"500 Trail Rides Together, Kessy and Me"

Howdy Friends,
 

Yesterday Kessy and I enjoyed our 500^th trail ride! We’ve been partners five years and two months, that’s about 100 rides a year. And Saturday has been along on nearly every ride. I keep a journal of our adventures and spent a little time reviewing our journey today. In the beginning we had a number of rough patches to sort through, I got a chuckle today reliving some of them. We had our first Coffee Clutch together May 17, 2010. Kessy turned 12 this past May.

The Coffee Clutch gang back in 2010

Most our rides have been between an hour and an hour and a half, due to my issues with my back and legs. I always say I ride so I can walk, equine assisted therapy. If we use 4 miles an hour and calculate the just over 650 hours we’ve logged about 2,700 miles, all bitless and barefoot. Kessy never had a bit in her mouth or shoes on her feet. We ride the woods surrounding our home, occasionally venture out to State Parks, but I much prefer saddlin’ up and riddin’ right out. After the pre-ride exercises for Kessy of course.

Saturday has run along for nearly every ride.  He missed a few this summer in the heat, he's packin' on a number of years now ... And he missed a couple in deep snow, too deep for his short legs.

She’s developed into quite a lady, taught me much and continues to teach me. I like to think she’s learned a thing or two from me as well. Does she do everything I ask, nope. Do I do everything she asks, nope. We understand each other, and each other’s assets and limits, and make a wonderful team.

Kessy has become quite the bird watcher, willing to stand quiet while I spot a bird, as long as I need. We’ve had adventures in the wild with everything from turkeys, coyotes and even riding up on black bears. Never once, not even in the early months, did she ever fail to stay under me, no matter the size of the spook. She has often modeled for pictures for our Coffee Clutch blog, facebook, and my book, “It’s for the Horses.” She’s helped teach folks those exercises, and even assisted for a few hoof trimming lessons. She gives the grandchildren rides when they visit.

Her gaits have developed into things of grace and beauty. She has a delightful flat walk and running walk. Her rack, which we discovered only 2 years ago, has become smooth, flowing—and fast. Her canter is as comfy as my recliner. Her gallop blazing. Oh yes she has a big trot too. Kessy is half TWH and half National Showhorse. Early on she did not know she had any gaits. The first time she held a running walk for more than 100 feet was May 30, 2010. I looked that up in her journal.

 

Comin' in on our 500th trail ride.

We celebrated a bit today after our 500^th trail ride, Kessy had an apple, I had coffee and we talked and hung out together most of the afternoon. We look forward to many more years and trail miles together. I know she’ll never read this but, “Thank you Kessy for accepting me and taking care of me!”

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

 P.S. To have a look at my book “It’s for the Horses: An advocate’s musings of their needs, gifts, spirit and care,” please go to www.itsforthehorses.com .

"Abandon Kitty Update"

Howdy Friends!

Abandon kitty update – As I've shared before about 2 weeks ago some non caring individual dumped four half grown kitties at our house. Sweet little, big eyed, scared, babies. Three of the four we could catch and love on and we put them in the horse trailer intending to take them to the shelter for adoption. The fourth, who Ravishin' Robbie named, Bullet, was only ever seen streaking away from the cat food dish on the porch. All the shelters here proved to be full. However we were simply not in a position to keep four cats.

Lil Bit, Daniel Striped Tiger and Fluffernutter hangin' out in the tack room (We haven't yet caught a picture of Bullet)

Earlier this year Both our loving kitties, Tigger and Miss Kitty crossed the rainbow bridge, and after many years of their love, silliness and companionship, we surely miss them. Kessy and Saturday do too. We had made the decision at that time we would not have any more cats, we need to watch our pennies. Really.

We could not bear to keep them in the trailer after the second day, so we set up a feeding station in the tack room, and they loved it from the first moment. Well except for Bullet. He still shoots through the porch and seems to eat on the run. I think she/he is faster than the superhero Flash! The others, Daniel Striped Tiger, Fluffernutter, and Lil Bit, love the tack room, barn, Saturday and Kessy, and her 2 acre wood.

Daniel Striped Tiger pretty much hangs out in the tack room. Lil Bit and Fluffernutter roam the barn and stay close to Kessy. Lil Bit is soundly smitten with Kessy, was from the second day. We think Tigger showed her the way, Tigger loved Kessy. They all purr so loudly it sounds like a distant train! Lil Bit won't miss a Coffee Clutch, Fluffernutter enjoys Coffee Clutch too, but wonders around a little more, following the chickens.

The Appomattox shelter informed us they have a program for free spay and neuter, $10 rabies and distemper shots – so we signed them up!  Today we took Daniel Striped Tiger – and Bullet, who we trapped with salmon for bait, to the clinic. In two weeks we can take Fluffernutter and Lil Bit ... And folks we learned from the clinic, cats can become pregnant at four months of age. Sadly these are. We also learned most areas have free or greatly reduced spay neuter clinics for feral cats, and they nip their ears for identification so they never need be trapped again. Bullet will sport a nipped ear.

Lil Bit loves sitting on Kessy's back.

Our dear friend Chris has donated a month's worth of kitten food. The tack room, Kessy's barn and playground are all a bustle with the pitter patter of tiny feet. It looks like the Coffee Clutch is gaining new members. The only ones here not real convinced this was a good idea are the chickens; Robbie says they'll get over it.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Coffee Clutch is back!"

Howdy Friends! – Coffee Clutch is back! – Today is the first day Coffee Clutch is officially back since my heart attack, surgery and recovery! And the Hummingbirds knew it and welcomed me with much fanfare, buzzing and squeaking all around the feeder just outside Kessy's bedroom. It felt so good to once again settle in my old chair next to the finest mare I've ever known, sip a little steaming Folgers (decafe) in my brand spankin' new Coffee Clutch mug sent me by our friend Darlene Hohensee (Thanks Darlene) and listen to her munch away. My new mug has a picture of our Coffee Clutch and my name!

First Official Coffee Clutch Day Back - With my new Coffee Clutch Mug -

Oh sure I've been out in the barn spending time with Kessy, brushing her and following Ravishin' Robbie as she does all the chores, for weeks already, even sat with Kessy in the barn and woods. But morning Coffee Clutch is a special time I've missed so dearly. Our barn is tucked in the woods bringing birds so close as they dine with the chickens at the cracked corn scatterings. Cardinals, Towhees, Chickadees, Titmice, and other seed eating birds swoop in to hop about and eat, and the chickens never mind their company. Most mornings the wild birds stay longer than the chickens!

This morning was a very active bird morning from hummers buzzing their feeder, to everyone at the cracked corn and treetops filled with Robins trilling, a Scarlet Tanager, and in the distance even a Wood Thrush joined in while a Bluebird sat high in a tulip tree letting go his sweet notes to float down to me.

Since walking every day is part of my morning routine now, and forever they tell me, I had to make an adjustment to my routine. Gotta get up earlier! Sometime just before six I roll from under the covers, head out and walk first lick. It's good right now to beat the heat and bugs at that time anyway. Our grassy trail through the woods is just over a half mile, which I now walk in 25 minutes. The bird watching is top notch there too, and I'd probably walk it faster if I didn't stop so often to search the treetops and underbrush.

Ravishin' Robbie, Saturday and I walk our "Recovery Trail" together then go to the barn. I'm helping a bit with the chores now, the easy light stuff like Kessy's soaked Timothy cubes (Kessy's on an all forage diet) and the chicken scratch. Walking and chores finished, I settle in my chair next to Kessy, and pour a cup (I'm only doing one cup now instead of a pot), and enjoy the start of another beautiful morning. It's so wonderful to be back where I belong!

God Bless, Thank you all for your prayers, love, cards, letters, and support! … Have a beautiful day, and life ~

Gitty Up, 

Dutch Henry

Birdwatching From The Saddle, Along The James River

Howdy Folks,

 

Just hooking up the trailer I had to tie my hat on. Cold wind gusts hadn't lessened any since Coffee Clutch earlier in the morning. Had it gotten even more windy, and cold? Well, I'm one of those folks who, when I have a plan in mind, hate to squash it just because of a little wind. But I must admit, when a surprise gust just about tore the trailer door from my hand, I had second thoughts. For at least half a minute. Then there's the fact that Kessy was still in her on-again off-again trailer loading frame of mind and it would be a cold night sleeping in the trailer at James River State Park … if she decided she'd be off-again today.

However, it's hunting season and we can only ride here at home on Sundays, and I needed a ride. No hunting at James River State Park, a short half hour drive away, so I'd told Kessy we're going. She loaded nicely, took about two minutes, Ravishin' Robbie handed me my thermos of Folgers, baloney sandwich, carrots for Kessy, and we were off. 

No one greeted us at the Park greeting station, must have figured nobody would be coming on such a blustery day, so I put my $3 in the little yellow envelope and set out to park by the big oak in the pretty grassy lot on the edge of the forest.

Kessy and I were alone, with only the wind for company. When I opened the door for her to step out, a great gust whipped up the shavings, startling me. Not Kessy though, she stepped off like a pro. Pre-ride exercises done and saddled up, we hit the trail. The trees groaned and branches rattled as they swayed in the wind, but our first sighting was only a few hundred feet into the woods. A Hairy Woodpecker busily tore at a dead limb, tossing chips into the air. We paused a second to watch the show.

Down the trail we go - "The best view in the world is between your horse's ears."

It's about a half mile through woods to the river trail, with a nice hill to navigate. Along the way we saw several Chickadees and Titmice. We entered the river trail through a canopy of brown vines and brush. The dense thicket was alive with Robins. They flew all about us setting up a delightful chatter. I stopped Kessy to watch as they bounced here and there. Mixed in with the Robins were White Throated Sparrows, Juncos and White Crowned Sparrows.

There was no escaping the wind, and as we snuck along the trail, riding among more birds than I'd seen on any ride in a long time, I wondered if the blustery day had driven them down to the brushy cover along the river. No matter, I welcomed their silly antics and lively banter. 

On both sides of the trail the thickets were alive with winged beauties. A Mockingbird sat on the trail until Kessy could almost touch it with her nose, and then it flew only to sit on a branch at eye level. For a second I looked right into its shining eye!

At one point the trail meanders through a tall field of dry reedy grass. As tall as my head. This had Kessy just a little nervous. The wind had the reeds roaring, not rustling, but she worked through it with only a few added dance steps. One of her moves would have had Derek Hough on Dancing With The Stars smiling. It did me too.

It's a flat trail along the river, in and out of tall trees, mostly Sycamore. Sometimes the trail is next to the wide river and the rapids roared above the wind. Sometimes the river can't be seen. But always today there were birds. Over the years Kessy has learned to stand quietly when I ask to look at the birds, it almost seems she's looking for them too.

She had a tough time with it though at the pond. The wind was creating tiny waves, and that worried her. A lot. She stood though and, in the pond, among the reeds and stalks I spied a Great Blue Heron, a few Diving Ducks, and I heard a Green Heron. And surprisingly some Red Winged Blackbirds. I thought they'd be gone for the winter, but there they were.

Along the way yesterday we also saw 3 Pileated Woodpeckers, several Hairy Woodpeckers, a Belted Kingfisher, lots of Goldfinches, Fox Sparrows, Cardinals, and Bluebirds. Some others I couldn't identify. Every step of the way we had birds. It was the right combination of great habitat, a great horse, riding alone – and the wind.

Ready to go home

Back at the trailer, Kessy capped a perfect day by stepping right into the trailer, on the third try. We'd been working lately on self-loading, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but yesterday, she was as perfect with her trailer manners, and her trail manners. The wind was really bad, and she truly was splendid. It's a lot for a horse to ride a strange place, alone in high wind and stay solid, calm. And she did, even stood still whenever I wanted to search the blowing brush for hiding birds. What a day, great birding and a terrific partner. Thanks Kessy for your friendship!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Beautiful, Miserable, Wet, Cold Morning

Howdy Friends! 

Oh what a beautiful, miserable, wet, cold morning. I love it! It's been a while since we've enjoyed Coffee Clutch while rain danced on the tin roof. We've had a few rainy days recently, but somehow they've missed coffee with Kessy and the critters time. So I was excited when rain continued to fall this morning … until I stepped outside and the full force of soggy cold air promptly removed my hat. Saturday dismissed his usual tag wagging "happy to go to the barn dance" on the porch, and dashed between giant raindrops to the barn. Kessy nickered her standard "Good Morning" greeting as she gaited from the woods to her bedroom. She's not one to stay inside and was sure soaked, so instead of our morning hug, she had to settle for a gentle pat on her wet shoulder. Settled in my chair after hurried chores, I tapped my first steaming cup of Folgers, and thanked God for another beautiful day. Tigger, jumped on my lap, shook about a quart of water on me, then curled in a tight ball. – Have a swell day today everybody and stay dry!

Coffee Clutch Family-Kessy, Saturday, Tigger(on my lap) Miss Kitty & me

Gitty Up ~ Dutch