Terri Farley

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Wild Horses Are Not an Invasive Species

New Science, Old Bones and Wild Horses

"It needs to be more widely understood that the horse's status as a native North American species is beyond serious question, " Dr. Ross MacPhee, curator American Museum of Natural History

©Terri Farley

CREATED FOR WILD AT HEART: MUSTANGS AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE FIGHTING TO SAVE THEM

Modern paleontology and sequencing of mitochondrial DNA is reflected in this equine clock which shows just how quickly horses returned to North America after they were wiped out along with other large mammals. Recent discoveries have narrowed the absence window since this graphic was created, causing many scientists to consider the possibility that pockets of North American horses may have survived even longer.

Labels: American Museum of Natural History, DNA, Dr. Ross MacPhee, equine, horses, mustangs, native species, paleontology, science, wild horses

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:52 PM 0 comments

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Some Book Reviewers Just GET IT

Farley, Terri

Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them

Photographs by Melissa Farlow. 2015. 208pp. $19.99 hc. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 978-0-544-39294-6. Grades 4-12

This book tells of the plight of wild horses in America. Beginning with the history of prehistoric horses to the efforts to protect wild horses from being driven off public lands in the 1970s, Farley provides a look into the world of wild horses and their treatment. Farley explains how the government has passed laws to protect these horses and then systematically has broken its own laws or has twisted them to suit the needs of others.

She then details the efforts of young people who are fighting to protect the wild horses.

Ranging in age from nine to 18, they demonstrate the leadership, passion, and determination it takes to fight for a cause.

This book is a good example of creative nonfiction that blends historical and persuasive writing.

Richard Fanning, Library Media Specialist, Spring Forest Middle School, Houston, Texas [Editor’s Note: Available in e-book format.]

Recommended

School Library Connection suite at www.librariesunlimited.com.

Labels: books, creative nonfiction, horses, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, leadership, librarians, libraries, Melissa Farlow, terri farley, Wild at Heart, wild horses

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:53 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Nagging Question

Dear Readers,
When you love horses, you get a little sensitive on their behalf. At least, I do.
The first time I remember the feeling was when my grandfather told me to go catch a horse by putting a rope over his "loco caballo head." I heard lococaballahead as a single word and couldn't puzzle out the Spanish-Texas fusion. But I knew it sounded derogatory and I took offense for the horse.
To Grandpa, it meant crazy horse (that albino colt sorta qualified), but I didn't like the way he said it.

UNTIL YESTERDAY,

I had that feeling about the word "nag," thinking it was a double slam.

When you say "Don't nag me to take out the garbage," that nag has NO connection to horses. Mice, maybe, but not horses.

And the other kind of Nag isn't so bad. In fact, it's kind of ' fascinating, if you're a word geek as well as a horse geek.




nag (v): "annoy by scolding," 1828, originally a dialectal word meaning "to gnaw" (1825)

nag (n): "old horse" c.1400, originally a small riding horse of unknown origin, perhaps meant to imitate neigh

So there.

Labels: horses, language, nag, Texas, wordcraft

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:33 PM 0 comments

Sunday, November 11, 2012

WHY DO GIRLS LOVE HORSES?

Dear Readers, Almost every time I'm interviewed about my PHANTOM STALLION books or about wild horses, people ask "Why do girls love horses?" My mail and my life indicate that girls, boys, men and women all love horses, but maybe girls show it more. Why do human love horses? Why do YOU love horses? I want to hear your answers. Then I'll share mine. Happy trails, Terri

Labels: girls and horses, horses, phantom stallion

Permalink to this blog post

Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:10 AM 2 comments