"What's Your Favorite Time Of Day?"

Howdy Friends!

What's your Favorite time of day?  God so blessed Ravishin' Robbie and me, my days are full of favorites! And unless my routine gets upset, my days are … routine, but as I wrote a while back, routine is a good thing.

Kessy

Our mornings begin when the roosters start crowing. My first favorite part of the day is when Robbie and I snuggle a while and look out the window, taking in the morning sky. Some days we'll see the trees swaying in the wind, or they'll be dusted with snow, or coated with ice, or covered with the red and white buds of new life. This morning's sky was a real treat, a big chunk of morning moon sliding past the window all shiny and bright.

Soon Saturday and Zoe decide we've snuggled long enough, they'll bark, pace, sniff, snort and whine. So, up we go, feed 'em, start coffee and get going. It's about that time Kessy comes to the back porch and knickers softly. At first. Then of course she'll raise the volume. If I dally too long she's been known to raise her hoof and knock on the porch! Then it's off to the barn!

The chickens follow me cackling and fussing as I scatter their scratch and it's a train of chickens, Saturday, and our four cats, who must think it fun to weave and zag between my legs! Kessy dances along mindful of her foot placement as the cats rub her legs too.

Then, morning chores complete, and everyone fed, I settle in my chair next to Kessy for "Coffee Clutch." Lil' Bit and the other cats take turns leaping to my lap, Saturday curls up next to me. To the soothing sound of Kessy munching hay I'll birdwatch, plan my day, and simply enjoy ,love, nature and beauty. This is high on the list of fav-time.

Eventually it's back to the house, check emails and write an often "way too long note" to our WONDERFUL Facebook friends … Love you all for being friends! And enjoying our morning Coffee Clutches!

My next favorite time is doing the interviews with the precious folks who do so much to help others, for my "People & Horses Helping Horses & People Stories." Then writing the stories. Thank you Trail Blazer & Natural Horse Magazine for providing a venue to tell these stories and, "Helping Them Help."

I don't write every day. Some days I'll ride. Kessy's delightful shuffling gait transports me, wondering among God's beauty admiring wild flowers, birds and serenity. Yup another high on the list of fav-times!

Evenings. Love our evenings. I enjoy TV, (Especially Dancing With The Stars) even though we have antenna only, we do get plenty to watch. Reading in the evening perhaps working on my next novel, or story, anticipating the coming of the next day.  And just being in the loving glow of Ravishin' Robbie.

Well don't know if you can figure out my fav-time of the day, but I do thank God for all our blessings and making it so hard to choose. What's your favorite time of day?

Have a love filled blessed day! ~ Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Why "Gitty Up" ~ And Why I love Winnie The Pooh"

Howdy Friends,
 

From time to time I am asked about my love for Winnie The Pooh and my signature, "Gitty Up."

Winnie the Pooh and I became friends in those years when as a young boy I'd been locked in a room for 3 years, before they put me out on the farm and I found the spirit of the horse. 

Horrible things happened in that room, things that continue to haunt me today. But at some time in those room-years I somehow got a Winnie The Pooh book. I used to pretend that room, with its solitary window painted black, was the 100 Acre Wood. Like Pooh, Piglett, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Eyore and Christopher Robin, my adventures in the 100 Wood were imaginary, but Pooh was a terrific imaginary guide.

Pooh Bear has been a steady and loyal friend throughout life, always ready with a funny story or song, and advice. I credit him with my love of honey. And butterflies.

My email signature comes from Pooh Bear. Our daughter, the sweet and terrific Abbie, had a Winnie the Pooh desk calendar a few years ago and on July 17 of that year Pooh was dressed as a cowboy and the caption was, "Gitty Up Pooh Bear." She sent it to me with this note, "Thought you would like this."

That little picture and her note resides on the table under glass by my chair ever since. About that time I was just beginning to find my way around the keyboard, and emails. I noticed folks had clever and heartfelt sign offs at their siggys. So I latched on to "Gitty Up, Dutch Henry," and except for the most formal emails that's what I use.

I often wonder what folks think about that. But just as the spirit of the horse has in fact saved my life, so too did a tiny yellowish brown inquisitive, funny and heroic bear hold my hand in the darkest moments.

My hero

I think I'll shovel an extra spoon of honey on my oatmeal this morning.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Our Dreams, Connections and Memories of Horses Crossed the Rainbow Bridge"

Howdy Friends,
 

Our thoughts of our departed equine partners, I believe, are a connection to their spirits. Not merely memories, though memories are precious, but conduits by which we travel and visit with them again and again.

 How often have we slept comfortably and been visited by long ago physically gone friends in dreams so real we could feel them, smell them, hear them? Friends who in days past had carried us gleefully across fields, trails and on adventures. Friends who stood silently with us and joined us in celebrating our joys. Helped shoulder the burden of our disappointments, our sorrows. The spirit of the horse can be so tightly woven into ours that it is highly appropriate it would continue to lift us after leaving the physical realm. Continue to guide us, comfort us, lighten our hearts.

On a sunny day, busy with whatever task we'd undertaken, a sudden wisp of a thought brings a departed partner back with a nicker and a snort. Perhaps a head shake and stomping foot. An invisible muzzle touches our cheek.

While riding our present horse a thought of how to cue, move or sit dashes into our head and we think, "There you go old friend. Thanks for the help." They talk to us still, ever present helpful and connected.

 

Diablo and me, long ago ...

My old friend Diablo, while never less than a high spirited boy, has dropped in often to reassure, even guide my thoughts over the years. Funny how he mostly appears when I'm troubled. But then he always was at his best when I needed the most help. I believe it was his wisdom that helped me see, my spirit guides are horses. While Honey was only with me a short time, she too connects from time to time, in her quiet unassuming way. She was never less than a perfect gentlelady.

Honey and me ...

Often I get thoughts from/of horses I barely knew, perhaps worked with, but the images and thoughts are clear and sometimes deep. I believe when a connection has been made, the conversation continues forever. If we listen they will talk.

Friends if you have those sudden thoughts, peaceful dreams and ideas that seem to come from nowhere, embrace them. They are your friends visiting.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Update on my novel, "Tom Named By Horse"

Howdy Friends!

"Tom Named By Horse" is coming soon, I promise. Sorry for the delay. A few hic-ups and missed lassos but we're gettin' there. Our dear friend Bobbie Jo is giving it a read through/final edit and Troy Locker Palmer is working on the cover.

Kessy always eager to help me write

How about a little Excerpt – "Tom finished his meal and took a long drink from the water skin, then left her to find a sunny spot on a rise to watch the horses, and think. The hider must die, not only because Red Cloud asked, but for his own reasons, too. But he’d rather sit with the horses than kill another man. Why can’t he just stay here where it is safe and peaceful? Why can’t he just forget the hider? He’d heard an old man say, ‘‘If a man looks hard enough for trouble, he’s bound to find it.’’ He never understood what that meant, but today, he wondered if that was what he was fated to do. Look for trouble. He turned from the horses to look back over the village. The sounds of running, playing children floated out to him. For them? For their safety, must he look for trouble?"

~ Gitty Up, Dutch

To read more about "Tom Named By Horse" CLICK HERE -  

"Celebrate The Positive – Ignore The Negative"

Howdy Folks,

When I talk about Kessy having been such a biter when we first met and I'm asked how I fixed it I always answer, "Celebrate the positive and ignore the negative." Kessy had serious trust and friendship issues when we first met and if I stepped into her bubble I was sure to get snaked, you know the pinned ears, stretched out threatening neck and flashing pearly whites. If that didn't work she'd turn those pearly whites into bites. And by golly she was fast! Yup, she bit me a number of times, only badly twice, but pretty many little bites those first six or ten months.

Kessy and me enjoying a hug ...

So how do you ignore all that? Sometimes it is not easy, but unless it is truly dangerous – and two times she did get disciplined with eyeball to eyeball raised voiced, glaring, sneering, yes the end of the world is coming, mean nasty explaining, followed immediately by a hug and reassurance – you must ignore it. Just as with children, and some adults, misbehavior, I believe, is a call for attention. In horses it can be more than that, it could be a sign of misunderstanding, disobedience, dominance, illness, poorly fitting tack, poor cues or a host of other possible triggers. And to discipline might not only might be exactly the wrong approach, it will chip away at any confidence and trust they might have, or be trying to build.

Ignoring it will get you much farther. If you can adopt the standard of ignoring the negative and celebrating the positive most all the negatives simply go away. Discipline then becomes a rare need indeed. If our desire is to build a true partnership, we don't want a worried compliant horse, we want a robust, full spirited and trusting horse for a teammate who understands they can make a mistake, just as we do, and not be disciplined. They'll also know they get love, praise and celebrated for the positive they do.

It follows then, and it really does, that they will stop doing the negative things because there is simply no reward, or gain, and do many more positive things for the rewards of praise, love and connection.

As I have written before it was six months before I could hug Kessy. When we first met she did not even want to be brushed. I've worked with other horses over the years with these and other issues and always, "Celebrating the positive and ignoring the negative" has healed them and strengthened them in marvelous ways – while disciplining could never have done anymore than created a compliant horse.

There is a whole other world of this most wonderful technique, if she is never disciplined for making a mistake, she will be more willing to try new things, and get them correct sooner. She'll have the eagerness and confidence to really try without worry of being corrected for every misstep.

I believe it's a pretty darn good philosophy in life too, "Celebrate the positive and ignore the negative." There is plenty of negative out there, but we don't need to give it credence. If our first instinct becomes to ignore the negative, the positives can find us more easily and isn't that a whole bunch better? I promise if you adopt this standard you'll see your horse in a new and shining light, and a whole lot of other things, too.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry