Meet Boone + Sweetheart Two of Mt. Garfield's Wild Horses

Have you met two of Mt. Garfield's residents, Boone and Sweetheart? They're very friendly. The next time you hike the Bookcliffs, you may run into them.

I've encountered both of these horses three times in the last month while hiking Mt. Garfield. Until this last weekend, I had no idea they were famous. As it turns out, everybody but me knows their names.

During the month of April, I spotted them twice at the first plateau on the way up Mt. Garfield, and once at the next plateau. A couple of weeks ago, Billy saw them clear down at the bottom of the Bookcliffs, right next to the parking area.

After posting pictures of these two horses on Facebook, feedback started coming in with information as to their names.

All the horses on the range have names. We track them closely and names are much easier than numbers for people to remember. This herd has been followed since the mid seventies and followed closely since the eighties or nineties. the group that follows them is the Friends of the Mustangs. We work closely with the BLM to monitor the horses and the range they live on. - Billie Hutchings via Facebook

With that info, it seems a visit to the Friends of the Mustangs website was in order. According to the website, Friends of the Mustangs is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization established in 1982 in Grand Junction. They work alongside the BLM to keep water holes and tanks flowing and clean, mountain trails clear and marked, and help with gathers and adoptions.

Looking at the website, it seems all of the horses have names. The group keeps a very close eye on the horses, and make certain they are doing well at all times. The site offers updates and several photo galleries.

If you get a chance, take a hike up Mt. Garfield. If recent history is any indication, it's very likely you'll run into Boone and Sweetheart. They aren't concerned about hikers. They tend to mind their own business and go about their daily business. You, though, will really enjoy the chance to see horses in that environment.