Equine therapy program heals hearts and minds

By Kylene Scott

Horses are therapeutic--therapeutic to look at, to ride and to work with. Winston Churchill is often quoted as to have once said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man."

Scott Stinemetz of Healing Hearts Ranch Inc., has discovered how therapeutic horses really can be and has put it to good use.

Stinemetz, who graduated from Sterling College in 2003 with a degree in psychology, began working at the mental health center in Great Bend, Kan., following graduation. Around the same time, he also began working with and training horses. Eventually, he began to see how he could use horses as part of a therapy program for his clients at the mental health center.

Overflow crowd attends KSU Stocker Field Day

The 10th annual Beef Stocker Field Day at Kansas State University was held Sept. 24 at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit. An overflow crowd heard presentations from K-State researchers and from two producer panels.

Kevin Dhuyvetter, K-State agricultural economist, began the event with a presentation entitled "Buying and Selling Right." Dhuyvetter said as a seller the producer needs to know what buyers want, then do his best to sell it to them. A buyer needs to recognize how the different traits are discounted and which traits pay a premium and figure out how they fit into his operation.

"Find out what the markets are and figure out where you fit in," Dhuyvetter said.