WILD HORSES WARM WELCOME
- Maria Marriott
- Jul 19
- 3 min read
At the tail end of a recent trip to Vancouver, BC, Tim and I decided to take a little detour on our way home to see a special herd of wild horses in Utah - the subject of my Onaqui Wild photographic collection. It had been a while since we visited the Onaqui Mountains in the Great Basin Desert.
After two full days driving from Canada, we arrived at the small town where we would stay west of Salt Lake City. From that small town, it's approximately an hour drive to the vast area these wild horses inhabit.
At the Onaqui range, the desert landscape, which looks deceptively flat from a distance, actually contains fairly deep ravines and gullies in which horses become invisible except from the right angles.
Scanning through the binoculars, we finally spotted the mustangs. The challenge now was how to get to them. The very end of the closest two-track road we found to the horses put us still about a mile from the herd, without a direct way of getting there. A long hike awaited.
"WELCOME BACK"
And then it happened - a cloud of dust started rising and we could see and hear the entire herd beginning to run in a direction just to the south of us. Quickly turning around the Jeep, we flew back over the two-track road in the hopes of getting closer to where we thought they were headed.
A spectacular show of approximately 200 wild horses running across the desert in a cloud of dust unfolded in front of our eyes - almost as if we were being welcomed back to the range.
This unexpected welcome was the prelude to three days of shooting - three memorable days in which we were fortunate enough to find the herd around the same spot each day, with lots of hikes but much more of joy.
"RELEASE"
When a wild horse finally surrenders to deep sleep it's a profound act of release. In these precious, vulnerable hours, all the burdens of their tireless desert life are momentarily set aside. It's the shedding of the day's struggles. "Release" was captured during this latest trip to the Onaqui mountain range and is my newest addition to the Onaqui Wild collection.
For those that have followed my work for some time, you know that wild horse photography has been quite a journey. My desire is that each of my images becomes a window into the narratives of the American wild horses and their role in our collective identity as a nation.
Today I invite you to visit my online wild horse gallery. My desire is that you will be moved by what you see and inspired to bring a small piece of our American wild to your home.
An equestrian for most of her life, award winning equine photographer Maria Marriott combines her passion for horses with her art and the desire to bring public awareness to the American mustangs.
Maria is honored to have her equine fine art in collectors’ homes and offices throughout the world. Maria Marriott Photography is a proud supporter of non-profit organizations that tirelessly work to ensure the well-being of the American wild horses and promote healing through equine therapy.
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