Green Mountain
Draft Horse Association
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The
Green Mountain Draft Horse Association in
The
All New Green Mountain Draft Store Spring is here and the fun has begun!
Our spring meeting was kicked off when the Green Mountain Draft Horse Association plowed the Middlebury Committee Garden. The small garden is located behind Otter Creek Brewery. Thank goodness it was only a 1/3 of an acre. The ground was solid clay and roots were buried deep into it. Thanks to Pat Palmer with Spud and Chief, Larry Newcombe with Jim and Diamond and Ted Russell with Clayton, the job got done and the crowd of about 50 on lookers had a good time. The weather was perfect for the hard work and hopefully we will be able to do more gardens together in the future. Morgan Wolver, the owner of Otter Creek Brewery agreed to let us use the brewery’s lunch room for our meeting. It was a bit crowded, but with good food, free beer and lots to talk about, the meeting was a success. We have a number of events coming up this spring and summer. By the time you get this newsletter Everything Equine will be over, and the auction hopefully went off without a hitch (no pun intended). Be sure to check out our calendar of events. If there is anything else you would like the club to do as a group, contact Jean Cross and maybe we can get it organized! Also discussed at the meeting were some new ideas to make some money. The fund raising committee has been creative this winter. We are selling plush ponies and horses wearing bandanas with GMDHA logos on them. We also have silicone bracelets, that say “GEE I AM RIGHT GMDHA” . On our website we have a new clothing store. You can pick your shirt style, color and size and get our logo on it and it will be shipped to your home in less then a week. You can find the link on the home page of our website, www.greenmountaindraft.org. The club will make a little money with every purchase! If anybody has any other ideas for fund raising let the club know about them. Don’t forget that what makes this Association work is all the great members. Come on out and have some fun. By: Jean Cross
Draft Horse Field Days at Shelburne Farms July 25,2009 Do you have a favorite horse drawn implement that you would like to share? The Draft horse field days at Shelburne Farms would be a great way to showcase your item. We currently have mowing machines, tedders and rakes demonstrating the steps necessary to harvest hay. We also demonstrate the harvest of wheat using a reaper binder, threshing machine and stationary baler. We are looking for a working hay elevator to get our hay off the field. Last year we included in our demonstration some old time hand crafts as well. We had spinners from the Twist of Wool Guild as well as a rope maker, “The Cranky Yanky”. We would be interested in any other hand crafts that you would like to share. The event is run from 11:00am to 3:00pm on the beautiful landscape of Shelburne Farms. If you would like to be included in our demonstration or would like to help for the day please contact Karen Myers at 802-877-2820 or e-mail at karen@claycountryfarms.com
When, Why, and How to Manage A Horse That Reacts to a Vaccine Spring is here! Springtime means vaccine season and although rare, sometimes in our efforts to protect our four legged friends, we may have to deal with potential side effects of the vaccinations. Vaccine reactions can manifest in many different forms. They can be as basic as a small localized swelling or as severe as a systemic inflammatory process. There are some simple steps you can take to help eliminate and/or manage reactions. The simplest version of a vaccine reaction is the dreaded “lump or bump”. This is a form of localized tissue reaction to the vaccine. Typically, these horses feel fine but may have some localized tenderness that can be treated with cold compresses and bute if necessary. The cold compress should be the treatment of choice for the first 48 hours and then you can transition to a localized massage of these lumps and bumps to help minimize scar tissue. On the
other end of the spectrum, we can have systemic reaction, which is often created
by an over -zealous immune system. Typically, these horses exhibit a generalized
soreness/stiffness, depression, a febrile state, and may or may not have
swelling in distal limbs. Often, symptoms can be managed with anti-inflammatories
and localized treatment as stated above i.e. cold packs. In severe cases, it can
lead to Colics or Laminitis. In these cases, you will need to contact your
veterinarian for treatment.
For more information or questions on the web site contact Jean Cross
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Vermont was formed to establish friendly communication and to encourage the
exchange of ideas for the purpose of assisting its members in the areas of
breeding, exhibiting, buying, selling and promoting the varied uses of draft
horses, and also including mules, ponies and oxen. 
