THE HORSE

[OLTIMER]

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE MEANING OF THE HORSE, JULIA THOMAS WAS SAID TO HAVE ONE ON HER MAP, AND THERE IS THE HORSE STONE. THERE IS A STONE HORSE NEAR THE PRIEST ROCK AND HEART I FOUND. I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT WITH THE OTHERS I WILL TRY TO GET IT ON SOON ON THE NEW MEMBERS ARCHIVE. ALSO WERE THE JESUIT EVER KNOWN TO BAND CACTUS? I PUT A PICTURE OF ONE THAT IS BY THE PRIEST AND HEART. CAN ANYONE TELL HOW OLD IT IS? THANKS OLTIMER

[Scott]

I have seen a half dozen cactus banded . They all were banded on the main body.The markings were 3 and 5 bands.Areas with many banded cacti should be regarded as practice areas.Any time you come across cactus markers in groups or duplicated they could be just practice areas.
Many did exist on the eastern side of Peralta trail ,west of the big wash.
Cactus markers would mark trails or caches that existed for a hundred of years.Many were destroyed as roads replaced trails.Most markers we ran were lost to roads.
We also ran many that ran you in circles and had no purpose except as training aides it seemed.
I was told that 3 bands meant silver ,5 related to gold.
There are differences in the scarring and healing of the cactus.Latter

[OLTIMER]

hi thanks for info. there is 4 cactus same size as the banded one in straight line going to the hidden canyon, does this have a meaning? how can you tell age on cactus? thanks oltimer

[bill711]

Oldtimer: The reason the cactus grow in a straight line is that when the cacti are real young they are real senitive to strong sunlight so they use the shade of something near by to grow for the first several years. This is why you will find them in a straight line alot. When you find some like that check and you see this is true. Also watch the birds sometime they will band the catus, like the woodpecker, etcet. Thank,s bill