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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Chilly Pepper update! Dear Readers, Here's an update from Palomino, wild horse angel! Hi Has been a long and tiring 9 days, but soooooooooooooo worth it. She is still not out of the woods yet, but a little fighter and is getting quite feisty. She got up by herself yesterday for the first time. So the prayers are working Yay! Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 6:26 PM 2 comments Sunday, March 29, 2009 Update from Madeleine Click here to find out How YOU can help! protect these horses running on YOUR public lands! Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 6:28 PM 5 comments Saturday, March 28, 2009 Paniolo Contest HI -- I've notified the first round of winners in the Paniolo in Paradise contest. Dahana Ranch sent me a few extra things, though, so I'll be awarding those to people, too! Have a great Saturday, wherever you are! Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 12:54 PM 2 comments Horse Meat = Money, but then so does murder-for-hire... Dear Readers, My stomach rolled when I saw this. Even though this isn't a real advertisement, the image isn't far-fetched. American horses still sold in Europe,Canada and Japan for meat, and now lawmakers in Montana and Wyoming are fighting to open new horse slaughter factories. To read more about HOW YOU CAN HELP no matter your age or where you live, visit the source of this photo Be Heard for the Herd Thanks for helping, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:10 AM 2 comments No Reset Button on Wild Horses Dear Readers, Free-roaming horses have been coming down out of the mountains to graze on warmer ranges for generations. It takes a while for them to understand people have taken over their territory. Thank goodness for wonderful people who care about little animals who are separated from their families by traffic and human interference. Read the story of Shelbie the orphan foal ... click here Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:43 AM 0 comments Friday, March 27, 2009 Wild Horse Lily Dear Readers, It's spring and my hopes are high that I can plant some of these because they're named HEMEROCALLIS WILD HORSES! Off to find out if they'll survive at my altitude! Best to you, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:45 AM 3 comments Thursday, March 26, 2009 Phantom Stallion Paradise Explore and have fun talking to other Phantom Stallion readers here: About PS Paradise The foals on the home page look like they're on an Easter egg hunt! Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:28 AM 0 comments Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Orphan Chilly 2 Dear Readers, Here's an update from Palomino. That's her nice new husband with Miss Chilly. Thanks for the prayers and love. Little Miss Chilly is doing okay. We had a rough night cuz the vet thought it might be a good idea to add "goat's milk" to the formula... I think she might be allergic to the goat's milk. She's a sweetie and she has to be a fighter to have survived out there all alone. Have a wonderful day. It is really great to know that people are out there pulling for her. Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:30 AM 5 comments Monday, March 23, 2009 Range Angel to the Rescue Dear Readers, I just had this letter & photos from my friend Palomino at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, where the real Phantom Stallion lives. This filly had an unlucky start, but there's a wild horse angel at her side, now. HI Terri, PLEASE PRAY HARD FOR THIS LITTLE GIRL, CUZ SHE NEEDS ALL THE HELP SHE CAN GET. Tara and I were riding home yesterday after working a couple horses when up high on the hill, all alone, was this little filly, sitting beside her dead mommy. Mommy had apparently been dead for 2-3 days, and that seems to be the age of "Chilly Pepper". She was out there for probably 2 nights, judging by the condition of her mom. I think the fact that little miss Chilly has such long legs and is so big, (she comes up to my hip already) may have been a hard birth for her mama. She was apparently unable to pass her afterbirth. Little "Chilly" had apparently been cuddling up to her dead mama as she smelled (still kind of does) atrocious and had been snowed upon for possibly two nights. Her gums were white and colder than anything I have ever felt in a live animal. Spent last night up with her the whole night (I know you guys have all done that one) warming her up and getting her hydrated and helping her get her functions going. She actually "peed" today YEAH YEAH. Funny how the little things can mean absolutely "everything". She is laying in my living room on the heating pads right now, but has been outside several times today and walked around a little bit. She still can't stand up by herself, but is a little perkier and I have her drinking out of a bucket. I called the vet and she traded me some antibiotics for some cheesecake. (yeah for that also) so hopefully she will be okay and make it. It's so hard when they are born into a freezing unfriendly world and mama is also gone. I can only imagine what she felt like all cold and alone. Hopefully this will be a true success story and little miss "Chili Pepper" will live a long, healthy and happy life. I know you guys are familiar with these incidents, but they still pull your heart strings so much. Hope all is well with you. Love much Palomino Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:55 PM 6 comments Sunday, March 22, 2009 Sagebrush Hero: wild foal rescue I had to show you this rescue of a wild foal. It happened Saturday morning. Mike Holmes, the man helping the foal, is the same Department of Agriculture guy who tried relocating the real Phantom Stallion several times before bringing him in and helping us find him another home on the range. He's always shows up to help the horses. If you watch to the end to see the reunion, it'll do your heart good! sagebrush hero Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:34 AM 1 comments SHAKA now! Here's a letter from a reader that led me to a fun photo: Dear Terri Farley, I was just reading Phantom Stallion Wild Horse Island #11 last night, and I just can't remember what a shaka sign is. I looked through the first books to try to find out, but I couldn't. So, my question is, how do you make a shaka sign and what does it mean? Cowgirl Up, *~Amanda Show & tell time -- here's a famous Hawaiian showing the shaka sign. How to do it: make a fist with either hand. Extend the thumb and pinky while keeping the middle fingers curled under. Face your thumb and pinky away from you and give your shaka a shake. What's a SHAKA mean? It can be a symbol of the ALOHA SPIRIT -- a warmth and feeling of "we're all okay!" or a sign that says "all right", "cool", or just HI or BYE! The photo shows President Obama flashing shakas to the Punahou School marching band as they played "Aloha Oe" in the inauguration parade. He was born in Honolulu in 1961, and attended Punahou from fifth grade to his graduation in 1979. It's time for the hope, kindness& solidarity of this symbol ; start flashing! Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:29 AM 1 comments Saturday, March 21, 2009 Spring is on the Air In honor of Spring, skunks in my neighborhood have had babies and are being very protective of them. The scent is something else! Can't say I enjoy it, but it's part of spring in my part of the West. I have a bevvy of daffodils blooming, too. They're my favorite flowers, and know it. When I went out first thing this morning, they were nodding their yellow heads, acknowledging applause at their beauty. Have a great day, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:32 AM 1 comments Friday, March 20, 2009 COWS AND HORSES IN YOUR KITCHEN I like cows. Anyone who's brushed a 4-H heifer or bottle fed a calf as it looked up with "adoring" eyes and corkscrewing tail likes them. Cows are good mothers and smarter than most people give them credit for-- despite genetic meddling to make them hamburgers on hooves. If you've read my books, you know I respect family ranchers. Today, it's BLM, not the ranchers, who are creating a problem out of a solution. If what I hear is true, BLM won't accept Madeleine Pickens' sanctuary plan because federal land being considered for part of the sanctuary puts wild horses in places where they didn't live when the Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted. Got that, but then why was it okay for BLM to "zero out" areas where the horses DID roam in those days? BLM brings up range damage, again, still without accurate wild horse/cattle counts. A common number is 200 cattle for each horse, but horses are blamed for most range damage. Don't get me started on whose feet and habits inflict the most ecological damage; let's just see how that range situation would look in your life, and, to be SUPER careful horse bias doesn't take charge,let's make it 100 - 1. Think of your house. Shake off that image and return to the fact that Pickens' business plan estimates a BILLION taxpayer dollars saved over 10 years. Don't you think Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar should ask BLM to take another look? Happy trails, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:17 AM 1 comments Thursday, March 19, 2009 from Madeleine Pickens via Terri to YOU 33,000 Wild Horses at Risk: Contact Interior Secretary Salazar Now! Dear Friends, Can you help us stop the mass murder and imprisoning of thousands of wild horses & burros? Just two weeks ago, we received the surprise announcement that the million-acre sanctuary proposed for Madeleine Pickens for the 30,000 wild horses and burros held in captivity by US authorities has hit a snag. The National Wild Horse Foundation founded by Madeleine Pickens to help drive the proposal has been told by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that federal land being considered for part of the sanctuary cannot be used because the government does not want wild horses in areas where they did not exist when the Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted. This is OUR backyard and we CAN stop it. Click here to contact Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) created the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971. The Act was created with the hope of managing healthy herds of wild horses and burros on healthy Western rangelands. A key responsibility of the BLM is to determine the appropriate management level of these wonderful animals, insuring a balanced existence with other public rangeland resources and uses. This means, 33,000 symbols of the Western spirit will be harshly reduced or contained. The BLM's main reason? They believe wild horses and burros consume unfair amounts of forage on BLM land. On March 3, 2009, it was stated by a BLM representative that the forage depletion on public lands leaves cattle with nothing to eat. Contrary to that statement, a Wild Horse Ecologist, Craig C. Downer, of Nevada, stated in his speech (Wild Horse Speech With Tables And Charts, Wild Horse Summit, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2008) that wild horses and burros only consume a mere 5.6% of the forage consumed by livestock on BLM land. In order to restore the 'needed balance,' thousands of these innocent wild horses and burros are 'gathered' from the public rangelands on a yearly basis. They are held in captivity, which is costly, and then offered up for sale and adoption to individuals or groups who are in a position to be 'providing a humanitarian home.' The ones who are not taken are slaughtered. Can WE just stand still and do nothing? The use of the word 'gather' is a grossly underestimated term of the word. This isn't a kumbaya moment with ranchers herding wild horses and burros over a period of a few days or weeks, with campfires and sleeping under the stars until they all reach their final destination. It's done violently with helicopters. In James Kleinert's classic DVD "Saving America's Horses," the images of round-ups with helicopters are brutal, horrific, and depict animal deaths occurring from stress and foals getting trampled, while others suffer vicious limb breaks. A business plan proposed by Madeleine Pickens and the National Wild Horse Foundation has been set forth to save the Government approximately $1 billion over a decade while 'providing a humanitarian home' for these 33,000 horses in captivity. The expected holding costs for the BLM in 2009 are $33 million, and in 2014 it is estimated to be $85 million. Madeleine Pickens' plan to form a single very large wild horse and burro sanctuary would save taxpayers as much as $700 million, which would otherwise be used on holding pens and pastures until 2020. This business plan will help unravel the problem that the BLM has created in gathering horses off the range land at the tax payers expense. Can YOU just stand still and do nothing? Click here to contact Secretary Ken Salazar. Stop this trail of carnage and public waste! The National Wild Horse Foundation needs your help before it's too late to save these magnificent animals and a part of our American heritage. With Gratitude, Madeleine Pickens President National Wild Horse Foundation Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:45 PM 1 comments Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Curly & Cowy! Dear Readers, I've never touched a curly mustang, but I once saw three of them in a single wild herd (if you happen to remember a PHANTOM STALLION scene in which I described a small stallion the color of orange sherbet, he was in the same herd). Now,BLM is offering some for adoption! Click here Curly Mustangs! to read more about the adoption day. And if you're eager for more curls, check out the Living High Curls Ranch where you can see more of the horses pictured here. Have fun, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:47 PM 4 comments Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Clairewashere.com Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:02 AM 5 comments Monday, March 16, 2009 Disgrace in Arizona Dear Readers, I love teenagers, at least most of them, but the actions this girl is accused of sickened me. Of course I blame her father for a twisted upbringing, but my observations say that by the time most of us are 13 years old, we can think straight about moral decisions. Horse Dragged,Beaten This happened last summer, but the trial is TOMORROW and I'll be paying attention to the evidence presented. If you have any opinions on whether these two should be held accountable for their actions, politely email the Pinal County attorney, here: [email protected] I hope this girl can be helped. Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 12:16 PM 7 comments Sunday, March 15, 2009 WHOOZ YOUR MUSE? When I imagine my muse, I think of Mr. Rogers. Who's yours? Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 1:25 PM 2 comments Saturday, March 14, 2009 Brain Fake-Outs & Temporary Talismans (WB3) BRAIN FAKE-OUTS 1. Turn off your computer screen and "write blind". You won't be tempted to revise as you go. Hint: check your finger position on the keys 2) Turn off the computer, storm out of the room and head for the shower, threatening to quit for the day; an idea almost always pops up. 3)Put your character JILL in an impossible situation. It may have nothing to do with your plot. Get in Jill's head & force her to figure out what to do. Try this example from author Robin Lee Hatcher: Jill MUST make a life or death phone call! But she's lost her cell phone and nothing's open. Then she spots a phone booth! Yay, the love of her life won't have to die. Except there's a huge, unfriendly gorilla inside the booth. What does she do? Write it. TALISMANS are objects to protect you against evil spirits. WB qualifies as evil, right? And you probably already have talismans or habits that help you maintain a writing mood. To keep you from feeling sheepish about yours, here are some of mine. 1. Mystical mugs -- the goddess-emblazoned one from my friend Jo can only be gulped from when I'm CREATING. For rewriting & polishing stories, I drink from one of my horse mugs. 2. I can't write right without something alive in my office--my lucky bamboo plant or goldfish named Fluffy,for instance. 3. While working on Hawaiian stories, I keep my wooden pue'o (owl) and picture of Pele close at hand 4. If I feel unsure about my work, I turn to the tiny painting my mother did for me. Wreathed with tiny flowers are the words: Commit thy words unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established. Combating WB isn't hard. You just have to find your own secret technique. From there, it's like being on a swing. With a good strong push, and power of your own, there's no tell how high you can soar. Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:23 PM 3 comments Kyrgyzstan http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/photo1048128.htm check out the wild horses of and next time you hear the nws...think of what it means for them to be light color Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:13 PM 0 comments Friday, March 13, 2009 BUTTERFLY NETS (No Writers Block, pt. 2) Dear Readers, Google brings up 7,700,000 links to WRITER'S BLOCK articles, solutions, etc., so I guess I'd better clarify what I mean by the term. When my child had leukemia, writing wasn't on my to-do lists. For me, that wasn't writer's block, just prioritizing. That said, I'm a believer in BUTTERFLY NETS as a way to jump-start your brain against WB. I don't advocate snaring Tiger Swallowtails or Monarchs,but I swoop ideas out of the air and pin them down even if they struggle because ideas, like butterflies, are fleeting and fragile. The best story idea ever imagined can evaporate if -- before you jot it down -- someone surprises you by smacking your car door. My butterfly nets are usually scraps of paper. When I taught full time, my blazer pockets were full of ideas jotted on used tardy passes. My grocery lists include phrases like "sound of horse falling in mud" and my family's been warned not to toss out (or be alarmed by)envelopes or index cards covered with conversations which never happened or obituaries of people no one knows. Yet. For instant use, my favorite butterfly nets is clustering. If you've never heard of clustering, read Gabrielle Rico's WRITING THE NATURAL WAY. It changed my writing life forever. I use it every day to charge up the sense of being there for my readers, and me. Silence helps me hear my characters' thoughts. You might give it a try if you usually have music playing while you write. In that silence, you might learn things that don't fit in the chapter you've sworn to write that day. You may hear grass swishing TOO LOUDLY as your girl sneaks up on...who? And what if your guy feels a warm weight on his knee as the muzzle of a beloved dog looks up at him. Wait!He doesn't have a dog! He's allergic, so --??? Figuring out what's going on inside your characters' lives away from you is not time wasted. If you're writing, you're not blocked. Tomorrow, the conclusion : Brain Fake-outs and Creative Talismans Write some magic tonight, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 5:04 PM 1 comments Thursday, March 12, 2009 I don't believe in Writer's Block Now, watch. Bad fairies will zoom down and smite me. I'm wincing as I check over each shoulder, hoping those silvery things zinging past my window are just hummingbirds, because it's true; I don't believe in writer's block. On Tuesday, while doing an online interview, I was asked how I avoided WB I realized this is a question I hear ALL THE TIME. Since Tuesday, I've been trying to figure out why the very mention of WB doesn't give me cold sweats, and I discovered there are strategies hiding in my brain's dark convolutions that I use without thinking. Besides stripping it of its dignity through calling it WB, I mean. Of course I've had days (weeks, months...)when I haven't written anything useful, when I've experienced the whiplash realization that I'm just la-de-dah typing away to hear the magic (not) of own words! That's why God made delete buttons and fireplaces. But, to paraphrase Anne LaMott, author of BIRD BY BIRD,the best book ever about the writing life The good news is, if you want to write, you get to... And, for what they're worth, I'll share my strategies. Stay tuned, if you care, and if you don't -- get writing! Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:42 PM 6 comments Ranchers + Animal Advocates = Oasis Dear Readers, Last summer I wrote about seeing the largest wild horse herd I'd ever witnessed in Nevada, and here's the rest of the story: Thirsty Horses This is a great example of creative thinking. Instead of fighting over which animals have the right to spare water, two factions came together and the animals won. Best to you, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:59 AM 1 comments Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Website UPdate ! Dear Readers, My brilliant website designer has tweaked Phantomstallion.com to include some new stuff! > READING ROCKS this brand new page is filled with readers, books and horses > PHANTOM NEWS This page has a re-activated Wild Horse Adventure poll; please speak up for the horses! >PHANTOM FUN An updated web cam shows live Nevada mountain sports. Sometimes there's even night skiing. >BOOKSHELF & WILD HORSE ISLAND Now, click on any book cover & you'll fly to a place where you can buy THAT book online. Very hand for parents and other lovely people who'd like to make you smile! Have fun, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:33 AM 2 comments Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Spot o' tea with selkies Dear Readers, I know you'll enjoy this fun blog: Celtic Lady. It's like visiting a Celtic cottage for tea. The most recent post about SELKIES has some lovely art! Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:44 AM 3 comments Sunday, March 08, 2009 Not ALL Horses sleep standing up Isn't this the coziest scene ever? Your horse instincts (and knowledge) were spectacular, as usual. Horses are prey animals and if they're attacked by a predator, precious escape time could be lost by horses rocking up to all four hooves. The instinct remains in our domesticated horses! Horses do rest on their sides for naps in the sunshine. What a relief for their legs! During the night though, they doze on all fours, ready to run! If you want to see more small horses click here and and visit a fun world called Illusion Miniatures. Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:43 PM 1 comments Friday, March 06, 2009 We've been together a while Dear Readers, New discoveries show that horses and humans have been together a thousand years longer than previously thought. Click here to read about an ancient Asian horse farm: 5,500 year old horses worked for man Of course, not all of the horses were just pals, but there are revelations about selective breeding (the fleeter horses were bred to chase their heavier cousins), and lots more. I see a new career here: an Indiana Jones-style equine anthropologist! Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:42 AM 2 comments Thursday, March 05, 2009 Little Cowgirl Dear Readers, I hope you'll read the story of this tiny Nevada cowgirl! For her story, click here After reading it, I bet you'll agree that she'll make a wonderful fictional character. That horse does NOT trust the photographer, if you ask me! Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 5:48 AM 6 comments Wednesday, March 04, 2009 Road Trip to see Mustangs, anyone? Dear Readers, My email boxes are overflowing and so are your comments on this blog. I'll get to them all soon -- PROMISE -- between shoveling! If you want to see some Nevada snow, check out the web cams on my PHANTOM FUN page ...although we got lots more snow at my house than they did in town. How about planning a Spring road trip to see some mustangs? Maybe even ADOPT or buy a mustang? Hint, nudge :) Here are some destinations around the country ; I found this info on a great blog, by Ashley Rodenmeyer at Examiner.com Upcoming 2009 Adoption Dates: Hesperia, CA Mar 14 Navasota, TX Mar 19-21 Turlock, CA Mar 21-22 Yuma, AZ Mar 20-22 Humansville, MO Mar 27-28 Albuquerque, NM Apr 2-4 Springfield, OH Apr 17-18 Ashville, NC Apr 17-18 Northwest Extreme Mustang Makeover: Albany, OR Mar 19-21 Gatorland Extreme Mustang Makeover: Ocala, FL Apr 3-5 Midwest Extreme Mustang Makeover: Madison, WI Apr 17-19 Careen Hammock of the Brazos Valley trained this Mustang Makeover star TAZ To see more horses from last year's Extreme Mustang Makeovers visit MUSTANG MAKEOVER To find out more about wild horses and burros visit: BLM's Wild Horses Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:55 AM 6 comments Tuesday, March 03, 2009 Horses in Washington Dear Readers, Stay alert. This morning testimony will be heard about the new wild horse anti slaughter bill. Mrs. Madeleine Pickens will be among those voicing her opposition to the slaughter of healthy wild horses and her support for keeping horses on their home range. Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:34 AM 2 comments Why do horses sleep standing up? HI, Think about the question above. what are your theories? We'll talk more about it tomorrow. Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 4:55 AM 9 comments Monday, March 02, 2009 Message from Palomino at WHS Dear Readers, I talked with my friends at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in preparation for a comment I hope to make today in front of the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Advisory panel and got a little update! Pride, the Phantom's son is now running with a bachelor band. Here's what my friend Palomino said: "Saw Phantom's son yesterday. He is very silvery/gray. I am planning on taking my camera out next time I feed so I can send you a pix of him. Phantom is still being the Phantom and staying out of sight." Best, Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:20 AM 4 comments Sunday, March 01, 2009 Horse Party Dear Readers, Do you know what a MOCHILLA has to do with horses? Well, my March newsletter is in the Mochilla and headed your way. While you're waiting for your copy, check out barnmice.com . This online community of horse lovers is having a month long party. Here's the scoop -- Every day a lucky member will win a special goody from our fabulous sponsors! Just log in and participate for the chance to win: * Silver Earrings from the Barnmice Gift shop! * Gift Certificates from Bakers Saddlery! * Stunning leather key chains from Red Scarf Equestrian! * Horse Supplements from Omega Alpha! * Fabulous books from authors Terri Farley, Susan Stafford and Nikki Tate! * A gorgeous saddlepad from ECOGOLD! …And lots more! Have fun! Terri Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 5:53 PM 6 comments |