Heading Out To See David Lichman's Benefit Tour

Howdy Folks,

 

Ravishin' Robbie and I are getting ready to head out tomorrow morning for the Biltmore in Asheville NC for David Lichman's "Benefit Tour Horses Healing Humans." So excited to see David again and meet his 3 horses, Julio, Thirteen and Scotty! Friday night they will perform their "Horses~At~Liberty~Musical~Magical~Educational," an evening extravaganza of dancing, playing and riding, demonstrating the remarkable bond that can be realized with a horse.  And Mary Ann Kennedy will be there performing too! David will also conduct clinics Sat & Sun.

Julio, Thirteen, Scotty and David dancing

David put this tour together to 9 cities across the country and Canada, to visit friends he's not seen in a long time, play with his horses on the beach where he grew up, and first fell in love with horses, in MA. …  AND raise money benefit equine-assisted programs and youth organizations coast to coast! Proceeds at each location benefit local organizations.

David, Julio, Thirteen and Scotty on Marblehead Beach in MA. They've made their journey from Sacramento CA back to David's childhood beach.

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. 

– Follow this link (HERE) to read my blog post about David, Julio, Thirteen and Scotty's "Benefit Tour - Horses Healing Humans".  And this link (HERE) to read my blog about David, "David Lichman-The Journey Continues." Please read theses stories about David so you can meet a truly wonderful man.

Mary Ann Kennedy - Check out her website (HERE)

Click (HERE) - to read my story "Mary Ann Kennedy - Singing to Help"  Mary Ann is a Grammy nominated singer and songwriter who donates much of her time and proceeds to help horse charities. She and her horse Brave are on the cover of my novel.

David Lichman is a man committed to helping humans and horses and I'm honored to call him friend. I hope you'll read these stories.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Feature Friday – My Mentor - Diane Sept – Back To Basics Equine Awareness"

Howdy Folks,

If you've been following our Coffee Clutch blog, or my Facebook page you've heard me mention Diane Sept more than a few times. You might have even seen my saying, "Whatever good I know about life I learned from my wife, and whatever good I learned about horses I learned from Diane Sept." For more than 40 years, with a kind heart and a keen sense of human/horse communication, Diane has, in her very special, gentle way, helped people learn to connect with and understand their horses. There is something quite unique in the way she can help folks "hear" and understand their horses.

Diane Sept listening

"Back to Basics Equine Awareness" is the perfect name for her business, as that's the very core of what she teaches as a Certified Connected Riding instructor, "Equine Awareness." For, as she will tell you, we've got to be "aware" of things important to our horses to truly have a relationship that will allow us to excel at whatever discipline we choose to pursue. From simply having a pasture buddy, to trail riding, endurance riding, showing, dressage or anything in between and beyond, Diane teaches her students that everything is important. I truly believe Diane may well be the first "Holistic" riding instructor/horse trainer. She certainly was on the forefront of addressing the biomechanics, nutrition and natural health of both the horse and rider.

 She was a barefoot advocate long before the current movement was gathering its present momentum. She is a huge advocate of the natural health and well being of horses. She doesn't simply "train" a horse or "teach" a student. Rather she considers the entire relationship between student and horse and helps to fine tune all aspects. Being a long time student and believer of Linda Telling-Jones she employs the TTEAM Touch techniques to be certain the horse is free to move in the manner required to perform what is being asked. She teaches if we listen to the horse, and take care of the horse's health, body, posture, balance, confidence and self carriage, all things can be accomplished without gadgets, devices or gimmicks. In a truly natural way. 

As one of Peggy Cummings’ original certified Connected Riding Instructors, Diane has been teaching Connected Riding for over 20 years. Diane has performed for National Centered Riding Symposiums and Connected Riding demonstrations. She has even been known to give bridleless, and gaited dressage, riding demonstrations at various venues. While she specializes in gaited horses she welcomes all breeds. Freeing up and allowing the natural abilities of any breed to express themselves is one of the goals of Connected Riding.

Diane's commitment to the betterment of horses' health everywhere is what sets her apart. She is not only a trainer and instructor – she is a true Horse Advocate. As one of the original members, of Friends Of Sound Horses (FOSH) and Judge from the onset, she has been decrying the horrible act of Soring and other abuses of the Tennessee Walking Horse, and other gaited breeds, for decades. She has helped to make a difference. But she does not limit her efforts to gaited breeds and is a defender of horses' rights to be pain free, no matter the breed.

Through her gentle instruction her students learn to achieve levels of accomplishments, connection and understanding with their horses, and themselves, that they may have never imagined possible. She teaches the student it is not only the physical act of learning a technique, but the whole of the experience. The best and healthiest result for both horse and human.

Diane is pure in her intentions and it comes through in her actions and words. She has touched and changed countless lives, horses and humans. I know I'm one whose life was made richer for knowing her and will be forever grateful for what she has taught me. It is because of her, I am able to do my, "Therapy For Therapy Horses," clinics, so from afar, Diane is helping horses help people.

If you are seeking an instructor, trainer, clinician, or mentor who can change your and your horse's lives contact Diane Sept. Her email is  dianesept@aol.com . Phone number- 717-336-6346. 

You can find her on Facebook Here – https://www.facebook.com/djsept

Thank you Diane for all you do to help so many. And thank you Connie Bloss for introducing me to Diane all those years ago.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Feature Friday-Wings Of Hope Ranch"

Howdy Folks,

There is a small ranch in Montpelier Virginia where once discarded and neglected horses, now rescued and healthy, help to nurture and heal children who are facing challenges. Children who have suffered abuse, neglect, and any manner of troubles can find peace, growth and love at this little ranch aptly named, "Wings Of Hope Ranch."

You can feel the peace and love at Wings of Hope Ranch

Wings Of Hope Ranch is a Christian based non-profit organization dedicated to offering new and bountiful lives to children and horses by offering a safe environment where the horses can heal and the children can learn about love and caring. Together they help each other start new lives.

Co-founders Jane Yancey and Alison Boyd had a dream in 2006 to help troubled children find their way clear and onto new starts, and that vision included horses as teachers. Both Jane and Alison were lifelong horse lovers and they knew too often horses needed to be rescued too. There plan would be to rescue horses who would then be the healers of the children. Healing together and learning from each other, horses and children each could celebrate new beginnings.

Since its beginning in 2006 the services at Wings Of Hope Ranch have been offered free of charge, and no staff or volunteers are paid. Word spread quickly of the good that is done there and the program grew and grew. Today there are approximately 2700 visits a year by children, people attending services, working and volunteering. The ranch is open 5 days a week and children come to receive services each day.

Many of the children who visit the ranch have been abused, are in family crises, were orphaned, adopted at a late age, have a family member that is dying or recently died, too often more than one of these issues all at the same time. The goal is to continue to rescue and rehabilitate horses in need and utilize these great animals and their gifts to break down barriers humans cannot touch. Many parents or caretakers find Wings of Hope Ranch to be the one thing that "works" for their child.

Wings of Hope Ranch also has an extremely successful mentorship program for the youth who graduate from the program and desire to stay involved and continue to pass on the healing by becoming a leader. It is called the "Youth Leader" program. This program meshes together these graduates with teen leaders from the community who come along side them and work with both the horses and children in the program. "It is a blessing to watch these teens blossom in this special environment." Said Alison.

Youth Leaders carry the healing forward

What a wonderful world exists on that little ranch in Montpelier. A place of love, healing and rebirth. For children and horses. Please visit their website to learn more http://www.wingsofhoperanch.org/ 

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Feature Friday - Patti Jo Duda and the Equine Wellness Symposium"

Howdy Folks,

 

Tomorrow I'll be honored to be one of the demonstrators at the second annual Equine Wellness Symposium at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Waynesburg PA. The Symposium is a gathering of folks who are involved in helping horses have the healthiest, happiest lives possible. It's the brainstorm of Pattie Jo Duda who practices Equine Touch Therapy, a healing, holistic therapy for horses. As she worked with other peoples' horses she often thought of all the wonderful things folks offer to help horses, and their people. Those thoughts gave her the idea to bring as many of those people together and offer demonstrations for anyone who loves horses.

Anyone who has ever put together an expo, a show, or exhibit understands the complexity, hurdles and the dedication and commitment it takes to succeed. Patti Jo has that commitment, and this year the Equine Wellness Symposium proves to be a very exciting and informative event!

The fun starts Saturday at 8:00AM and runs through the day with clinics, demonstrations, talks and parades of breeds. On Sunday all the demonstrators will be available for private sessions. A wonderful touch! If you are anywhere near the Greene County Fairgrounds in Waynesburg PA you'll want to be part of the fun! Your horse endorses it!

8:00 am- "Barefoot Hoof Care" by Suzanne Warsinky of Appalachian Hoof Care. http://www.talk2thehoof.com/

8:30 am- "Reconnecting your horse to its feet" a series of relax and release exercises for your horse – Dutch Henry http://dutchhenry.blogspot.com/

9:30 am – "Trail Safety/First Aid" Robyn Yeager- https://www.facebook.com/robyn.yeager.5?fref=ts

11:00 am –"Nutrition For The Equine" Gary Sheet of Poulin Grain - http://www.poulingrain.com/

11:30 am –" Is it me or my horse?" Evon Montgomery of Horseloversguide - http://www.horseloversguide.com/

12:30 pm –"Wayfinding With Horses" Barbara Broxterman -- http://www.wayfindingwithhorses.com/ 

1:00 pm –"Holistic Veterianarian" – Dr. John C Harthorn DVM -

2:00 pm –"Advanced Whole Horse Dentistry" – Jamie Colder - http://www.advancedwholehorsedentistry.com/

2:30 pm –"Western Dressage" – Patrick King http://pkhorsemanship.com/

3:30 pm –"Overcoming your fear to ride again" Robyn Yeager

4:00 pm –"Equine Touch, body work for your horse" – Patti Jo Duda - http://www.theequinetouch.com/

5:00 pm RAFFLES!

Throughout the day there will be a few "Parades Of Breeds" too! 

A variety of vendors will be set up offering tack, supplies and other neat stuff. 

And you might track me down in case you'd like an autographed copy of "We'll Have The Summer."

Folks that's a whole lot of great exhibitors, clinicians and fun, packed into one day. Well worth the $15 admission. Have a look at the websites or Facebook pages of the demonstrators too!

Thank you Patti Jo for putting this all together!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Why Barefoot?"

Howdy Folks,

I had a catchier title in mind, but by golly "Why Barefoot" seems to ask the most important question. The answer is of course, it's best for the horse. There you go. That's it. I could stop there and have my shortest blog-post ever, but you know me so I'll go on a bit. First I need to thank my mentor, Diane Sept for opening my mind to the health benefits and well being of allowing horses to go barefoot. The health benefits you might ask? How can a hoof, unprotected by a steel or aluminum shoe be healthy for a horse? I'll give a few thoughts as I've learned them over the years.

narrow weak frog in shod foot

nice big healthy frog in barefoot horse

Nutrients and blood flow. By design the blood flow through the hoof - and leg, tendons and muscles for that matter - is aided by the natural expansion and contraction of the hoof as it contacts and raises off the ground. Contact causes expansion of the hoof, lifting allows contraction. Think of it as a syringe sucking up fresh blood loaded with oxygen and nutrients as you pull back the plunger, and then squirting out the stale blood loaded with toxins and depleted of oxygen as you depress the plunger, sending it back through the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs to be refreshed, cleansed and oxygen enriched to begin the cycle all over again ... Nailing shoes on the hoof greatly retards the ability of the hoof to perform this all necessary and vital function by preventing the hoof from expanding and contracting properly ... That's why you see hooves that look flaky and full of tiny cracks, frogs that are narrow, misshapen and weak. And soles that are hard, cracked and lifeless. These hooves are STARVED for nutrients and loaded with toxins they have no way of shedding because the hoof cannot operate as designed ... I suppose these poor starved, lifeless hooves are the reason for the huge industry out there of feed supplements for healthy hooves (which can hardly get there anyway if the hoof pump isn't working) and the products to paint and smear on the hoof to make the flakes and cracks go away, or hide them. Why not simply remove the shoes so the horse can heal its hooves without all those chemicals and save you money, too?

unhealthy shod foot, high heel, wrong angle

pretty barefoot hoof, good angle, good length

Shape of the hoof.  There is simply no way for a hoof to enjoy the healthy confirmation it was designed to have with a shoe nailed, or glued to it. For one thing, when farriers prepare a hoof for a shoe they file the bottom of the walls flat. Horses' hoof walls are not flat on the bottom by natural design; they have an arch, much like our own foot. The toe and heel of the hoof wall will touch the ground while the center of the hoof wall will be slightly raised, only touching the ground as the hoof is in motion. This natural action and flexing is greatly harmed by the restriction of the shoe, causing the foot to smack the ground more like a club than a graceful dancer's foot. 

Shape of the hoof, continued. Typically shod hooves have longer, or higher heals, and too often longer toes than is healthy for the horse. These incorrect and unhealthy conditions greatly change the angle of the pastern, ankle, leg and shoulder causing discomfort and excessive wear and tear on many other joints and muscles throughout the body ... Of course there's another entire industry out there ready to take your money and pollute your horse's bloodstream with supplements for stiff joints and achy muscles. Why not give nature a try first through healthy hooves? 

Horses see with their feet. Yes that's right. Horses have a wonderful way of seeing the ground through their hooves, which is why when you ride a barefoot horse, stumbling, missteps and over reaching are rare things indeed. With shoes nailed to the feet, and blood flow restricted, it's like tying a blindfold on their feet. They really just don't know where their own feet are and are compensating with other senses not designed to focus so heavily on foot placement. 

Shock absorption. The hoof is the primary instrument of shock absorption for the entire horse's body. Through natural flexing, expansion and contraction the hoof absorbs the shock of the hoof striking the ground. The shoe not only prohibits that natural and vital function, but it instantly sends the shock up through the body where it must be absorbed by joints, bones, muscles and tendons not designed as shock absorbers, causing excessive wear and tear, and pain ... There is though, that helpful industry out there to sell you supplements and pain medicine for your horse, caused by that shock transference. And there's even "Corrective Shoeing" available for helping with those injuries. For me, "Corrective Shoeing" feels like an oxymoron. 

Traction. A healthy hoof has a wide, long frog offering its support to both shock absorption and traction. Healthy hooves will grip the ground and snow very effectively. And you won't have those snowballs forming inside the steel shoe. I submit even on paved road the natural, healthy hoof has wonderful traction, and in years past I too believed you needed shoes with borium or studs to travel safely on paved roads. I will tell you that is not the case, barefoot horses can and do travel safely and sure footed on paved roads.

So, "Why Barefoot?" … I still think the best answer to that question is, "it's best for the horse." Please join us tomorrow for some helpful thoughts on how to make the transition from shod to barefoot.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry 
Please also read - "How Can I Transition to Barefoot?"

"FEATURE FRIDAY-Linda Nedilsky – Healing Veterans and Horses with Myofascial Release Therapy"

Howdy Folks,

Linda has long known of the healing power of the spirit of the horse, but it was brought into her heart by a very special horse, Story, a few years ago, when he refused to let Linda carry the baggage of a horrible incident she'd endured years earlier any longer. Story, with his gentle ways, and understanding had helped her shed the burdens of mistrust, fear and hurt by first doing nothing more than standing quietly as she brushed him.

Today Linda is a massage therapist who heals horses and humans with a gentle technique developed by John Barnes called, "Myofascial Release Therapy. (JBMFR)"  Linda was a massage therapist before discovering MFR when seeking pain relief herself from injuries she'd suffered in an accident.  She no longer offers traditional or any other type of work except JBMFR.

What is "Myofascial Release Therapy?"  First, what is Facia? It is the connective tissue that surrounds and infuses every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body, all the way down to the cellular level. The fascial system can affect every system and function in the body ... The impact of unhealthy fascia on your body is profound. When the fascial system is healthy and functioning well, its acts as the primary support system of the body, stabilizing and cushioning muscles, bones, organs, and all other systems within it ... When fascia is restricted through trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture, scar tissue, and/or the inflammatory process, this flowing, powerful system can become solidified. Think of taffy hardening. Fascia will thicken or reinforce in these areas of stress and, in turn, shorten the connective tissue, causing a fascial restriction … MFR helps to remove the straight-jacket effect from the body by releasing restricted fascia. Treatment is based on taking a look at and treating the entire body, helping to restore balance. By releasing the fascial restrictions, with gentle massage like techniques, throughout the body, MFR will decrease the crushing force, therefore decreasing pain and increasing function, blood flow, nutrition, and overall health- down to the cellular level.

Linda is devoted to offering hope to people, and horses (as well as dogs) who suffer from chronic pain, educate and help people about the options that are out there for them to improve their quality of life.

Her other objective is to tap into people who own horses, who are not aware that their own pain, emotional trauma, or restrictions have a huge impact on their horse's bodies and their behavior. "It amazes me at how many people will go out and buy new saddles for their horses, have the saddles fitted (which they should do) without considering if the horse's restrictions or even their own restrictions are causing the saddle to rub the wrong way." Linda explained.  "Even the simple things like hooves wearing the wrong way, or teeth wearing down on one side more than the other can be caused by fascial restrictions in the neck, back, hip, and legs. For example, knee inflammation in humans many times is caused by the pelvis being misaligned due to scar tissue and fascial restrictions. Many people have come to me after getting shots in their knees, and surgery who are still in pain. After just a couple sessions their pain has been resolved and they no longer need to take pain meds …So imagine if we could do the same thing for our horses ... just through body work."

Linda has recently become part of the, "In One Peace Project," a nationwide organization of JBMFR practitioners who will devote one day a month to Veterans and currently serving military personal, "to help them integrate back into their lives as whole healthy, vibrant persons. In one piece."

This is truly amazing therapy with the ability to help bodies, and minds, heal and function pain free and happy. Please have a look at Linda's website here www.pro-activewc.com for more details and how you might get involved.  To learn more about the "In One Peace Project" visit their web site www.inonepeaceproject.org 

Gitty Up

Dutch Henry