Hunter Valley in Fall

 

  Erik and Hubby went for a recon trip on the Hunter Valley road in Alberta, Canada.

   

The fall colors were stunning.

     

  "Fall foliage is short-lived in Alberta, with the entire transition from green to brown lasting only 3 to 4 weeks. The trees start changing around the equinox in the second or third week of September, and generally reach their colorful peak in the last week of September and first week of October." - Hikers Canadian Rockies

Aspen trees.

Birch trees.

A Beaver dam.

I adore the rusty colors of the meadow.

The rocky mountains are at the back.

Grassland on the forest's edge.

Hubby saw wild horses on his way home.

 

  

"Alberta has a new plan to help manage the more than 1,400 wild horses that call the province home. The government developed the feral horse management framework to help encourage the wild horses’ sustainability while addressing the impact they have on the ecosystem. The plan seeks to reduce the pressures the movement of growing feral horse populations can put on the province’s rangelands, wildlife and livestock. The province said some of the equine management zones in Alberta are facing significant sustainability challenges due to the size of horse populations.

Of the more than 1,400 feral horses counted in the province, 969 are located in the Sundre equine management zone, according to a 2023 count." - CTV news.

    

 After spending a summer grazing on the foothill grass, the horses appeared healthy, but their location and the wounds on their bodies made it clear that they were obviously wild animals. They allowed hubby to pull up right next to them to take photographs.

   

  “Our study involving the samples from Wild Horses, submitted by volunteer donors has revealed some extremely interesting results. Here’s what we do know. Our horses here in Alberta, are not of “Canadian Horse” decent, such as the ones studied by the same researchers in the Brittany Triangle, in B.C.. However, the most interesting connection is that just like the horses in the Chilcoltins, both studies show a connection to Russian breeds. The B.C. horses show markers indicating a connection to the Yakut, from Siberia, and our horses here in Alberta, are showing strong markers indicating a connection to the Altai, breed from Russia.”– Help Alberta Wildies

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Wild horses Gallery 

 

Horses.

TOKELOSHE ©