Condor & Abraxas

briefly known as Oakley & One Ear

Sometimes, the backgrounds of the mustangs we rescue are lost to us. Not all are accessible in the wild, so many do not have a photo history among wild horse followers. All we knew about these two Wyoming boys when we saw them on the BLM’s Internet Adoption (AI) was they were 26 years old. I was shocked that mustangs this age were posted on the IA. I’m grateful the BLM did instead of assuming no one would want them and shipping them to long-term holding, where we would never have seen them. Seniors always have my heart, but these two also heal it. By saving them, we were honoring the memory of Oregon, whose DSLD was so severe, the only way we could help him was to let him go peacefully and end his pain.

One of these boys has DSLD, like Oregon, though not as bad. We named him Oakley. The second had a broken ear. We named him One Ear. It did not matter to us that they were plain brown, elderly, unknown horses. All we cared about was allowing them to live out their lives with dignity and as comfortable as we can make them. 

Then we saw some beautiful pictures taken of them on the range by photographers who had observed them for years! They confirmed that these boys were White Mountain warriors. Oakley had been known as Condor and One Ear was called Abraxas. We immediately switched to their range names to honor their lives as wild stallions. 

Post by @laurynwachs:

An ode to Condor and his merry band. I didn't see this elusive band stallion until my 4th year of going to the White Mountain horse range. His rather 'plain' band of sorrels, chestnuts, and bays was punctuated by two flashy paint lieutenant stallions (Denali and Gawain) along with another, the curly bay Carlos. To have not one, not two - but three - lieutenants is a feat. Plain in color does not mean plain in personality. Condor's band had plenty of that.

The stallions - along with Condor's longtime mares Acorn, Question, and Fae - were a solid unit for many years. It was such a privilege to watch them in the wild, and Condor was always very gentle with his mares and their offspring. Their kids include (but are not limited to) the young stallions Finn, Falcon, Poe, Rogue, Hawk, and Harrier; and included young fillies like Kestrel and Rey.

The band only recently fell apart as Condor and his mares got older. Denali and Carlos ended up with a band, and Gawain I saw as a bachelor last year. I didn't see Condor last year or the year before. I wasn't sure if he had made it through some of the last tough Wyoming winters. But in August 2024, sure enough, he came roaring into the roundup trap in the same batch as Denali and Carlos. Condor hadn't been too far from them them it seems.

While elusive and not seen by a ton of people compared with some of the other more visible White Mountain wild horses, that doesn't mean he wasn't loved by those who knew him and had the honor of sitting with him from time to time. I'll never forget it, and I thank you for that always, Condor.

Post by @mustangsandmayhem

Forever loved and never forgotten. I first met Condor and his band in 2012. Condor started out a solo stallion with 3 lovely mares who were as devoted to him as they were to one another. By 2014, Condor had gained three - yeah that's right, three! - lieutenant stallions. Unlike most bands with that setup, Condor always remained firmly in control and none of the odd couple boys were ever observed even attempting to breed any of the mares.

Condor was a powerhouse, an icon. A bit of a pain in the neck to find in the dead of summer, but always around and ready for shenanigans in the cooler seasons of spring and autumn. His band was a stable presence, filled with a quiet, calm dignity in all they did. Over a decade of so many happy memories with Condor and the gang. He was the epitome of the perfect band stallion. By 2024, nearly every southern band had one of his kids or grandkids, all lovely and incredible. 

Pat Doak posted beautiful photos of Abraxas in the wild. In some, he actually has two normal ears. The injury likely happened in battle, a badge of bravery and tribute to his fighting spirit.

You can put no price on the feeling of awe and wonder that comes from seeing mustangs free in the wild. Their value at auction was reduced to $25. To us, these boys are priceless.

It is BLM regulation to geld all stallions, which I disagree with for horses this age. I don’t believe it is necessary. It can be lethal and we rarely find out how many horses die during this process. I was once at the Burns corrals while they were gelding. The sounds I heard that day, I never want to reach my ears again and I make a point of a avoiding the corrals whenever they do it. San Jose’s release from holding in Wyoming was delayed for months due to complications from gelding. After the last South Steens round up, some staff told me they nearly lost a couple from bleeding out. 

Having to wait for them was nerve wracking, but it made their arrival that much sweeter. Janelle and Meghan picked them up and shared the driving to bring them home. In the morning light, we could see they were warriors - strong, muscled up, intelligent eyes, and those big, round stallion jaws. We were very concerned about Condor’s limping and Dr. Findlay came to check them over.

Condor is amazingly calm and stoic. Abraxas is very protective of him. Condor was so cooperative in the chute that we were able to get good images of the golf-ball-sized lump at his elbow. The limping was due mostly to serious arthritis - no surprise for a lead stallion, who fought hard on the range all his life. We have options for managing pain and making him comfortable, but I think he’s a wise, old soul, who knows not to move if he doesn’t have to. He will live a full, rich life on a smaller space that’s not too rugged, but with plenty of room to feel freedom. As Dr Findlay said, “He’s remarkably sound for all of this, like any good mustang.”

Condor and Abraxas should have lived out their lives on the range, but nature’s endings for wild horses can be brutal. At Skydog, they have a happy, golden future, where they will always be loved, safe, and respected. They were diamonds in the rough in their muddy winter coats in the dirt pens of holding, but we’ll soon see them shining with renewed health and vibrancy.

#skydogcondor   #skydogabraxas

American Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help

In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:

Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2025 (H.R.1661 in the House and S.775 in the Senate). This bill would amend the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the “Farm Bill”. There are several important provisions for animals in that omnibus federal law, including the Cat and Dog Meat Trade Prohibition Act. It is currently illegal to slaughter, transport, possess, purchase, sell, or donate dogs and cats, or their parts, for human consumption. The SAFE Act would extend the ban to equines and shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.

You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121‬, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io

See our How to Help menu for other actions to ban zebra hunting at US canned hunt ranches and stop production of Premarin & other PMU drugs.

Bills from the previous 118th Congress that we hope will be introduced again this year:

The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.

Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ​​ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.