Wallow

A horse wallowing in a sandy wallow. In the old west, some buffalo wallows were deep enough to serve as shelters during combat. In September of 1874, army scouts Amos Chapman and William "Billy" Dixon, along with four cavalry soldiers, successfully held off a 36-hour assault by some 125 Indian warriors by taking refuge in one such wallow. Animals wallow for various reasons: to get rid of insects, to conceal their scent, to cool off, to scratch an itch, etc.

Photo by Bob Lemen. All rights reserved.