Green Mountain
Draft Horse Association
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The
Green Mountain Draft Horse Association in
Summer
Meeting Our summer meeting was held at Ted Russell’s and Josie Ritter’s farm. It was a beautiful day, perfect for haying and a round pen demo. We started the day with a great potluck lunch including grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. The meeting was started as soon as people had a chance to eat. The spring meeting minutes and treasures report was read and approved. All the events we had since the spring meeting was discussed, the auction, Everything Equine, and the driving clinic. Coming up we have the Shelburne Farms Field Days on July 31st from 11am to 2pm. We are still looking for teamsters to help out with that event and people to help with the club booth and working with the wagon rides. This should be a well attended event t his year. Shelburne Farms is doing a great job of getting the word out about the draft horses being there. Our fall meeting date has been changed to September 11. It will be held at Carl Russell’s farm in Randolph VT. We will be doing some logging. Carl said there will be large and small logs for us to work our horses on. A potluck lunch will begin the meeting. Harvest Festival at Shelburne Farms is September 25th. If you would like to help with that please contact Pat Palmer at 802-388-6232. We usually have about 6 to 8 teams there giving rides. The Draft Animal Power Field Days will be held on October 15 – 17 at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds. Carl Russell spoke about wanting to know if the club was interested in participating in some way this year. This will be discussed further at the fall meeting. When the meeting was adjourned the group moved up to the field that the haying was happening on. We had a great mixture of horses. They ranged in size from Halflingers to Shires. There were also teams of Suffolks, Percherons, and Spotted Drafts. They were able to mow, ted, rake and bale. The baling was done with a four up consisting of two Halflingers out front and two Suffolks in the back. What a sight! While the haying was happening, Cathy Palmer gave us a round pen demonstration using a yearling draft cross that had never been in a round pen before. She was a very good little filly and seemed to understand after a bit what was expected of her. Then Cathy moved onto a larger older Belgian Mare. This horse understood what a round pen was for and did not take long at all to follow Cathy. I can never see these types of trainings too often. I always learn something. The day ended way too soon. It is days like that I remember why I am a member of Green Mountain Draft Horse Association.
Driving Clinic Held by Green Mountain Draft Horse Association
Cold, rain and snow was not enough to dampen the spirits at the Green Mountain Draft Association’s two day driving clinic held at Shelburne Farms on May 8th and 9th. The fact that it was mother’s day weekend did get me some calls from some mothers that were not happy with me for “spoiling” their mother’s day and I do apologize to them. The students were given different options of learning based on their experience. Most spent the first morning going over harnessing and how that big pile of heavy leather all fits together and allows the horse to push the wagons and carts forward. The horses were all very patient, but maybe a bit curious as to why the harness was being put on and taken off so many times without actually being hooked to anything. Ground driving started after lunch. Students had the pleasure of driving single or with a team. Members, Barb and Jim Amblo brought a 4up of bicycles, which gave the students some very good reining lessons. It is the best and maybe the safest way to learn why it is so important to keep some pressure on the off rein while turning.
Driving Clinic Spring 2010 continued on Newsletter Page
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. 
