"What's in The Spirit of Your Horse's Nickname- Or any Word-Pt. 1of 2"

Howdy Folks,

This is a 2 part story about the energy in a name. How it can emit happy positive awareness and energy or create roadblocks in your relationship with your horse. I also discuss the power of positive thoughts.

What's in a name? Not a new question to be sure, but a good one. It's often been asked, and will certainly be asked many more times. Names serve many purposes, but my thoughts today are about nicknames. Sometimes called, "petnames."

When I'm at the feed store, tack shop, therapeutic riding centers, other barns, or just reading emails and Facebook posts I hear the strangest things. Often I'm compelled to ponder what I hear. I wonder sometimes if people "hear" themselves ... I had a sentence in my novel when Mary asks herself, "Did he hear what he just said?" Referring to the Doctor's comment inviting her to take the thirsty violet in the hospital room home with her, "You take it Mary, it'll just die here." He had just given her the news her cancer had returned.

Recently I was at a barn for a clinic and a woman introduced her horse to me. "I call him Blockhead," she told me with a smile. It's not the first time I winched at a horse's negative nickname. I've heard most of them by now. It always sets me back a step, though. And hopefully always will. I'm pretty sure I'll never really understand why some folks genuinely believe it's cute to use an insulting nickname for their horse. It's fun to sound cute and witty, I understand. What I don't understand is why so often the cute and witty is rooted in negative.

Kessy & Dutch

Pause a second here, take a breath and feel the difference between, "Blockhead" … and … "Handsome." One feels uninviting, harsh and paints pictures in your head of stubbornness, adversity. The other feels warm, receiving, paints pictures in your head of someone you admire, want to be with. Which would you like to be called? Which would you be happiest to respond to? Which would make you more willing to be a partner?

We all claim to understand, here in the horse world, that horses sense our emotions, even our thoughts. Yet somehow folks expect a disconnect from that understanding to the nickname given their horse. And it's even more than that. 

The words we say trigger emotions and feelings within ourselves too. So even though we may want to use the moniker, "Blockhead" in an enduring way, it'll always release a different kind of energy than, "Handsome." That energy will be perceived by your horse ... And yourself. 

Be sure to read tomorrow's post for Part 2 of "What's in The Spirit of Your Horse's Nickname- Or any Word."

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Snowy Morning in the Barn"

Howdy Folks,

The snow laid nine inches deep, smothering all sound, and bending bough and branch. The Chickens huddled round Kessy and me inside the barn. Even though the sun glistened bright on the covering of white outside, a lone bulb offered a welcoming yellow embrace inside the barn. The contrast seemed to make the morning a bit magical. Outside brilliantly bright, quiet and frozen, almost devoid of any color other than intense white. Inside the calm, subtle light from the single bulb managed to hold the powerful white at bay at the barn's edge. Two worlds, both charmed by their own beauty touched each other there at the open ended wall of Kessy's barn. 

Knowing the wild birds would be extra hungry this morning, I'd pushed aside the snow to bare ground and scattered chicken scratch, at the usual place under the trees just outside Kessy's fence. By the time we all settled down for Coffee Clutch, Juncos, Cardinals, Wrens, Nuthatches, Doves and a White Throated Sparrow accepted the invitation. I thought about the Phoebe we'd heard just two days before, when the temperature was over sixty.

Kessy stopped munching hay and made dash into the snowy woods to check out the scenery. I'd had her barn gate closed ever since the snow started yesterday morning, I like to keep her under roof when the it's heavy weather, and she prefers her freedom. Her fist romp through the snow was quite a show of high flying heels and squeals, sending snow swirling like tiny blizzards around her. Satisfied all was okay outside she rejoined Saturday the chickens and me inside for the rest of Coffee Clutch.

We watched the birds at the feeders and corn as Kessy munched. The chickens roamed every inch of the barn pecking, scratching and clucking. They surrounded Kessy, who seemed not to notice. Roosters lined up on the halfwall and crowed to the snowy forest. The train whistle blew in the distance.

This snow won't last more than a few days as it is forecasted warm up again tomorrow, but it was sure a wonderful snowy morning!  Have a fun day!!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry 

"Feature Friday – SpiritHorse At Black Fox"

Howdy Folks,

SpiritHorse At Black Fox provides free therapeutic horseback riding services to special needs children in the Southeast Tennessee, North Georgia and Western North Carolina. They specialize in children with autism spectrum disorder.

 Steve Poteet his, wife Darlene, and daughter, Emily, had long wanted to share the spirit and joy of their horses with folks who may not have the ability to know horses on their own. They began seriously looking for a way to make it happen in 2008. In the winter of 2010 a friend sent them a newspaper clipping about the award-winning program of therapeutic riding at SpiritHorse International. They knew instantly this was exactly what they had been searching for.

SpiritHorse Therapeutic Center at SpiritHorse International in Corinth, Texas, founded by Charles Fletcher provides all private therapeutic horseback riding services free of charge in six programs: Disabilities, Children who are Victims of Abuse/Violence, At-Risk Youth, Battered Women, and Youth After-Drug Rehab. The SpiritHorse mission is, "To Assist Each Child with Special Needs in Reaching Their Full Potential through Interaction with Horses." SpiritHorse International has over 80 centers in the US and around the world providing free services to more than 5,000 children and adults.

Emily, and two additional instructors traveled to Corinth, TX for training and certification by Mr. Fletcher. Soon Black Fox Equestrian Center was certified as a SpiritHorse Center and brought in under the umbrella of SpiritHorse International. The program at Black Fox continues to benefit from the extensive research and development of new techniques by Mr. Fletcher and SpiritHorse International.

The core of any healing at SpiritHorse is the horse. Steven and the instructors know and appreciate that fact. They build on it. They champion the retired show horses and ponies, understanding these wise, giving and knowing horses have much to offer. That their spirit touches the spirit of the children, and teaches them. The horses at SpiritHorse At Black Fox have lifetime jobs and when their spirit moves on they are laid to rest under the big Mulberry tree in the back pasture. It's that kind of commitment and love that makes SpiritHorse a special place.

Please visit their website http://www.spirithorsetn.org/ to meet all the instructors and horses, and learn all about their unique programs. SpiritHorse At Black Fox is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

SpiritHorse International Website – www.spirithorsetherapy.com

Photos provided by SpiritHorse At Black Fox.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"A Grand Old Stump"

Howdy Folks,

There is a grand old stump just outside Kessy's barn, only a few feet on the other side of the fence. It's near where I scatter the chicken scratch each morning and the wild birds drift in for their breakfast of cracked corn. They are the birds I often mention in my Coffee Clutch stories. The birds who visit there vary slightly with the seasons, such as Juncos in the winter, Towhees in the summer. But the grand old stump is always there. It was there when we cleared the place for Kessy's barn and fence. From the looks of it, it had been here years before that.

Every morning chickens and wild birds use the old stump as a resting place while waiting their turn at the goodies. Squirrels, too. Almost every day a Chickadee, Junco or Wren will poke its cute face out the stump's only hole facing the barn. It always brings a smile.

The old stump is of good size and while I have no true way of knowing, I'd guess it must have been over 200 years old when it was felled. It was certainly here for the Battle of Appomattox during the Civil War. It would have been a good sized tree even then. Did weary soldiers rest beneath it that hot and brutal week?

It takes a lot for an acorn to grow to a massive oak. Simply surviving its first winter is a challenge. Deer love to browse the tender shoots of young oaks. In fact all the early years are a struggle for any sapling. From surviving the random deer browse or trampling hooves, to pushing ever upwards toward the sun under a canopy of tall trees blocking life giving sun's rays. But somehow this oak managed to survive and thrive throughout those early years.

Was this old stump once one of the few oaks left to stand in fields here to provide shelter from the sun's sweltering heat while the farmer worked his crop? Did it provide a welcoming shade to a man and his horses? How many birds, squirrels and raccoons raised their families in its massive spreading branches? I remember one time counting five different species of birds nesting in the same oak that towered along a blue bird trail I was monitoring

Surely it was witness to many changes throughout the countless years it stood regal and proud. Living surrounded by other oaks, poplars and hickories in a forest only visited by deer, foxes, bear and birds, to standing alone on the edge of a tobacco field. From seeing no human to watching the forest cleared all around by humans. The woods have grown back now, surrounding and sheltering the stump.

Today, the grand old stump watches the birds, our chickens, Kessy and all of us. It joins us each morning for Coffee Clutch and I wonder at the stories it could tell. Its spirit lives on.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Wonderful Weekend with a Dear Friend"

Howdy Folks,

Friends are one of God's special gifts, and my dear friend Connie Bloss is extra special. Over the years we've shared many adventures. We've ridden together from Southern VA to Vermont. Oh that Vermont ride! ... It was a 25 mile Competitive Trail Ride in Woodstock, Vermont in January, called the January Thaw, only it didn't thaw. It was one degree with 28 inches of snow. I rode my Spotted Saddle Horse, Diablo, Connie rode my TWH, Fritz.  Ravishin' Robbie served as our crew. We all agree of all the adventures we've shared this was one of our favorites.

Connie's husband, Larry was a really swell guy and great friend, too. He didn't always go along on our horsey adventures and escapades, but did cheer us on and if we ever needed any kind of help was right there ... A few weeks ago Larry went to Heaven. This past weekend I went to visit Connie to share condolences and memories. We did plenty of remembering, crying, eating and laughing ... The weather did keep us from playing with Connie's Icelandic horse, Gi.

But as planned, on Saturday we did attend Diane Sept's February "Equine Discussion Group." It was Connie who introduced me to Diane. Each year Diane holds one-day get-togethers in Jan, Feb and March, sort of mini clinics, where she discusses all things important to know about how to be a great horse owner/partner. Not only is it a great chance to learn important information, brush up on things and hear new ideas, but it's fun to see friends you only see every now and then. Diane is an exceptional instructor, trainer and motivator. And my mentor. As I always say, "Everything good I know about horses I learned from Diane Sept. Everything good I know about life I learned from my wife, Robbie."

This weekend's Equine Discussion Group's focus was on the senior horse, and many great ideas were shared and discussed, from feeding, vaccinating, barefoot care, dental work to housing, riding and blanketing. I was pretty surprised to learn the feed industry's idea of a senior horse is 13. I think that's a mighty young senior horse! Many friends there shared their own experiences with their senior horses, and there were some great stories. One of Diane's lesson horses, Jessica will celebrate her 39th birthday in a few months, and she looks every bit of 15!

Larry's horse, Blue went to Heaven just last week at 27. We all decided he wanted to ride with Larry again.

Sunday, and Monday, Connie and I set out to visit more of our friends, talk about horses and family. I don't get see everybody very often since moving to VA, so it was really great to go with Connie and do some catching up.

Ah yes, it was simply a wonderful weekend with a dear friend!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry