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Monday, August 22, 2016
FINGER-PAINTING WILD HORSES Equine therapy can counter the trauma of being over-poweredI've read that, but I've never watched average children become more comfortable and confident in such a short time. The fusion of art and horses, concentration and joy is something that should be shared over and over again -- Terri
I'm at the Wild Horse Sanctuary Open House, setting up to sign my book WILD AT HEART: MUSTANGS AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE
FIGHTING TO SAVE THEM. I’m surrounded by mustangs and young people who
love them. Watch as they page through the
book, I can see their imaginations ignite with what they could do to help. It was a
magical day + 100% of the book sales went to support wild horses.
 When Flora senses her pinto friend Fancy nearby, her hooves stay still, but her head – bigger than a child’s torso – whips around and her body vibrates with a neigh. Even then, the children just back away. Their confidence in Flora, her minders, and themselves has grown to the point where they’re back to work in seconds. 
Labels: art, art therapy, books, California, children, equine therapy, fingerpainting, Palomino, rescue, Shingletown, Wild at Heart, Wild Horse Sanctuary, wild horses Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:16 PM 0 comments  
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Calico filly's adventure: where was Sage?
Here's what probably happened next according to Dianne Nelson and Jill Broughton of Wild Horse SanctuaryWhen Ghost Dancer Sage were released together, we assumed they “headed for the hills”. It isn’t uncommon for them to head out and not look back – especially if they haven’t had much human contact and/or the contact has been traumatic.
Because I assumed that the mares would stay together, I
always kept my eye out for both of them with more emphasis placed on spotting
Ghost Dancer because her coloring makes her more identifiable.
We have a stallion we RARELY see. He’s a dark bay from the
Sheldon Hart Wildlife Refuge and aside from Phantom has been the most
elusive. I’ve been a regular at the WHS
for almost 8 years and just saw him for the first time last winter. I think I
mentioned that we were too far away and I didn’t have a camera but I thought I
saw a mare with coloring similar to Ghost. What I didn’t see was a sorrel mare.
Last summer I saw our older red roan stallions with his 2
grey girls and a sorrel mare. We were closer to the western boundary of the
property and the four of them were just hanging out under some shade trees. Because
they were just relaxing I left them be and didn’t approach.
Again, it didn’t occur to me that the sorrel was Sage because:
1. No Ghost with her 2. That stud had a sorrel mare before. I did note that
day, that the sorrel looked to be younger
That particular day we had gone off our normal trail ride
route and had stopped for lunch in a different location than usual. Since I’ve
been helping at the WHS, I’ve noted that he’s had a smaller harem than most of
the other stallions and he doesn’t come around very often. I recall feeling
happy to have found his hang out and that his girls looked good.
Without realizing it, I’d already found Sage.
Because of lighter rain fall this past winter and spring,
much of the natural grasses that are available in t remote parts of the
property have been consumed, forcing some of the bands that don’t usually come to the feed ground to come in.
So, now that I know who she is with, I can continue to
follow /track her. That is as long as they continue to come into the areas we
feed or ride through.
AND, that stud is older… not sure how old. It will be
interesting to see what happens – will another stud try to take the girls from
the “old man”? Who will Sage end up with if he passes away?
I do know she hasn’t foaled since she’s been at the WHS. I’m
involved in the sorting and during our first sort, mom’s and babies stay
together.
If her family didn’t come in at all in the past few years,
she/they would very likely have a yearling or a 2 year old with the family and
they don’t - just one pinto foal born this year that belongs to one of the
greys.
I believe there is a good chance Ghost is with that dark bay
guy from Sheldon. They are just terribly difficult to find. Dianne (Nelson) said
she just stumbles upon them once in awhile and although she knows the general
area in which he resides with his harem, they don’t have a set location where
we can count on finding them. I will keep looking for her!
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click the link below for
Margaret's photos of Sage & Ghost Dancer on their independence dayLabels: ghost dancer, Sage, Wild Horse Sanctuary Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:16 PM 0 comments
Monday, October 14, 2013 Elusive Calico Filly Found ! .jpg) Dear Readers, Do you remember Sage, the sorrel filly I adopted from BLM's disastrous 2010 round-up? She was part of the herd I observed to write my Phantom Stallion books. Sage was two years old when I loosed her and Ghost Dancer into the 5,000 fenced acres of the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, California. Both mares seemed to disappear. Until now.... Subject: Sage???Hi Terri,Could this be Sage? I compared these to a photo you sent me. That pic doesn't show her legs so I'm not sure she has any white on her legs...but this resembles her very much, I think.The way her forelock "parts" in the middle" and the way the blaze closest to the forelock is shaped. It's difficult to tell for certain, tho. I noted that in the pics I've attached the part of her blaze closest to the muzzle/nostrils "comes in/narrows" more than it appears to in your photo.What do you think?Jill Broughton
Wild Horse Sanctuary, Volunteer Coordinator
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| At the Wild Horse Sanctuary, horses roam in family herds |
Have you always wanted to write?
Begin your book on the ride of a lifetime
June 15-16: Writin' Riders, With Author Terri Farley
Swing into the saddle for this two-day ride and learn to think, brainstorm and create in the company of wild horses and Terri Farley, the best selling author of the PHANTOM STALLION and WILD HORSE ISLAND series for HarperCollins. A one of a kind opportunity for writers in a one of a kind setting! See flier for additional details. Cost: $475 |
| There's a good chance we'll see Scar (the dark horse), a stallion known for standing his ground. |
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| Lunch on the trail |
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| Murphy, a veteran Wild Horse Sanctuary saddle horse |
Can you imagine a better holiday gift?
In December 2013 you won't hear: "Gee, I can't remember what you gave me last year."
Labels: phantom stallion, terri farley, Wild Horse Sanctuary, Writin Riders, Writing workshop
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:30 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Hundreds of Rescued Wild Horses Threatened by Ponderosa Fire
KTVU photo of Ponderosa fire
Two Northern California wild horse rescue organizations lay in the path of the 24,323 acre Ponderosa fire. For now, the mustangs are safe, but with the fire only 50% contained, experts worry about possible wind shifts, and most evacuation orders remain in effect.
Last Saturday, Palomino
Armstrong, director of Chilly Pepper Miracle Mustang
Rescue was in Dayton, Nevada with her husband Matt, preparing to educate visitors to the Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno, when they received a surprise call from their son Dalton.
A
lightning strike had ignited a fire near their Manton,
California home. The fire had spread to 100 acres. By the time Palomino and
Matt arrived home, the Ponderosa Fire had a name and it had grown to over
7,000 acres. A sheriff's evacuation order was in effect.
"We just had time to load up all the critters," Palomino explained. "Praise the Lord that Shirley[ wild horse angel Shirley Allen, of Dayton] had 3 of the babies! We loaded DaBubbles and Patches first, but the trailer's “baby door” wasn’t quite finished and DaBubbles thought it was really fun to run out that hole. The goat would run into the trailer as Dabubbles ran out."
"We just had time to load up all the critters," Palomino explained. "Praise the Lord that Shirley[ wild horse angel Shirley Allen, of Dayton] had 3 of the babies! We loaded DaBubbles and Patches first, but the trailer's “baby door” wasn’t quite finished and DaBubbles thought it was really fun to run out that hole. The goat would run into the trailer as Dabubbles ran out."
Under bright orange and red skies, with the fire " roaring like a jet engine" as it bore down on the ranch, Palomino received a second call for mandatory evacuation. They managed to load the claustrophobic Dakota, and though Chilly Pepper was wary of entering a dark trailer with thrashing horses inside, her faith in Palomino prevailed. With all cats, dogs, horses and wily goat accounted for, they moved to safer territory.
It's not the first time these horses have been rescued. Chilly Pepper was found frozen in the snow next to her dead mother. HoneyBandit, known as the Million Dollar Mustang, was orphaned during the Twin Peaks round-up of wild horses and so badly battered trying to nurse from other mares, he was slated for euthanasia. DaBubbles was attacked by a mountain lion.
Palomino is grateful for the help of friends and neighbors. She explained why her family left without clothes and toletrie and ended up spending their money on food for the animals. "It was snowing ash, and you just get this really creepy feeling and it is very hard to think clearly."
The Wild Horse Sanctuary, home of the real Phantom Stallion, is in Shingletown, just a few miles away from the heart of the fire.
There, director Dianne Nelson is braced for trouble, but "So far, the prevailing winds have kept the fire from burning our way. The smoke is terrible, but the flames have stayed off about four miles."
Dianne says the offers of help are comforting, but "you can't evacuate wild horses." The 5,000 acre ranch provides sanctuary for hundreds of rescued mustangs, and five years of nearby wildfires have actually created a "safe zone" around the ranch. In addition, the sanctuary has many clearings, and, Dianne says, "Wild horses are smart. They head for open land."
Although the Wild Horse Sanctuary's mustangs are free to obey their instincts and seek safety on thousands of acres, wild horses trapped and confined by BLM are in small corrals throughout the West.
Palomino is grateful for the help of friends and neighbors. She explained why her family left without clothes and toletrie and ended up spending their money on food for the animals. "It was snowing ash, and you just get this really creepy feeling and it is very hard to think clearly."
The Wild Horse Sanctuary, home of the real Phantom Stallion, is in Shingletown, just a few miles away from the heart of the fire.
There, director Dianne Nelson is braced for trouble, but "So far, the prevailing winds have kept the fire from burning our way. The smoke is terrible, but the flames have stayed off about four miles."
Dianne says the offers of help are comforting, but "you can't evacuate wild horses." The 5,000 acre ranch provides sanctuary for hundreds of rescued mustangs, and five years of nearby wildfires have actually created a "safe zone" around the ranch. In addition, the sanctuary has many clearings, and, Dianne says, "Wild horses are smart. They head for open land."
Although the Wild Horse Sanctuary's mustangs are free to obey their instincts and seek safety on thousands of acres, wild horses trapped and confined by BLM are in small corrals throughout the West.
When BLM's Palomino Valley corrals in Nevada were threatened by July's Ironwood Fire, a BLM spokesman told KRNV reporter Karen Todd Griffin that the Federal agency would need 24 hours to evacate the wild horses.
Get more information about Chilly Pepper Miracle Mustang rescue
Get more information about the Wild Horse Sanctuary
Labels: BLM, mustangs, Palomino Armstrong, phantom stallion, Ponderosa Fire, Wild Horse Sanctuary, wild horses
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 11:01 AM 4 comments
Thursday, May 26, 2011
THE PHANTOM STALLION'S LEGACY
Phantom's Pride, photo by Liz Juenke, May 2011
Dear Readers,
Does this beautiful mustang stallion look familiar?
He's Phantom's Pride, son of the real Phantom Stallion. Some of you remember him as this little black foal (photo by Palomino Armstrong, Feb. 2007). You may even have entered the contest to name him.
Phantom's Pride lives on 5,000 fenced acres at the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, California. Expelled from his family band -- as most young stallions are -- he now has a small herd of his own and that's exciting for many reasons.
When the first Phantom Stallion book was published, some people laughed at the idea that such a young stallion could have a herd of his own. And some critics refused to believe a black foal could grow up to be a white stallion, even if he passed through a transitional color shift of silver gray, like the surface of the moon.
Look at Pride! He's proving fiction & fact aren't always that far apart.
If you'd like to read more about the real Phantom, his lead mare Shy and Pride's older brother Raincloud, click here The Real Phantom
Happy trails,
Terri
Labels: Phantom's Pride, the real Phantom, Wild Horse Sanctuary
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:49 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
From a friend of wild horses
Dear Readers,
I hope you'll enjoy the photos and notes from Margaret, a wild horse advocate from the San Francisco, California area.
Best,
Terri
Hi Everyone
I had the most fabulous weekend with Terri and her horses. Watching Ghost Dancer and Sage regain what was taken from them last winter was an awesome experience. To see Dancer and Sage turned loose in a 5000 acre field was inspiring.
I'm not sure what Dancer and Sage thought. They walked out and trotted a few steps. They sniffed and looked around together. Could it be because they thought we humans had another awful trick up our sleeves? Were we going to turn them loose just to bring them back in?
These two mares hung together not because they were tethered together but
for safety. There really is safety in numbers. Sage needed Dancer to tell her that it was okay.
Thankfully Terri was able to find a mare from the same HMA as Dancer who
actually was caught the same day. Could it be that they are mother and
daughter? I don't know. What I do know is they hung out because they knew
they could rely on one another. I wonder what that says about us humans? Wild horses can teach us so much if we just allow ourselves a chance to open up and listen to the still quiet voice.
For instance, about 20 minutes after they were turned loose, Dancer and Sage started back towards the pen they had just come from. Here they were out in the middle of a huge field and they came within 15 feet of me on their own! I was overwhelmed with gradititude that I was there much less a part of this big huge day for them.
I want Dancer and Sage to move on to having other horsie friends. To not need us. To be wanted needed and loved by their own. I hope that whatever stallion takes one will take the other. I hope for them long days with peaceful grazing, babies if and when that time comes. I want them to know that the other friends they make will never cause me to betray the love and compassion I feel for them.
Labels: ghost dancer, Sage, Wild Horse Sanctuary
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 3:50 AM 3 comments
Sunday, August 08, 2010
We're Going Where?
Dear Readers,
These two mares, born in the wild Calico Mountains, have traveled a long, sometimes sad road. They've run the range, drinking the scents of sagebrush and cool water of desert springs. They've fled helicopters, watched as their families were torn apart and listened as some died. They've been shuttled from corral to corral, from a Fallon feedlot to the Palomino Valley wild horse center and their photographs have been on the Internet in hundreds of countries.
This time tomorrow, they'll no longer wear red cords and tags around their necks and be known by numbers. Sage and Ghost Dancer will move to their new home at the Wild Horse Sanctuary and meet other wild horses.
The real Phantom Stallion lives there, hidden from human eyes, but I like to imagine them meeting him. Maybe they'll snort, flicked their ears and roll their eyes as they discuss the odd two-legged who got them there.
People have asked if the horses need financial help. YES, any donations would be most appreciated.
The Wild Horse Sanctuary has a button you can click here CALICO HORSES specifically for Sage and Ghost Dancer.
Or make a donation (both are tax deductible) to Wild Horse Mentors of Stagecoach, Nevada, the organization which will be gently trailering the Calico Mountain mares to their new homeWILD HORSE MENTORS
Most of all, we'd appreciate your thoughts and prayers for the safety of our wild horse journey.
Best,
Terri
p.s. if all goes as planned, photographer CAT KINDSFATHER, who took these photos last week, will be coming along to document the Calico gals' moving day!
Labels: Calico mountain horses, ghost dancer, Sage, wild horse mentors, Wild Horse Sanctuary
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:40 AM 4 comments
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wild Horse Sanctuary Open House
Here, Wild Horse Sanctuary volunteers Sam & Chilly Pepper vist a Reno school.
The California sanctuary has an internationally known internship program for college students.
The Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, California HOME OF THE REAL PHANTOM will host its annual open house on AUGUST 21.
Put it on your calendar now & I'll remind you later!
There just might be additional special guests!
WILD HORSE OPEN HOUSE
Labels: Chilly Pepper, open house, Shingletown, Wild Horse Sanctuary
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 9:07 AM 0 comments
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