Where Lee and Grant Walked, Appomattox Court House, VA

Howdy Friends!

Today kicks off a weekend of re-enactments, talks and demonstrations here in Appomattox Court House, VA with the commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the end of the bloodiest 4 years in U.S. history, when General Robert E Lee surrendered the army of Northern VA to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Ravishin’ Robbie is volunteering all through the 5 days of events, and even attending the grand ball in period dress. Last evening she and I enjoyed dinner at the Babcock House with Ranger Vince who chatted with us for 2 hours. What an amazing man he is! There will be over 5,000 re-enactors and nearly 500 horses here and many real-time re-enactments of events, battles, meetings, the surrender, paroles and stacking of arms. Ranger Vince told us they expect 50,000 tourists to come to this sleepy little town of 1,500! This promises to be a once in a lifetime event, and I'll be taking it all in.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"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 Chief Red Cloud? – “Tom Named By Horse, behind the scenes in a writer’s mind-1”

Howdy Friends,

 

Why did I select Chief Red Cloud as a central figure for my Tom Named By Horse series? This is the first of a few Coffee Clutch posts where I’ll share a bit of my “behind the scenes in a writer’s mind,” about writing these three novels. First I’ve always been fascinated by the American Indians of the plains. Is it their connection with spirituality, horses, and nature? Perhaps. Do I credit them with more than is reality? Perhaps. However I have been, and remain so.

The vision for my Tom Named By Horse series came to me in a tsunami of rushing waves. His is not the only powerful spirit that guided my stylist on the keyboard, but from the first thoughts of the story, I felt he walked with me.

Chief Red Cloud was a visionary, a powerful and talented warrior, and also a very wise man. He gained his respect and honor during the Lakota and Crow wars, where he proved his tactical genius. He held that respect and honor until his death in 1903 at the Pine Ridge Agency. He visited with President Grant, who also respected this great leader’s wisdom, though failed to follow it.

The struggles Chief Red Cloud faced for me, I felt could, serve my story well, allowing me to weave in the parallels of his knowing peace would be best for his people, yet needing to stand for what he also understood was necessary. This is the same struggle Tom faced all through the years of the Plains Indian Wars, and beyond. Chief Red Cloud is the only Chief to ever have won surrender from the US Military, when after a year of bloody battles General Sherman was forced to surrender and abandon the forts along the Bozeman trail.

The Sioux believe all things must be done with respect. Battles, taking of buffalo and game, cutting trees for firewood and lodge poles, these must all be done with respect. Tom feels that as well, and struggles with the tasks asked of him by Red cloud, and finding his way in a strange new world.

Chief Red Cloud faced sweeping changes, he knew he could not control, for his people, their lands and beliefs. Tom confronts changes to his life, his beliefs and even his ignorance about life. Just as Tom is overwhelmed with learning the ways of the world away from the hider, so is Red Cloud often overwhelmed by managing the threat, changes and horrors brought to his people.

Red Cloud must find a way to preserve his people’s heritage, honor, and future, he knows fighting is often the only way, but he understand futility too. Tom understands killing, and is good at it, he struggles with understanding the need, but accepts it waiting for the lessons.

Chief Red Cloud also offers a unique perspective of weighing hostilities, cooperation, and managing his position as a respected leader. Not all of his people are so eager for a peaceful solution. This was a time in our country’s past laced with uncertainty, changes and upheaval, and Red Cloud was forced to deal with things never before imagined by him, his people or those forcing the changes. Tom never could imagine the changes he must face the day he killed the hider. Red Cloud, the country and Tom all change together.

I’ll leave you with the opening of “Tom Named By Horse.” These words are exactly as the first draft I ever wrote, as they came to me. Did Red Cloud speak to me? I don’t know, but never a word has been changed. — “The rolling grasslands spread before him as far as his eye could reach, as broad as the universe itself. Each rise gave way to the valley beyond it. Every valley was the beginning of the next hill. Rain, falling hard from the hands of Grandfather Mystery, soaked Grandmother Earth.

Chief Red Cloud sat on his favorite war pony all that dark day, and allowed the skies to beat him with raindrops pounding like rocks. He had told his uncle, Chief Smoke, of his terrifying vision. With sad eyes he looked into the rain. Today Red Cloud knew even Grandfather Mystery could not wash away the change about to sweep over their ancestral hunting grounds. His tears mixed with cold rain as he turned his faithful pony toward his village.”

 You can purchase Tom Named By Horse here on Amazon or email me dutchhenry@hughes.net to buy an autographed copy. 

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Susan Domizi—SOURCE Micronutrients"

Howdy Friends,

Yesterday I had the honor of interviewing Susan Domizi, innovator, entrepreneur, and a woman of vision. Over 40 years ago she founded SOURCE(R) Micronutrients, a seaweed-based supplement supplying the micronutrients so lacking in today’s foods, plants and so necessary for optimum health. My full story will appear in my Holistic Hall Of Fame column in the July/Aug/Sept issue of Natural Horse Magazine, and I thought I’d share excerpts here for our Coffee Clutch Friends.

How does a company stay in business forty years? Commitment to being the very best it can be in all aspects from product development, customer service, research, and most of all honesty. Honesty in everything they do for, and with, the products they produce, and the people, horses and animals they serve. At the core of SOURCE Micronutrients are founder Susan Domizi’s desire, pledge, and heart to produce the very best, highest quality, seaweed-based supplement possible with the God given nutrition in tack. Her commitment and diligence have become self evident in the health and longevity of those she serves. And the longevity of her company. 

From harvesting the many varied types of seaweed, to processing, to testing, packaging and shipping, and customer service, every detail is managed by the team. No products are purchased; everything is harvested, processed and packaged by SOURCE Micronutrients. A promise no other company can match. This absolute commitment to quality guarantee has been often recognized worldwide. From the very first bucket of SOURCE Micronutrients sold, a money back guarantee has been in place, with no regrets.

From the earliest days when Susan began formulating SOURCE she quickly learned there are vast differences in seaweed. Realizing that purchasing seaweed from mass suppliers and “mixing her own formulas” was not nearly good enough, it was certainly not reliable in any quality control standards she held, Susan set about learning the highest and best types of seaweed for each particular micronutrient, where it grew, and how to harvest. Today, and from the beginning, they stand alone as the only company to totally control each and every aspect of their seaweed-based product. From selection, to harvesting to drying, packaging, shipping and customer service it is all done by the Source team. 

But what are micronutrients and why should you care, or feed seaweed to your horse? Today’s farmed, and even wild plant life, have been shown to be alarmingly low in micronutrients. Most vitamins and mineral supplements are as well. Essentially every metabolic process in the body requires micronutrients to function properly. It is impossible to achieve optimum health without adequate micronutrients. It is little wonder we are witnessing the proliferation of auto immune diseases in our horses, for instance the widespread occurrences of insulin resistant horses.

Longevity, not only the company has stood the test of time, but their products have too. And the horses who benefit from them have proven it. Several years ago a major feed company ran a campaign to find the oldest living horse to kick off its own, “senior feed.” The two horses proven to be the oldest in the country were both fifty years old. Both owners had been feeding SOURCE for decades. It truly makes a difference, a big and noticeable difference.

Our Holistic Hall of Fame column exists to honor and pay tribute to “Those individuals who have made a difference in the horse world, holistically.” Susan Domizi most certainly has. It is an honor to know her and celebrate her—and recommend SOURCE Micronutrients. She, her products and her company can and do make a difference, every day.

To learn more about this amazing woman, her team and the products they produce for our horses, pets and humans, please CLICK HERE to visit their website. You’ll be glad you did.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

The Sounds Of Spring

Howdy Friends,

Coffee Clutch this morning offered the first bird song chorus of the season. Yea I know Spring is officially with us yet, but the weather is. Spring peepers have been peeping the past few evenings, and afternoons too. I reckon they are so excited they’re putting in extra shows! 

I settled into my chair next to Kessy, poured my first cup and toasted the morning. The woods around the barn danced with melodies, solos and quartets. A true concert of majesty and talent.

A pileated woodpecker pounded out a rhythm almost too fast to follow, then let go his, “yak, yak, yak, yak” single note tune. Cardinals sang their duo from high in opposing trees. Mr. blue bird from his perch added a soft trill, almost blending with the more lively robin. Phoebes sang softly, “Phoebe ... phoebe,” chickadees their little shuffle of chatter sounding almost like a strumming washboard.

Truly a concert in the wild, what a perfect way to start the day! We hope yours is perfect too!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry