"A Mighty Important Weekend!"

Howdy Folks, 

This is a pretty darn exciting weekend for ol' Dutch, and a whole bunch of other folks, too. This weekend will be our second Inner City Slicker day at Heartland Horse Heroes. I missed the first one, absenteeism driven by my cardiac adventure.    I'd written a story (you can read it here) about Michael McMeel and his program, Inner City Slickers, for at-risk youth for my Heartbeats column in Trail Blazer magazine and worked a year to bring it Heartland Horse Heroes, then went and missed the big day.

Michael McMeel

Michael always comes to an outfit's first "Slicker," that's what he calls the day the youngsters come to learn about confidence, self worth, trust and honor to the cowboy code, to make sure all the volunteers are trained and everything is just as it should be. Since I missed our big day I told Michael he had to come to our second Slicker so we could meet. During our interview for the story, and the communications to become affiliated with Inner City Slickers we had of course talked a lot on the phone, but by golly I wanted to meet the man who created a program that to date has touched the lives of over 10,000 young adults! And meet the former drummer of Three Dog Night, yup Michael sure was ... And he played at our barn dance too back in April, and of course I missed that too!

I know, I'm making this sound all about me, and by golly I must admit to some degree it is VERY important to me – But it's really about the youngin's and their challenges, dreams and desires, and FUN!

Michael and some of our volunteers from the Slicker this spring - Nothing happens without Volunteers -

Michael will be rollin' in a bit before noon today, and I'm sure gonna be at Heartland Horse Heroes to greet him, shake his hand, and drink a cup or three of black gargle with him.

About noon I'll mosey to the barn to meet our world class volunteers and we'll all give the horses a little "Therapy For Therapy Horses," exercises. Our horses are never asked to work without their release and relax exercises, we have the most wonderful volunteers who have mastered them ... Then at 1:00 the children from Buckingham Co School arrive for their Friday afternoon therapeutic riding session. We have a great group of children each week who continue to make terrific strides.

Friday afternoon therapeutic riding at Heartland Horse Heroes

Tonight we'll gather around a campfire for some volunteer orientation and visiting ... and Michael said he'll bring his guitar and pick a song or three. It's no barn dance, but it's gonna be great!

That's the "Cowboy Toothpick"

Tomorrow bright and early the young adults, who are the reason for this shindig, will arrive and the Slicker fun will begin. Michael has a well detailed formula for the day that helps youngsters who doubt themselves experience life changing moments. They'll be facing challenges that teach them teamwork, trust, self reliance, confidence, honor and respect. They'll rope a wooden steer, climb the cowboy toothpick, ride the barrel bull, climb the ladder, ride bareback, tell, and listen to stories and have an all around great day. And by golly I'll be there to see all the magic happen, this time.

Horses bring their magic to heal others

You all have a swell weekend too!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Feature Friday – LaRue Sprouse Dowd – Sharing The Love Of Horses

Howdy Folks,

It is LaRue Sprouse Dowd's mission to help children embrace and understand the goodness that comes from the spirit of the horse, and the lessons young folks can learn while around horses. 

Her story will be my June, 2014 Heartbeat column in Trailblazer magazine. I love featuring the folks I'm writing about here in our Coffee Clutch blog so our friends can get to know them, and look forward to the whole story in my column.

LaRue's smile and encouragement are always present

LaRue's nature is one of kindness, support, positive attitude and optimism. Her students, their parents, the volunteers, boarders and horses all benefit from her ability to help others believe in themselves, try harder and find the joy in the moment. Whether that moment is mastering a new horsemanship skill, understanding the importance of patience, or caring for the horses. LaRue is always able to offer upbeat advice and guidance, helping others to see the world through positive eyes. 

There is a depth to LaRue's teachings and understanding, given her by a lifetime of loving and learning from horses, and talented people. She started riding at the age of four. Before finishing high school, LaRue owned ten horses, had trained other people's horses, had begun giving riding lessons, and was positive horses would be her life. She'd even done her share of, "catch riding," for other trainers.

She holds two Bachelor Degrees, one Vet Tech, the other in Equine Therapy. So skilled was LaRue at understanding horses and riding that, in her senior year at Morehead State University, she was asked to teach the, "Advanced Saddle Seat Course." She's worked with, and helped heal horses in some of the most prestigious show barns in the country. She held licenses to work on the tracks of, Saratoga, Keeneland, Belmont, and Palm Springs. She studied under Mimi Porter, who was one of the first to introduce rehabilitative therapy to performance horses, and Marvin Cain, the man responsible for first bringing acupuncture to horses in the United States.

From the start LaRue had a clear vision of what she would do when returning home. She knew how much horses had meant to her in her down times. She also knew there were simply too many children in her hometown who needed something good and solid to hang onto. She knew too, she and the horses could offer that solid something. Her name honors her two grandmothers', Lucille and Ruth. Respect for those who came before, and commitment to community are important to LaRue and her family. In 2008 she opened Sprouse'sCorner Ranch offering riding lessons, coaching, boarding, training, trail riding, summer camps, and shows, with the mission to, through horses, help kids.

 

Children love their time at Sprouse's Corner Ranch

In 2009 LaRue welcomed a local therapeutic riding program,Heartland Horse Heroes, to Sprouse's Corner Ranch. Under her stewardship Heartland Horse Heroes has grown to offer not only private therapeutic riding lessons for children, but also a program for the local county elementary special education school children. And this spring Heartland Horse Heroes will be offering a new program for at-risk youths through Inner City Slickers, a national program founded by Michael McMeel, that has had over 10,000 youths through the program.

Group Equine Assisted Therapy In Heartland Horse Heroes Arena

Her commitment to helping horses remains strong. Part of what she does so well is lead by example. Her lesson horses work once per day, for 3-5 days per week. The horses in the therapeutic riding program only perform therapeutic lesson duties once a week. All therapy and lesson horses are also taken on trail rides by the students so they can stretch their legs and clear their minds. Her volunteers and students are taught release and relax exercises for the horses, and they are part of the program. The horses have large fields to romp in and healthy herd environments. Some of her lesson horses are rescues. 

LaRue works closely with Beauty Haven's Farm and Equine Rescue, based in Florida, through a farm near Sprouse's Corner Ranch. LaRue not only adopts and gives homes and jobs to those rescue horses, but she helps find homes for many others; fifteen last year. She has recently launched a new program for adoption where adoptees can take on a horse, board with LaRue and take lessons for two months; just to be sure the match is perfect.

Wisdom, born of years working with horses and people in many different environments and situations is what LaRue offers to children, parents and horses. Kindness and understanding is her secret recipe that makes it work so well, for the people, and the horses.

You can visit Sprouse's Corner Ranch on Facebook Here-

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Feature Friday – Spring Reins of Life – Christianna Capra

Howdy Folks, 

Christianna Capra founded Spring Reins of Life to offer healing and growing to people suffering from emotional and traumatic circumstances. She understood horses have a unique way of reaching into grieving, traumatized or stressed hearts and minds. With the help of some wonderful board members and a fantastic volunteer staff, and of course the fabulous horses, Spring Reins of Life today offers a wide range of programs, with 6 Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) certified instructors.

Located in Central New Jersey, the EAGALA programs they offer are solution focused, and based upon discovery from the feedback, reactions and responses delivered by the horses. Participants learn about themselves by engaging in activities with the horses, and then by discussing metaphors, feelings, behaviors and patterns that were demonstrated during the group session without any judgment or preconceived outcomes.

There are programs designed to aid in the healing and recovery for Veterans returning home with PTSD. These programs focus on the barriers and special issues that surround the military.  The programs break down those barriers. Children bereavement and grief counseling programs focus on specific activities with the horses to help children and teens, as either individuals or groups, cope with grief and bereavement. Horses have a natural way of bringing about healing, just by being with them, interacting in a non-verbal way.

They also offer programs for At-Risk youths and addiction recovery. "Teen drug abuse, teen gang culture, teen alcoholism, teen pregnancy, teen violence and crime – these are not statistics that reside only in the inner cities and ghettos anymore. Studies show that in today’s world of single parents, dysfunctional family units, social issues and early exposure show no boundaries at putting nearly ALL teenagers “at-risk”…" Explains Christianna.

Currently Spring Reins of Life have waiting lists for both the Veterans and youth programs. But they forge on offering healing every day. Please explore their website and learn more about the innovative and effective programs promoting positive growth and healing. www.springreinsoflife.org    

Join them on Facebook (HERE) 

Spring Reins of Life is a non-profit 501c3 organization, and in order to offer these programs, this healing, free of charge they rely upon generous donations and funding.

Thank You everyone, and horses at Spring Reins of Life for all the love you give.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Feature Friday- Therapy Horses -

Howdy Folks,

 

This story about Therapy Horses was published in Natural Horse Magazine  in the Oct/Nov/Dec issue 2012. In that story I also included some of my "Therapy For Therapy Horses"  exercises. I hope you'll enjoy this story and perhaps find a way you can – Help Therapy Horses Help …

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Hippocrates wrote about the benefits of horseback riding for physical therapy, over 3,000 years ago. Hippo is the Greek word for horse. He actually wrote how a rider's pelvis, legs and feet move in synchronization with a walking horse. Thousands of years later this was proven scientifically.

Equine assisted therapy, or Hippotherapy, is an important, and thankfully, growing form of therapy used to help people of all ages improve and enrich their lives. According to Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International's (PATH Intl.) website www.pathintl.org  there are over 800 member centers around the globe with an estimated 42,000 student participants, 3,500 instructors 30,000 volunteers annually. And 6,300 equines. There are many others as well, but I wanted to be able to site a few actual numbers. I read once that in the US alone there are over 900 organizations or centers founded to offer equine assisted therapy.

 Kids Love Their Therapy Horses

Equine assisted "physical therapy" is used for everything from spinal cord injuries, to stroke victims, to wounded Veterans and skeletal and muscular diseases in children and adults. But seeing the equine/human connection and the ability of the spirit of the horse to touch lives, many therapists began to experiment. They began to use horses to aid in therapies not only related to physical rehabilitation but mental and behavioral health as well.

Therapy horses are incredibly valuable and helpful in so many different ways and for so many different treatments. More and more therapists are finding new and exciting results with not only physical but mental stress and confusion, too. The spirit of the horse connects with the spirit of the person as she visits with or rides a therapy horse.

Many equine assisted therapy centers seek out certain breeds for their therapy horses. For some it's heavy horses, or drafts. For others Haflingers, Icelandic's or Fjords, for their strength in more compact bodies. Many use their own horses. Still others rely on donated horses; many of these have injuries or ailments that end their previous careers. During interviews I've conducted with therapists and equine assisted therapy center owners I've been told about one horse in 25 can be a therapy horse. I suppose it is the same as, not every person can be a therapist, either. I wonder what that ratio would be.

Those wonderful and giving horses who become therapy horses have the inner will to care more about their rider than they do their own body. More than that, they must be aware of, not only their rider, but the therapist, the leader and sidewalkers. I've heard them called, martyrs, in that they will ignore their own needs, or ailments in favor of taking care of those all around them.

She's doing her job and taking care of 4 people at the same time.

Ever aware of those around them, and those who need their support, these remarkable horses often make sacrifices in their movements and can become out of alignment themselves. This causes them to often walk in ways that may not allow free movement, and causes them to be heavy on their forehand, inverted, dropped at the withers and tight in the hind end. This may begin to affect their temperament and they get retired with the thought they are, burned out, or tired of it. That may be the case, sometimes. I chose to write this article, because I don't believe it is the case all the time. Or even most of the time.

My mare, Kessy, enjoys a little release from the "Poll Wiggle." Lightly place your hand on the poll, wiggle gently. I like to hold the halter as shown so when they release you can help support.

Therapy horses can greatly benefit from a little therapy of their own and remain happily on the job for many years. One important thing many folks do with their therapy horses is to take them on regular trail rides. Trail riding is perhaps the easiest form of therapy for the horse and it is not only terrific for the horse's body in that he will be allowed to walk along freely, and even run, but it is great for his mind, too. Stretch those legs, get the heart pumping and take deep breaths. Some centers have set up regular rotations for volunteers to take their horses on trail rides.

Kessy & me demonstrating the, "Rock Back." With a slight touch ask for the horse to "rock back" off their forehand. This can easily be done while the therapy horse is standing still during therapy sessions and does so much to help their backs.

Hands-on therapy for the horses is important, too. Simple to do exercises to release the poll, soften the inversion muscles and a variety of other tension releasing routines to loosen their stifle and stretch their legs, will help keep a therapy horse happy and in shape. These easy to do exercises should be part of the daily warm up routine. Remember, therapy horses meet new riders who are seeking benefits from the horse all the time. It is different from the horse who has one rider and together they can get into a comfortable and reliable relationship as they explore the world.

Some centers incorporate not only their volunteers and therapists in the therapy-for-therapy-horse sessions, but the students and clients too. A sort of mutual therapy!

I offer free clinics teaching these easy to learn and easy to do exercises to folks at therapeutic riding centers.

The world is a better place because of these wonderful people and horses and we thank them for their tireless efforts. The spirit of the horse touches so many lives, heals so many hearts and builds smiles on thousands of faces. If you have the chance, hug a therapy horse.

Gitty Up

Dutch Henry

Pictures curiosity of Heartland Horse Heroes Appomattox VA and Kessy & me.

"Feature Friday-David Lichman's-Benefit Tour-Horses Healing Humans"

Howdy Folks,

A North American tour to benefit equine-assisted programs and youth organizations coast to coast! What a fantastic adventure! Master horse trainer David Lichman will be touring this summer performing with his personal horses for the first time in his 25 year career of helping people and their horses achieve extraordinary results.

Julio and David doing the Spanish Walk, at liberty ...

Beginning August 9, in Moscow, ID, and continuing on to 9 cities across the country and Canada, David and his 3 horses, Julio, Thirteen and Scotty will perform their "Horses~At~Liberty~Musical~Magical~Educational," a Friday evening extravaganza of dancing, playing and riding, demonstrating the remarkable bond that can be realized with a horse. David will also conduct a 2 day clinic on each Saturday and Sunday helping folks to understand how to achieve this bond with their own horse.

 

Julio, Thirteen, Scotty and David dancing magically...

Many people know David as a 5 Star Parelli trainer, who is devoted to helping horses and their people achieve the best possible partnerships. Driven by a passion to help folks and their horses, David has traveled the world hosting clinics and teaching ... Not as many people know of David's commitment to help children, and grown folks who, for whatever the reason or circumstance, can benefit from an equine connection.

It was while watching his daughter, some years ago, volunteering at an Equine Assisted Therapy Center, that he first realized the healing magic that lives within the horse. He'd always been keenly aware of the connection between human and horse, but this day, watching a young autistic girl smile for the first time in her life while sitting a horse, David felt a new dimension of that healing. He was never able to forget the feeling that moment gave him. Quietly, over the years, David has helped promote equine assisted therapy and often wondered how he might do more.

 

David leading the dance ...

While planning and scheduling this fabulous and exciting summer tour he had a thought. What if at each tour stop he featured someone from a local equine assisted organization as a special guest? That thought grew and grew. What if they not only featured them, but helped raise much needed operating funds for them? So in association with the Parelli Education Institute, David came up with a strategy to donate fifty percent of the proceeds to the marvelous equine organizations devoted to helping others. It is his hope to raise between $10 and $20,000.

To see the tour schedule follow this link -  http://www.davidlichman.com/tour_tickets.php

Tickets are only $15 in advance ~ Children under 12 Free!

To watch a video of the magic Friday night show follow this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2fIZhAKfbw&feature=youtu.be

If you're close to one of the 9 locations of this magical tour, be sure to sign on! What a wonderful way to build on the relationship with your horse while you're helping others build smiles.

Thank you David for all you do to help others, you are changing lives. Horses and humans.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry