This message is from: "Arthur Rivoire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -
All of us here in cold, snowy Nova Scotia are keeping the fires burning by planning the 12th season of our Beginner Driving Vacations. Each year we get more and more people returning to do the course a second or third time, and in the case of two of our guests, for the fifth time. -- We realized at the end of last season that we'd better get busy and plan something new for these returning guests --- And for the people who come to us with a little driving experience, we'll be offering more challenging courses next season. For instance, Preliminary dressage tests and cones courses for those qualified, and Training Level for the true ginners. --- So, in an effort to offer "something new" to returning guests, we've decided that instead of basing our beginner course entirely on the sport of Combined Driving . . . in 2003 we'll base some weeks around Pleasure Driving. That means ring classes and a lot of the fun obstacle classes; such as Gambler's Choice. It also means help in planning your "Turnout" (horse, harness, whip, vehicle, driver's clothes - colors- , apron, gloves, & hat) -- "Turnout" is something that is of great concern to all Pleasure Drivers - both men and women. *** I'll never forget my first experience with a "turnout". We were going to our first Pleasure Show, and the night before I called one of the officials, and asked what I was supposed to wear in the driving classes. She was very kind, and suggested I wear something coordinated with my horse and cart, and then she cautioned me not to forget my 'apron'. -- I, of course, assumed the apron in question was something like a kitchen pron. -- Hanging up the phone, I hightailed it to J.C. Penney's and bought a beige dress (to match my horse) and a black hat (to match her stripe), and some black cotton material to make an apron. -- With all the things to do getting ready to leave early in the morning, I didn't have time to make my apron, so stitched it up by hand in the truck on the way to the Maine Carriage Days Show. -- Everybody was so kind to us that weekend. Nobody laughed at my short-sleeved, knee-length beige J.C. Penny dress. And, they didn't even snicker when they saw my little square of black cloth tied around my waiste with a bow in the back. --- I drove Uloza that weekend. She was, (and still is), a fabulous mare that we had imported from Holland. At the time of this show, we'd just weaned her filly the week before, and she still had an impressive milk bag. She didn't have shoes, and her harness was a $150 Amish job that didn't fit too well. To say that our "Turnout" left something to be desired, is a big understatement -- However, nobody laughed, and in fact, they were exceedingly kind seeking us out to offer advice and help us with the impossibly ill-fitting harness. -- Despite it all, we won one of the pleasure classes (Novice probably). And I'll never forget the judge, Sheila Libby Alexander, actually followed us out of the ring to say - "I just love your horse!". -- So, that was our first experience in Pleasure Driving. At Beaver Dam Farm next summer, our Pleasure Driving Weeks, as well as the Combined Driving weeks will continue to be formatted for beginner drivers, but we'll also accomodate and challenge those guests coming to us with a bit more experience. The fact we have so many teachers and such small class sizes allows us to customize our teaching. Whether it's Combined Driving, or Pleasure Driving, two basic elements of our courses will remain the same - #1 - Our goal is to teach you how to drive correctly and safely - #2 - We never forget that the name of our program is Nova Scotia Beginner Driving Vacation - and the two key words are "Beginner" and "Vacation". -- Arthur and I and the staff have a heck of a time doing these vacations and from all reports, our guests have a great time as well. "Best horse vacation I've ever been on" . . . . "It was the best vacation in 35 years of marriage" . . . . "Best vacation of our lives" . . . "Your farm has everything I love" . . . The house we rent on the farm that we call "The Charming Cottage" is already rented for some weeks of the season, and it rents earlier and earlier each year. So, if you'd like to stay on the farm, please call soon. Otherwise, there are lots of nice Bed & Breakfasts, plus other cottages, motels and small inns. Our rates have remained the same for several years, and although they were scheduled to go up next year, we've decided to hold the line for one more year. We hope you'll join us this summer. We've got some wonderfully pleasant and safe Fjordhorses to drive, and to tell you the truth, there's no better place on earth than Nova Scotia in the summertime. -- Winter, I must say, is something else entirely. Best Regards, Carol Rivoire In both http://www.beaverdamfarm.com Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II R.R. 7 Pomquet, Nova Scotia B2G 2L4 Tel:(902) 386-2304 Fax:(902) 386-2149 Carole Rivoire, author of THE FJORDHORSE HANDBOOK, only book in English on the Fjord breed, available from Beaver Dam Farm, $36.95 US includes P&H http://www.beaverdamfarm.com/book.htm the issue number.
