Coffee Clutch with Dutch Henry: battered women

Showing posts with label battered women. Show all posts

Friday, November 8, 2013

Feature Friday - Loving and Healing at Twelve Stone Farm- Jerilyn Skyface Flowers

Howdy Folks,

Tucked in the mountains of northern Georgia, not far from Atlanta is a loving, healing place called Twelve Stone Farm. Here among nature, hearts, minds, bodies and lives are healed, encouraged, nurtured, and restarted. Abused, neglected and unwanted horses given new life, love and purpose here, use their refreshed spirits to heal and encourage abused, misunderstood at-risk youths.

Sunny and the horses romp at Twelve Stone Farm

After years of working with youths at children's camps and being the director of a spiritual retreat center, Jerilyn Skyface Flowers felt the heart-tug to do more. She sought guidance in a vision quest and saw the beautiful mountains, and in them a peaceful, welcoming farm. Just weeks after that vision she was contacted by the heirs of a farm, and invited to come.

Chiquita Berry had started Twelve Stone Farm as a place of healing. When Chiquita passed away it was her eldest daughter who connected with Jerilyn. "It was even better than the farm I saw in my vision. It really is Heaven on Earth. I knew I was home."

Jerilyn moved to Twelve Stone Farm 3 years ago and carried on the mission that Chiquita had begun. Building on her foundation, Jerilyn created programs and activities designed to use horses and nature to help at-risk and high-risk children and youth to examine their behavior, and to modify their lifestyles from destructive of themselves and others, to cooperation and contribution and to healthy interaction with family and the community.

Jerilyn and New Spirit

Adults and children alike are welcome to come and, "Heal from the inside out," by experiencing nature and the rebuilding of their hearts and dreams. Here is offered a place for primitive camping retreats for Girl and Boy scout troops, school and church groups and families as well as programs for Horse Rescue, Therapeutic Horseback Riding, mentoring for at-risk children, teaching pioneer and camping skills, and many other activities.

Tipi village at Twelve Stone Farm

Twelve Stone Farm is a non-profit equestrian, and agricultural ranch dedicated to providing a sanctuary where people can come into nature and restart their lives.

Making dreams come true

Visit Twelve Stone's website (HERE) and join them on Facebook (HERE)

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Friday, September 13, 2013

Feature Friday – Horse and Soul Ranch – Loreen Houdek

Howdy Folks,

Hearts, spirits and souls can find healing and rebirth here among peaceful trees, and the watchful, caring eyes of the horses. Horse and Soul Ranch, founded with the mission, to help broken spirits heal, by Loreen Houdek just this past February, is the magical place where dreams are rekindled. Here spirits are lifted, and broken lives reborn with confidence and newfound courage.

Walking with Abby to feel the peace

Loreen, a long time horsewoman, and abuse survivor herself, knows firsthand the healing, and courage horses can impart. As recently as last year, Loreen found herself in a low, trying moment and it was the healing power of her horses that snapped her out of it. That was the moment she understood, God was teaching her that, she, and her horses, who themselves are rescues, could and must help others.

She founded Horse and Soul Ranch and immediately began to invite women to come feel reenergizing power of the spirit if the horse. But she didn't stop there. She contacted PATH and began her certification to become a therapeutic riding instructor. She's been a volunteer at Thunder Rode Therapeutic Riding center for 5 years, and held a place on their Board for 2 years. Loreen also took Wendy Wolfe’s Phoenix Rising Intuitive Educator and Animal Communication course.

Recently she learned of Betsi Bixby's, Freedom Horses (CLICK HERE) a program for battered and abused women. Freedom Horses is going nationwide and Loreen is excited that Horse and Soul ranch was selected to be one of the earliest expansion locations. Adding Freedom Horses to Horse and Soul Ranch brings more help, guidance and out-reach to her dream of helping others gain new footing.

Feeling love and courage

Loreen says, "When a person believes in themselves the possibilities are endless."

This little ranch located outside of Burr Oak, Iowa is abundant love, encouragement, and the healing power of horses. Horses who have felt the healing power of love themselves, and have that power, will and desire to give back.

"I want to give others the opportunity to experience that feeling of how a horse can heal, and to bring out their true selves and know they are an awesome person, and be the person that God intended them to be. I do this not for the money, I do it for the smiles on their faces and to see them grow into the person that they hide inside because of what happened to them and the nasty things they went through. I believe it is my gift, and that God has helped me get Horse and Soul Ranch off the ground." Loreen said. "I want to spread the word, how horses can help people as they did me, and continue to help me."

We thank you Loreen and your horses for spreading the word, and the healing.

Join Horse and Soul Ranch on Facebook (HERE) and visit their website (HERE)

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch, a happy place to visit. I write uplifting stories about a wide variety of subjects from horses to birds and nature, to love and family and friends. Sometimes I'll post excerpts from stories I've written for Equine Publications. Sometimes I'll post about writing itself. Coffee Clutch got its name because I often write while enjoying my morning coffee in the barn with my mare Kessy, and all our critters. Join us here for fun conversation and stories I promise will make you feel good.

It's For The Horses

This is not a book about riding, or training horses. It is a book on my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how folks might find the joy in doing things for the horse, with the horses’ point of view as the leading guide. My hope is to help as many people as possible learn to hear the horse, feel their spirit, and in that way help horses everywhere. Over the years I’ve met and worked with remarkable people and horses who taught me about their feelings, their joys, their sadness, and their spirit. As a horse advocate everything I do is from the horse’s perspective, including this little book. Every story, idea, suggestion and thought on these pages will be to suggest and share thoughts and ideas on how to maximize a relationship between horse and human—from the horse’s point of view.

Tom Named by Horse

The only man ever to offer Tom respect is Red Cloud. The only woman to give him love is Red Cloud’s granddaughter. Struggling with his own personal demons, Tom finds himself wedged between honoring that friendship and staying true to the depths of his conscience. Amid a backdrop of tumultuous social upheaval, he finds nothing prepared him, the woman he loves or Chief Red Cloud, for the changes about to thunder into their lives, sweeping them helplessly into the tides of human conflict and historical drama. Available on Amazon.

From The Banks OF Little Bear Creek

The Tom Named by Horse Saga continues. Three years after the death of Tall Dog, Tom Named By Horse and Soft Cloud have turned the little soddy, the lands granted them by Red Cloud, and the lean-to barn into a thriving horse ranch, fulfilling Tom’s dream. The Plains Indians Wars, or Red Cloud’s war, is mostly behind them, and the lands have had their transformation as Red Cloud’s vision had warned years earlier. Trailing horses from the ranch to Denver city has become an annual event for Tom, Buck and the rest, and this is the story of that trail. In the spirit of a good old John Wayne movie, vengeance, cattle and horse thieves, a dirty sheriff and corrupt mayor, and a wedding make this year’s drive a ride you’ll want to tag along on.