GEORGIA DRAFT HORSE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
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No.
1
February, 2009
FROM THE SECRETARY:
We had our
annual meeting for the members on January 10th at the Farmers Market in
Forest Park. The meeting was well attended with 36 members present. The
open Board member seats were voted on and the 2009 board members are:
John Ayers- President 678-753-0737
Julie Lanning-Vice President 770-513-4760
Roxanne Janes-Sec./Treasurer 770-479-7110
Carla Beckom-770-358-2678
Jack Beckom-770-358-2678
S. R. Stocker-229-777-7741
Barbara Branch 706-677-2712 (will be completing the remainder of Debbie Whiting’s term)
The
meeting was called to order and a treasury report was given. I gave a
brief report of what bills are due at this time. The members gave me
the ok to pay the outstanding bills for the year.
Rebecca
Cannon gave us some options for a Spring Fun Show location. Rebecca
said she could not make the show arrangements. Jill Malone volunteered
to be the show chairperson. Barbara Branch agreed to assist her. Both
Jill and Barbara were going to find a location within the next week or
so.
Carla Beckom talked about The Perry Show this fall.
After much discussion, it was decided that Carla and the show committee
will decide what the classes will be and that it is a Draft Horse
Show. If anyone has any ideas they would like to discuss they can
contact Carla Beckom or one of the show committee members. They are
Rebecca Cannon, John Ayers, Barbara Branch, Jill Malone, Jack Beckom
and Julie Lanning.
I wanted to remind everyone that a new
membership application is needed every year and if you want to continue
to be a member of the Draft Horse Association you need to get it to
me. Also if you have a farm ad in the Draft Horse Journal I need
you to send me a $50.00 check and any corrections you want to your ad.
Roxanne Janes
1273 White Rd.
White, Ga. 30184
I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year!
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CHRISTMAS PARTY!
It
was a BIG Success! We had a great turnout, good times, and lots
of great food too! A BIG thank you to Robert, Jill & Spencer
Malone for taking the time to host such a nice event for our
club. Everything was just perfect! If you weren’t
there – you truly missed a wonderful evening!
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SPRING FUN SHOW:
It’s
confirmed! Saturday, May 30 at Chicapee Woods in Gainesville,
GA. Everyone put it on your calendar! Contact Jill Malone @
770-735-1549 for requests and suggestions. More details coming
soon!
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FOR SALE:
2 Registered Percheron Fillies,
9 months & 7 months old. Black $750. Ea.
Jack Beckom (770) 358-2678 (twindrms@bellsouth.net)
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PERRY SHOW:
Reminder:
The Perry Show Committee will be meeting very soon. To have your
requests and suggestions considered for the 2009 show, please contact a
committee member asap! (Carla Beckom, John Ayers, Jack Beckom, Barbara
Branch, Rebecca Cannon, Julie Lanning & Jill Malone)
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TRAIL RIDE:
Time
for a Trail Ride! Bring out those drafts, dust off those
saddles, and come enjoy a nice day in the park for a very beginner
friendly ride! Let’s meet at Chickamauga Battlefield in Ft.
Oglethorpe, GA.
Date: Saturday, May 9, at 11:00 a.m. –
Saddle pack your lunch and drinks! We’ll ride for a couple of
hours, stop & have lunch at the Civil War Monuments. (You know the
ones that have lovely bases that double perfectly as mounting steps!)
Then we’ll finish the trail loop back to the trailers in the afternoon!
Weather Pending! – If it’s raining, we’ll schedule another
Saturday. Call Rebecca Cannon @ Cell #423-260-0689 to let
us know you’re coming & for directions!
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DRAFT HORSE WANTED!
Mack
Hess at Tri-State Exhibition Center gave me this contact information to
see if you could put the word out that we are searching for a draft
horse to work into our therapeutic riding program.
We are
currently riding 50 students, and the numbers continue to grow as the
weather warms up. We have started riding more adults within the
past year, therefore, we are now in need of a larger horse. We do
not ride anyone over 200 lbs, but because many of our riders have
balance issues, a larger horse can deal with this better than a
smaller. We have also just started an interactive equestrian
vaulting program-- we would like to be able to use this horse for that
also to keep a variety of activities for him. We only accept
geldings in the program.
We are a non-profit 501 C 3
organization, therefore, anything donated to us is tax
deductible. However, we cannot purchase this horse.
If you can help, please call:
Denise Wright
Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center
Cleveland, TN
423-339-2517, 423-304-1006
e-mail - reinbowriders@gmail.com
www.tristatereinbowriders.com
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IMPORT INFORMATION:
I
know this doesn't apply to most of the members but if anyone is
transporting/selling a horse to Canada, you will need to know this:
Canada Introduces Restrictions on Importation of all Equines, Equine Semen, and Equine embryos from the USA.
CFIA
has announced the introduction of import restrictions on horses and
equine semen originating from the USA as a result of the current US
outbreak of Contagious Equine Metritis. Horses and other equidae
(asses,
mules and zebras) will not require an import permit, but
will require additional declarations on the health papers certifying
that they have
not been on a premises where Taylorella equigenitalis
has been isolated during the 60 days immediately preceding exportation
to Canada or a premises currently under quarantine or investigation for
CEM; and that any female(s) in the shipment have not been bred
naturally to, or inseminated with, semen from a stallion positive for
CEM, or a stallion
resident upon a positive premises or under quarantine or investigation for CEM.
Additionally, the animals must not show any signs of CEM on the day of inspection.
As
it is not unlikely that there will be some initial confusion with these
new requirements, we recommend that Canadian importers and/or US
exporters
in the near future contact CFIA and/or USDA-Aphis for confirmation of
requirements prior to attempting border crossing. *01/19/2009*
Submitted By: S.R. Stocker
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2009 ANNUAL DUES!
Another
reminder! If you haven’t already, please send in your 2009
Membership Form and dues ASAP! The form was sent with a recent
newsletter or it can be downloaded from our website! Don’t
Forget!
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UPCOMING DRAFT SHOWS/EVENTS:
Feb. 10-11, 2009 FL State Fair Draft Horse
Show, Tampa, FL
(Bob Thomas – 813-740-3500, or
1-800-345-3247 x 379)
April 3-5, 2009 Hoosier Horse Fair & Expo,
IN State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
May 9, 2009 – GDHA Trail Ride, Chickamauga
Battlefield, Ft. Oglethorpe, GA
May 30, 2009 – GDHA Draft Horse Fun Show,
Chicapee Woods, Gainesville, GA
June 7, 2009 Upperville Horse Show,
Upperville, VA
July 17-19, 2009 BreyerFest, Lexington, KY
Aug. 6-7, 2009 OH State Fair, Columbus, OH
Aug. 13, 2009 Howard County Fair,
West Friendship, MD
Aug. 27-31, 2009 MN State Fair, Shire
Nationals, St. Paul, MN
Sept. 6, 2009 Warrenton Horse Show,
Warrenton, VA
Sept. 17-19, 2009 OK State Fair,
Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2009 Keystone Intl. Livestock
Expo, Harrisburg, PA
Oct. 16-17, 2009 GDHA GA National Fair
Perry, GA
Oct. 19-20, 2009 NC State Fair, Raleigh, NC
(Call/E-mail
Rebecca Cannon to add other shows or events. We would like to get
any Draft Horse Events listed that you think our members might be
interested in, or, may possibly be attending)
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TO HAVE A HORSE IN YOUR LIFE
To
have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short
years, a horse can teach a young girl courage, if she chooses to grab
mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier
than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having
one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an
admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.
Horses
teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a computer, a horse needs
regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and
up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the
crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When
our horses dip their noses and drink heartily; we know we've made the
right choice.
Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a
science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular
turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test
you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin.
You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing.
Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding
new ways to injure themselves.
If you weren't raised with horses,
you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this
from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses,
and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test
you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect
it.
Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or
willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you
altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people-
which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.
If
you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing
you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a
Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living
being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and
putting the car or tractor in "drive."
In addition to listening to
your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as
well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and
tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill
you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he' fed up with how slowly you're
learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He
may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better
rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It
all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.
If
you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it,
you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion in addition
to basic survival skills. You'll discover just how hard you're willing
to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to
learn.
And, while some people think the horse "does all the work",
you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may
humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the
closest you'll get to heaven.
You can choose to intimidate your
horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly,
but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust?
The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works,
we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts,
hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are
the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is
enjoying his work.
If we make it to adulthood with horses still in
our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our over saturated
schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our
households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to
ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures.
If
it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our
horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and
whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an
unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are
clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of
regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.
When you step back,
it's not just about horses - it's about love, life, and learning. On
any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue
ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss:
a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it
gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses:
the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these
animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of
sorrow.
We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our
lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder.
Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage,
and willingness to give.
To those outside our circle, it must seem
strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry
lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of
heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us
into and out of fields of battle.
Listen to stories of that
once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best
of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in
return.
Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a
human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the
lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of
deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.
In the
end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our horses--or our horses
to us. Does it matter? We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the
first place.
Author Unknown
Submitted by: Carla Beckom
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VOLUNTEER’S NEEDED!
If
you have any suggestions, ideas, or would like to volunteer to host a
meeting, please get in touch with an officer or Board Member.
2009 Officers:
President: John Ayers (678) 753-0737
Vice President: Julie Lanning (770) 513-4760
Sec./Treasurer: Roxanne Janes (770) 479-7110
Board Members:
Carla Beckom: (770) 358-2678
Jack Beckom: (770) 358-2678
Barbara Branch: (706) 677-2712
S.R. Stocker: (229) 777-7741
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Thanks everyone for sending in such great articles and information for our Newsletter! WAY TO GO!
THE NEWSLETTER STAFF:
Roxanne Janes (770) 479-7110 (rjanes@alltel.net)
Lawana Smith (770) 422-5142 (DoubleSFarm@aol.com)
Rebecca Cannon (423) 339-0694 (fairwindsclydes@gmail.com)
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