Re: Synthetic Pairs Harness wanted
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com Taffy I have two pairs harnesses for Fjords. My horses were at the larger end of the Fjord scale, so these would be big for 13.1-13.3 horses. The harnesses are (of course) Camptown, black Beta, with black leather padding, stainless hardware. Lines can either be leather or Beta. One harness has straight breast collars, with optional shaped BC's. The other harness has only the shaped BC's. Traces end in D's (can easily be replaced). All of the harnesses are convertible to single, with a few added parts. All of the harness is in full functional and appearance condition. Happy to send pictures. Both harnesses in very good condition. I have been meaning to sell them, and have been slow to get around to it. Of the four harnesses, I have two brand new bridles, and two well used (predating the harness itself). I used to get new harness every year, so these are not heavily used. I can't put prices on the harness until I know what would be wanted - which harness, which lines, which bridles etc. Perhaps not all of the harness will fit (bridles, perhaps). It should come out about half the price of brand new. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Aluminum trailer for sale
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com I just listed my Eby 18 foot stock trailer on eBay. Eby has a reputation for making commercial quality trailers, and this trailer is in very good condition. It served me beautifully to carry a pair in the rear and wagon in the front. The adjustable center gate makes each compartment the size you need. eBay listing 280641535941 I think this link will work... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=280641535941 Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Stella
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com Aother word for Stella. Dick and Sue brought her to Equine Affaire in Springfield several years. Dick and Sue drove her in a three abreast, and lent her to me for a four in hand. She was always great to work with ( Dick and Sue, also!). Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Re: Mike May
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com Good news - Jeanne is an excellent choice for the task. Congratulations to us, Jeanne, and Mike! Dave Sent from my iPad Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
A view from the horseless carriage...
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com First of all, thanks to you list members for your forbearance allowing the mention of horses for sale on the lists. When I advertised my horses for sale just now, it was only on these lists (plus NW ADS mailings, thanks, Peter!), and the response was huge. I figure the least I can do by way of thanks is to give a report of life after horses. It's been two weeks as of tomorrow. When I posted my offer for the horses, within 5 minutes of posting, I had my first call. Then a large flurry of response, tapering out over time. I had a total of 18 people who reached me. I think almost every one was a person or program that I could have considered. The common element was that they were well-prepared to care for horses, and in most cases ready to continue the horses' driving careers, with riding as well. I went from worrying about the horses' future to being confident of it. I wish I had had more horses to spread around to these great folks. My decision was to put the horses, Solven and Brisk, in the hands of Cathi Greatorex, a person not well known on the lists, but a horse driving friend who had groomed for me several times at Happs. She knew the horses, and already owned 2 Fjord mares, coming with a lifetime of horse dedication. Cathi and her husband Doc Hamill have their horses on 700 acres in NW Montana. Doc, with Cathi's participation, gives clinics around the US to help people learn to use horses for farm work. My - now hers - horses will likely be involved when the clinics are held at their ranch. Cathi tells me the horses are now living on a 20 acre pasture of yellow grass. Meanwhile I have watched myself to see what happens when the horses go. I miss the solitary pleasure of chores in the morning, watching the resident chipmunk and the crows as I gather manure, seeing the day begin, and giving the boys a pat while they dive into their feed like it's the first time they discovered hay. I miss that, but I have to say I enjoy lingering over a cup of tea with Pam instead of rushing out the door. It's nice to be able to make evening plans without factoring in feeding time. The new-found freedom is pretty nice, and it takes me by surprise. I still see the clock showing 6:30PM and start to take a step for the door. Old patterns don't go away so fast. One day last week I was at the farm (mile from home) cleaning the trailer and picking up the last of the manure. I'd look over at the paddock, just expecting to see the horses there as always, and I felt very sad. At this point, Tess, an Australian shepherd came by. We know each other. She belongs to a horse friend who lives a half mile away, out of sight, across a busy road. When her owner Karen rides a horse past the farm Tess is usually with her, but today there was no Karen. Before this I had never known Tess to visit on her own. Tess came up for a pat, then just hung around, which felt to me as the finest example of animal kindness I can remember. She stayed till I was done, and then I gave her a ride home. The rest of the time it's been okay. I have done some remarkable things with these horses as partners, some of which has been written here. If anyone wondered if a personal issue forced the sale, no. It was my plan from when I moved to Washington 5 years ago to sell them this year. Having them sold will free me up for some other engaging things in my life. And I hope it will make it possible for me to do more with other drivers and their horses. I'm not planning to leave the horse world - still have my life memberships in Fjord Registry and ADS! Anyone up for a 50 mile drive and camp on dirt roads in SE Arizona this winter? As to selling the horses, I am very clear of how challenging it would be if I'd had to accept big compromises in placing them. But in Cathi's hands, I know they will have the very best of care, and that she really knows and appreciates them. I look forward to accepting their invitation to visit and drive the horses in Montana. The horses are happy, Cathi too I think, and I am. Thanks all. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
The best offer...
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com It has been small hardship that my horses didn't sell in the spring. We have done things this summer that I wouldn't have missed, as I have followed the promptings of Cinderella Coach Company. Last venture was to an Alzheimer Unit which houses the former owner of the farm where my horses live. He may have forgotten the recent past, but he well remembers his father's horses growing up, and his own driving pairs. He still has a Mischka Driving Calendar in his room. I won't go into all the details, but can tell you the man had a genuine glow about him to be in the presence of driving horses. At the point in his diminished life, seeing horses lit up his eyes, and he came alive. His was a contagious glow! But I still need to sell the horses, as I have other plans pending. This is the offer. The boys (registered white Fjord geldings, 15 and 17) must go together, and to a qualified owner where they will get good care. I had priced them in the spring at $4500 each, which normally would be a low price for well trained and very experienced Fjords. I realize it is Fall, now by a couple of days. I will now sell them for $1000 each, which is basically a giveaway. And, recognizing it is hay-feeding season, a buyer can have as much FREE hay as can be loaded on the truck and trailer that picks them up. In the spring the price will be back to whatever the market is. These horses have been a pleasure and inspiration to me. I've had them since they were in diapers. One we bred and the other bought as a one year old. I have done CDE competition, and long distance trail driving, as well as Cinderella CC roles. I'll attempt to add a few newer pictures on www.daveontrail.blogspot.com Dave 360-385-0803 Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Arivaca
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com Hi Carol I showed up at Grass Ridge with no navigator, and Karen was parked next to me, and offered to groom. She also drove, single. When my wife Pam joined me in a later trip in March, we went down to Arivaca and visited her. She helped us find an old mine site from 1867, which was on the Arivaca road. The mine was something I had read about in my studies of the Apaches. Many of the people associated with the mine, including John Poston, were killed either by Apaches or Mexican banditos. Poston was brother of Charles Poston, widely known as the 'Father of Arizona' due to his efforts lobbying for creation of the territory. (Wikipedia). In charge of the mine (a survior) was Raphael Pumpelly, later professor of geology at Harvard. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
The Cinderella Carriage Company
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com I have metamorphosed (if anyone cares) into the Cinderella Coach Company, specializing in the transport of young girls. I have discovered an exquisite niche in the carriage driving world, which is most particularly, picking young girls up from school at the end of the day. The CCC is looking for young ladies in need of special recognition. I've done it three times now, two elementary and one middle school. This is the scene: I arrive with my pair of white horses, manes carefully trimmed and standing tall, at the end the day, and while the less deserving get on the school bus, our young friend gets on the carriage, joining her mother and me, and off we go. I can't think of anything I can do that has greater impact on someone's life! I'm hooked! This week I gave a ride to a grandaughter of a friend, a four year old, and thereby too young for school, and besides, school is out, so what am I going to do? The grandmother went ahead in her truck, so it was just the two of us. This was a smart and mature young woman, who could in fact spell her name, who very clearly has a passion for horses. She has many versions at home, but had never ridden in a carriage and never sat on a horse. Aha! Cinderella Coach Company reporting for duty! As we went along she said how she wanted a horse. I told her that mine were for sale, and she looked interested. She said she would take one. I said no, she had to take both, since they are a pair. She said,Okay, and asked me how much they cost. I was a little surprised to be having this negotiation with a four year old, but she was very clear. I said, Thousands! She said, I don't have thousands. I said, Talk to your mother. When we got back to the paddock, she had the chance to sit on Solven and ride a hundred feet, supported by her grandmother. We were both having a right good time. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
More Cinderella
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com My niece is visiting, and will groom for me at the NW Fjord Show at Happs this weekend. I told her about the CCC, and she said, It beats hiring a pumpkin! Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Special thanks
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com I'm a bit late on this, but I want to send special thanks to many folks who gave me help on my trip with horses to AZ this winter: Gayle Ware Roger Cleverly Jennifer Wells and her husband Roland Walt and Kathy Ashford All the John Wayne Trail folks at the horse RV place in Apache Junction Nina Masek Karen Anderson Nancy Leverenz B J Solomon Barbara Brinig Diane Kastama These folks and more brought help and enthusiasm that made the whole experience a best winter high. Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Apache blog
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com I finally finished the description of my drive around part of the Dragoon Mountains. If you read any of it, this is maybe the most important. I had a little trouble putting pictures in, so they are in a separate post. Confusingly, the order of the pictures is backwards, ie, bottom to top matches the previous blog, top to bottom. Will try to edit. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
blog
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com www.daveontrail.blogspot.com Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Fjord weight
This message is from: Dave McWethy pl...@olypen.com I figure when there is no evidence of a backbone, the horse needs to diet. Dave Instructions to manage subscriptions are found at: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e The FjordHorse List archives are found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
who wrote results of loose manure quest?
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com I think in the last month someone wrote the summary of her search to deal with chronic loose manure. It was good, useful, and I should have copied it. Can someone post it again, or send it to me? Thanks Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Need second person for John Wayne Trail
This message is from: Dave McWethy 4nh...@gmail.com Starting the evening of May 22, I will be starting the annual John Wayne Trail ride/drive with my pair (western Washington state). I am required to have a second person with me, and the person I expected to come won't be able to. I'm looking for someone who is enthusiastic about doing long distance travel (250 miles in 16 days), who is agile, able to share horse chores, would enjoy being a part of a trail group, and - not the least - a conversationalist! This will be my fourth year. In past years I have had both women and men with me, equally. Either is okay. This is kind of a bare bones - do it your own style - event. For someone distant, I can pick up and deliver to SeaTac airport. In another senario, someone could bring a camper or motorhome. Everyone who has done this has enjoyed it enormously. I realize there are lots of details, and I can address those privately. Meanwhile go to www.jwpwr.org for trail information. Please reply to me at 4nh...@gmail.com or call me at 360-385-0803. Dave McWethy Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
re: Speaking of Magazine's
This message is from: Dave McWethy pl...@olypen.com So, I wrote the editor a little e-mail and nicely explaned that if THAT is a perchie..then I have made a horrible mistake and 24 equines here have been mis-identified. Lisa, we knew it would break your heart to know, but yes, all of those Fjord horses you have are Norwegian Percherons. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Re: Farriery
This message is from: Dave McWethy pl...@olypen.com Hi Karen Loose ends - let's talk on the phone. Please tell us what Dave's comments are. Would be nice to know. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Logo
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I agree with most of the posts which favor the old logo over the new. There is a plainness about the heads of the horses in the new logo. Why not switch to a logo with an image of the stallion statue at Nordfjordeid? Someone please remind me of his name... That is one of the most striking images of the breed I know. Why should we have any less? I think it is too much detail to try and show all the images of what the horse can do. Less will be more. I always thought the old logo was okay, but a bit busy. Let's get dramatic. Dave Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Foundation
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dave, you wrote: I didn't realize I was on at the very beginning. Steve, does this make us foundation stock? Next you will be wanting to be entered in the Digest Stud Book, no doubt I was afraid someone would pick up on that. I debated using the term foundation stud, but -- I don't know -- I was overcome by a wave of modesty. Just might not be my image. Stop that giggling out there... Dave
early Fjord List
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Oh, BTW tomorrow is FH-L's anniversary. The first messages were exchanged on March 29, 1998, when the list had fewer than ten subscribers. Some of the original members who are still with us are Dave MacWethy, Mike May, DeeAnna Weed, and Laura Skjenna. As of last Sunday's report, we have 485 subscribers with 148 folks receiving the individual message format and 337 getting the daily digest version. I didn't realize I was on at the very beginning. Steve, does this make us foundation stock? Congratulations to all of us for the success of this list. Dave
Ski Joering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wasn't sure if it was just me. What I have been finding is that the ski joering is a little more demanding than falling off a log. Actually, falling wouldn't be all that hard. Standing up has been a bit more challenge. But still, after 6 tries, I haven't fallen. With new snow, I called the Greenalls this morning to see if they wanted to sj at their house with their horses today. They had fitted the harness but not tried skiing because of snow conditions. As freezing rain was forecast, we agreed I would come over in the morning. A half hour later, it had started to sleet, but we, my wife Pam and I, headed out. Pam has assisted every time, and has been indespensible help. What we found with John and Sue's horses, like all the others I have used so far (3), was that the horses had some misgivings about the equipment. The solution was to just get moving and let them go to work, on the theory that when a horse has worked off a little energy, it starts to get a little more sensible. John and I started. I was behind his tall warmblood cross horse, and he used Sue's Arab. Both have lots of experience and miles. Also lots of energy and want-to-go. The new snow was ideal where the road had been plowed earlier. We headed down the drive and in a big circle in the neighborhood. Going up the hills we got the horses to trot, which is what they were really wanting to do. Both horses were reluctant to walk, so when we did that, it took careful rein handling to restrain but not overpower them at the mouth. When you are going straight, on the level or up a shallow hill, it starts to feel easy. The horse settles into the work, and everything is more relaxing. Back at the barn, Sue took the Arab and we went out again. Sue did fine, but acknowledged that a bit of skill was needed to make it look simple. Both she and John said skiing behind a horse with a rider was easier (but also lots of fun, especially at a gallop). It was fun doing the sj with them, because their horses have lots of experience, and the two of them are great with horses. We could all see that more practice will get the horses accustomed and used to the task. Same thing here at home. My goal for the day, I told Sue, was to have a picture with me holding on with one hand, hat held up in the air, while yelling YAAHOOO!, in the classic pose of a bronc rider, looking casual. I think we pulled it off, but I might have forgotten to yell. It all went well, and was a good time. I think we agreed this is a sport that ain't for weenies. Camptown Dave http://www.horseharness.com
ski joering equipment
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dave, sure sounds like an interesting set-up. What does one of these French imports cost?Joni We paid Laurie Neely $525 for them, which included shipping and tarriffs. This was cost or close to it. If there is interest for next year, I think we can make this stuff ourselves for less money, maybe even with some improvements. If I am involved in it, I think Laurie will be the one to sell them, though. Dave
ski joering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I plan on doing the ski-joering with a mounted rider pulling a skier, or someone on a snow tube. How do you do that with no rider? Do you have a tow rope and reins? Must be hard to do both. I have equipment that has two shafts of flexible plastic tubing which hook to a bracket on the girth. At the back, they have a cross bar of the same material, with two levers that swivel fore and aft. You attach lines to these, which go forward to the bit. The whole thing allows you to drive the horse and ski at the same time. A friend, Laurie Neely, imported five of these from France, where I guess they are in common use. We are hoping to generate some interest around this area, and who knows? even events at some point. Alls I know is there is snow from Maine to Washington, and lots of horses standing around. Driving the horse while skiing is definitely a challenge to me. The horse has no idea what the plan is, so she doesn't help by being an automatic participant. When the horse is seasoned to this, and I have regained some ability to stand on skis, it gets easier, lots easier. I think to do the skiing behind the horse on a rope, with rider on horse, is good too. There, instead of driving the horse, you probably spend some time yelling at the rider to slow down! Or go faster. With a rope, you could swing wider in the corners, and that is definitely fun. Doing it with a rope and breast collar is a quick and inexpensive choice. I would recommend it. I have seen video of people racing in Europe, and others doing some form of ski ballet. Maybe we'll get to that next week. Or next lifetime. My problem now, like in WI, is poor snow. We have some icy snow, but the paths I had plowed have bare spots. I welcome the next snow. Dave
Ski Joering Version 3.0 and 4.0
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'll keep writing about this till I get a deafening request to shut up. I can't help myself. Scroll away. Yesterday was attempt three. I used a third horse that hadn't done it before, my mare Mari. Part way through I started to think it was criminal of the French to send such a thing without an owner's manual. Here I was, as is my habit, trying to learn something that any sensible person would realize would be way easier to do if learned from someone who already knew how. If the horse knew how, she could help me. If I knew how, I could train her. This was not the way to do it, but it was what I had. I bulldozed a large circle and then backdragged to get the snow smooth. I started out walking, and then did a tentative trot. Being a bit nervous about what was following her, she wanted to go fast. It was obvious to her I didn't know what I was doing, and best to get away. With a little of the frisk worked out of her, she slowed and I was able to do a couple of flawless trots around. I progressed to bigger challenges. We went back, away from the other horses to go into my larger field, where I had plowed the perimeter. Just before the field she did a quick U turn, leaving me in disarray, one ski off, but standing and not letting her go (cardinal sin). Then she danced around making it impossible for me to step on the binding and get going. We walked back to the barn, started over, went back to circles, and concluded in success at that. I decided ski joering is harder to learn than four in hand, which you can at least do sitting down. When I came into the house my first three layers of shirt were soaked in sweat, though I hadn't been aware I'd worked that hard. Version 4.0. Used Mari again, now an experienced horse. I read an article last night in the New Yorker about the training of surgeons. The writer, one himself, says as a rule surgeons have no particular genius or gifts, they just practice a lot till they get it right. Ignoring the implications of people dying along the way, I went back to ski joering with the belief that practice would get me through. It probably will. We started with circles, which went way better, rewarding us with actual pleasure and a boost of confidence. I tried a bit of swinging out to the side and across her path, like crossing the wake water skiing. With this success, I started for the other field. Crossing our driveway she spun on me, catching me not responding quickly enough. I lost a ski and had to step back in. Fortunately my wife was there to hold Mari's head. I got going again, and trotted her slowly. My theory is that with her head bouncing she can't think up mischief as easily, and goes straight. That plan worked about a third of the way around the field, then she veered off into the deep snow. I thought Aha!, now she'll have to work harder. I very quickly realized I have to work exactly equal to her, since I am attached by my arms. I was able to stay standing and moving in the deep snow. Only laziness saved me. I didn't want to have to walk or ground drive her through the heavy going, and made a special effort to stay up. I had muscles screaming in the area of my hips, muscles never used for anything but skiiing. Almost dumped several times, but kept going. We headed back after we got back on the plowed trail. Then did some more circles at a trot and signed off. Going in the deep snow showed me how I got so sweaty yesterday. It's me pulling me around. The horse just happens to be going my way. My big immediate goal is to ski at a canter. I inadvertently did that for a few steps today, and lived to tell. It will only count when I do it intentionally. By now I am learning a few tricks, and Mari is getting accustomed. When she does it right, it gets way easier. My goal is to be ready for a sleigh rally in VT (GMHA) on Feb 2, and to be safe. John Greenall got his equipment tonight, and hopefully he will do it to. Maybe we can do formations, like the Blue Angels. No sj for the next couple days. Camptown Dave
more ski joering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I made a second go today, using one of our own horses, the particularly steady one. It went well in the sense that I didn't do what someone (Laurie?) described as a snow angel landing. I am prepared to accept the fact that this isn't as easy as seeing it on the video. I'm sure as the horses are more accustomed, that will help. The main issue, though is my limitation as a skier. I don't have a problem with the driving part, but my feet are further from my brain, and they need some guidance. Maybe this is why sleighs were invented. Camptown Dave
Ski Joering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I was directed this morning to the North American Ski Joring Association, based in Montana. Apparently there is a racing circuit. Their website is: http://www.nasja.com/ There are some wild yahoo pictures there, skiiers with air! It looks like the racing is all done with riders steering the horses. It must be fun to watch. Saturday we had a great time down at Jeff Morse's party. Laurie Neely and I used his horse to launch this form of folly. His choice of horse was his 23 year old Morgan, a gelding whose eye said he'd seen just about everything. I kidded Jeff about giving us his geriatric horse, to keep us out of trouble. Garmisch stood well for us to hitch and adjust. The equipment consists of a saddle, breast plate and rods going back to the skier, with a bar across the back with two vertical rods that swivel back and forth. They have the lines attached. Your steering is essentially the same as a bulldozer! I started off at a walk, which was dead simple. When I went to a trot, I learned Jeff's horse still had some real life in him, and wanted to go faster than my skiing ability might allow at this point. He was throwing his legs out like a racehorse, for a big stride-y trot. One benefit of the equipment, we realized, is that if you fall and the horse is free, the handle drops and effectively pulls the horse in, or so it looks. Laurie soon was on the back, and drove him also on her own. She was totally successful, but realized she needed shorter skis to go faster safely. All the time we were doing this, the snow was falling in the late afternoon. It was an altogether lovely day. Jeff took some pictures and posted them on his website. Go to: http://www.green.meads.com/default.htm Click on the ski-joering link below the picture I'm home today and about to go out and see how it goes with Fjord horses. I'd like to believe they are genetically predisposed to do this work.
harness
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Kathleen I am familiar with the Yankee breeching, although I have never seen any in New England Yankee territory! I have seen it occasionally further west. It is a reasonable design for a draft harness, and may have two benefits. It is possible a horse could hold back a heavier load with this design. And it is possible that for a harness used for a lot of distance, and trotting, it might produce less fur wear than a conventional breeching, which bounces up and down more. Of the two, that would be more interesting to me. But I haven't had occasion to make a harness with it. Maybe some day. Not a high priority. It is also interesting to me that where the harnessmaker wants strength, he is incorporating Biothane. To take the logic further, you eliminate the leather! The benefit with a heavy harness, a work harness, is that it is in fact no longer heavy when you use more synthetics. My veterinarian is 5'6', and has a pair of tall Belgians. Before he got a Camptown Harness, he needed a second person to help harness them, because he couldn't lift the harness onto them by himself. His new harness, while lighter, is actually stronger, and he can put it on the horses with no help. I might note that while we continue to make work harness of Biothane, almost all of the carriage harness we make is of Beta and similar appearing materials. Beta, almost as tough as Biothane, is nicer looking and nicer feeling to the hand, and a closer approximation of leather. Both are made by the same company. What I have come to see also, in the comparison of leather and Beta, is that a harness of Beta will look better than a similar harness of leather, if used regularly, one year or five years later. I sold a harness this last week to a woman who has a Morong harness she paid $2800 for. It is a nice harness, and I like Bill Morong's work. But with the cost, she doesn't want to put the wear and tear on it. I have heard this story numbers of times. She will pay under $700 for the Camptown Harness, can use it anywhere, any time, and in a year it will look just as good. She had reasoned this through without my help. I don't question the price of these high line leather harnesses. But people make an assumption that price with the wide variation of price, there must be compromises in the harness we produce. In fact there are fewer differences than you would think. We all use the same thread. We can or do get leather from the same suppliers. The much of the hardware is usually the same. What you have, in an analogy of marketing of cars, is a difference between a Toyota and a Jaguar. There is room for both. Toyotas are more reliable and cost less. The dashboard in the Jags is (or used to be) real walnut instead of plastic. I drive a Toyota. I don't mean to detract from those fine leather harnesses. They are made by careful experienced craftsmen who do beautiful work. I admire some of the fine details in the Morong and Hunt harnesses, some of which wouldn't even be noticed outside the trade. Theirs is low volume fussy work, and they do it well. They sell to a different market. And some people just like leather. That's okay. There are fewer than there used to be. Fifteen years ago there were fewer choices. Now the synthetic harness has developed to where it is clearly the best choice for all around use, and it is rightly where the growth is in the harness market. Jean Ernest mentioned Barb Lee of Nearside Harness. If this posting is an ad, I'll advertise for her! She is a skilled harnessmaker who makes nice harness, very similar to ours. She used to make leather harness too, but no longer does, now concentrating on synthetics. Fitting of harness. I believe in the last year more of our harness shipped to California than anywhere else. If we ship a part that doesn't fit, we get a new measurement, and replace it to get it right. Dave http://www.horseharness.com
ski joering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Several of us in New England have been getting ourselves equipped for ski joering. Pam and I practiced yesterday in anticipation of the first round of ski joering today. We went horseless. We have about a foot and a half of snow, so I fired up the dozer and plowed a path around one of our pastures. Plowing snow with a dozer might seem like overkill, but the dozer is a key part of my winter feeding plan. I use it to plow roads to where I am penning the horses, down at the end of a field. I can then take the horses hay and water with a Gator, which makes things easy. So after the road was made, we tied a rope to the Gator and took turns being pulled behind. If it is any clue on how much fun actual ski joering is, we're in for some good times. I skied with very short downhill skis, probably intended for a ten year old, and Pam used some wide cross country skis. Even though we have been told the cross country skis won't work, they did fine for this. The experience was very much like waterskiing. I was able to glide back and forth, and veer out to the side on turns. We definitely got up to trot speed, with no problems. We also went by where the horses are penned. I like to give them previews of future human folly. One out of seven spooked at us going by, so we know who not to start with. I'll meet Laurie and Ray Neely and go with them to Jeff Morse's winter extravaganza in Massachussetts this afternoon. Laurie has imported several sj outfits from France, and she has mine, which we'll take with us and try out there. Winter is starting to seem like a great season all of a sudden! Dave http://www.horseharness.com
Browband size
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fjord browbands for driving bridles are usually 18 inches. I have a pair 14.3 and 15.1 who take 19 inches. After years of hearing people talk about the difficulty getting harness that fits Fjords (and experiencing some of it myself), I started Camptown Harness with the unwritten motto of We make harness for Fjords and adapt them to other breeds! which I confess only in Fjord circles. Actually, the main issues are browband, and sometimes noseband and throatlatch. BTW, I have renamed my covergirl mares, aka Signe and Mari, the Camptown Ladies. Dave http://www.horseharness.com
attachments between traces and tree
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Jane Nice to hear those Fjords are doing some useful work! Does your singletree have eyes that you can put a carabiner into? Or do they have curlicue ends? I think well of carabiners, and use them for pole chain at the front, for a pair, and I use the ones made for climbing from outdoor stores I like the ones that have screw down locks for that purpose. I would be more inclined to use plain steel ones from the local hardware store for the back. They are remarkably tough, and more rugged than aluminum, which wear at the point of contact over time. Not as much a problem up front. Dave
Buckles-Up Halters
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Note: the Buckles-Up Halters are the ones with buckles on top of the noseband, so when you are in crossties, and wish to remove the halter and put it around the horse's neck, all you have to do is open the buckle on the nose, and the halter is in place on the neck. Now that Thanksgiving is past, we're on the downhill slope towards Christmas. If you are looking for halters with buckles on top of the nosebands, which were popular as presents last year, you can see them, with prices on http://www.horseharness.com/halter.html I will add that draft sizes are $1.00 higher. The prices are the total amount - no tax, no shipping cost. And we can process credit cards this year. Fit is always an issue. I can recommend by general category (large pony small horse large horse etc) but I also have a table of measurements which I can email if someone needs it. Adult Fjords usually take a #600, and the largest take #700's. Camptown Dave http://www.horseharness.com
Subject: Re: Size of bridle?
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Before I started Camptown Harness, I had trouble getting bridles to fit. I remember sending new driving bridles back to Smuckers twice (they should have known better) before I gave up on them. The solution was to make bridles. There is nothing complex about fitting Fjord heads. You just have to make bridles the right size. At this point, we probably have made more harness for Fjord horses than anyone else, perhaps excluding someone in Norway. I have joked that we make harness to fit Fjords and adapt them to other breeds, rather than the other way around! Not surprisingly, since my own horses are my models, Fjords are the most prominent on our website. Having said this about Fjord bridles, it happens that not all are the same size. There are some that have larger noseband or crownpiece-throatlatch measurements, and we make those changes from a basic Fjord size. The most common problem in off the shelf bridles is that browbands are too short. Fjords mostly require 18 inches, end to end, and occasionally but rarely, 19 inches. Dave Camptown Harness http://www.horseharness.com
Kirk Douglas
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have a photo of then young Kirk, with to Janne with love, Kirk written on it as my grandpa helped advise at the set. I was 1 year old. Smile) What a charmer, that Kirk!
bombing Norway
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Makes me feel better that we did not bomb Norway The Germans did, however, bomb Norway. David Klove showed me a fragment of bomb dropped on his farm. He said the Germans believed there were weapons stored there. Voss, where he lives, was an area of strong resistence to the Germans. I asked if they were actually holding the weapons. He said yes! He still, 50 years later, strongly resented the Germans for those days. Dave
Camptown Harness
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] For Sale: Camptown Biothane pairs breast collar harness. Detatchable shaft loops for one harness. This harness is made to fit Fjords weighing 1000-1300 lb. brand new. asking $1200.00 If interested, please e-mail or call me @ 218-387-2733 Philis Anderson, Grand Marais, Minnesota Philis had mentioned this to me, that for reasons unrelated to horses, she won't be able to drive for the time being. I assured her that if a buyer needed any changes to be sure it fits properly, we can do that. This harness was meant to be convertible for use as a single harness. Dave
Where Fjords were and weren't
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] A week ago last Thursday, I joined Joanna Crell with my mares Signe and Mari (The Camptown Ladies) to participate in the parade in Washington DC which marked the end of Michael Muir's trip across the US, driving his horses from California to Virginia. Michael has had MS most of his life, and drove from a wheelchair. He is president of Driving for the Disabled. You can see details of the trip on the website www.horsejourney.com . Joanna played the key roll in getting the parade permit - not an easy thing to do, she discovered. We hitched in front of the Relecting Pool (where, it kept going through my mind, Wilbur Mills ended his career), with the Capitol in the background. The Ladies were well behaved but not impressed (It's not Oslo!). We then paraded up and down Independence Ave. All went well. The crowd was pleased. Fjords were admired. It was a good day! This weekend I went for a day to Equine Affaire. It is a different perspective after a couple of years participating. It made me appreciate all the great organizing and effort the Giagiaris put into the event for three (?) years, and all the benefit they brought to the breed. We were definitely missed this year, and I hope we get back. Dave
Fair Hill
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Robyn - from your note about a booth for therapy program - do you know Joanna Crell? She will be there for the weekend, and will be ring steward for dressage. She runs a therapeutic ride and drive program in Maine. You might like to meet each other. I will be unable to be in MD on the weekend, but will be coming south on Monday to join Joanna, and we will be accompanying Michael Muir into Wash DC later in the week. Michael has MS, but has driven across the country from CA last winter, driving his horses. He drives in a wheelchair. He is president of Driving for the Disabled, the organization. I will have my mares, the Camptown Ladies, pulling Joanna's wheelchair carriage, with a passenger in a wheelchair. This man also has MS, and runs a riding therapy program in DC. I still don't have a lot of details of the drive into DC, but hope to in the next few days, and will pass it on. If anyone is in the DC area and wants to watch or help, send me a message. Dave
Patrick lameness
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I would have written almost exactly what Mary Thurman did, and she got there first. I too had been deeply skeptical about chiropractors, but had had a remarkable success with one who is also a veterinarian who worked on a mare of mine. I would have suggested trying one for your situation. The cost is moderate, the risk low, with possibility of a cure. Dave
Teresa and Libby
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Teresa, if we see you walking around looking blood sugar desperate, we'll feed you. We're looking forward to being out there, seeing old friends, and great horses. My only regret is that I couldn't drag Pat Wolf along with us. I knew he wanted to come, but he just had too much to do at home after the Woodstock Show (and will be putting on Ontario Fjord Show with help of other folks there in Sept). Dave
Camptown Harness
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] A blatantly commercial note here... Almost all of the harness we produce is custom made, however I have three single harnesses ready to go. All three are sized for Fjords (we make harness Fjord size, and adapt it for other breeds!). They are Beta with leather padding, and leather lines. One is black Beta with russet leather. The other two are Godiva harnesses, all brown - dark brown Beta with brown leather padding. One has stainless hardware and the other, brass. If you need a picture of the later, I can email it. Price is $670 plus $15 shipping, and can be paid check or credit card. Dave http://www.horseharness.com
Equine Journal
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nice article in the Equine Journal. You certainly have been doing an excellent Job. I second this. Pretty classy to have some pictures with the article. Didn't know we could do that. It looked great. Dave
Jon Hegdal
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'm sure many can respond to this one. Jon Hegdal had long been the head of the Fjord horse registry in Norway, and was one if not the chief Fjord horse judge at the evaluations there. He has been a great friend to folks in this country, having worked long and hard to help us understand the value of certification, and the importance of breeding for quality. He worked far in excess of any official duties in helping friends in this country. He has been very important to the breed in his country and here. He has a sister in Minnesota, and visits there occasionally. It is typical of him to want to be sure to see a Fjord horse while here! Dave
Why you haven't heard from Lisa...
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lisa Pedersen asked me to let you all know her computer is toast. She apparently suffered a virus attack that shut her down, and will be offline for a while till she reorganizes. I'll be seeing her Tuesday, in UT. We're going to see if we can get four of her horses going in the same direction in the harness I sold her (maybe it was in the guarantee, I can't remember). Actually, she says she has two pairs going well, so it shouldn't be too tough. It will be nice to be in the West again, and working with Fjords! Dave
Garlic
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Springtime deal for thirty pounds of doesn't sound too bad. I had seen their product, and seen the minced garlic at Sam's Club. I can't remember the exact price, but it was under $4 for 1.4 pounds. Seemed the same as Springtime to me. And I also found a packet of 1 pound at a local discount store for $1.19. I can see the advantage of having tubs of it if you are feeding a lot. It must be good for the horses even beyond offending flies.
Cummins
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Last year Ford (the owner of the Cummins Company), notified Dodge that it was using Cummins engines in the Ford trucks for the 2001 model year and that it would not be available for the Dodge trucks. So Dodge is now using Mercedes Benz diesel engines. This information has bounced around, but may not be true. As I understand it, Ford no longer has a significant share of Cummins as they once did. Ford uses Cummins for their larger (over 1 ton trucks) as an option. Daimler Benz has denied all suggestions that they are planning a MB engine for Dodge, and say they intend to continue with Cummins. They don't have an engine with the right power/weight to do the job. Ford, Chevy and Dodge are in a low key HP/torque competition with their diesels. The Cummins engine leaves Dodge plenty of room to increase power (aftermarket power kits have gotten as much as 750 HP). For $600 you can turn the old Dodge into a hotrod (HP in 350-375 range). Dodge doesn't want to have to provide the drivetrain to support a lot of extra power. As it is, the New Venture standard transmission can take more but at upper levels needs a stronger clutch. The automatic needs a ruggeder torque converter to take extra power.
Monty Roberts
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] For anyone who sees this, Monty Roberts is about to be interviewed on the Diane Rheam Show on Public Radio (1100AM, Eastern). I hope it is not interrupted by Dubya's cheerleading for the oil companies.
choice of trucks
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I know that occasionally the question comes up of which truck to get. I got this clip from a Dodge Cummins List that likes to wonder about this stuff. It doesn't bring into question the new GM Duramax diesel made by Isuzu, which may be a good choice. The Isuzu engine is supposed to be a good one. Start: All the trucks are 3/4 ton 4wd, 5spd's, with 354 and 410 gears (Dodge Cummins). Our company has switched to single wheel 1 ton Ford Powerstrokes--Crew cabs, and have the same results, only higher fuel bills and higher maintenance receipts. The fords are traded consistently @ about 150,000 miles because they are wore out. From experience, when the Fords are new they will walk all over a stock Dodge (only in the hills), but when the Ford gets about 100,000 miles on it, the same Dodge (Cummins) with 275,000 miles, will start to pull away, pulling the heavier trailer to note. My company is starting to go back with Dodges as the Fords wear out, they have 3 years of receipts and records to prove that the trucks that pull something heavy everyday need to be Dodge Cummins trucks. Our construction department had less overall maintenance expenses while using Dodges. Just an example, I've owned both and prefer a Cummins. A friend of mine put it as so: a Cummins is designed to pull almost anything you put behind @ 55mph all day, all week. a powerstroke is designed so it pulls almost anything you put behind it faster, but only for a day. (Kinda like a tortoise and hare story)
Red dun mare
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Red Dun Mare Looking for Home This message is from: Anjer Farms [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi all! I have a sweet,patient 16 year old registered RED dun Fjord mare who is looking for a new home. She is a large mare and is very patient with kids and animals. She is currently brushing up on her riding skills at a local trainer's farm. LOOKING for a loving home! Please email or call 518-692-7418. Thanks, Andrea Salkowe I'll add to this that we sold this mare to Andrea, quite a few years ago. She is an imported German bred mare that was one of the nice horses the Utheims imported. We owned her for a while and bred her. She is mother of my tall white gelding Solven (father, Modellin). Very good mare. Dave
Sale
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have put this off for two years. I had decided then to sell Lindemann (N-Z-157-S), our stallion. We imported him as a two year old, having selected him with David Klove's help in Norway. Two years later his father, Bronse, was upgraded from first for himself and second for offspring, to first for offspring as well. Lindemann has always been one of my very favorites. He is still my favorite to drive single. He took such good care of me when I was learning to drive, bringing us both home intact. I am doing very little breeding. His bloodline, which is not well represented on this continent, should be spread more widely. I do not want to sell him to a place where he will disappear or not be bred. If you're the right person, please contact me privately. Dave
mins
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Okay, I'll bring the mini out for them, but only if I can find another one to put under my other arm. Actually, I've resolved not to joke about minis anymore, except my eight-year-old joke: how do you transport a mini? In a minivan. I've become a believer. They are terrific fun to drive, and fun to work with. At Pony Farm here in NH they now have four of them. If we can get a vehicle that will work, I really want to do a four in hand with them!
person who wants to join the list
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't have the subscription info for this list. Could someone please send the how to to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . She is a new owner of Fjord Horses. Dave
training
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] IF you could get Pam or Dave McWethy to help youthey are in Maine also. Close but they are in NH actually. I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I don't train outside horses. I do instruction for beginning drivers - the people. I deleted the address. If the person wants to reach me to ask about trainers I know of in Maine, I'd be happy to help. Dave http//:www.horseharness.com
accidents
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Quick hitchs, improper, cheap, uncomplete equipment, missing parts of training, or just plain stupidity on the drivers part. Good list, Lisa. I like the list and would have just reversed the order, starting with just plain stupidity... at the top, with the others following in order, to quick hitches. I always look at accidents and ask the question With some forethought, could this have been prevented? There are very very few that the answer isn't yes. That makes things simple! At a sleigh rally I went to Saturday as spectator and helper, one of the regular helpers noted that there wasn't enough protection for spectators there, even after the woman had been hurt 5 weeks ago. He was right. The trailers were scattered around the lot, with people parking anywhere, with families and children walking through the same area where the horses went in and out. All of us there could all remember from a couple of years ago a woman being flown in a helicopter to the hospital after a runaway (she was a participant, but not the cause of the runaway). One reason things went okay there was good luck, and also that the participants were generally well experienced with well trained horses. But it was organized in a way that things could have gone badly wrong. My friend noted that a gate to the competition area would prevent a runaway from going into the spectators and the trailers and cars. He had even suggested it several times earlier. I am not proposing we sanitize horse activities from all risk. But the evidence is we need to use sensible caution. I don't think my reputation in driving is for being timid. I take risks and sometimes I may take foolish risks, or ones that seem foolish but really aren't. The important thing is to be conscious of them, and evaluate them. There are no black and white rules to follow. Ultimately the issue will come down to know your horse. What is risky with one horse isn't with another. Some things are risky always, as in my opinion many parades are. I generally avoid them. Too many factors out of your control, and too many unprotected people on the ground. I could go on and on about this. I am fascinated by the subject (obsessed?). Lisa, you mentioned the multiple with no driver, which killed someone. I somehow missed this. What is the story? Dave http//:www.horseharness.com
Inaugural
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] What a great list of kinky people who watched the inaugural just to see Carol Fellers! I managed to miss seeing any of it, but this reminded me of the Lillehamer Olympics, when I checked in periodically, just to see the horses. I have a motto for next four years: Cover your ears. Watch their hands. I would have said that, too, if Gore had been elected by the Supremes. Better yet (as you did!), watch the horses! Dave
Laminitis conference
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wrote this for the CD-L and had a request to put it here also. One of the cases Gene Ovenicek used to explain the success of his methods of founder repair showed a picture of a Fjord horse, who went from disastrous feet to sound. I wondered if it might be one Nancy Lehnert owned (she and Gene live not too far apart, and he had done farrier work for her). This was a horse Nancy had bought in a bunch - not a problem she caused. She was ready to give up on the horse, but said to Gene that she would give him the horse, and if he could fix it, she would buy him back. The short version of the story is that Nancy did buy the horse (a twice-bought horse), following Gene's successful work. If you're online, Nancy, and have more to add to this (or corrections!), let us know. I asked Gene after the presentation if this was the same horse, and he said yes. Here's the copy: I've been putting off writing about a super good conference I went to in early December. It was organized by Rochester (NH) Vet Clinic and held at the Univ of NH. The main speaker were Dr Chris Pollitt, a prominent researcher in laminitis from Australia, and Gene Ovenicek, a farrier from Montana who has created the Equine Digital Support System for treating founder. Gene also is one of the principal proponents of four point trims. I guess for the first time I started to understand how the lamellae work to connect hoof ultimately with bone. Turns out the actual connection is a molecule called laminin 5. With Dr Pollitt's excellent projected pictures, we could see how the lamellae are incredible shock absorbers for the foot. He has worked long and hard to try to understand the actual mechanics of laminitis. I can't by any means reconstruct the lecture for you, but I remember two principal causes were bovine streptococcus in the caecum which flourish in the presence of high carbohydrates, like a big load of grain. Also causative were sugars called fructans, which occur in some plants in early high growth in spring and early summer. Quack grass was something that caused laminitis because of fructans. I'm a little hazy on what happens between the intestine and the foot, but recall that interference with normal levels of glucose in the foot was what set up the sequence of chemical events that cause the actual laminitis. Before I get any deeper into what I barely understand, I'll tell of some research he mentioned. He said they had done testing of hoof temperature at the outer surface of the lamina. Try to follow these numbers which are easier in graph form: outside temps were -10C. Horse body temps were 40C. In several horses they monitored temps for 48 hours. Almost all of the time the foot temps were 1 or 2 degrees C, barely over freezing. Then approximately 12 hours apart, the temps would spike to 25-30C, and drop back to just above freezing. They were unable to correlate the spikes to anything (thought the time interval looked almost consistent). The horse can stand with its hooves just over freezing most of the time, for months at a time. Amazing! I was curious to find if super elevated temperatures of horses caused lamina damage. He said no. Gene Ovinicek's presentation on treating laminitis was also impressive. The essence of it is to get the horse's weight on the back of its foot and to elevate the angle a little. I sat through the conference with my farrier. He said 10 years ago he lost 75% of his founder cases, and now he saves 75%. I believe there is an article in a current or recent Horse Illustrated about Dr Pollitt and his discoveries.
Camptown Harness
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] We've made some changes on the Camptown Harness website, including adding a page about halters. We are making halters which have a buckle on the top of the horse's nose, so if the horse is in crossties, and you want to drop the halter around its neck, the halter doesn't have to come off first. We are making these halters in nylon and in Beta (brown or black). The annual report is: we have been pretty busy this year. Harness for Fjord horses has been a major part of the business, and we may well, at this point, have made more harnesses for Fjords than any other harnessmaker. I like that because Fjord people have consistently been some of the nicest people I deal with. Thanks for your faith in us! Dave www.horseharness.com
Forward
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] .FORWARD will get you out of most things Sooo true. Actually we do know about what sheep do. When you go past them, in the opposite direction, they speed up, operating on some sort of incomprehensible sheep logic. Sounds like you did the smart thing, going forward but not in a forward direction! Dave
Avocados
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] A surplus in Wisconsin? Wow! Have her send them right on by, to New Hampshire. We have a perpetual avocado shortage. Could we trade snow for it? Being in Mexico two years ago, I thought the best thing was the 10 cent avocados, with the limes to go with them. How do you go about getting a California relative like that?
Julie
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hooray for you, Julie. Thanks for letting us know.
Distance
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nancy made the distinction between competitive rides/drives and endurance. I am not aware of any Fjords that have participated in endurance - could be some, but I am unaware. Nancy wrote: . I never met more people that really cared about the condition and well being of their horses. They were people that put A LOT of time in with their horse and would not compromise it's health I couldn't agree more. It is a great bunch of folks, and great horses too. A number of people have done the competitives in our area. Mostly their horses have not been sufficiently fit to excel at it. In 1991 I borrowed Modellen from Judy (Utheim) Wingerter, with the intention of competing him. He had done some rides/drives, but was not fit enough. I started as tho from scratch, and competed him two years. We did a lot of events. He was the only Fjord to date to do the VT 3-day 100 mile event, and completed both times. He was also the first stallion. What I found was that he had his limitation, and it was heat. Any heavy bodied horse will recover more slowly, no matter how fit, compared to something like an Arab, or a slab sided standardbred. Being able to compete meant being careful and making extra efforts in cooling. If I had just wanted to win, I would have chosen a different breed. I was there to show a Fjord to his best results, and I feel that was accomplished. We got to the point where we could expect to finish with scores in the 90's (of 100), but it was tough to win on warm days. When we won it was when we had all day rain, and in January. That was our kind of weather. I might mention also the time when Kim Keller borrowed him to do a ride - his only one when I had him. She was a superb rider, but pretty heavy - comfortably over 200 I am sure. Kim was an experienced hunter, but had never done a competitive. She ended up second out of 48 finishers. No question that Fjords can do well. The great side benefit of the fitness work for this sport is that you had a horse you can do anything with. I would recommend it to all. If you were to do it with a Fjord, my suggestion would be to put the work into a lightbodied horse who had had good worming always. Having said that, I saw Lee Alexander and her horses this week. Her mare Crystal Mint is a stocky Belgian-Arab cross weighing something like 1100 pounds, that she's done huge miles with and done well. In addition to driving, she has ridden the mare in 100 mile endurance races, including the Race of Champions. There are always a lot of drops in that race, and she finished.
Hotovy's
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] the Hotovys' compete all over the Midwest and are held in high regard in the draft world. And beyond the draft world, too.
Therapeutic
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dave you are very humble about your mare, Elska. Sounds like she really did a splendid job and has that innate sense (mostly mares I think) of caring for her rider. Congratulations. Jean I should be humble, it was all Elska's doing, and uphill against expectations. I just left her off and came by once in a while to trim her hoofs. What was very interesting was that when I would come up to her after not seeing her for a few weeks, she acted like she had never seen me before in her life. She wanted no part of going home, if that was what I was there for, at least that's how I consoled myself. More to the story. Boo had an animal communicator visit. She had not much experience with this sort of thing and just wanted to see what happened. The woman was paying attention to another horse, and then turned to where Elska was at a distance, and said, that mare really wants to work with handicapped people. She's been tired of being in a herd doing nothing, and wants to do that. This woman normally works for a vet, helping with diagnosis, and otherwise never charges for her help as I understand. As I recall she may not have even known that they did therapeutic riding at Pony Farm. Boo was fairly blown away. Her performance matched this report. She was always at the gate first, ready to work, and she never did less than perfect. Part of her award last night - they brought her up to where the banquet was - was a 14 carrot wreath! She ate every one of them. A woman who I had noticed through the evening and saw her as being painfully shy came over and told me Elska was her favorite horse. The whole experience was pretty special. But it was Elska's doing. I bet most of you have horses that would have done as well. These are special horses we have.
Handicapped Award
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pam and I returned tonight from the Pony Farm annual volunteer banquet. We were invited not because we are volunteers in their therapeutic riding program, but because Pam's mare Elska has been in the program. Pony Farm is one of the veteran programs of this sort, and has been playing a role in helping new instructors get certified. This February they host a national conference on Horses and Healing (see www.horse-power.org ) Last summer, knowing they were short of horses for their summer camp, Pam loaned them Elska. They had never had a Fjord there before, and knew them only to be pushy and difficult. We were hoping to change this perception. Well, she did well in summer camp, and then in the fall, she was included in the more select bunch of horses that are used in the therapeutic program. As time went on, she stood out as being especially good for the task. She did both riding and driving. We were invited to join the evening because Elska was given their Therapeutic Horse of the Year, 2000 award. She has definitely won some hearts there, represented her breed with distinction, and served in some very important work.
Fw: Equine Affaire
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] As always it was great doing this expo with the experienced crew: Dick, Sue and Anthony Giargiari, Kurt, Barbara and Krystal Howard, Norma and Bill Coli, and Ceacy Henderson, as well as Ceacy's young riders, and my young helper Allyssa. Barbara made wonderful Norwegian costumes for all of us. We had overwhelming interest in the breed. In front of the stall at the booth we always had a crowd. As last year, Equine Affaire was a good time and a good chance to visit with many friends. I want to say right off that the organizers of EE are super - Jinx Pomeroy and Deb Putnam in particular. They made every effort to be sure folks got what they needed. I think booth folks, demonstrators, and breed groups all agreed on this. They are amenable to our organizing some rowdy sport stuff next year. We need some indoor trials folks working on this. I arrived Thursday with two horses, a wagon and a cold. On the later, I wheezed and coughed till Sunday, when, with the sun coming out I felt normal again. The plan, as before, was to put my horses as leaders with Dick and Sue Giargiari's mares, and drive four in the evening Fantasia program. Friday it rained all day, so we had no chance to practice. I hadn't driven these horses together since September, but they've always been an easy combination. To digress, I might mention that I am the only one I know who drives a four mare team. All the well known teams are geldings. Am I missing something? Is this not supposed to be a mare activity? So we hitched up with no practice, and headed out into the night. The first part was driving through the huge stall barn, from one end to the other lined up with the other folks going into the arena. We did this because of the mud by the arena entrance. We waited there in the alleyway (not long fortunately). Then we went in. I had asked the managers to turn the lights off (they dimmed them Fri and had them off Sat, and we came in with our horses decorated from head to tail with a string of tiny white Xmas lights, and some lights on the wagon. Also we were costumed as Norwegians. After we were in they raised the houselights. It was well received. Saturday we did the same, except it was less frantic, actually quiet and competent, and fun. We were followed both nights by Sue Giargiari, driving her other mares, three abreast to a forecart, with a foal running along side. They got a lot of attention, too. The only problem, which lent some drama, was that the foal seemed like she was going to run in front of the trotting horses, where she would be trampled. Her mother tried - successfully I guess - to nose her out of the way. After we unhitched and put the horses away, I ran back to watch the second half of the program. One of the high points was seeing that the mystery dressage rider was in fact John Lyons! He was dressed properly like - how do you say it - dressage queen doesn't sound right - well, anyway, a male dressage rider. Somebody commented that in Wyoming he, as cowboy, might be considered a cross dresser. He rode a well trained horse, and with a woman who was well skilled at dressage. He pulled it off pretty well. He told me later he had only first ridden dressage on Thursday - one practice! After he rode, his son Josh rode also, in cowboy hat, and he did a very competent and impressive ride. I give him a lot of credit for going beyond his area of expertise, and giving it a legitimate (and respectful) try. He spoke briefly about respecting other people's riding/driving disciplines. On Saturday, after doing this, he then came out with the next act, the Icelandics (still dressed in his dressage garb), and tolted his way high speed down the ring, holding the traditional mug of beer (didn't spill any). I hope there are some pictures of all this. I took some of the dressage outfit, and will try to get them to Jaye-Allision. I gotta figure out how to use my own website one of these days. John was enthusiastic to have a second chance to drive our team, so on Sunday we went out to the back field where there was plenty of room. As before, with a little practice, he was getting it right. I'm selling my four-harness (to someone on the list), so I got him to autograph the lines for her! We were honored by his company, and as always, moved by his graciousness. He is a special person as well as an inspirational trainer. I finally got around to the booths in the afternoon. I had been to Laurie Neely's booth on and off the whole time. She boldly laid the money down to be there, not knowing how it would work. She reports that it was successful and that she can see ways to make it even better next year. I enjoyed checking in with her through the weekend, and joining the CD-L gathering she organized on Sat. I'll leave it to someone else to report on that. And then I bought
Fw: New horse
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Camptown, my new horse, has been kind of quiet, which I guess is good since he's still in the living room. Once he gets used to us I think he'll be more demonstrative.
Equine Affaire
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I thought I'd copy here what I wrote on the CD-L. Three pieces. What kind of horse did I buy? I called my wife on my way home, to say I bought a horse. Then as she started to ask me about it, I made static and said the signal was breaking up, and hung up. She had the rest of my trip home to wonder. She said she was thinking if it was a living breathing one, I was crazy to have one more to feed. She guessed a stuffed horse. Wrong. It's a full size horse made of plastic. Maybe because she was so relieved, she thought he was cool. I had decided that it would be very good to have one to hang harness on, to display it. When I visited the ADS booth at EE, their display horse was very eye-catching. I saw it before I realized it was the ADS booth. After that I had a pleasant visit with Holly Pulsifer, Natasha Grigg and Susan Koso, all there at the booth, spreading enthusiasm. On late Sunday afternoon, when price meltdown happens, I saw this horse at a tack store booth with a price on his side. I told the woman I didn't think I could pay that much and she gave me a price I liked. She was happy not to have to transport him back to RI. Turns out the best way to move these plastic horses is in a horse trailer. I had some doubts about getting it home. I was going home with a four horse trailer, but with a wagon in the front and pair in the back. Perhaps I could put it between my mares, except I was concerned they might take offense if the gelding leaned on them going around a corner and they could kick its plastic legs off. Carrying it around the expo floor got a lot of attention. Someone suggested I train it to walk. I parked it at the Fjord booth, where people came along to talk to him and give him a pet. A conversation with one led to discovering she needed a harness, so this horse is working for me already. This horse could be useful for a Fjord booth in the future, but we figured we'd have to sew a Fjord suit (well padded) to hang over him to transform him. His name at the tack shop was Secretariat. I hope it isn't bad luck to rename a horse. He is now Camptown. Someone later told me that Camptown also was a famous racehorse. Back at the horse trailer I couldn't picture him traveling with my mares. Instead I measured him and discovered he would fit sideways just behind the cab in front of the gooseneck. We tied him securely front and back, standing on his feet, and that's how we went home. A few people hurt their necks turning around to look at us as they drove by. Camptown made it home intact, with no bruises. He's now temporarily standing in my living room. I'd like to get a pile of plastic manure to put behind him. Every time I walk into the room he takes me by surprixe - what the hell's this horse doing in the house? So anyway, I got a new horse. Life is good.
Fiskars
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I should have added that about Fiskars. Now that's a brilliant connection! They need us!
Timex??
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Timex maybe?... Okay, someone's got to stand up for the Fjords when they're being made fun of. Our show to be known as The Timex?
Going Norwegian
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Oh yeah, Dave, hope you don't mind dressing Norwegian! Don't worry, you will have your favorite girl Krystal Howard perched in her new Bunad beside you and Kurt and Dick will be dressed up Norwegian Style right behind you in your vehicle Norwegian's cool! I'm sure Barbara is making great costumes. She is a whirlwind of energy and a terrific promoter of Fjords. Krystal, for those who don't know, is her granddaughter. Krystal is a great rider, and has been a part of our troop now for both EE and Equitana last year. She's a veteran. She'll be the perfect touch of youthful beauty with us old grizzly guys. Dave
Farrier cost
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I happened across this site which gives some comparison of farrier cost. http://forums.thathomesite.com/forums/load/horses/msg1009051629674.html I would hope farriers see it and ones in the lower paying areas will migrate to the higher cost areas, to even things out. We could use some more here in NH. Missing data is of course the quality of the farrier, and they vary enormously from incompetent to gifted. Camptown Dave
National Show
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'd like to add the good word for Lincoln, NE. I happen to be an honorary member of the Eastern Nebraska Driving Society (ENDS), and can tell you that Lincoln is a great center of horse activity, driving and riding. Might be some of you don't know the Lincoln is the location of the office of the Dressage Federation (put safely midway between the coasts). Lincoln has hosted its own combined driving event for quite a few years. It's a great place.
VT Trek
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't know if I wrote something here about driving across Vermont last month. For some time I wanted to drive down my road, cross the Connecticut River and drive the horses till I came to New York. So we finally did it. Pam agreed to come with me and we had a great time. Here's the story: http://www.trot-on.com/cd-l/mcwethy.html
forelock leading
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'd like to add my bit to this. I think forelock leading is a bad idea in general. I keep seeing the word grab. If you pull too hard you pull the forehead skin away from the skull. It's not a good way to lead a horse that is resisting. I lead rather frequently in and out of pasture under the chin. All of my horses easily train to do that. I think it feels nice to them, and to me too. If I need to restrain on who is being pushy I can put a finger in the corner of the far side of the mouth, and/or put my second hand on top of the nose, and then go back to just the hand under the chin when the horse goes gently. Try it on yourself - would you like to be led with someone pulling your hair or by a hand under your chin? Dave
Pony Farm Clinic
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I just got the flyer from Pony Farm for the fall clinic. This is the third year for the clinic, and I think it has gotten high praise from all as a place for skilled drivers to get some coaching, beginners to get a good start, and for any in between. The dates are September 25-28, in Temple NH. Clinicians are Muffy Seaton, Holly Pulsifer and myself. There are a variety of options, which include bringing your own horse ($400), coming as an auditor ($275), coming with horse, but not staying at Pony Farm ($200) and other auditing options, including one day. If anyone would like to come and drive one of Pony Farm's horses, you should call to make arrangements. It is four days of driving and lessons, presentations in the evenings, and staying at Pony Farm's lovely log lodge. Gladys makes a point of always impressing us with how good the food is! If we're lucky, it will be the height of foliage season. For more about Pony Farm and the Clinic, see their websites at www.ponyfarm.com and www.horse-power.org And you can call them at 603-654-6308 for a flyerwith more details. I mention this on the List as I think it might be of interest to folks out of our area. Easy to get here by flying in to Manchester NH. Fjord note: I lent Pony Farm our mare Elska for the summer camp. She was the first Fjord that they have had a chance to work with over time, and she charmed everyone. Status of Fjord horses there is at an all time high!
white Fjords
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, Anneli, for the information on white Fjords. Can anyone speculate on how many of the white stallions of the 90's were Modella sons, or grandsons?
Trip
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I posted some things about my trip on the CD-L, so some of you would have seen it there. I had the wonderful good fortune to go driving two days with George Bowman, with the four he will compete in the World Four in Hand competition in Germany in August. Along with lots of other people I have long considered him one of the greats of the driving world, and he is still at it! Not only that but he has a stunning team, and good prospects this year if all goes well. I also had the chance to watch him ride his 6 y.o. Lusitano stallion. The horse did a lot of the upper level movements, and some remarkable tricks as well, like walking a teeter totter plank across an axle with two car tires. In the middle, he stopped, rocked forward slowly, then back, then forward, back, several times. It was such a beautifully trained horse. His driving horses respond with similar attention to his requests. Like all four cantering from a standstill, instantly and simultaneously! The second day he motioned me to switch to the box and drive those guys. Just coming to England, doing that and going home and I would have been more than satisfied! I imagined I was feeling electricity in those lines. These stars of the horse world went to Ascot that following weekend to do a demo drive for the Queen. I had a conversation with Holly Pulsifer yesterday, and she though people ought to know that the whole sport of combined driving in America got its start with George's help. He gave lots of guidance for event organizing in the early days and even came to do judging at his own expense. I had not known this. But even in his own town his reputation for just being a nice guy was frequently mentioned. I can confirm that. How I happened to be in his area is that I was staying with Tommy and Barbara Fawcett. Tommy was singles and tandem champ for Britain several times, and with George, had helped develop the sport and the rules since the beginning. Prince Phillip also was key in the development. Tommy and George are on first name basis with HRH, except that his first name apparently is Sir, which I guess is as intimate as any one gets with him. I went out with Tommy with his Lusitano tandem. Despite a heart attack and hip replacement, he will be competing them this summer. I had met the Fawcetts here in Acworth, actually, when they were visiting here several years ago. So that's a bit more of the story, more on topic, actually! Dave
UK trip
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sorry for the misdirected mail! Hope it might have been of interest anyway.
More trip
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thursday Dave took off by himself to record Scots. His project is to make a package that is an evening's entertainment. A bottle of scotch, 6 glasses, some smoked salmon and two CD's, intended for three couples to enjoy. The CD's are to be recordings of guys reading poetry, telling tales, jokes, etc. It is okay of some of the accents are impossible to understand, and in fact desirable. Tommy Fawcett knew who to send him to, from his horse event acquaintance. The first guy is known to recite Tam O' Shanter on the least provocation, which Dave was to try to give him. And a second guy. Then we had an appointment with Tim Douglas on Friday. Barbara lent me her mother's car and I went downtown for the morning. Penrith's sign on the edge of town says it is a market town, and so it was. It is the place the surrounding country comes to shop. I had thought market town meant that there were livestock sales, and there might be. I didn't see that. I wandered around. Had tea and scone. Bought a new pair of moleskin pants and a new sheepdog whistle. I always try to get new whistles since I am looking for another I can play tunes on. Most play some notes but not all. I got a pretty good one. At the farm they were putting up haylage in a huge bunker. When Tommy was done with his part (he has two grown sons who farm with him), he hitched his two Lusitano geldings in a tandem and we went down the road. This is why I stayed instead of going with Dave. They went well, quietly but with great energy. In the evening Barbara made a lamb dinner. I had expressed great enthusiasm for mutton, and she had a freezer full. Barbara urged us to go through the Lakes Region. We went on back roads, first coming to Lake Ullswater. This was an area much inhabited by Norsemen. Noone I talked to knew the origin of the name Ullswater. I know that ulls means white in Norwegian, so I think it was 'whitewater. The by is a Norse suffix, like in Appleby, something like town. This area was inhabited by Romans earlier. Their word chester meant camp. Lots of layers of language hinting at history. Hadrian's Wall was not far north of us. Scot continued to invade the border until - when? 1850's or 1750's. George Bowman had pointed at a high hill when we were driving his horses. He said it was Beacon Hill, where the English would light a fire to warn that the Scots were coming. He said they would steal our wives and rape our sheep! We took a road from Wrynose (pronounced rhinos) to Hardknott. Much of it was one lane, and fortunately with little traffic. Once over the highest pass we started down hill and came to a Roman fort high up on the rocky hill in a most unlikely spot. That meant it was not built over, as many were. It had housed 500 soldiers defending from the Scots. There were a string of forts over to the port of Ravensglass. The guess is that they intended to invade Ireland from there, but they didn't. Ravensglass became a port to supply these forts. Up on that bleak hill we could try to imagine a walled town of soldiers in the winter, shivering in their togas, cursing the damp winds off the Irish Sea. We followed the coast for a while, then back through Carlisle, and into the Scottish side of the border, to get nearer Tim Douglas' farm. We stayed at a farm BB, and went into town for supper. Servings are always more generous in Scotland. We got plates of food enough for three meals, and pints of heavy, Scottish Ale, McEwans or Youngers, the best brew in the world by far. I told Dave my experience was that one pint was nice, and two were nice, but I got a little unsteady. After three (maybe twice this happened, before I established a trend) I threw up afterwards. Unimpressed, Dave drank three. His capacity was more than mine, anyway. The next morning he told me he was in agony in bed, with evil chemistry going on in his gut, and a lot of burping.
More trip
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thursday Dave took off by himself to record Scots. His project is to make a package that is an evening's entertainment. A bottle of scotch, 6 glasses, some smoked salmon and two CD's, intended for three couples to enjoy. The CD's are to be recordings of guys reading poetry, telling tales, jokes, etc. It is okay of some of the accents are impossible to understand, and in fact desireable. Tommy Fawcett knew who to send him to, from his horse event acquaintance. The first guy is known to recite Tam O' Shanter on the least provocation, which Dave was to try to give him. And a second guy. Then we had an appointment with Tim Douglas on Friday. Barbara lent me her mother's car and I went downtown for the morning. Penrith's sign on the edge of town says it is a market town, and so it was. It is the place the surrounding country comes to shop. I had thought market town meant that there were livestock sales, and there might be. I didn't see that. I wandered around. Had tea and scone. Bought a new pair of moleskin pants and a new sheepdog whistle. I always try to get new whistles since I am looking for another I can play tunes on. Most play some notes but not all. I got a pretty good one. At the farm they were putting up haylage in a huge bunker. When Tommy was done with his part (he has two grown sons who farm with him), he hitched his two Lusitano geldings in a tandem and we went down the road. This is why I stayed instead of going with Dave. They went well, quietly but with great energy. In the evening Barbara made a lamb dinner. I had expressed great enthusiasm for mutton, and she had a freezer full. Barbara urged us to go through the Lakes Region. We went on back roads, first coming to Lake Ullswater. This was an area much inhabited by Norsemen. Noone I talked to knew the origin of the name Ullswater. I know that ulls means white in Norwegian, so I think it was 'whitewater. The by is a Norse suffix, like in Appleby, something like town. This area was inhabited by Romans earlier. Their word chester meant camp. Lots of layers of language hinting at history. Hadrian's Wall was not far north of us. Scot continued to invade the border until - when? 1850's or 1750's. George Bowman had pointed at a high hill when we were driving his horses. He said it was Beacon Hill, where the English would light a fire to warn that the Scots were coming. He said they would steal our wives and rape our sheep! We took a road from Wrynose (pronounced rhinos) to
distance
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hey Mr. McWethy, you're on! What an invitation to run at the mouth (fingers?)! I confess I haven't done a distance competition in more than a year, but I guess horses haven't changed. For conditioning a horse for distance comp, for 25 milers and up, I rarely drove more than 7 miles at home. Sometimes I drove 10. However I did it regularly, usually four times a week. The important issue, though, is not the distance as much as the stress, the intensity, of the workout. In the early phase of conditioning I do a lot of walking. Later on, when they are more fit, I work them harder. This same pattern of conditioning was used by Becky Hart, who was world champion endurance rider. I probably was influenced to do this by endurance riders I knew. As to how much distance you can drive the horse in a day, that depends on fitness and level of stress. In the GMHA 100 Mile competitions, we drove 40 miles each of the first two days, and 20 the third. You need a fit horse for that. As you can see, there are lots of variables here. I remember when I first started driving, and I had no idea how hard to work the horse, so I am sympathetic with the question. I guess the best thing to keep in mind, is look at it like human conditioning, If you're middle aged and overweight, you may not want to run 10 miles. If you are conditioned, and work up to it, ten miles could be easy. There's no substitute for slowly building up the horse's condition, if you want a sound horse. The results of this patient work are very rewarding. Dave
Can Am
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks Lori. Who gets the credit? It gets to be a long story. If Cheryl B hadn't invited us up to her house for a surprixe party last winter for Pat Wolfe, he wouldn't have offered to groom for me, and if he hadn't offered, I might not have competed there. How do you find someone who will come to groom for a four day event? Not only did Pat do it, but he drove home two of the nights - two hours each way. We had a great time working together. After a couple of hazards, I could see Pat was getting the bug. Maybe he'll be there competing next year. My mares, Signe and Mari, get better every year, and were a joy to work with. They'd climb trees for me if I could get the cue right. Fjords start out terrific and only improve with the more involvement we have with them, as they prove to me. Credit to Pam, too, who stayed home and fed horses. Dave
Which harness?
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I was hoping you could share your knowledge about what style harness is best. The breast collar style vs collar style? You will find the breast collar harness will serve you best for what you describe. Your Fjord can easily and comfortably pull the cart with a breast collar harness. And you can use the same harness for draft use on an occasional basis. For regular heavy pulling, then you might consider a neck collar. When I traveled with my horses, I switched back and forth from neck to breast collar. I would switch to avoid having any soring problems (and I never did have any). In mid winter when I was crossing the flatter Midwestern states, I had two horses each pulling 1425 pounds. They did that just fine in either breast collar or neck collar. I recommend the breast collar because it is comfortable for the horse with your use, and for your sake it is much lighter to lift onto the horse, and simpler. It's an easy choice. Dave Camptown Harness www.horseharness.com
Gypsy Fjord
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yes, I would not expect Gypsies would necessarily take good care of horses. That is in fact something I want to see at Appleby, how they are relating to their horses. I wouldn't be at all surprixed if like the Amish, a certain number take good care of the horses and really pay attention to them, but most others don't. Certainly in England, as elsewhere, many if not most of the Gypsies are poor. Wherever that happens, horses don't tend to get priority. Most of the people are not even involved with horses. The ones who are, they are the ones I want to watch. It's amazing when you point your attention to something, you find evidence of it in front of your eyes. Yesterday I was at a fundraiser for Pony Farm, a place where I give driving lessons a day a week. The woman in charge of fundraising had spent time working as a nurse in a hospital in Romania. I learned from her that her husband is Romanian, and in fact 1/4 Gypsy. I met him and talked with him. One of the things I learned from reading is that Gypsies had been slaves in Romania for 400 years until the 1850's. They are still a substantial part of the population there, but are much despised, and subject to attacks since the fall of the communist regime, which, ironically, protected them. This man I spoke to said Romanians will actually spit at Gypsies on the street. In Romania he had been treated poorly even though only partially Gypsy, because of his dark skin and eyes. I asked him if in this country if anyone knew he had Gypsy ancestry and he said not at all. Even though his father was non-Gypsy, when his parents died in his youth, he was adopted and raised by a Gypsy family. He had lived on the same street as this family. I thought this was a remarkable act of charity on the Gypsy family's part. However, his father did not want to teach him the Romani language, as he felt it better his son didn't know it. One of the provoking situations in Romania is the success some Gypsies have had since the fall of the communists in becoming wealthy by trading and importing, as the Gypsies will usually prefer such occupations to employment for wages. So in addition to traditional attitudes, the Gypsies become a scapegoat for Romanian's own frustrations in a stagnant economy. It was very interesting hearing details of this from someone who had been there recently.
Gypsy horse
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't know if I have mentioned here that I am going to the Appleby New Fair in England in June. This is an annual gathering of the Gypsies in England, and a big horse fair which has happened since 1750. Prior to going, I have been doing a lot of reading, and some surfing to see what is on the Web. Check outhttp://www.saintes-maries-camargue.enprovence.com/gitan.htm It sure looks like that poor horse is pulling an awful lot of weight.
NFHR site
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lori, I tried the pedigree look up. It's terrific. Great job! Dave
birth announcement
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kay Arms just called for a birth announcement, of a filly from her mare Solmoy and my stallion Lindemann, at 5:15 this morning. Hurray! Kay and her husband Mike are sailing their boat to Denmark this summer, by way of Newfoundland and Iceland. They are veteran deep water sailors with a lot of experience in iceberg waters. Next summer they will be on the west coast of Norway. Kay used to breed and train standardbreds for racing, but is now totally devoted to Fjords. Despite all her horse experience, around them she acts like a girl excited about her first horse. Dave
trailering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] How often would I need to stop and let the horses relax on the way back? I like to not let more than two hours go by between checks, and often do it more frequently. This is not for the horse's rest, but just to keep an eye on them. If something goes wrong, better to find out earlier than later.
logging
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] How about it Dave McW. , why don't you have a logging clinic at your farm and get some more trails put thru?!! What a great idea, Sue. Tom Sawyer couldn't improve on that! What's the mystery about pulling logs? You put a chain around them and send the horse(s) off. Don't let the log run over your foot. I never trained mine like the pros who send the horse to the landing by itself, and the person at the other end turns them around. Mine would stray to munch maple twigs. The only thing I'd want to tell folks about would be Roger Scott, who was logging with Belgians, and driving the horses on foot as the log bounced along next to him. One end of his chain was also dragging, and somehow the hook caught in Roger's boot laces which was a horrible mistake, as the next thing that happened was that he fell, and as the horses continued to move forward, the hook dug into his boot and then his foot, finally peeling his big toe like a grape. As they say in the neighborhood, Roger was a hurtin' unit for some time. So, don't do that. I enjoy pulling logs and believe it is excellent as part of the horse's overall training. There is lots of stand and move over and back a little, as well as careful maneuvering. I have to admit, I don't use the horses a whole lot for pulling logs, because I have machinery for the purpose. I do most of my skidding in snow, and don't shoe for woods work. If they are pulling hard, or are on icy trails (they tend to get icy when you skid over them), you should shoe with big caulks, which in turn are not right for road work. My logging advice: give it a try! Sue, I hope Dick isn't cringing at all these questionable tips.
logging
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] How about it Dave McW. , why don't you have a logging clinic at your farm and get some more trails put thru?!! What a great idea, Sue. Tom Sawyer couldn't improve on that! What's the mystery about pulling logs? You put a chain around them and send the horse(s) off. Don't let the log run over your foot. I never trained mine like the pros who send the horse to the landing by itself, and the person at the other end turns them around. Mine would stray to munch maple twigs. The only thing I'd want to tell folks about would be Roger Scott, who was logging with Belgians, and driving the horses on foot as the log bounced along next to him. One end of his chain was also dragging, and somehow the hook caught in Roger's boot laces which was a horrible mistake, as the next thing that happened was that he fell, and as the horses continued to move forward, the hook dug into his boot and then his foot, finally peeling his big toe like a grape. As they say in the neighborhood, Roger was a hurtin' unit for some time. So, don't do that. I enjoy pulling logs and believe it is excellent as part of the horse's overall training. There is lots of stand and move over and back a little, as well as careful maneuvering. I have to admit, I don't use the horses a whole lot for pulling logs, because I have machinery for the purpose. I do most of my skidding in snow, and don't shoe for woods work. If they are pulling hard, or are on icy trails (they tend to get icy when you skid over them), you should shoe with big caulks, which in turn are not right for road work. My logging advice: give it a try! Sue, I hope Dick isn't cringing at all these questionable tips.
logging
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sorry for the multiple posting. My computer got independent on me. One of the three was incomplete.
logging
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] How about it Dave McW. , why don't you have a logging clinic at your farm and get some more trails put thru?!! What a great idea, Sue. Tom Sawyer couldn't improve on that! What's the mystery about pulling logs? You put a chain around them and send the horse(s) off. Don't let the log run over your foot. I never trained mine like the pros who send the horse to the landing by itself, and the person at the other end turns them around. Mine would stray to munch maple twigs. The only thing I'd want to tell folks about would be Roger Scott, who was logging with Belgians, and driving the horses on foot as the log bounced along next to him. One end of his chain was also dragging, and somehow the hook caught in Roger's boot laces which was a horrible mistake, as the next thing that happened was that he fell, and as the horses continued to move forward, the hook dug into his boot and then his foot, finally peeling his big toe like a grape. As they say in the neighborhood, Roger was a hurtin' unit for some time. So, don't do that. I enjoy pulling logs and believe it is excellent as part of the horse's overall training. There is lots of stand and move over and back a little, as well as careful maneuvering. On the other hand I don't use the horses whole lot for pulling logs,
Minnesota
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] As mentioned here earlier, I went this weekend to the Minneapolis area on a college trip for my son, and visited Tish Pasqual and her husband. I ended up meeting a bunch of Fjord people, and the funny thing was, none of them had met each other before the weekend. Saturday I joined Tish to see her Fjord gelding and fuss with her harness. Then we went to Linda Mydral's fancy indoor and saw her Fjord gelding and Linda Lotti's Fjord gelding. All were very nice horses and had notably nice temperaments. I hadn't intended to see only Fjords in MN, but I guess there are so many, it's hard to find anything else! MN is fjord central of the midwest. In the evening at Tish's house we had dinner, with Linda Lotti and husband Roy, Marguerite (last name?) and Betsy and Michael Scott. I understand Michael has done well driving at Blue Earth and Prairie Du Chien this year. He has the gleam in his eye to do CDE's so its a matter of time. It was a great off season gathering. Thanks to Tish for a fine time. I'm sold on Minnesota. Camptown Dave
bug spray
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] FLY SPRAY RECIPE in a 2 liter bottle mix: 1 cup avon skin so soft 2 cups white vinegar 2 cups water 1 TBLSP eucalyptus or citronella oil Skin So Soft became legendary for being bug repellent until the mystery was revealed when they started printing ingredients. You can save your money on this recipe if you cut out the Skin So Soft, because the ingredient in it that makes any difference to bugs is in fact citronella. The fragrance of SSS if you drive and are in the air stream will repell humans. I find citronella works for bug spray, but it doesn't last very long. I don't know about eucalyptus - any opinions?
sleigh rally
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] On this web site there are some pictures of Krystal Howard and her grandfather Curt, driving Gustav at the Pioneer Valley Sleigh Rally. Krystal is one of our skilled younger drivers. http://sleighrallys.homepage.com.
truck
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] If anyone is looking for a nice truck, you might want to talk to Pete Wells. He needs to sell this truck for reasons he says below. This truck has had infinite good care, and I think the price is attractive. I just got a 2000 Dodge diesel, my second, and think they're terrific. For Sale: 1998.5 Dodge 3500 1 ton pickup truck Cummins diesel 5.9 l, 24 valve ISB engine Quad Cab, long bed, 4x4, AT, 3.55 LSD rear Color: Brilliant white with Mist Gray cloth interior Factory options include: 4 wheel ABS Power drivers seat Power windows Power Door Locks Tow package Sliding rear window Air conditioning Cruise control AM FM Cassette with 4 speakers Full carpet and plush cloth upholstery Aftermarket options include: Turbo Boost Gauge and Transmission temperature gauges mounted on A pillar / Exhaust Gas Temperature gauge mounted on dash / PacBrake exhaust brake and torque converter lockup switch so you can get the most out of the exhaust brake / Mopar mud flaps front and rear / Smittybilt step bars / Tow bar with 1 7/8 ball / Factory service manual / Headlight wiring harness that isolates head light power from factory switch allowing use of higher power bulbs (100/80 installed) / Leer hard tonneau cover, Thick rubber bed mat / Turbo Life Saver circuit that allows truck to run from 1 to 5 minutes after removing the key and cool off the expensive turbo / ESPAR heater with two remotes and programmable console ($1800 option, installed) - this is a miniature oil burning furnace that preheats engine and cab. Can be used to preheat engine on cold starts where block heater plug in is unavailable, or to clear frost and snow from cab windows / Stainless steel fender trim / Hitch receiver mounted brake light / Heavy duty rubber floor mats, front and rear Gray chino seat covers, front and rear Extra oil and fuel filters Currently showing 31,600 miles and is in very good condition, inside and out. Covered under Dodge 36 month / 36,000 mile warranty Dodge 7 year / 75,000 mile transferable extended warranty Dodge 7 year / 100,000 mile engine warranty Asking price $28,000 Will consider delivery anywhere in US for traveling costs. And for the big question, if it's such a great truck, why am I selling it? Two years ago, I bought it with the intent of putting a Lance truck camper in the back and doing some traveling with my wife. As it made sense to buy the truck before we bought the camper, I went ahead and ordered what we thought we needed to do the job. Nine days after ordering the truck, my back went out on me and I was out of work. Having the money all set aside and fully expecting to return to work, when it came in, I went ahead and bought it. Two years later and two spinal fusions later, it doesn't appear I will ever be returning to work, and much as I love this truck, it doesn't make sense as a commuter vehicle for me. So if you, or anyone you know is interested, have them take a look. Carson Pete Wells 171 West Road Canterbury, NH 03224 (603) 783-4732 email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
David Klove
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] I want to encourage others to support Nancy's idea for a tribute to David Klove. David has indeed been very generous in supporting quality in Fjord horses in the US, and he has been a wonderful friend to many of us. The loss of his only grandson is all the more significant in his life, because the farm is passed from eldest son to eldest son, and this has been the practice for the last 500 years the farm has been in the family. I believe it was 1992 when I saw his farm, and realized that the farm started in the family the year Columbus sailed west. David Klove has spent a lifetime working on behalf of the Fjord breed and for his local community. We have been fortunate he has been willing to spend some of his efforts working for us. He is a very fine man. I am really pleased there is interest in acknowledging him. Dave
ski joering
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jean, thanks for posting the ski joering sites. I knew of this clinic but wasn't there, and I hadn't seen the sites before. Laurie Neely is working to get Nathalie to do another this winter if we ever get real snow. Dave
visit
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] This weekend Pam and I traveled 400 miles into Canada and stayed with Cheryl Briellard, in Ottawa. With Cheryl and Julie Will and her husband Darryl, we staged a surprixe housewarming party for Pat Wolfe, who has just built an ambitious new home nearby. Pat and Cheryl have some very nice imported horses, ones even woolier than my own, dressed, I think, for the next Ice Age, which seemed to be starting this weekend. It was much fun to take the time to spend with these good friends, even if it was too cold to drive. Cheryl is in a good location, convenient to both Pat with his stallion Felix and Julie's Flotre. Both are exceptionally nice stallions, and a very significant advantage to the gene pool on this continent. Many of you know Pat, but probably few know his wife Jane. We got to hear from her about her trek last summer in Nepal, where she and two friends organized their own expedition (emphasis on the ped), and hiked 250 miles, including the crossing of a pass at 16,000 feet. She's a pretty remarkable lady! Dave
Mike/Steve
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mike, can you give me pedigree information on LASSE, a gelding who is four and came from Wisconsin? He belongs to Ellen Davidson in VA. Steve: She would like to join the list, and I can't find the right info. Could you send it to her at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, both.
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2000 #6
This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] A trailer with a manufacturer's GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs. when the GCWR exceeds 26,000 lbs. GVWR must be gross veicle weight rating. What is GCWR? Also do we have to stop when the signs are up for trucks to pull over and be inspected? I never have. Mike The only ones I know of where horse trailers must stop are on the highway through Nebraska. However I was never through when they were open. Any other states?
