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Mini-Horses Break Down Barriers In This 4-H Club
NEWARK, Del. “You’ve
got a purpose in life to make
people smile, boy,” calls Gene
vieve (‘Vivi’) du Pont to her mini
ature horse, Toy Mint.
Settling into the seat of the
horse-drawn cart, du Pont pauses
to reassure the teenager beside
her. 1
“You can hold my arm, that’s
OK,” she tells her, as she clucks to
Toy Mint. As the horse begins to
pull the cart forward, the girl’s
face beams.
Riding in a horse-drawn cart is
a rare treat for 18-ycar-old Vandy
Huffman of Williamstown, NJ.,
who has cerebral palsy. And 4-H
club leader du Pont knows it’s one
way to bring a smile to her face.
du Pont has been sharing her
miniature horses on a regular basis
with people with disabilities since
she founded the Dilworth/Cozy
Comer 4-H Club two years ago in
Kenton, Del. 4-H is the youth
organization of Cooperative
Extension. Through the horses, du
Pont provides opportunities for
children and adults to transcend
their problems.
“Many people who are physi
cally and mentally challenged
come here with low self-esteem,”
says du Pont “Often their feelings
get trapped in their bodies because
they can’t express themselves.
These little horses do so much to
help them. Caring for the animals
helps them deal with their own
emotions.”
Du Font’s efforts were recog
nized when her Kent County 4-H
club won high honors in the 1997
“Colgate Youth for America”
campaign, a nationwide search for
the best community projects by
young Ameriocans. The Dil worth/
Cozy Comer 4-H Club took the
fourth-place price in the 24th
annual campaign, competing
against clubs and troops of six
national youth organizations that
included 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl
Scouts, Girls Incorporated, and
Boys and Girls Clubs.
“I was thrilled to win a prize,”
says du Pont. “I just try to make
this club fun so that evetybody
leaves here happy with
themselves.”
Du Pont, 53, is no stranger to
hardship. A rubella (German mea
sles) baby, she was bom 95 per
cent blind. She has been diag
nosed with multiple sclerosis and
diabetes. Two auto accidents
injured her foot and her back so
severely that she now relics on an
electric wheelchair and a golf cart
Are you into it ? ||
Hercules Arrives In Hershey
HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.)
The Feld Entertainment spectacu
lar, “Disney On Ice Hercules"
arrives at die Hersheypark Arena
Nov. 11-16.
The action-adventure epic will
run for 11 shows. Music is by
Oscar-winning composer Alan
Menken and lyricist David Zippel.
to get around her 32-acre Kenton
farm.
Cozy Comer, du Font’s fully
handicapped-accessible farm, is a
veritable menagerie. In addition to
her 35 minitaure horses, she keeps
company with two llamas, two
goats, a donkey, a cow, 10 dogs
(including a three-legged Dober
man called Moose), a miniature
flying squirrel and six talking
birds. Du Pont breeds, raises.
trains, sells and shows her minia
ture horses, which grow to only 34
inches tall at the shoulder.
“Miniature horses were origi
nally bred in Europe for children
of royal families,” says du Pont
“Because of their strength, they
were used in America in mines,
where they pulled loads of up to
400 pounds. Now they are raised
only for show. They are easy to
handle and bond well with
people.”
Du Pont teaches her 4-H club
members, with or without disabili
ties, to groom, handle, walk, and
show the miniature horses. She
even takes members with her to
compete in regional and national
shows, which only recently
thanks to her relentless campaign
ing began to offer handicapped
classes in competitions.
In addition to competing, mem
bers of the Dilworth/Cozy Comer
4-H Club go on field trips, partici
pate in parades, and do communi
ty service projects such as taking
the miniature horses to greet the
residents of nursing homes.
“Some of the old folks in the
homes haven't talked in years,”
she says. “But when they get near
the horses, their eyes light up and
they don’t stop talking.”
Ted Palmer, Kent County
Extension agent for 4-H, calls du
Pont an “outreach person.”
“Vivi is very community
minded,” says Palmer. “This sum
mer, she invited the whole Kent
County Cloverbud 4-H Camp to
her farm for a tour. She’s a won
derful role model.”
Du Pont welcomes children and
adults of all ages and abilities to
her 4-H club.
“Mainly it’s about getting abled
and disabled people together so
that they can leam to deal with
people who are different from
themselves,” she says. “This club
runs on love. Anybody can join.
“I probably gel more out of it
than the members do,” she adds.
“If I can’t help somebody evety
day, I don’t feel I’ve accom
plished anything.”
Characters are voiced by Charlton
Heston, James Woods. Rip Tom,
Paul Shaffer, and Bobcat
Goldthwait.
Tickets for the shows are $35,
$19.50, $17.50, and $13.50. For
tickets, call Hersheypark Arena
Box Office, (717) 534-3911 or
Tickctmaster, (717) 693-4100.
Korqe r*
Vandy Huffman, 18, enjoys a cart ride behind a miniature horse at the Dilworth/
Cozy Corner 4-H Club in Kenton, Del. From left, club leader Vivi du Pont, Vandy and
Vandy’s mother, Penny Huffman.
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