View the video that stars Blackjack, the Morgan Horse who was the inspiration for Feld's 'Morgan Horse' series. Click here, to download MorganHorse.wmv   Award-winning author Ellen Feld began her career in a subject far removed from horses. Receiving a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts with a double major of Russian and Soviet and Eastern European Studies, Ms. Feld continued her studies with graduate work at Georgetown University where she focused on Russian Studies. After a brief stint working in Washington, D.C., Ms. Feld realized she missed her childhood home and returned to rural Massachusetts. Back home, Ms. Feld resumed her first passion: horses. It was at the stable that she learned the importance of discipline and being dedicated to one’s sport. In addition to the hard work, Ms. Feld also learned to appreciate the various personalities and quirks of individual horses. While working with horses was not new to her (Ms. Feld had been competing at Morgan Horse shows since she was a child), her skills matured and her love of Morgans grew. As an adult, Ms. Feld’s repertoire included Saddleseat, Reining, Hunter Pleasure, Driving, Barrel Racing, and Western Pleasure. With her gelding Rusty, Ms. Feld won the New England Morgan Horse Association High-Point Trail Award for five consecutive years. Ms. Feld has owned numerous equines of other breeds including Morabs, Appaloosas, Quarter Horses and Miniature Horses. Ms. Feld began writing about horses more than twenty years ago. At first, she wrote for small, regional publications, but within a few short years her work began to appear regularly in large, national publications. Her articles have appeared in publications such as The Morgan Horse, Stable Management, Just About Horses, Young Rider, Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar, Tri-State Horse, Equestrian, and The Appaloosa Journal. Ms. Feld's stories are noted for their realistic portrayal of horses, their behaviors, and the experiences of young riders. To achieve this believability, Ms. Feld uses her horses as the basis for the animal characters within her books. For instance, Ms. Feld’s horse Blackjack, a showy English Pleasure horse, stumbles over the smallest of jumps. In the book Rusty, the main character Heather tries to teach her beloved Blackjack to jump, but like the real Blackjack, he is unable to get his feet over the tiny ground poles. Many of the experiences that Heather has with her horses evolve from adventures that either Ms. Feld or one of her friends has had with their horses. The plots in her books reflect the reality of working with horses, and it is this down to earth quality that keeps the stories authentic and attracts so many readers. Ms. Feld currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two children, ten horses, and assorted pets. Click here, to download MorganHorse.wmv