GREETINGS FROM MONTANA. I arrived here on Sunday for my first visit to Big Sky Country where I’ll spend the week realizing one of my horse dreams by attending a Cowgirl Yoga retreat along with 9 other women from across the US and into Canada.

Leaders Margaret Burns Vap and Annie Bolognino won’t tell us much about what to expect other than mornings on the yoga mat, afternoons at the barn, and a few surprises along the way. My only plan is to enjoy the experience and embrace whatever these ladies have in store — including each and every one of Annie’s 12 horses!

Am I a lucky girl, or what?

While I’m enjoying a week-long horse camp for adults, many of you are attending camps and experiencing your own unforgettable horse adventures. When submissions open July 23rd, do you suppose we’ll all have something to share? I hope so. Like Madelaina said in her blog Our Horseshoe Luck, there are a lot of horse-crazy girls who don’t have the opportunity to take riding lessons, attend camps, or (if you’re REALLY lucky) own a horse. Until these girls can realize their horse dreams, let’s give them something to feed their imagination and nurture their love for horses.

Sincerely,

When you take steps to realize a dream, you may discover the dream changes shape, becoming more clear, more real. You’ll probably encounter obstacles that will challenge your determination and knock you on your bum. But if you keep getting back in the saddle (metaphorically speaking, or not) in the end you’ll be living a dream. And isn’t that better than sleeping your way through life?

So continuing what Madelaina started last month with our first ever Blogfest, when July submissions open on the 23rd you’re invited to share your story about realizing a horse dream. Maybe it’s something you’ve accomplished (or want to accomplish) for yourself, or maybe you have a story to tell about a friend who has realized her horse dream. Either way, we can all learn from and be inspired by one another.

In case you’re wondering, we’ll also accept regular submissions for the blog and LBC, along with stories from the GHC journalists who chose to accept the assignment to write a story about what inspires and informs the work of Terri Farley. Until then, have fun dreaming, doing, reading and writing!

You arrive an hour early for a chance to visit the GHC horses before taking a seat toward the front, only to discover that many others had the same idea. The packed barn is buzzing with energy from eager journalists wanting to get at least one of their questions answered by Terri herself, and hoping to walk away with the inspiration and information needed to complete a story by their deadline of July 30th. Whew, you’re already starting to sweat.

Just when the energy is about to explode, a hush spreads through the crowd. The conference moderator steps up to the podium and taps the microphone. The horses perk their ears in her direction, curious about the noise and excitement.

“Welcome to Girls Horse Club. To start, we’d like to thank Terri Farley for letting us host her press conference in our virtual barn. In a moment we’ll begin taking questions about Ms. Farley’s work as a writer and horse activist. But first, a few ground rules. I’m your moderator and my role is to assure we make the most of our visit with Terri. We have limited time so may not get to everyone, but will do our best to take relevant questions from as many people as possible. Terri will respond as her time permits. She’s a busy lady, so we appreciate your patience. Now, let’s get started with the questions…”

INSTRUCTIONS: Use the comment form below to submit your question for Terri. You can submit up to 2 questions at a time. Make a list of all your questions and work your way through the list throughout the week. Questions will be posted at least once a day (this is not a ‘live’ forum) at the moderator’s discretion. Terri has the option to decide which questions she wants to answer (or not) and she will respond as her time permits.

~ The virtual press conference ends July 12th. ~

If your time with Ms. Farley leaves you with inspiration and information to write a follow-up story as described in the ‘PICTURE THIS‘ scenario above, GHC will accept submissions beginning July 23rd through July 30th. We’ll feature the best stories at the Girls Horse Club blog in late July/early August.

The government was originally planning to send all of the wild mustangs in Nevada to livestock sales, which is the same as sending them to slaughter because families are outbid by meat dealers that sell the horses to slaughter houses. From there the meat is exported to countries that eat horse meat. That was bad, but at least families that would give these horses loving homes had a slim chance of helping. Now it has gotten worse. The government plans on simply slaughtering them all. I do not know all the details, but click here to read author and horse lover Terri Farley’s blog where she talks about what is happening. Please help! The wild horses are screaming for your help. They don’t have voices, but you do!

Below is a video I created to try and stop horse slaughter.

A NOTE FROM TERRI FARLEY: Dear GHC Angels, It’s happening and I hope you can help me get the word out. The wild horses are being betrayed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). I went to a demonstration yesterday, handed out fliers, am doing interviews, etc., to try to stop the BLM. How ironic is it that during the week of Independence Day, the BLM announces they’ve robbed the horses of their freedom, made them captives, only so they can kill them? We need to FLOOD the switchboards on Monday.

Click here for flyer with more info and the phone number. If you want to educate people about what their tax dollars are going to, feel free to print out this flyer and hand it to people, post it where it will do some good, and so on.

TERRI FARLEY is just back from a research, writing and teaching trip to Hawaii, so it’s a good thing she won’t travel far to visit our virtual barn tomorrow. I hope you’ll be here for a chance to have your questions answered and participate in some role-playing fun to complete Your Assignment (Should You Choose to Accept It).

THANK YOU to all who contributed during open submissions in June. We have some amazing Loft Book Club stories up for vote in the Judge for Yourself competition, plus all the Blogfest entries and more. Special thanks and congratulations to Sweetie — having you join the Junior Blogger ranks is another reason to celebrate! July is a busy month with open submissions starting the 23rd through the 30th. We look forward to hearing from everyone then.

Whether or not you’re celebrating the 4th of July holiday, I hope you’ll take some time to declare your independence and light some virtual fireworks in celebration of the qualities that make you, well, YOU!

Sincerely,

Do you like English or Western better? That’s probably one of the most common questions asked among horse riders, and also one of the most pointless ones.

It shouldn’t matter what type of saddle you ride in, it is the type of rider you are. A saddle is merely a tool to help us balance on the horse and learn proper riding position. What matters is if the saddle and bridle were to disappear, would you be able to control your horse? The answer to that question for many riders is no, and it’s not because of the saddle that they ride in.

Picture this: Two riders, one English, one Western, competing against each other with no saddle and no bridle. Many people would say the Western rider would win because the Western style of riding has reining, where they sometimes ride without a saddle or bridle. But what goes into this reining? I am sure that it is not the type of riding they do. It is a deep understanding and trust between the horse and rider, which is not just witnessed in Western reining. It is witnessed in any situation where there is a skilled, knowledgeable rider who has a healthy partnership with their equine partner.

It does not matter to the best of horsemen or horsewomen what type of saddle they are riding in, because a true horse person can get on any horse, whether it is trained for English or Western, and know exactly what that horse needs.

With the Summer here, we’re all going on a lot more hacks. For some riders, this means riding on the road for a few minutes or more. This guide talks you through how to be safe on the road.

WHAT TO WEAR
As well as your usual riding clothes, high visibility (hi-viz)) clothing should be worn, especially if you are riding early morning or late evening. There are lots of different things for horse and rider.

HAND SIGNALS
To start with, you must always keep to the left when riding on the road. You will need to make some of the following hand signals to tell drivers what you are planning to do.

Have fun over the holidays, and stay safe.

CONGRATULATIONS SWEETIE! This is your third blog as a guest blogger. You’re now eligible to join the Junior Blogger roster. If you’re interested, please let us know by commenting or using the contact form.

Luna looked up from her book, The Pegasus Treasury. Ever since her mom had told her the story of The Pegasus on the Mantle when she was four, she had been fascinated with anything to do with Pegasus.

When she had turned fourteen, her mother had given her a silver apple. Luna had wondered why, since it had been on the mantle for as long as she could remember. Her mother, Selah, had told her that when she was about Luna’s age, she had had a Pegasus statuette on the mantle. Luna had been skeptical, especially when her mother had told her that it had turned into a live Pegasus.

Luna vaguely remembered seeing a Pegasus a long time ago, but sometimes she wondered whether it had just been a dream. After seeing the apple, however, she firmly believed that the Pegasus had lived. She dreamed about it every night, and wondered whether it had died, or if it lived forever. In her dreams she often rode it, up into the sky, past the moon, past the solar system. Just when they were reaching their destination, she would wake up, very frustrated.

That night, after Luna had said goodnight to her brothers and sisters and mom and dad, she walked slowly up the spiral staircase without a sound. (Her mother had told her to be thankful they had such quiet stairs, as the ones in her own house had been the creakiest ever made.) She lay in bed, staring at the poster on her wall. A magnificent pure white Pegasus burst through clouds in a midnight sky. The full moon behind it shone, lighting its silvery wingtips. This always made her go to sleep, and she drifted away, the small fire in her fireplace burning down to glowing embers.

Luna sat up suddenly. Something was wrong. She felt like the nun in Madeline, who always said, “Something is not right.” She rubbed her blue eyes and stared sleepily at the charred wood in the fireplace, then at her own little mantle where the silver apple sat, then glanced at the Pegasus poster. Her heart began to thud uncomfortably fast as the Pegasus in the picture began to move. The clouds began to rush past as the Pegasus wove in between them, sometimes obscured and sometimes in full view. Luna wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or not. She sat entranced, watching the Pegasus in its flight.

Suddenly, it gave a silvery neigh and plunged out of the picture, towards her. She ducked instinctively, covering her head with her arms. When she looked up everything was normal, except there was no Pegasus in her picture. She gasped and scrambled out of bed, her feet barely touching the cold floor as she flew down the stairs and out the door. Her long black hair blew in the breeze as she raced towards the yard outside her window. When she got there, she was not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. There was no sign of the Pegasus anywhere.

She sighed, wondering if she should go to a psychiatrist, when a faint sound–like a whinny far, far above her–made her look up. A shadow circled her, growing larger and larger. It was a horse. It had wings. It was white. It was the horse in her picture. She felt that she had seen it before, and realized she had–once when she was young, and often in her dreams. This was THE Pegasus. The one her mother had seen! The statue!

It landed noiselessly, it’s beating wings ruffling the grass beneath it. It looked at her through its silver forelock with deep, deep blue eyes, and for some reason she knew that it knew her. “What do you want?” she whispered. “Why are you here?” It walked slowly towards her, it’s finely crafted face radiating intelligence. As if drawn by some unseen force, Luna began to slowly walk towards it. Somehow, for some reason, she was not frightened, nor even surprised.

They advanced towards each other until they were near enough that Luna could see herself reflected in its eyes. “Hello,” she whispered, not sure why she was whispering but sure she should be. She was positive it raised its lips in a smile. It gave a golden neigh, and suddenly she realized that she was close enough to jump onto its back.

She didn’t know why she did, but suddenly she felt herself on its back. In one smooth motion, it reared slightly and she slipped off its back, down onto the grass. This brought her to her senses, and she wondered why she had done that. It looked at her understandingly, as though it had expected her to. The moon was full, even though it wasn’t supposed to be, and it’s soft glow lit up the scene. The breeze suddenly grew stronger, nearly blowing her over. The Pegasus stood, and suddenly she felt dizzy as the world around her began to spin, and the next thing she knew she was asleep.

She sat up with another gasp, and this time her first look was towards the picture. There was no Pegasus, but something brushed her cheek, and looking down, she saw a long, pure white feather lying in her lap. She picked it up, and a spark shot through her hand, lighting it up for a moment with a silver glow. It faded, and she quietly climbed out of bed and looked out the open window. There was nothing there, but she called out softly “Thank you, Pegasus. Thank you,” and placed the feather… on the mantle.

Read the prequel and March 2008 Judge for Yourself winner The Pegasus on the Mantle.

After lessons at the old farm, my best friend and I would always ride bareback, asking first, of course. So we asked the farm hand if we could ride bareback and she said yes. She told us though, “Don’t ride in the back field.” We went to ride in the area before the back field because someone was having a lesson in the arena when my friend said, “Let’s ride in the back field.”

I said, “I thought (the farm hand) said not to.”

“No, she said we could,” my dear friend said.

“Okay,” I said, because my friend is very convincing.

So we rode into the back field, walking our horses slowly over the muddy area near the gate, and then walking a little bit faster toward the back. It wasn’t long before we heard the roar of the Gator approaching. The farm hand was in it, and she said she told us not to go in the field. My friend said she thought we could, and then we started to walk our horses back.

Suddenly, Pilgrim, the horse my friend was riding, bolted. Danny, the one I was on, never bolts unless another horse does, and he took off after Pilgrim. My friend and I were doing fine, hanging on and leaning forward, actually having a little bit of fun at such a fast gallop, when I saw the huge, slippery mud spot in front of the gate.

I knew we couldn’t go galloping over such a dangerous spot at top speed, so I tried to slow Danny down. I leaned back slightly and started to half halt. I leaned back too far, though, lost my balance, and fell off at full speed. Danny skidded to a halt when he realized I was no longer aboard, and Pilgrim stopped when Danny did. It was extremely terrifying. I wasn’t hurt, just sore for the next few days. I was afraid of riding in the big field for much after that, but later broke it with rides on Pilgrim and Sassy. That’s another story…

Okay, it took me awhile to find a winner, but I finally found our next Dream Horse. This month’s star is (drumroll please)…

Photo Source: Wikipedia

THE CHINCOTEAGUE PONY

The Chincoteague Ponies are a breed of small, hardy wild horses that are somewhat famous on Chincoteague and Assateague, two small islands off the coast of Virginia. They are known to be gentle and willing to carry a rider. Once a year on Chincoteague Island, there is a special event known as ‘Pony Penning Day’ when men from the island herd the wild horses and bring them to a fair, where visitors from all over America come to adopt them. You can learn more about Pony Penning from several sources, including two of my favorite books, Misty of Chincoteague and Stormy, Misty’s Foal both written by Marguerite Henry.

The Chincoteague, standing between 12 and 14.2 hands at the shoulder, is only a pony-sized horse. They have both Arabian and Mustang heritage, with a combination of each breed’s characteristics — bushy manes, shorter but slender legs, short, straight, possibly slightly arched neck, somewhat dished face, long but rounded bodies and bright eyes act as the main physical points on this pony. They come in all colors, shades and patterns.

I highly suggest this pony to anyone looking for a trail horse, pasture pal, or pretty much any riding discipline. They’re sweet, adapting nature makes them easy to train and they’re enthusiastic, must-please-owner energy makes them a great breed of horse for any type of rider. Horse girls, I really do encourage you to look into these horses, and I hope that some of you have found your Dream Horse through this blog.