I spent an entire afternoon with this small band. By the time I left, the sun was going down, and the bugs were starting to swarm, despite the cool autumn air. The entire time, I was constantly struck by the gentle grace the stallion had, his intimate interactions with his son, the way the lead mare held all of them in her space. It was all so congruent, so effortless. They seemed familiar to me, as well.

It is only now that I'm home and able to more closely examine these images that I realize I had taken photos of this stallion and lead mare two years earlier, almost to the day. Back then, there was no foal in the group; in fact, they were living in a band with other stallions. This all really speaks to the fascinating dynamics that are involved in equine communication. There are so many assumptions that we are told about horse behaviour that arise from domesticated horses living in less than ideal conditions, when in reality, their relationships are as intricate and emotionally detailed as our own.