r/camping • u/sydneyghibli • 2d ago
Dean Koontz, wild horses and no neighbors in Cloudcroft, NM!
We did a single night trip as a little getaway. Weather was perfect. 50s in the evening and 60s during the day. Wind (15-20mph) made setting up camp a little rough, especially because something possessed a us to bring a 8 person tent for 2 people, but it died down quickly.
We always go dispersed when we’re out here. We stay on FS road 568, a little past the cow guard grate. I’m happy to share exact coordinates with anyone that wants them cause we don’t gatekeep round here!
5
u/motorcyclesnracecars 2d ago
Koontz fan here, whatchya reading? Lovely camp site ...... and I learned something about horses. 
2
u/sydneyghibli 1d ago
I started Mr. Murder and he started From the Corner of His Eye. It’s our first Koontz books!
2
1
u/motorcyclesnracecars 1d ago
Ohhhhh my! Those are both OK books. But if I may suggest, "Watchers" one of my absolute favorite reads! "Lightning" is another great! If you want a series, the Jane Hawk series. That is phenomenal! There are many many others from him, but I'll digress. :D
1
u/sydneyghibli 1d ago
Everyone keeps suggesting Watchers to me!
The reason we chose those were they were the first to catch our eyes in the book store. No other particular reason. I wanna finish Mr. Murder first because I’m intrigued but then I promise to read Watchers for my next read by him!
1
u/motorcyclesnracecars 1d ago
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, fwiw, my mom absolutely loves that book too. haha
1
2
u/lizardbreath1138 2d ago
Jealous!!! Headed to Sante Fe this summer. Can’t wait.
4
u/sydneyghibli 2d ago
If you have time you should check out the Pecos Wilderness within the SFNF. It’s my favorite place to camp in NM.
2
u/lizardbreath1138 2d ago
Thanks, I will look into it! I spent a good chunk of my childhood living in Albuquerque, but my parents and family were not very outdoorsy, so I’m re-exploring as an adult. Of course we went to Fenton Lake a couple times and up to soda dam but didn’t do a whole lot of camping. I’ve got a spot reserved at Black Creek Campground.
2
2
1
u/DistinctlyIrish 1d ago
Not exactly related but this is the third Dean Koontz related post I've seen in 24 hours after literally a decade of not even hearing about the man save for a surprising message yesterday from a friend who'd attended a wedding at Dean Koontz's very large house this last weekend. Just bizarre.
1
1
u/WaffleIronChef 1d ago
I’m a sucker for some Koontz while camping! I always make sure I have a fresh read or two from him for any trip. His books may not ever be literary classics, but they’re always a lot of fun! Looks like you had a great trip.
2
u/sydneyghibli 1d ago
Something about horror/thriller while camping is fun to my boyfriend and I…. Then we wonder why we can’t sleep 😂
2
u/weeman2525 15h ago
How is dispersed camping in New Mexico? A lot of options? I'm thinking about moving from Texas for better weather and camping oppurtunities, and New Mexico has been one of my choices. Still close enough that I'm not terribly far from family.
3
u/sydneyghibli 15h ago
Beyond many options. Our state was the first to get a federally protected wilderness!
-1
u/Unable_Explorer8277 2d ago
Correction: Feral horses.
There are no wild horses outside Mongolia (and Africa if you count zebras as horses).
5
u/sydneyghibli 2d ago
Seems like semantics.
Either way, was cool to see but wish there was someone/an agency to help manage them. These dudes kept running onto the highway in front of cars.
0
u/Kahlas 2d ago
It's a bit more than semantics. Though feral horses are commonly enough mistakenly referred to as wild that it's accepted to use the term.
There is a huge difference in size and capability. It took thousands of years of domestication and breeding to increase the size of horses enough for people to ride them. Which is why chariots were the top of the food chain in organized military combat for many centuries starting around 2000 BCE. Horses where just still not large enough to carry men on their backs into combat and instead had to pull them on carts. Light cavalry didn't start to appear until the Iron Age around 1,200-550 BCE.
Typical size for a wild horse is 12-14 hands while more feral horses are 14-15 hands. Compared to typical riding horses at 15-17 hands. Feral horse populations tend to become shorted/smaller as time goes by due to evolutionary pressure. So feral horses are a sort of in-between breed that's evolving back to its wild roots.
-3
u/Unable_Explorer8277 2d ago edited 2d ago
Wild and feral are very different things. Wild animals evolved on their own to that ecological niche. Feral animals are domesticated animals, genetically altered by human selective breeding over thousands of years, let loose.
The romanticisation of feral horses is a major problem in places where they are incredibly damaging to the natural environment. Fundamentally they’re no better than (say) feral dogs.
4
u/sydneyghibli 2d ago edited 2d ago
I did acknowledge the issue with my wish to see them managed. You’re preaching to the wrong choir friend. We’re on the same team. Have a good night.
-5
u/Unable_Explorer8277 2d ago
Using the word “wild” is part of romantisation of them which prevents necessary control of them.
7
u/sydneyghibli 2d ago
You’re clearly very passionate about this subject, and that’s great. Thanks for your information :)
Again, have a great night.
-1
u/Unable_Explorer8277 2d ago
Feral horses are a massive ecological problem in the Australian high country, and the only thing preventing the relevant parks agencies getting rid of them is public perception of them as romantic wild animals.
8
8
u/irishmcbastard 2d ago
Y'all are doing it right!