Phantom Stallion E-Newsletter January 2009
Happy New Year!
How about some hints from horses to help with your New Year's resolutions?
- Savor good moments. Have you ever watched a horse find the one sunny spot in a muddy pasture? Roll with pure joy once work is over and the saddle is peeled off? Or chomp an apple with eyes closed, enjoying the sweet juice tickling his taste buds? Recognize all the wonderful things in your life and you'll probably find out there are more good moments than bad ones!
- Safety is with the herd for wild horses, and for most people, that herd is their family.
Although friends are important, they're rarely as dependable as your family. Friends can be
jealous, and if you're smarter or more determined or focused, they may try to pull you down
to their level. Not because they're terrible people, but because misery loves company! And
you're the company they like best.
Horses don't put up with that kind of "friendship." For them, friendship is a two-way street.
They stand nose to tail and scratch each other's withers with gentle nibbles. On Shakeleford
Banks, I saw wild horses carry big white wading birds on their backs, because the birds
cleaned the insects out of their manes.
Your family usually wants what's best for you. If your friends don't, what makes them
friends?
- Horses avoid fights over silly things. Wild stallions strut up to each other, flashing messages with eyes and ears, snorting and pawing, until they work things out. Usually, they back off and take their herds to opposite ends of a grassy swale for lunch, or to each end of a pond to drink. Pride is rarely worth getting hurt over, even if you're the one to swish her tail and amble away first.
This just in . . .
Three Phantom Stallion readers won Plush Phantoms, but hundreds of readers entered!
Authoring Change – Terri's campaign to use books to support humane and literacy causes, donated holiday gift books to the Committtee to Aid Abused Women (most abused women leave home to protect their children), Horses for the Spirit and the Nevada Humane Society.
Terri with pets seeking forever homes at a recent booksigning.
Terri will be training as a volunteer for Horses for the Spirit an organization much like HARP in her books, its goal is to enable humans to discover, learn, grow and heal through horseplay! Work with at least 200 young people each year teaching leadership and communication through Equine Assisted Learning. You can check out some of the equine tutors at horsesforthespirit.org. Terri can't wait to meet them, especially Henry – a palomino mustang— Kiowa – a paint mustang—and Otis – a pony sized mustang! You can count on getting lots of updates on this and Terri's wondering if the seeds of another book are here, too.
According to Dallas, our foreman, cowboys never retire, but cowponies do. So, today I went to a retirement party for Amigo.
It wasn't really supposed to be a party – Dallas says that's pure nonsense! – but it kind of turned out that way.
Where is Terri Farley?
Coming in 2009
Nevada Reading Week Conference -- February 2009
Did you know?
Madeleine Pickens of Texas, isn't just talking about change ; she's making it happen!
"How do you corral 30,000 horses, having taken them off the range where they lived and just say 'night night'?" Madeleine asked, and came up with her own answer.
Because she believes mustangs are America's Animal, Madeleine Pickens told BLM that she'll take in the wild horses the Bureau of Land Management has considered killing. Now, Madeleine is looking for a million acres of ranchland where she'll care for wild horses and thoroughbreds the racing industry has deemed disposable, and one of her goals is to allow visitors.
To read more, check out: MadeleinePickens.com and say THANK YOU!
Buy Phantom Stallion
Phantom Stallion books are available at your local bookstore and online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.org
