Happy New Year… Blessed New Year …..New Year of New Begininnings and New Starts…I pray that it is all those things for you and your family. God has promised us in His word that He is doing a new thing.  Isaiah 43:19. Maybe it’s someone to forgive, maybe a talent or dream to blow the dust off of, maybe someone to give a second chance to or maybe time to believe God, Yahweh, for who He says He is and all that He promises in His word that He wants for you.  If He desires, may our paths cross in 2012. May we all enjoy and appreciate His amazing creation-the Horse………if you are looking for a new horse in 2012 give let know. We will find one to fit you…..with Sincere Blessings….The Henderson Crew

HLC Smooth Showtime

Well we made the commitment and have offered Showtime for sale to a private individual.  He has become very special around here and it took a family meeting to go forward with this. This person had been asking about a horse from us so after some communication with the Heavenly Chief we decieded that Showtime was the one to offer this man.  You all know what it’s like to move forward and let go of those special horses.  If fits our prayers that we offer up often when we ask God to match the right horse with the right person.  So when God makes it clear that a certain horse and a certain buyer are a match one has to put personal feelings aside and trust that God STILL and has always known what is best.  Showtime is one of the last of the CC Jet Smooth horses in our program.  He was to be a herd sire but complications with his breeding abilities stopped that from happening.  He is a unique individual in his breeding and in his confirmation.  We will see what God has planned next for this special horse…………stay tuned.

Raelene Konzak came to help, ride horses for us and just walk with us through life on August 20.  We have so much enjoyed having her on the Henderson Ranch. She has been a big asset to the Dry Box program as well. Raelene has a gift and appreciation with horses and cattle that is rare to find these days.  She even loves doing chores in the dark!! Raelene has spent many years learning more about training techniques  and what works good for her. Horses love her and respond quickly to her training. Raelene has been to the  Montana Circuit Finals 10 times and to the Dodge Circuit Finals 2 times. We appreciate having her experience on board with us.  The other thing we love about Raelene is her love of the Lord. We have some great conversations at the table about what we see the Lord doing in our midst.  It reminds me of the verse in Proverbs 27:17  Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

We will miss her but her new owner, Lynn Rourke of Gillette Wyoming will enjoy her.  Maggie was a delight to be around and was going good on barrels and started in Team Roping.  It’s fun to see our horses go to great homes and to people who appreciate all the time we spend on them.  Blessings to you and Maggie, Lynn!!

Seneca Magnolia is a beautiful six year old mare that has alot going for her. She is foundation bred with performance emphasis.  With the versatility from the Driftwood breeding and the speed and barrel breeding through Magnolia Bars on the bottom she has the package needed to excel in the arena.  “Maggie” has been rode on the ranch extensively. She has a great foundation with no holes. She is easy going. Has been hauled and is currently being hauled for seasoning on barrels. Maggie has been roped on in the arena and out of the arena. She hauls great and loves being around people.  If you are looking for a future barrel horse to haul and win on but to finish according to your style, look no further. We would love to fit you with a horse as we have others for sale too. …….Our horses are always sold on “Truth and Trust.”  Call us today 308-458-2581. Ones like her won’t stay around long. 

I learn more lessons from the horses than they will  ever learn from me. We had the dreaded colic hit last week( August 16, 2010) on a cute mare by our deceased CC Jet Smooth. We do all that we can as far as health and nutrition to prevent colic hitting but as we were reminded we are not God and do not have control over every thing that happens……….(this blog was started last August and never finished. I came across the draft and decided it was too good to not finish.  It’s several months later…time does fly by)…..Go Girl, as we call this cute little mare, survived a bad case of colic. Not only did she survive but the unexpected blessing of a baby is still growing inside her.  (HLC Sak Em Sugar found himself happily joined with the band of riding horses after he got a gate or two open while we were gone.)  I remember the day that Go Girl came down with the colic. She came in from the pasture in bad shape and I could not get her to stay on her feet and by the time we went to load her on the trailer to take her to the vet, I could not get her up. It’s heart wrenching for me to watch a horse be in that much pain.  I prayed often and out loud while trying to walk her. I reminded the Lord that she belonged to Him. I asked Him to spare her life but reminded myself , out loud, that I was just her care taker. Not her owner.  Mike and I agreed that we did not want to risk the expensive colic surgery especially in the shape she was in.  That was a tough decision!! We are used to doing everything within our means to help our horses or cattle. Our awesome vet, Dr. Moorehead, called that night and it did not sound good.  By morning, he called with some hope.  He said,  “I can’t believe that she made it through the night. I went to put her down twice but I just couldn’t do it.  She is still alive and I did an ultrasound.  We can do a simpler surgery and cheaper surgery that I think may work.” The mare had some intestinal complication in the spleen area.   Go Girl is thriving and the baby in her survived as well!!    It was a great lesson for me personally in being reminded that I do not own these horses. They are God’s creation for His glory and purposes. Then, He lets us enjoy them and have the privilege of caring for them. It makes my load much lighter and my job easier when  I realize I am not the boss!!

. I take my orders from the Almighty and leave the details to Him. ……what relief…..what glory……. what amazing surprises can come!!  I  recently caught Go Girl in the pasture to deworm her. She seemed kind of tired and droopy. I remember thinking that I hoped she was feeling okay. So I prayed again out loud and reminded Go Girl that her life was spared for God’s purpose and glory. To go and be blessed.  She turned away, tail in the air and head up high loping as fast as an expectant mother can.  Trust Him all the way. You won’t be disappointed in the end. Still standing amazed….. Tee Jay

Jessica Lyle on HLC Smooth Fancy at the CNFR 2002 & 2003 CRMR Horse of the Year

Today, was the day that we chose to put down Sanwood Miss. It was sad but she had lived a good life here and she has definitely left her mark.  She was a mare that has played a big role in our program for over 20 years.   Sak Em San was her sire and Flamewood Miss her dam. Sanwood Miss came to the ranch in 1985 as a yearling from the Stanley Johnson program.  I have lived on the ranch for 21 years and she was here before I.  It’s funny how you just get used to the things that you think will always be here. 

 Her  colts were always athletic, cowy, versatile with enough fire to make them awesome competitors.  The two that come to my mind are HLC Smooth Heartache a gelding that my brother Chad Miller hauled to PRCA rodeos in the calf roping and HLC Smooth Fancy a mare that won Horse of the Year in the Cental Rocky Mountain Region for two years in a row.  HLC Sak Em Sanwood is a red dun stallion that was raised here on the ranch. He is now a reference sire here at Dry Box Performance Horses.  So the influence of her life still lives on here.   We are thankful for the horses that God blesses us with and we realize that they are His to give and His to take.  Enjoy the ones God has given you because they do not live forever………Grateful for the blessings we have, Tee Jay      

Chad Miller on HLC Smooth Heartache by CC Jet Smooth and Sanwood Miss. Competing at Cheyenne Frontier Days

2010 Dry Box Stud colt- Dam "Missy" pictured is by Sanwood Miss.

We are well into the year 2011. How did you start your New Year? We started ours  in warm and sunny Arizona at my parents new home in Arizona.  Okay, it wasn’t so warm for a few days of our stay but for the most part it was sunny and for this time of the year that is a treat for us Nebraska folks.  Mike and Logan got to team rope about every day.  AND they only had to do down the road about 10 minutes. Unheard of for us people in the sticks! Logan was too young to enter a team roping and he is male!!  You have to be female or over 40 to enter most of the team ropings around Buckeye.   Yes, Mike fits the over 40 so he got to heal on HLC Smooth Showtime. He really enjoyed himself and won some money too!

Erica and I entered a 3 run NBHA Barrel Race on New Year’s weekend. Yes, Erica pulled the weight for the trip. Her and Lil, oh and HLC Freckles Rosin too, won about $1,500 in 3 days.  Not bad wages for a 12 year old. It was fun for her to run against Sheri Cervi and others she had watched on TV.  A great learning experience.  More than that we had a ton of fun. The first night we ran about 10:00pm and we about froze. My Dad said to Mom, “Oh we have to move farther south. The cold weather caused something to freeze and break. ” We laughed; it’s amazing how you can’t handle much cold when it stays so warm.  When it gets cold they go to extremes. Our kids thought it was great that they lit a fire in the trash can at the barrel race.

We are now back in winter country and ride when we can.   We are looking forward to entering some barrel racing and team roping during the Stock Show in Rapid City.  Maybe we will see you there. May you be blessed to spend more time riding and less time with worries of this world in 2011………Tee Jay

We are excited to celebrate Christmas with our families.  Life just seems to be full and it’s great to spend that time with the ones we love.  We were able to celebrate Christmas with those who work here a week ago and that was a blessed time.  We will spend Christmas here and then travel to see my parents AND take  5 horses with us to the warm country.  A little warm sunshine is going to feel wonderful.  I hope that your  Christmas is blessed with peace and hope and love found in our Savior, Jesus Christ,  no matter what your circumstances look like. I am attaching a fun picture of my family and I that we took the day that we picked Logan up from the airport after being in Oklahoma for 2 weeks.  May your Christmas be Merry and Bright and may it include horses too ..………….Tee Jay Henderson