and Onyx as they both wandered closer to the main herd.
As it happens, both Blue and Onyx were present and at a certain point, the two “families” got very close to each other triggering the usual “dominance argument.”
My mind was quickly flooded with memories including the 2018 events and what transpired between these two generations. Blue now a senior stallion approaching 20 years of age and his offspring Onyx now a more experienced stallion. Two beautiful wild mustangs, one roan and one black, equipped with the wisdom of years in the wild and the scars to prove it.
First nose-to-nose, then shoulder-to-shoulder, they began having an intense conversation. Agitated motions, posturing, stomping, and pawing the ground… For a minute or so, they continued to posture to measure dominance. I can only imagine the messages exchanged.
Not only an incredibly intense moment but one accompanied with much history between father and son.
Although I could never bring you the full magic of the events I’ve experienced throughout the years observing and photographing the American wild horses - their relationships and dynamics, their defeats and wins, their devotion and loyalty to their families and just the plain raw beauty of their freedom - my wish is to keep sharing with you the stories and images of these incredible creatures in order to open the door to a world that we can deeply relate to.
“Generations” is my new release and features “Blue” and “Onyx” during this chance encounter.
About Maria Marriott
Maria Marriott is an international award winning photographer whose equine artwork has been recognized for its emotional impact and intimate portrayal of wild horses. Although primarily a wild horse photographer, Maria seeks to foster an appreciation for both people and nature through her images.
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