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Terri Farley
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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Coyote Attack

Dear Readers,
I'm passionate about writing the West, and if you've read even one of my books, you know how I feel about coyotes. I think they're a wonderful part of the West. One of my favorite sounds is their singing on summer nights.
The book I'm working on features coyotes (or wer-coyotes) accused of attacks on humans. My research and personal experience indicate coyotes are extremly shy of humans.
Although coyotes would consider my yard a well-stocked pantry, for all my watchfulness, I've never seen one after fawns, quail, chickens, cats or dogs. They're that shy of humans.
According to recent news,though, Canadian singer Taylor Mitchell, was attacked and killed by two coyotes. I'm sad for a young woman who, according to her friends, loved Nature.
Such an attack is so unusual, I find myself thinking of fictional explanations or some encounter gone terribly wrong.
In most states, there's already a continuous open hunting season on coyotes.
Keep your eyes open for the facts.
Terri


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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Today's Lesson: Stop and Smell the Bear Breath

Dear Readers,
Yesterday I drove past two animal control trucks. Parked on the bridge near my house, they had their flashing lights on, but were looking down at the river, kind of casually.
I actually drove past them twice -- going into town & coming home. And the second time a few people were gathered around, but I didn't stop.
Why? Was I pretty sure they had things under control? Did I resist giving whatever animal in distress one less human to worry about? Was I too heartsore with horse worries to add another creature?
My answer is yes, all of those, but want to know what I missed?
A happy young bear had climbed up a riverside apple tree to have a snack.
I wish I'd seen him before he ambled off on his own.
Next time I'll stop,
Terri


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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Stampede to Oblivion


Dear Readers,
Today you can have your own WILD HORSE FILM FESTIVAL. Fun with a serious purpose.
Right this minute: you can watch the first two parts of STAMPEDE TO OBLIVION.
Tonight: watch ( click here for local listings in the U.S.) CLOUD: Challenge of the Stallions. It will be followed by an online discussion with Ginger Kathrens about the BLM round-up of Cloud's band.
STAMPEDE TO OBLIVION includes everything from proof that the horse is native to North America to BLM's rough treatment of foals, to-the-point interviews and up-to-the-minute news reports from a top-notch investigative reporter. Click here Stampede to Oblivion to watch it now.
When you see the screen in the upper right hand corner of the page, look under the picture and on the far right, click on the icon that looks like a TV. That will blow the movie up to fill your screen.
Viewing hint: if you watch TV with a computer nearby, feel free to write notes to these two men. They can influence what happens next:

Robert Abbey

BLM Director

Ken Salazar
Dept. of Interior
Dept of Interior

If you prefer, address envelopes or postcards, have them at hand and write notes that you can mail tomorrow.
Write to both :
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240

DON'T ASSUME SOMEONE ELSE WILL SPEAK FOR THE HORSES; THEY NEED YOU.

Best, Terri


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Saturday, October 24, 2009

Cheap Thrills near you!

Dear Readers,
Want a weekly update on authors visiting your area? Go meet them, look at and discuss their books. If they're not too busy, maybe even talk about the life of a working writer.
Here's how
1. Go to BOOKTOUR.COM
2. Look at the upper right, top of the page and find EVENTS NEAR YOU AT ______ (enter zip code)
3. Then, look to the left of the page for HOW TO USE BOOKTOUR, click there and on the next page, look down and you can find a place to arrange for a weekly email update of authors in your neighborhood!
I can't wait until the author in your neighborhood is me :)
Terri


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Thursday, October 22, 2009

British Horse Jokes :)

1st man - We lost our horse.
2nd man - Why not put an ad in the newspaper "lost and found" column?
1st man - Don't be silly. He can't read.


Stable owner - Did you find my horse well behaved?


Rider - Definitely. Every time we came to a fence he let me go over first.



How do you hire a horse?
Put a brick under each hoof.


What do you give a sick horse?
Cough stirrup.




Read more: Laughing Horses


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DEADLY ROUND-UPS

No wonder BLM has barred humane observers from their round-ups.

An article from HORSEBACK apot lighted these facts

--The Bureau of Land Management's concerted effort to thin the herds of wild horses on land it manages has proven deadly, so deadly in fact, that for each of the last two years (and this year’s not over yet) there have been fatalities on almost half of the “gathers”

--In 2008, 45 percent of the roundups resulted in at least one fatality, and on one in Nevada, 27 horses died. The total number of deaths through injury or for other reasons totaled 126 animals last year

--The percentage of dead horses on BLM roundups this year is slightly worse at 46 percent resulting in at least one horse death. In July, a Wyoming gather proved fatal to 11 horses. To date this year, 79 horses have died as the agency rushes to clear wild horses from the West

--massive roundups are leaving the western wild horse herds genetically bankrupt; chemical sterilization is taking its toll as well

Over the last two years a total of 205 horses have died at the agency’s hands during its gathers to thin the herds despite the vastness of the lands managed by BLM..

--Although helicopter induced stampedes result in fatalities, the agency is reluctant to classify a limping horse as injured

--The bureau classifies equine deaths two ways, according to national spokesman Tom Gorey of the agency’s Washington office.
> those that died or were euthanized because of acute injuries or medical conditions brought about by the gather and removal process
>Those with pre-existing conditions (primarily related to shortage of water and poor forage conditions because of drought and wildfire)

BLM claimed 106 of the 126 deaths fall into the latter category.


OF COURSE THEY DO!


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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

This is How I Roll



My first ever cattle drive with the real Ace








Riding the real Nike while taking notes


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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Worth the wait

HI all,
Trying to get the burro photo up!
I promise it will be a nice surprise when I do.
Terri


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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Start Planning a Wild Horse vacation


Dear Readers,
Check it out!

NEVADA WILD HORSE ADVENTURES


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Friday, October 16, 2009

If you live near GILROY, CALIFORNIA

Come see me!

Writing Children's Books: GWP's Fall 2009 Three-Part Series Continues!

October 17th at 1:30 p.m.
- Terri Farley, author of the popular Phantom Stallion series presents "Hooked on Horses" for kids at 1:30 p.m., followed by a wild horse video for both kids and adults at 2 p.m. Farley will discuss the writing life and her love of horses, then hold an opening line contest at the end of her talk.



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Thursday, October 15, 2009

AMEN, Ginger



Many of us question WHY Secretary of the Interior Salazar proposed the purchase of seven wild horse "preserves" in the East and Mid-West for about $96 million when 19.4 million acres are already designated as home to wild horses and burros.
"In just the past few weeks, 12 herds (620 horses) were zeroed out on an additional 1.4 million acres in Eastern Nevada. 'It would seem that the best use of taxpayer dollars and the most humane plan for the nearly 32,000 wild horses in government holding would be to return them to their native lands,' says Ginger Kathrens, Volunteer Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation. 'These millions of acres were identified for use by wild horses and burros and these lands are already owned by the American public.'"
(photo from Manataka.org)


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Drug Horses

Dear Readers,
That's right, not drugged horses.
In this story, you'll learn about horses being used to carry drugs over the U.S. - Mexican border: Marijuana on Horseback
These horses were, at first, accompanied by people, but one of my son's friends who works at the border told him some animals are trained to make the drug runs alone.
Remember Jake's interest in the Native American tracker team called the Shadow Wolves?
Wouldn't Jake be useful with these horses...
For those of you who think I've forgotten the PHANTOM STALLION books, let me tell you : the ideas never stop!
Reading rocks,
Terri


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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

A President on Horseback


"I can make a General in five minutes but a good horse is hard to replace."
Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865


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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Mustang living in New Jersey

Dear Readers,
This pretty boy is from the West, but closer to some of you in the East.
Had to share just in case one of you is looking for a beautiful new horse!
Terri


For Adoption to loving home, "Flax", is a two year mustang gelding. Originally adopted as a yearling form the Bureau of Land Management (Capture state Oregon). Flax is at present 13.3 hands. He should finish as a large pony. He is totally gentled, loves grooming, leads well, crossties and is great for both farrier and vet. Seeking a nice home to continue his education. Please call 973-219-3386.


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Monday, October 12, 2009

Great!

Dear Readers,
Wow! Your enthusiasm about a Breyer Phantom is fantastic! I'll keep poking around for information, but if any of you have come upon a list of past Benefit horses, please let me know!
Have a great day,
Terri


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Friday, October 09, 2009

Weekend Assignment :)

Dear Readers,
I'm going to be at a writers' conference all weekend, so I won't be writing to you, but I have a huge favor to ask! One of my readers, BRILLIANT Elizabeth, had an outstanding idea. She suggested that we contact Breyer about making a model of the Phantom and having him be the BENEFIT HORSE OF THE YEAR --- to spotlight the M U S T A N G S !!!!!!!
If any of you have time to do research on this, please share with me!
Most importantly, I know Breyer has done mustang models, but have they ever done a mustang Benefit Horse of the Year? If not, it's soooooooo time.
This is a way we can all help the horses!
Talk to you on Monday,
Terri


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Thursday, October 08, 2009

Like STRAWBERRY preserves; when the jar is empty...


Dear Readers,
Everything I've read about the Dept. of Interior's wild horse preserve is worrisome.
Horses on the range and in preserves will be, for the most part, "non-producing" -- wild stallions will be gelded, mustang mares will get birth control shots.
It doesn't take a biologist to know what that means: one by one, wild horses will die, and then they will be gone.

A Nevada newspaper would like to know if you think the wild horses should be taken away from their homelands.


click here to vote


Thanks for having an opinion,
Terri


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Glum Buster

Dear Readers,
I was feeling pretty glum this morning until Crystal in Australia posted this beautiful horse on Facebook! He reminded her of Mistwalker. Me, too!



If any of you need further cheering up, don't forget you can always visit YouTube.com and search for Phantom Stallion. There, you can watch fan videos and & see several of the real Phantom. He's a dream weaver, with that lovely floating action -- so like the Phantom I wrote about...
Terri


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Wednesday, October 07, 2009



Dear Readers,
What I'm hearing about Secretary Salazar's plan is unsettling and has contradictory numbers. More later, but til then I wanted to show you a race horse whose name I love.


Introducing SHE BE WILD


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Another home off the range?

Dear Readers,
I'm waiting for details on this news story: Sec. Salazar proposes moving West's wild horses and I'll tell you what I know, as soon as I know.

Some of my concerns:

> Of course I'd rather have all the wild horses running free

> This would take mustangs far from their Western homelands

> I want to hear the Secretary's definition of a preserve. Is there a reason he didn't say sanctuary?
Semantics are important.

This plan definitely puts a roadblock up for BLM's "silver bullet" plan to slaughter the wild horses already in captivity. And that IS a good thing.

Terri


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Monday, October 05, 2009

Ending Freedom



Dear Readers,
Although BLM claims they can't afford to feed the horses they've already captured, they have post-Christmas plans to end more free lives. Take a look and see if they're coming to a wild land near you.
In the photo above, you'll see mustangs with rump brands in addition to neck freeze brands. These may indicate what plans BLM has for the horses. Checking for more details,
Terri


2010 GATHER SCHEDULE

AZ BLM Nuisance 10/1/09 9/30/10 45 Burros

AZ BLM Lake Pleasant 10/1/09 9/30/10 30 Burros

NV BLM Caliante complex 10/1/09 10/14/09 278 Horses

UT BLM Onaqui 10/1/09 10/4/09 150 Horses

ID BLM Four Mile 10/6/09 10/9/09 122 (captured) 107 (kept in captivity)Horses

ID BLM Sands Basin 10/10/09 10/13/09 112 99 Horses

WY BLM McCullough Peaks 10/15/09 10/20/09 211 122 Horses

NV BLM Garfield Flats 10/16/09 10/20/09 250 167 Horses

NV BLM Tobin Range 10/22/09 11/3/09 443 421 Horses

WY BLM Fifteen Mile 10/21/09 10/28/09 333 280 Horses

WY BLM Green Mountain Red Desert 10/30/09 11/25/09 354 272 Horses

WY BLM Crooks Mountain Red Desert 10/30/09 11/25/09 70 13 Horses
WY BLM Lost Creek Red Desert 10/30/09 11/25/09 261 230 Horses
WY BLM HorseWY Stewart Creek Red Desert 10/30/09 11/25/09 300 209 Horses
WY BLM Antelope Hills Red Desert 10/30/09 11/25/09 141 97 Horses
OR BLM Hog Creek 11/5/09 11/9/09 146 116 Horses
OR BLM South Steens 11/10/09 11/20/09 395 236 Horses
CA BLM Massacre Lakes 12/7/09 12/14/09 187 162 Horses
OR BLM Palomina Buttes 12/16/09 12/19/09 93 61 Horses
OR BLM Paisley 12/20/09 12/25/09 223 163 Horses
NV BLM Calico Mt Complex 12/1/09 2/28/09 3186 2806 Horses
UT BLM Confusion 1/15/10 1/21/10 200 185 Horses
CA FS McGavin Peak 1/24/10 1/29/10 20 20 Horses
NV BLM Eagle (WC/DLC) 2/7/10 2/20/10 727 643 Horses
CO BLM West Douglas HA 2/21/10 2/28/10 60 60 Horses
AZ BLM Cibola-Trigo 3/4/10 3/10/10 90 90 Burros
NV BLM Hickison 3/2/10 3/15/10 92 75 Burros
AZ BLM Alamo 3/11/10 3/14/10 35 35 Burros


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Sunday, October 04, 2009

Willy & Thorson, Swedes in the Wild West


I met Willy and Torsten (and Rusty)during a wild horse adventure which will be the basis of their new book. They graciously shared some of their photos with the Lucky Horse Project folks and they've been compiled into a photo journal.
Sit back and relax, and join in this journey:
TWO SWEDES AND MANY MUSTANGS
There are lots of pages! Don't miss any!
And when you're done, tell me which of these three mustangs you'd pick for your own -- If you had your choice of Rusty, Pac Man or Tahoe.


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Saturday, October 03, 2009

Spotted Horse and the Apple Tree

Dear Readers,
It's a crisp October morning in my part of Nevada, and one of the horses I feed each morning -- a pinto named Darlin' -- is bucking and kicking up her heels and tossing her head in the direction of the bucket I used to bring apples from my tree.
Very cute, but she's had enough, so I'm writing to you instead of finding her some more. Good thing the tree is out of her reach!
Hope you received your October newsletter last night!
Have a great day,
Terri


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Friday, October 02, 2009

you've heard this before, but--

HI,
Sorry I got my newsletter to my desiger late :(
Next month I'll be early. Promise.
Terri


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BLM employee arrested in wild horse shootings

Dear Readers,
Three horses confined in BLM corrals were shot to death by Jason Hein, a BLM employee charged with caring for them.
Synecdoche is a figure of speech which uses part of something to stand for the whole thing. This news item isn't a perfect synecdoche, but it's tempting to think of this guy and his murder of penned animals as standing for the BLM and its actions toward our wild horses.
Read on if you have the stomach for it.

(BLM photo from Rock Springs corral)

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) - Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management say a BLM employee has been arrested in connection with the June shooting deaths of 3 wild horses as the agency's holding corrals in Rock Springs.

BLM spokeswoman Lorraine Keith says Jason Hein was arrested in Billings, Mont. on Friday. Keith says he is being returned to Sweetwater County to face multiple charges.

Hein has worked for the BLM for several years, and Keith says he is currently on administrative leave.

BLM workers discovered that the horses had been shot when they arrived at the corrals on June 12. 2 of the horses were privately owned, and the third was a wild mustang that was part of a BLM roundup and was being offered for adoption.


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Thursday, October 01, 2009

What color am I?



Dear Readers,
People (even other writers!) often ask me to show them an example of this coat color.
How would you describe the color of this frisky horse?
Best,
Terri


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