"Feature Friday- Dr. Glen Dupree – For The Animals"

Howdy Folks,

I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Glenn Dupree, Tuesday for my column "Holistic Horse Heroes" coming up in the July issue of "Natural Horse Magazine." Dr. Dupree is one of the country's foremost authorities on Homeopathic Veterinary Medicine. I was so moved by his thoughts, insights and ideas about true health and healthy living that I couldn't wait for the magazine story to come out, so I figured I'd do a Feature Friday about him.

"I'm committed to teaching the Homeopathic way of living, healing and empowering our animals, and ourselves," Dr. Dupree said. The mission statement for his practice, "For The Animals" is, "We are dedicated to the art and science of classical homeopathy and its application in veterinary medicine."

As a boy growing up on a small family farm in Louisiana, Dr. Dupree learned early the harmony in life necessary for healthy living, for animals and humans. He graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1982 and opened his own practice in 1983. As the years went by and he kept seeing the same animals and treating them for the same problems, and worse problems as they aged, he yearned for a better way to help them.

Being a true healer Dr. Dupree began to search for alternative ways to promote good health. His search led him to Dr. Richard Pitcairn and his Professional Course in Veterinary Homeopathy. 1995 and '96 are what Dr. Dupree calls his "Jekyll and Hyde" years when he practiced conventional veterinary medicine in the daytime and studied under Dr. Pitcairn at night. Dr. Dupree was certified by the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy in 1996. He continued to seek education in the holistic and homeopathic way, even moved for to PA 3 years to work with a totally homeopathic practice. When he moved back to his own practice in Louisiana he gradually made the transition toward a totally holistic approach to animal care.

In 2004, Dr. Dupree completely discarded the conventional veterinary philosophy, and his practice "For The Animals" became totally homeopathic and holistic. His practice began to branch out and through lectures, seminars and writings for many notable publications. Dr. Dupree introduced thousands of people and animals to the homeopathic ways.

His book "Homeopathy In Organic Livestock" is a how-to for those seeking a healthier way.

Visit his website  http://www.homeopathyfortheanimals.com/ to change your life ...You'll find pages of information ready to print and you can make you're own handbook on homeopathic and holistic living and caring for your pets and horses. Dr. Dupree would love for you to always have that information.

I just got word that Dr. Dupree is having some health issues. If after looking at his website you want more information or to talk with someone about homeopathy for your animals please contact Lisa Ross-Williams, publisher of Natural Horse Magazine. She can be reached at lisa@naturalhorsetalk.com

Link to Natural Horse Magazine  http://www.naturalhorse.com/

Dr. Dupree has been a true champion of bringing homeopathy to so many, and that's a wonderful thing.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"What's in The Spirit of Your Horse's Nickname- Or any Word."-Pt-2

Part 1 of "What's in The Spirit of Your Horse's Nickname- Or any Word." Was posted yesterday-2-19-13

This is a 2 part story about the energy in a name. How it can emit happy positive awareness and energy or create roadblocks in your relationship with your horse. I also discuss the power of positive thoughts.

Howdy Folks,

Remember the old saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me?" Not true is it? I submit the very reason that old jingle was given birth was to try to hide the hurt the names can deliver.

Nature does not like negative. Nature runs from negative. Negative causes unbalance in nature. You may feel that simply using a negative word in a "cute way" to name your horse makes a difference, but the words set about a different energy in "your own body." Words truly do mean things, and while we may try to alter their meaning for a name, underneath and within the word lays the energy of it. Good or negative.

One of the most remarkable examples of this is the work done by, Masaro Emoto with ice crystals. He has published several books discussing and illustrating the "Messages In Water." Emoto spent years freezing water to examine the crystals. His work, both celebrated and criticized, showed that water exposed to kind words froze into beautiful geometrical crystals while water exposed to unkind words froze into distorted and randomly formed crystals. I'm one of those who celebrate his work.

I also wonder about the distant thoughts connected with negative nicknames. When we think of our horse from the house or when we're at work, their name on our mind creates an energy. It can be a dance, or a standoff. Or confused energy. How we picture our horse, our relationship, our bond is affected by the name. Is it a joke, a put down, or a compliment, a sign of affection?

The energy you send, and receive is in direct relationship to your thoughts. Have you ever gone to a meeting and as you stood outside the door, just about to enter, your thoughts are racing, you feel excited, maybe you're worried. Maybe you're bouncing off the walls happy. Your energy is already ahead of you in that room mixing with the energy and emotions in there. You're picking up on the energy coming back to you. Everyone has felt it.

Kessy and Dutch

Perhaps you've felt it and brushed it off as just your worry, apprehension or excited anticipation. Of course there is some of that, but the energy from within you flows out from you and receives energy too. That energy is in tune with your thoughts ... I believe it can't help but to be.

So back to your horses nickname. When you think of her from afar, would you like to send thoughts from a name whose negative energy must be overcome? Wouldn't you rather send happy energy and thoughts? As you approach or introduce her to folks don't you want to think thoughts of happy and partnership?

Kessy and I hope you'll spread the word about the spirit in your horse's nickname. Kessy's name you ask? Kessy is my nickname for Kezia, the name of Job's second beautiful daughter.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"What's in The Spirit of Your Horse's Nickname- Or any Word-Pt. 1of 2"

Howdy Folks,

This is a 2 part story about the energy in a name. How it can emit happy positive awareness and energy or create roadblocks in your relationship with your horse. I also discuss the power of positive thoughts.

What's in a name? Not a new question to be sure, but a good one. It's often been asked, and will certainly be asked many more times. Names serve many purposes, but my thoughts today are about nicknames. Sometimes called, "petnames."

When I'm at the feed store, tack shop, therapeutic riding centers, other barns, or just reading emails and Facebook posts I hear the strangest things. Often I'm compelled to ponder what I hear. I wonder sometimes if people "hear" themselves ... I had a sentence in my novel when Mary asks herself, "Did he hear what he just said?" Referring to the Doctor's comment inviting her to take the thirsty violet in the hospital room home with her, "You take it Mary, it'll just die here." He had just given her the news her cancer had returned.

Recently I was at a barn for a clinic and a woman introduced her horse to me. "I call him Blockhead," she told me with a smile. It's not the first time I winched at a horse's negative nickname. I've heard most of them by now. It always sets me back a step, though. And hopefully always will. I'm pretty sure I'll never really understand why some folks genuinely believe it's cute to use an insulting nickname for their horse. It's fun to sound cute and witty, I understand. What I don't understand is why so often the cute and witty is rooted in negative.

Kessy & Dutch

Pause a second here, take a breath and feel the difference between, "Blockhead" … and … "Handsome." One feels uninviting, harsh and paints pictures in your head of stubbornness, adversity. The other feels warm, receiving, paints pictures in your head of someone you admire, want to be with. Which would you like to be called? Which would you be happiest to respond to? Which would make you more willing to be a partner?

We all claim to understand, here in the horse world, that horses sense our emotions, even our thoughts. Yet somehow folks expect a disconnect from that understanding to the nickname given their horse. And it's even more than that. 

The words we say trigger emotions and feelings within ourselves too. So even though we may want to use the moniker, "Blockhead" in an enduring way, it'll always release a different kind of energy than, "Handsome." That energy will be perceived by your horse ... And yourself. 

Be sure to read tomorrow's post for Part 2 of "What's in The Spirit of Your Horse's Nickname- Or any Word."

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Snowy Morning in the Barn"

Howdy Folks,

The snow laid nine inches deep, smothering all sound, and bending bough and branch. The Chickens huddled round Kessy and me inside the barn. Even though the sun glistened bright on the covering of white outside, a lone bulb offered a welcoming yellow embrace inside the barn. The contrast seemed to make the morning a bit magical. Outside brilliantly bright, quiet and frozen, almost devoid of any color other than intense white. Inside the calm, subtle light from the single bulb managed to hold the powerful white at bay at the barn's edge. Two worlds, both charmed by their own beauty touched each other there at the open ended wall of Kessy's barn. 

Knowing the wild birds would be extra hungry this morning, I'd pushed aside the snow to bare ground and scattered chicken scratch, at the usual place under the trees just outside Kessy's fence. By the time we all settled down for Coffee Clutch, Juncos, Cardinals, Wrens, Nuthatches, Doves and a White Throated Sparrow accepted the invitation. I thought about the Phoebe we'd heard just two days before, when the temperature was over sixty.

Kessy stopped munching hay and made dash into the snowy woods to check out the scenery. I'd had her barn gate closed ever since the snow started yesterday morning, I like to keep her under roof when the it's heavy weather, and she prefers her freedom. Her fist romp through the snow was quite a show of high flying heels and squeals, sending snow swirling like tiny blizzards around her. Satisfied all was okay outside she rejoined Saturday the chickens and me inside for the rest of Coffee Clutch.

We watched the birds at the feeders and corn as Kessy munched. The chickens roamed every inch of the barn pecking, scratching and clucking. They surrounded Kessy, who seemed not to notice. Roosters lined up on the halfwall and crowed to the snowy forest. The train whistle blew in the distance.

This snow won't last more than a few days as it is forecasted warm up again tomorrow, but it was sure a wonderful snowy morning!  Have a fun day!!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry