"Jenny Kiest—Mini Blessings Therapy Horses"

Howdy Friends,

Wednesday I had the pleasure of interviewing Jenny Kiest founder of Mini Blessings Therapy Horses, and I thought I’d share excerpts here for our Coffee Clutch Friends. My full story will appear in my Heartbeats column in the August issue of TrailBLAZER magazine, and you'll want to read it all. There is much more to this wonderful story.

Baybe loves hosting birthday parties

Tiny horses with huge spirits, hearts and healing power make their rounds four or more times a week in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living homes and group homes. In their spare time they visit schools, police stations, fire houses and throw “Pony Parties” for everything from birthdays to fund raisers and events of all kinds. Short in stature, massive in healing, fun and tenderness of giving these little horses change lives every day.

Being a farm girl herself, Jenny found it easy to empathize with residents of a ten story nursing home where she worked a number of years ago, who so often told her they missed their farms, homes and their horses. On a hunch one day, she loaded her Arabian mare, Sissy, and her first minie, Ellie and drove to the complex, inspired by the wishes to once again touch and smell a horse by one of the ladies living there. Jenny knew she could make that happen, so she did. Tears of joy washed down their faces as they loved, hugged and caressed Sissy and Ellie in the parking lot. But Jenny knew she could do even more. There were many residents not able to leave their room, much less navigate the trip to the parking lot. Before the morning had ended Ellie went on her first of many elevator rides (she was only five months old), climbing by day’s end to the tenth floor, and into the hearts of dozens of new friends.

Jenny began taking Baybe, a star in the now much in demand tiny horse healing program, to day care centers and schools, where she organized a reading program for kindergarten and first graders—they polish reading skills reading to Baybe. This program has grown over the years to now include taking minis to a local college library during final’s week to help students relieve stress!

Mini Blessings Therapy Horses currently visits a number of group homes as well visiting seven nursing homes and several assisted living centers, and Jenny says both the children and adults living there respond to the horses in remarkable ways. They also travel to local police stations for Baybe to “sit with children,” in custody through no fault of their own. All too often children find themselves held at the station because of domestic violence, parents arrested for drug violations or other crimes, and the children are terrified and confused.

Jenny’s little horses are now much sought after and busy every day of the week. In addition to school reading classes her horses gather on school lawns offering pony rides, cart rides and loving as a means to gather back to school supplies. The price of admission for these fun days is a donation of school supplies. They hold the same fun and wildly received events for local fire houses and police stations helping to raise much need money. They attend fund raisers nearly every month.

At the farm Jenny not only holds mini horse therapy clinics and parties, but she’s also noticed the need to help others begin their own mini horse therapy programs. She now teaches how to certify mini horses as service animals and how to make contact with people in need. She teaches folks how to potty train the minis, and yes all of Jenny’s horses are potty trained. She teaches all the things important to offering mini horse therapy such going through doors, riding elevators, not fearing loud noises, excitement and too many hands. Giving love is not necessary to be taught, Jenny says minis have the biggest love of all.

Your best bet to learn more about Jenny and her miracle minis is to find them on Facebook—here- “Baybe the mini therapy horse,” she’ll guide you to Jenny.

Thank you Jenny for all you do to help so many.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Why ~ Therapy For Therapy Horses"

Howdy Friends!

Friends new to our facebook friendship and Coffee Clutch blog may not be sure what "Therapy For Therapy Horses" is, or why I created the simple program, or the free clinics, so I figured it was time to dust off the old story and explain. It started years ago when I was working with my mentor Diane Sept, a Senior Certified Connected Riding Instructor, learning many things about horses, and myself, and helping to rehabilitate Tennessee Walking Horses from the show world.

Challenges are easier with the help of a loving horse

During those years I learned much from Diane, and the horses. Among them the biomechanics of the horse and techniques of Peggy Cummings Connected Riding and Groundwork® and Linda Tellington-Jones' Tellington Ttouch®. Peggy and Linda and their techniques are truly remarkable – they have changed the horse world, and I highly recommend you purchase their books and cds.

When I began writing about "People and Horses Helping Horses And People" for equine magazines shortly after moving to VA, I wrote more than a few stories about therapeutic riding centers, and the magic that happens there. Over the years my health has its ups and downs, and the first stories I did by way of phone interviews as travel was a tad difficult.

Then I decided I wanted to witness the magic first hand and visited the next therapeutic riding center to do my interview. I had for decades already known, felt and understood the healing power of the spirit of the horse, and I wanted to thank in person the horses who shared it freely.

One day while visiting a very nice and popular therapeutic riding center for an interview for their story, I noticed that the horses, while well cared for, had stiffness about them. Upon closer examination I noticed several of the horses there were heavy on their forehand, inverted and weak in the hind end. As part of the interview I watched a few therapy sessions and noticed some of the horses moved with short, choppy strides and had difficulty turning smoothly. This came as a surprise to me.

I did witness magic, and lots of it, on my first in-person interview! And when I wrote their story I was reminded of the excitement on the children's and volunteer's faces. For one little boy it was the first time he'd ever caught a ball. How we cheered! I still get teary eyed thinking of it. I decided what I thought I saw in the horses, was actually me not really getting it ... Yet it tugged at me.

I had the opportunity in the next few months to visit several more equine assisted therapy centers for in-person interviews. I visited centers with both children and adult participants. With horses purchased specifically because their breed enjoys reputations as great therapy horses and centers operating with all donated horses, as well as a mixture of both. Every place I visited was a happy place. Clean well managed barns. Well kept, well fed horses. Wonderfully polite and knowledgeable staff and volunteers. And thrilling, lively and eager participants. I had several great stories to write celebrating the wonderful things that happened in those barns on the backs of and from the heats of those loving horses.

I did however begin to notice in too many of the horses, the same stiffness and discomfort I thought I saw earlier. Unsettled, I did some checking and discovered that yes indeed, often horses who do equine assisted therapy develop a few kinks in their bodies. And in fairness, any horse doing the same job repeatedly does too. Even lesson horses and show horses can become a little stiff or locked up here or there – they are just more likely to let us know they are unhappy about something. But most therapy horses have that frame of mind that they will endure and not show their discomfort too boldly. That personality trait of caring more for others than themselves is exactly the trait that makes them good therapy horses.


Therapy horses take their jobs seriously. From the interviews I’ve conducted for stories, most folks who know say only about one horse in 25 or 30 has what it takes to become a therapy horse. They have a happy but demanding job, and need to possess a way of thinking that puts others first. Therapy horses carry precious cargo and much is expected of them. As they walk along giving healing therapy they must not only be aware of that precious cargo, who may not be able to sit correctly, use their legs, or concentrate, but they must also be careful not to bump the sidewalkers, one on each side. The leader and therapist too must be accounted for with each step. This can sometimes cause the horse to move in ways that tweak its spine, neck, withers or hips. Often equine assisted therapy programs include exercises for the participant to do while sitting on the horse at a standstill, such as upper body calisthenics, or shooting basketball or playing catch. This can be very stressful on a horse's back. Many times therapy horses are donated horses because they've had an injury that forced them out of their careers, so they may also need to compensate for them too. Since many times the centers are working with donated tack as well, it is not unusual for therapy horses to perform their miracles in tack that does not quite fit.

Just as I am compelled to write the stories of, "People and Horses Helping Horses and People," I felt compelled to see how I might be able to, help the therapy horses help. I visited a few more centers and kept a keen eye on the horse's movements and attitudes. What I had earlier suspected seemed to be true. Too often the horses were on their forehand, inverted and weak on the hind end. I even saw horses who protested by nipping the leaders or shaking their heads. From my training and work with Diane Sept I could easily recognize what was wrong and had thoughts about how to help. The exercises she had taught me years earlier based on the teachings of Peggy Cummings and Linda Tellington-Jones were all that was needed.

Me doing the "Poll Wiggle" for my mare Kessy - Support her nose, gently grasp her poll, and wiggle. The release travels all the way up the neck and her spine. Excellent for all horses, anytime, and hugely beneficial to therapy horses.

But understanding how full every day is at most equine assisted therapy centers, how would adding extra duties to their day be a benefit? I called Diane, as I often do for advice, and as luck would have it she was just a week away from presenting a short refresher clinic on many of the basic Connected Groundwork exercises. Perfect! Over the weekend she coached me and helped select the exercises that were most beneficial to the therapy horses, easy to learn for volunteers, and most of them can be worked into the regular routine adding very little extra time to already overloaded schedules. This was great, because no exercise is worth anything if it's not practiced. 

Armed with Diane's suggestions and advice I put together what I call my, "Therapy For Therapy Horses," clinics. A series of easy to do and easy to learn exercises for the horses, and began to offer them free of charge (I do ask for travel expenses) to Equine Assisted Therapy Centers. These exercises help the horses release and relax, carry themselves off their forehand, lift their back, soften their inversion muscles, and engage the hind end into a soft long stride. They also help to relieve the tension built up in their mind, and helps them to focus. Equine assisted therapy is very taxing mentally on horses, and I'm not sure enough people understand that. Another benefit of these simple exercises is the release mentally the horse enjoys.

Kessy and me demonstrating the "Rock Back." Most horses carry themselves on their forehand, not good for them. Gently touch her shoulder and as her to, "rock her weight back." This will free the forehand and engage the hind end, as it should be for proper posture and health.

There are about 15 easy to learn exercises in my "Therapy For Therapy Horses" clinics and while assembled for the Therapy Horses, this series of easy to do exercises is perfect for all horses and all horse caregivers, and if I could have one wish it would be that every horse care giver masters them. Well maybe two wishes, that every therapeutic riding center understood, therapy horses need a little therapy too. 

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

Feature Friday – Carol L Nolan Equine Therapy

Howdy Folks,

 As a child Carol wanted to save every animal she saw in distress. Every stray kitten, every injured bird, and everything in between, from lost dogs to wild animals. She didn't know how, but she knew her life would need to revolve around helping animals. About six years ago a young horse named Hope helped her find a way to help.

Hope was a Frisian mare who found Carol, who had gone 20 years without horses in her life. Shortly after their joyous bonding, Hope fell while frolicking in the pasture. It was a bad fall. She became seriously lame. No veterinarian could find a way to help. No help could be found from chiropractors, or a series of lameness experts. Carol set out to educate herself on how to help Hope. She believed from watching the experiences with Hope, that healing and health had to have its foundation in, "A whole horse approach."

She made her mission to learn all she could about the biomechanics of the horse. She dug in, researched and studied hard, learning about the soft tissue, and injuries. She learned about chiropractic, acupressure & meridians, massage and stretching. It all made sense to her and she began to wonder why it wasn't part of everyday horse ownership. "In the end, I have learned that many horses are suffering from the discomfort of chronic pain & physical restrictions that we humans have not been taught to recognize." Carol said. "Once we can understand this, we can set about making our horses feel better."

After much study and learning Carol chose using the acuscope, myoscope & myofascial release as her main therapy tools to, "make horses feel better."

What are the Acuscope and Myoscope? They are FDA approved instruments that use electrical impulses, specifically calibrated to animals, sending healing in exactly the same current that is found in the body naturally, but might be blocked due to injury or tightness. Thus providing noninvasive healing and therapy to both cells and nerves. Each treatment is unique to the animal and cannot under, or over treat. "The myoscope is a direct treatment to the tissues, and an indirect treatment to the nerves once the cells are 'normal' and working correctly, after the ascuscope treatment which focuses on re-charging the cells.  So the myoscope works by detecting & fixing breaks in the magnetic fields surrounding the cells.  Again, the current from the myoscope is what is found naturally in the body, adjusts to only what the body needs, and in that way, the body can accept it." Explains Carol.

Apache gets a back opening with the acuscope, Ahhh - with Carol Nolan & Emily

"The scopes will help an injury heal up to 50% faster (as much as 75% faster if both instruments are used), and the integrity of the healed connective tissue involved is better & stronger. There is also less chance of scarring or proud flesh if the injury is a wound.  Any treatments are cumulative because the cells are being 'retrained' to be normal." Carol said.

Carol also uses myofascial release in her healing practice. "This is another biggie, and why I finally decided this was the 'missing link' to my work." Carol said. "Most of the time, once you do the myofascial release, the bone can 'seek its own home'"

"I am very patient with trying to help people.  As I am helping, educating them, there comes understanding of how what they are doing may have a lot to do with the predicament their horse may be in....so I am sure to do it in a way that they usually get to that understanding on their own.  Then then 'own it' and it becomes a 'self discovery' out of their new understanding.  And when they do get there, they are usually pretty eager to reverse things and improve their horses' quality of life!   That's the part I love with the humans!"

Her love of animals, and wanting to help them all, keeps Carol on her journey to learn more, teach more, and help more. Humans and animals.

Join Carol on her journey  HERE on her Facebook page.   Your horse will thank you.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry