Leigh Bale Blogs About Wild Horses

I’m delighted to announce I have a new book available from Harlequin Love Inspired titled HEALING THE FOREST RANGER. The story is centered around the wild mustangs that live and run free here in Nevada. I’ve tried to tackle a very difficult issue about whether or not the wild horses should be rounded up and moved off the land when they become too numerous to support their herds with food and water. The heroine is a forest ranger who loves the horses, but views this dilemma from an ecological perspective. The hero is a medical doctor and former prisoner of war and a wild horse advocate who thinks the mustangs should be left alone. The horses serve as a metaphor for the struggles the main characters are dealing with in their personal lives. A very poignant read I hope you’ll enjoy.

When I was a girl, my dad took me with him to check on “his wild horses.” He was raised on a ranch and is now a retired U.S. forest ranger. The picture above shows the mustangs living around Cherry Creek, Nevada, when Dad was the ranger over the Ruby Mountains, just outside of Well, Nevada. Once, Dad parked his truck on the dirt road between the stallion and his herd of mares. The stallion was furious with us, screaming, rearing, and charging the truck until Dad quickly moved us out of there. I was grateful to be safely inside the truck. That was the first time I became aware that wild horse are, well, wild. They aren’t tame at all.

The opening scene of HEALING THE FOREST RANGER is based on that pulse-pounding experience. Have you ever had an encounter with a wild or domestic animal that made you afraid? What is your favorite color for a horse? Have you ever ridden a horse before? (There are no right or wrong answers here.) Today, I’d like to randomly give away two copies of this heart-warming new book. So, stay tuned. And did you know you can adopt a wild horse? If you’re so inclined, the Bureau of Land Management can provide you with more information on how to do that.