Phantom's New Haunts

A magnificent white stallion that shares his name and appearance with the star character in a book series for young readers has moved from Nevada to the north state.

Phantom now haunts the Wild Horse Sanctuary near Shingletown.

"He probably thinks he's in heaven," said Terri Farley, the Reno-based author of the 24-volume Phantom Stallion series.

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Midori

In SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA, many readers meet Pacific sea lions for the first time. Among the largest and most intelligent predators in the sea, sea lions spend their days hunting, playing, caring for their young -- and coping with human assault on their environment.

The cuddly-looking creature in my arms is Midori. I was researching sea lions at a marine mammal rescue center when Midori was found alone on the beach. A three-day-old orphan, she would starve if someone didn't get her to eat from a bottle.

But she was a wild thing, and smart. She fought fiercely against all human contact, but staff members were willing to let me take a turn.

Midori and I were together for two hours. I coaxed. She struggled, knowing full well that synthetic nipple was not her mother.

Finally, Midori sobbed sounds that were heartbreakingly like a baby crying itself to sleep. In that moment between wakefulness and sleep, she began suckling from the bottle. Then I was the one with tears in my eyes, because it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

http://marinemammalcenter.com/

Authoring Change:
How Terri Farley and Her Readers are Making a Difference

By Lori Conforti

Terri Farley, Nevada author of the successful Phantom Stallion series, became involved in protecting wild horses, not through her writing, but through her readers. Terri often receives over 100 emails a day from her readers. But a recent email from Christy in Texas stood out. Christy asked about a provision placed in House Bill 4818 that would erase the protections afforded to wild horses since the passage of the 1971 Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. At the time, Terri had not heard of the issue, but she promised to investigate.

Well, as Terri looked into the issue, more emails poured in from concerned readers. Terri kept her readers informed by posting information on her Phantom Stallion website. Most of the Phantom Stallion readers range in age from 8 to 14 years old. They wanted to do something to change the law but felt intimidated by the process of contacting their government representatives. So, her readers appealed to Ms. Farley to help them. Even Harper Collins, the Phantom Stallion publisher, helped publicize the issue. They sent out over 200 press releases and were understanding as the issue began to take away some of Terri's writing time.

As a child, Terri participated in Wild Horse Annie's letter writing campaign that prompted the 1971 law to protect wild horses. She knew the power children could have when they cared about an issue. So, Ms. Farley arranged a meeting with Nevada Senator Harry Reid where she presented over 1,000 letters and several petitions sent to her by readers from all over the world. Terri witnessed a magical moment when Senator Reid randomly chose one letter to read from Crystal in Australia. He marveled at Crystal's eloquence and asked if all the letters were like this. Terri answered that they were -- her readers wrote from the heart. As Terri explained, "Kids who read have a knack for writing and they know the power of words." Senator Reid took the letters back to Washington and has planned to respond to these impassioned youth.

While Ms. Farley has felt most comfortable writing at home with her cat curled in her lap, taking the step into lobbying was important for her. Her readers were counting on her. As Terri put it, she knew the value of "speak[ing] up, even if your voice shakes." She drew upon her experience as a teacher and a writer to help deliver the messages from her readers. The hardest part in all this for Terri has been that she cannot control the outcome of this issue. As a writer, she could write a great ending. As a teacher, she could create a positive lesson plan. As a lobbyist, all she could do was present the opinions of her readers and hope they will learn that they can be heard and they can make a difference.

Lori Conforti is a freelance writer living in Sparks, Nevada.

The Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act

In 1971, Congress passed a wild horse protection bill, largely due to the efforts of Wild Horse Annie and a letter writing campaign. Thousands of children, including Terri Farley, wrote to Congress expressing their concern for the protection of an American icon. At the time, estimates placed the numbers of wild horses and burros at 60,000, down from 2 million at the turn of the century. The actions of Wild Horse Annie and the children helped spur the passage of the federal Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFHBA). Today, the BLM estimates there are 37,000 wild horses and burros roaming Western public lands.

Yet, in December 2004, Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) added a rider to the omnibus spending bill that allows for the sale and slaughter of wild horses older than 10 years or those horses not adopted after three times. The first sale of horses under Section 142 of Public Law 108-447 (which became law in December 2004) occurred March 1, 2005. The Wild Horses Wyoming Company purchased 200 mares and stated they were committed to finding them long-term homes. However, many of the companies that purchase wild horses kill them for human consumption. The Animal Welfare Institute reports, In 2003, according to USDA records 50,564 horses were killed in the US alone for human consumption. In addition, many thousands of live horses were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. While there is no market for horsemeat in the US, many foreign countries have large markets, including France, Italy, Mexico and Japan.

Currently, Representatives Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) have introduced H.R. 297, a bill that restores all the protections in the Wild Horse Act. Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) has introduced a companion bill, S. 576, in the Senate.

Find Out More

Visit these websites for further discussion of this issue:

Find the exact language of the rider in the omnibus budget bill at http://www.savewildhorses.org/

Read how the BLM is implementing the new wild horse authority at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/whb_authority/

To see how Terri Farley's readers have made a difference visit her website at http://www.phantomstallion.com/news/index.shtml

To learn more about Wild Horse Annie visit http://www.returntofreedom.org/kids/annie.htm

This article was first published in the April 2005 issue of ZEPHYR, the online newsletter of the Nevada SCBWI.

NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HELPING WILD HORSES?

AMERICAN HORSE DEFENSE FUND -- This group goes to court, Congress, etc., on behalf of the horses and always has up-to-date news on the fight to protect equines -- domesticated and free.

Last Chance Ranch -- Helping wild horses -- especially orphan foals -- in Burns, Oregon

The Cloud Foundation -- Documentary film maker Ginger Kathrens does all she can to protect Cloud and his herd

Wild Horse Spirit Ltd Home -- Terri has done hands-on work with these ladies and the wild horses they rescue

The Wild Horse Sanctuary -- this group not only rescues wild horses, they take rides out so that people can see them AND when you get older, you might be able to get one of their summer internships to work with wild horses!!!

Return to Freedom -- Home to The American Wild Horse Sanctuary, a non-profit animal sanctuary and educational retreat in Lompoc, California.