The first plant is one of the Grape Ferns, possibly Botrychium biternatum (Sparse-lobe Grape Fern).

I never saw the flowers even though I make it a point of hiking through this area regularly. Due to the chewed off tops, it is quite possible if I had visited a few days or a week later I may not have seen these plants either. bboy - not sure if you are referring to the plant's odd name or if you think they were eaten by horses, but on that note, while I was looking up info about "horse gentain" it was noted that nobody really knows why it was given this name :-)

Those are beautiful pictures, Randy! When I saw your pictures, the plant reminded me of a native plant that grows on my property in the bottom of the hollow where it's wet. Most of the plants have bloomed out, but I found one still in bloom - I had forgotten the name of the plant, so I looked it up, and it's pluchea foetida/stinking camphorweed. I've never seen any butterflies use the flowers, but then I don't go to the bottom of the hollow that often. The picture of pluchea purpurescens/salt marsh fleabane in my wildflower book looks just like your pretty pink flowers - I'm sure that's what yours is. Sherry

Just wondering if it's an interesting native plant or something that will take over if I leave it alone. It's both.