Terri Farley

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Writing by the Light of Western Stars

Writin' Riders is an authors' conference on horseback.

Writers and riders of varied experience rode through 5,000 acres of northern California's Wild Horse Sanctuary.

We wrote setting at our first break and character under the tree that shaded our lunch.
The plan was to create conflict after dinner and before we lost the light, but we didn't stop there.

I urged writers to focus on their senses.

I didn't count on Western stars to create a sense of wonder.

At daybreak, this young mare gave me a story idea. As I wrote it down, I glimpsed something across the meadow -- too long to be a dog, not tall enough for a deer. It undulated at the edge of the woods before fading into the trees.
Cougars live here.

Warmed by sun, the horses donned creative expressions.

What kinds of stories will grow out of this journey? Come along next time, and you can decide.

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:00 AM 1 comments

Monday, June 17, 2013

Palomino's Miracle Mustangs & Other Friends

Dear Readers,

Friday I left home to drive to Shingletown, California.
For lots of us, it's the center of wild horse rescue.
First, I visited Palomino Armstrong's Miracle Mustang rescue and became reacquainted with:
Romeo and Collins, rescued mustang orphans
HONEY BANDIT -- after his tough start, it's hard to believe this beautiful, glossy, friendly 3 year old was heartbeats away from death many times
Donk, burro head of cougar control
Bear and Soldier, rescued Dobermans
Magic, rescued black Arabian
A piggy whose name I missed (but I did snap his photo)
Snickers, sweet Aussie
TRAVIS -- Palomino's son!
One of the coolest things at the rescue is the wild horse nursery. I thought I was walking into a bedroom -- and there is comfy bed, but there's also a cozy corral in one corner and a wall opens so that threatened foals that need food and care through the night can be "inside" where Palomino leaps from bed to tend them with round-the-clock care.
Talk about dedication!
More later,
Terri

Labels: Honeybandit, orphan foal, Palomino, Romeo

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:55 AM 0 comments

Monday, June 10, 2013

Just What are the Perks of being an Indigenous Species?

Coyotes -- a species indigenous to the United States -- displayed in death on an Oklahoma farm

Please explain to me the advantage of being an indigenous species in the U.S., because I'm confused.
The "They're not even native!" protest surfaces as people fumble for why wild horses shouldn't be left to roam.
That argument grows shakier with new levels of DNA testing and recent fossil discoveries, but let's say it's true.
Just what are...

THE PERKS OF BEING AN INDIGENOUS SPECIES

Prairie dogs, skunks, raccoons, badgers, rabbits and ravens are considered vermin. As such, they don't even qualify for a hunting season most places. Plink away at will at those native varmints. Bears, bobcats, gray wolves, deer, elk, fox and pronghorn are indigenous, but I can knock on my neighbor's door and see them hanging on the wall, dead and taxidermied with ingeniously cast-from-fresh glass eyeballs.

To be fair, I hardly ever hear of nuisance hummingbirds.
They're not only natives, they can fly backward. Mustangs should work on that.

Native Alligators are spurring economic recovery in Louisiana. Swamp People-wannabes will pay to take to the bayous with guns, but I wouldn't call that a perk for the 'gator. Native centipedes and scorpions appear on reality TV, too, but they're likely to be Fear Factored to death.

Yeah, so, I'm probably missing something, because I can't see what wild horses will gain if they are proven to be a native species of animal.

Eaten, shot, hung on fences, walls...

And don' t get me started on the treatment of indigenous people.

Labels: indigenous animals, native species, vermin, wild horses

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:15 AM 0 comments

Friday, June 07, 2013

Nevada Legislators Vote to Protect Our Animals

Dear Readers,

We have lots to celebrate! The Nevada Legislature just concluded its 2013 session and Kevin O’Neill of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says

NEVADA LEADS THE NATION IN PASSING ANIMAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION!

Thanks to Beverlee McGrath, lobbyist for animal protection, Carrol Able and Shannon Windle of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Campaign for providing this information.

SB 72, ANTI-HORSE TRIPPING; substantially amended

PASSED

SJR 1, WILD HORSE RESOLUTION RE TOURISM; Encourages tourism of horses in their NATURAL environment, encourages cooperative agreements between the Dept. of Ag and rescue organizations.

PASSED

AB 264, PENALTIES FOR FEEDING ESTRAY HORSES; First offense - discussion only re illegal feeding, Second offense - gross misdemeanor.***


Man-handling of this new foal mobilized a grassroots movement to form a cooperative agreement between Nevada Department of Agriculture and wild horse advocates	(photo by Bo Rodriguez)

SB 82,BEAR HUNT STUDY RESOLUTION; Watered down from a prohibition of a bear hunt to a 3-yr study to be conducted after the 2013 scheduled hunt.

AMENDMENT CONCURRED

AB 110, PROHIBITS DOG BREED DISCRIMINATION; watered down from original bill, but should be good news for those of us who like to kiss German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, etc.

PASSED and SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

Many Pit Bulls are quite lovable and like to dress up as pirates

SB 73, PROTECTS THE IDENTITY OF A PERSON WHO REPORTS ANIMAL CRUELTY; clarifies that the person who reports should be withheld/protected, not the entire report.

PASSED

SB 83, INCREASES PENALTIES FOR COCKFIGHTING
PASSED
SB 213, TRAPPING; watered down from original bill, currently requires some form of ID on the traps that are set.

PASSED

SB 245, PROHIBITION OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF EXOTIC ANIMALS; This was a great bill - it has been dramatically watered down to suggest “counties MAY adopt an ordinance pertaining to exotics”. The amendment which prohibited private ownership of great apes was rejected.

NO ACTION FROM THE ASSEMBLY

SB 371, PROHIBITS FEEDING BIG-GAME MAMMALS; will prohibit 'baiting' mammals for hunting purposes.

PASSED

AB 168, REQUIRES COUNTY COMMISSION TO APPOINT A 'PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE TO WILDLIFE COMMISSION since hunters are the only members who serve on the County Advisory Board for the Wildlife Commission
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

AB 246, SWAP MEETS; A compromise bill, due to varied issues across the state. Prohibits the sale of live animals at swap meets/flea markets/open air markets unless an ordinance
PASSED

AB 345, PREDATORS; Requires wildlife commission to establish policies for predator programs and activities and 'manage' according to the BEST SCIENCE AVAILABLE. PASSED

***AB 264 calls for increased penalties against people who think it's fun and perfectly okay to feed horses in inappropriate places which may put wild horses at risk. A change to the law replaces the word “controlling” with the word “managing”. This small change opens the door that will bring wild horse advocates and the NV Dept of Agriculture together to develop humane methods of managing the wild horses of the Virginia Range – a cooperative agreement!

Labels: animal cruelty, animal law, bear hunt, cock fighting, exotic animals, fed horse is a dead horse, feeding wildlife, horse tripping, Nevada legislature, pit bulls, wild horse tourism, wildlife commision

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:46 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

It's Always a Good Day for Dog Soccer

Dear Readers,
When Zito plays soccer (every chance she gets), she plays every position -- from sweeper AND goalie to forward and ref!

All she requires of humans is that we KICK THE BALL again and again and again.

Labels: dog, soccer, Zito

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:11 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wild Horse Tourism Stars on Bucket Lists

Wild Horses: Spirit of the West

Photographer Mark Terrell with Kim Matthews, Reno-Tahoe International Airport

Thousands of people rank "seeing wild horses running free" #1 on their Bucket Lists.

Susie Alexander with her "Endangered Spirits" mural

That's why Wild horse tourism has been envisioned by many who see it as a way to save the West's mustangs.
Last year, when Nevada's wild horses were trucked to slaughter sales, Bonnie Matton of Wild Horse Preservation League grew tired of waiting.
A former dude ranch owner, Matton knew the thrill-power of horses and her enthusiasm was contagious.
Soon, Reno-Tahoe Airport's marketing coordinator, Kim Matthews was fired up with the idea of wild horses in the airport. Next, writers, artists and historians contributed ideas and Wild Horses: Spirit of the West was born.
The exhibit of words and art depicting Nevada's mustangs launched DepARTures, an oasis in one of the country's busiest airports.

Dorothy Nylen, Wild Horse Preservation League president, praises stamina of wild horse advocates

Author Terri Farley can't stop talking about mustangs

Lacy J. Dalton and Willis Lamm sing LET 'EM RUN

Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki attended the opening of Wild Horses: Spirit of the West with his daughter Kate. Kate Krolicki lead the children's campaign to put wild horses on Nevada's state quarter.