Arizona’s Salt River is home to a herd of wild horses. Many of them are believed to be descendants of the horses that were brought to the Americas by the Spaniards hundreds of years ago.

The Salt River flows down the edge of the Valley of the Sun and fills numerous man-made lakes on its way westward. Some rocks at Phon d Sutton Recreation Area look very similar to the Conglomerate Cliffs of Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan, which are formed when rivers deposit sand, pebbles and rocks and cement them together over time.

The Salt River is a wide, shallow river.

A friend had seen the herd before and knew where we were likely to find them. Thanks for being a great guide, Brian!

We found them without too much trouble.

As we moved further downriver, we found another group.

On a warm February day, these two seemed to enjoy standing in the cool water.

This one posed for me.

These three seem to have contracted spring fever.

The horses splash the water with their hoofs to get themselves wet. There are a number of birds that live along the Salt River but that is for another post.

Arizona has had record amounts of rainfall this winter and the desert floor is a mat of green.