The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation road show is back in action with the fall swing to MS and LA.
September 17th two shows in Amite, LA. 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM
September 20th in Greenwood, MS 10:30 AM
September 21st in Jackson, MS 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM
It’ll be fun so if your anywhere near by come on down and join in, lend a hand as a volunteer or just sit back and enjoy the show, it’s always a treat!
As my ol’ buddy Gaylord (one of the funniest horse acts you ever might see) used to say.
“Why do they call you Tex, you’re not from Texas”
“No, I’m from Louisiana, but Tex is a lot better than Louise!”
We have been working to update the web site’s technical structure, mostly what you can not “see”, but you might notice some visual changes as well. It is using dynamic content management system now, this will enable lots of new features and make things easier to maintain and secure.
The blog that was previously located at http://www.theblackstallion.com/blog had to be removed, because it was outdated and could not be updated any longer. It has been moved and all posts have been incorporated into the news blog that is now completely part of the site, searchable and all. Just in case you get to the old link, an automatic forward is in place, so you can’t go wrong and will be directed to the new one. Read more
The new Galleries at the Horse Park in Lexington are not to be missed! The opening was fantastic but the real treat is spending time there and learning so much.
The Entrance
You could visit every day and always see something new. The Park itself has so many events and things to do, you gotta stop by! Enjoying The Books
Experience the “Black Stallion Experience”! Little Black, A Pony Panel
The great black stallion moved restlessly under me, barely able to hold himself back, within my restraining reins. His head darted forward, yanking the reins and my arm. At the touch of my left hand on his shoulder, he slowed from a side-stepping jig to a prancing walk. “Easy babe, sloooow” my voice stretched, dropping to such a low note—more vibration than sound. Twitching his ears back, he relaxed a little. He would always listen—and understand—that voice he knew so well. Like a couple grown old together, more was said in touch, tone of voice, than with words.
And he transmitted to me in that ancient, unspoken language of Horse, everything he felt… “Now, now I must run.” Dancing under me, he so wanted to sweep me away, take us flying once again… and remind me who he was.
Beneath the glistening black coat powerful hindquarters bunched and flexed, bringing legs forward to coil and spring below his loins. I could feel the muscles in his arched neck, shoulders, sliding under his skin… under my soothing hand. Below my seat and legs he moved with the strength and grace of a ballerina—ready to take flight. His left ear cocked back, hearing the intimate whisper—“Easy big man, slooow…”—meant only for him. He slowed. Before I could say whoa, the stallion felt my request and halted—stood motionless—surveying his kingdom… I waited for him. Read more
There’s a nice article in Cowboys and Indians Magazine next month (July edition) … “Favorite Famous Horses”.
Guess who is one of the featured ponies?
You got it “The Black Stallion”!!
Here’s an excerpt;
7 Special Horses
by ELIZABETH KAYE McCALL
They’ve galloped into hearts and minds, from films and fields and pages of books. Whether born of fiction or real-life legends, some horses are so distinctive they become part of the human story. In Part 1 of C&I’s Famous Horses series, we present seven who have the timeless quality of all great equines: the power to make life better.
THE BLACK STALLION
The budget on The Black Stallion wouldn’t even pay for most TV commercials these days,” says Tim Farley, son of the late author Walter Farley, whose vision of a wild black horse, a boy, and their amazing journey has touched millions around the globe for nearly 70 years. Partially penned on a kitchen table when the author was just 16, the story grew into 30 novels in 22 countries, three motion pictures, the Arabian Nights theatrical dinner attraction in Orlando, Florida (where the official Walter Farley’s Black Stallion performs live nightly), and a vibrant program from the Black Stallion Literacy Foundation that combines reading books and actual horse visits. The literacy project has also translated Farley’s once out-of-print Little Black, A Pony into Navajo.
As for the Black Stallion’s life-altering influence, consider the story of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, president of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international horse sport organization overseeing the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, and daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan. Sharing some personal insights with the local Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper about the impact of Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books on her early life, the princess said that as a sleepless child following her mother’s death, the novels were a source of consolation. It was Walter Farley’s books, she said, that led her to the horse country of the United States. www.theblackstallion.com.
