Caballo Lake a rest stop during their travels, and eagles are often seen in the area. Caballo Lake is named for the Caballo Mountains that border the lake to the northeast, east, and southeast, in which wild horses roamed; Caballo means "horse" in Spanish. The upper area of the lake is very shallow and in recent years has been blocked from the lower, deeper end of the lake. The water has a slightly brownish hue from a distance, due to the shallow waters (usually about at the deepest point). The beaches of Caballo are rocky when compared to Elephant Butte Reservoir, but
Caballo Muerto a very complex structure with a "U-shaped" layout. It also includes overlapping platforms featuring access stairs, with plazas and hypostyle halls. The site includes friezes, as well as the giant heads constructed of clay representing characters with feline features, similar to Chavin style, yet preceding the Chavin chronologically. The economy of the inhabitants of Caballo Muerto was based on the use of irrigated land reclaimed from the desert. Irrigation canals were constructed. The proteins were obtained from land animals like deer; later, llamas were consumed. The people of Caballo Muerto, belonging to the Cupisnique culture, were the direct ancestors of