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Hurray! Summer’s finally here!
Does everyone have their hay in? This year my husband and I were active
in creating our own hay bales. We have one crop we are extremely proud
of. It really makes us appreciate farmers and their hard work and the
absolute strokes of luck it takes to make good quality hay.
I am very proud of all of our committees. And I’m very excited about
the new committees that are forming. Look for a new Junior division of
the Vermont Horse Council. Contact Susan Mitchell (smsrumor@hotmail.com)
if you are interested in signing up your child or if you would like to
offer some help with this committee.
New member, Steve Noble from Salisbury is interested in forming a committee
specifically interested in riding in the Green Mountain National Forest.
If you have any suggestions, please contact Steve at ssn@together.net
We hosted a Governor’s Proclamation Parade on May 22 and we hosted
2 riding clinics, both of which drew in new members.
There was a meeting in Groton at New Discovery Park on June 30th regarding
equestrian trails. The meeting was well attended by avid horse campers.
I felt Dave Willard, of the Agency of Natural Resources, was dealing with
qualified people. Thank you to Kim Parsons for letting me know about this
opportunity so that I could spread the word.
Here are some issues I have dealt with recently:
* We got our VELCO contract for the NEKET committee. And the trail maps
have been completed. Currently there are 49 NEKET pass holders.
* Virginia has mailed a notice to all of our members about water quality
workshop at Green Mountain Stock Farm in Randolph on July 26th. This is
the beginning of a series of workshops provided by UVM Center for Sustainable
Agriculture. Lynn Dow and Ginny Burnham have been instrumental in the
set-up for our meeting at the Stock Farm.
* Our insurance renewal application will be mailed on July 9th. Anyone
interested in taking charge of the insurance issues?
* Please check out this site. Would we be interested in posting our events
here? It will be on the next meeting agenda. http://www.equinesite.com/shows
* Also, Reis Ranch would like to make “day of the horse” a national
holiday. Check out www.dennisreis.com/day-of-horse-holiday
* Don’t forget to mail in your September Trail Ride registration
form to Karen Blow.
Have a great summer,
Sincerely, Terry Rose, President
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NATIONAL TRAIL AWARDS
Dear Trail Friends,
NOW is the time for Vermont to be nationally recognized for its exceptional
trails!
American Trails will be giving out awards in October at the National Trails
Symposium and it would be great for Vermont to be acknowledged for its
excellence in trail development at the national level!!
Here’s 2 Steps to Take:
1st, please review the past couple of years and take notice of trail work
in Vermont. Consider outstanding contributions made by individuals and
organizations related to trail planning, trail protection, trail development
or trail maintenance in Vermont. Identify those folks and organizations
you know who have made a difference through their trail efforts.
2nd, make nominations for these folks and organizations to receive a National
Trails Award through American Trails. There are a number of awards that
American Trails will be awarding. A nomination form is attached for you.
Learn more about what National Trails Awards will be given out in October
at the National Trails Symposium by visiting the American Trails website
@:
http://www.americantrails.org/Austin/awardnomNTS04.html
There are many accomplishments I see from you and your organizations that
could merit National recognition! I avidly encourage you to participate
in this process with American Trails and will support you in any way I
can.
Trails projects and efforts to be considered for awards will include work
done on trails and greenways, related facilities, improvements in education
and information about trails, and service contributing to the betterment
of trails opportunities.
People and groups are eligible for the “Trail Advocacy” and
“Trail Worker” awards to be given in October at the National
Trails Symposium. These include people or an organization who has: Demonstrated
a commitment to advocacy efforts for public policy development relating
to trail planning, trail protection, trail development, or maintenance.
If American Trails receives good nominations, one award will be given
for each state in these two categories:
Trail Advocacy Award: Nominee(s) must have demonstrated
successful efforts to influence public policy relating to trail planning,
trail protection, trail development, or maintenance.
Trail Worker Award: Nominee must have made outstanding
contributions and provided consistent support for trail planning, development,
or maintenance. This award is intended to recognize the commitment and
efforts of a private or public sector individual in working for enhanced
trail recreation in their local area or state.
If you have questions, contact American Trails
at symposium@AmericanTrails.org
or call (530) 547-2060.
Please let me know what trail award nomination you will be making and
I will put a list of nominations together and share at the next Vermont
Trails & Greenways Council Meeting.
With high aspirations,
Sherry Smecker
Grants Administrator
Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-0601
Tel: 802/241-3690
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EVOLUTION OF EQUINE DENTISTRY
from University of Kentucky’s Equine
Disease Quarterly, April, 2004 (Vol. 13., No. 2)
Equine dentistry has re-evolved to
become a significant part of many equine practices. In the early 1900s
through World War II, most veterinarians routinely performed dental procedures
for their clients. The subsequent decrease in the use of horses resulted
in less teaching of equine medicine and surgery, and equine dentistry
took a backseat in the curriculum of veterinary medicine.
During the 1970s and 1980s, an increasing number of veterinarians expanded
their interest in equine dentistry. Horse owners and trainers realized
that properly performed equine dentistry had a beneficial effect on performance
as well as feeding efficiency.
The increased interest resulted in demand for improved instrumentation
and, more importantly, reduction of the physical labor involved using
hand floats. The advent of more effective sedatives and analgesics came
along at about the same time that electrical and air powered grinding
discs and bits appeared.
The first equine dentistry committee was appointed in the spring of 1996
by Dr. Clyde Johnson, who was then president of the American Association
of Equine Practitioners. During the past eight years equine dentistry
has made enormous progress and generated great interest. A program for
certified veterinary technicians to become trained in basic equine dental
procedures is being developed at Murray State University in Kentucky.
Several Web sites dedicated to equine dentistry are also available.
A high percentage of all procedures, including many extractions, can be
performed in the sedated-but-standing horse. More effective reshaping
of abnormal teeth can be performed with electrical- or pneumatic-powered
floats and grinding instruments than with hand instruments. Time needed
to perform dental procedures is reduced; ease of performing them is increased.
Some studies are ongoing to determine the risks of tooth damage caused
by heat that has been generated by power equipment. Due to the peculiar
structure of the hypsodont (continually erupting) tooth, damage may not
become apparent for several years.
Numerous theories are being presented as to what is normal tooth structure,
what abnormalities are correctable, and how much correction should be
done. To date, no controlled documented studies have been presented to
show the benefits of aggressive rasping of the dental arcades, especially
to the table surfaces of equine teeth.
Studies are needed in a number of areas. How much correction is necessary
in horses less than 7 years old? When should incisor teeth be rasped back?
How much correction is too much, and what are the log term effects, if
any?
The greatest advances in equine dentistry may not
be better drugs, instrumentation, or techniques, but more veterinarians
developing an interest in improving the horse’s welfare by thorough
examination of the oral cavity. The horse’s use, the nutrient source
i.e., pellets or pasture), age, and even genetics all play a role in what
is observed when a complete oral exam is performed.
Universally acclaimed horseman Tom Dorrance was
often asked about a training or behavioral problem with a horse. He always
prefaced his answer with, “It all depends.” Many questions about
equine dentistry are being asked. Each answer brings more questions, and
in nearly every case, “It all depends.”
(Contact: Dr. R. Dean Scoggins, dscogginsdvm@netcare-il.com,
Villa Grove, Illinois.)
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Good Morning Recreation Advocates
Below is an excerpt from an email
I received providing updates of the current status of the Land & Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF). American’s for Our Heritage and Recreation
have come up with another measure to advocate for the full funding of
LWCF and they are enlisting your support. Please take a moment to visit
the website www.asap2004.org
and help convince the President keep his promise of fully funding the
LWCF Program.
”AHR has teamed up with Plus Three, LP to develop an online activist
center for its Americans Saving American Places (ASAP) petition drive
asking the President to keep his promise to fully fund the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. For more than forty years, LWCF has been responsible
for developing parks, recreation, wildlife, and historic preservation
areas. Unfortunately, the funding allocations for the program have never
reached their annual authorization level of $900 million. AHR wants to
demonstrate the support for this critical program by generating one million
signatures in support of fully funding the program. To do that, AHR is
working with Plus Three, a telecommunications firm that has 10 years of
experience developing solutions in the political, non-profit, telecommunication,
financial, and publishing industries.
The ASAP’s enhanced web site has been retooled so that organizations
can create their own branded petition where they can keep track of all
of their online activists who sign the petition. It’s a good opportunity
for organizations to get their online activists engaged in an ongoing
campaign that aims to reap more benefits to conservation and recreation
projects on the ground. For more information on the petition, go to www.asap2004.org.”
Thanks for your help! --Becca Brown
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ATTENTION JUNIOR MEMBERS!!!
NEW JUNIOR DIVISION
WHAT ? VHC is creating a new Junior
Division, any member under 18 can join this division, this includes family
memberships and club members. The exciting part of this is this division
can be whatever the members want it to be.
Some of the activities I have in mind are : Visiting different horse farms,
addressing Safety issues, fund raising activities, attending clinics.
We need to keep the mission of the Vermont Horse Council first and foremost...
and have a lot of fun too. We’d have a Junior Division section on
the website and the newsletter.
WHY? Junior members have experiences, knowledge and energy that VHC needs
to harness!! Junior members need to have a voice in our organization.
WHERE? Meetings will be held in different locations.
WHEN ? As summer is a busy time (vacations and riding our horses!) I’d
like to hear from Junior members that are interested in becoming active
members.
WHAT DO I DO IF I WANT TO JOIN? You can email me at smsrumor@hotmail.com
or write to me at 4 East St. Waterbury, Vermont 05676... I’d love
to hear your ideas. I have a list of our current Junior members and will
be contacting each of you in the next few weeks.
Oh, my name is Susan Mitchell, Vice President of VHC. I own one horse,
her name is Rumor and she lives in Marshfield, Vermont at Water Tower
Farm. She’s a 4 year old Premarin horse (PMU foal)
CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU... GET YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN!!!
THE MORE THE MERRIER... IT’S UP TO YOU TO MAKE THIS THE BEST
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HAY ASSESSMENT
Determine the quality of your horse’s forage
with this information from the University of Kentucky’s College of
Agriculture. (To view the entire fact sheet about quality hay, visit www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/agr/agr62/agr62.htm.)
Although not as reliable as forage-testing, this provides a way for you
to score hay to better determine its relative feed value, RFV. Hay that’s
cut early, is leafy, soft, green, free of foreign material and has a pleasant
odor will be high-quality and have a high RFV.
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VISUAL SCORECARD
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Your Score
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Your Score
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Stage of Harvest
Before blossom/heading 26-30
Early blossom/heading 21-25
Mid-to-late bloom/head 16-20
Seed stage (stemmy) 11-15 |
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Odor
Clean: “crop odor” 13-15
Dusty 10-12
Moldy – mousey/musty 7-9
Burnt 0-6 |
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Leafiness
Very leafy 26-30
Leafy 21-25
Slightly stemmy 16-20
Stemmy 0-6 |
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Softness
Very soft & pliable 9-10
Soft 7-8
Slightly harsh 5-6
Harsh, brittle 0-4 |
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Color
Natural green 13-15
Light green 10-12
Yellow to brownish 7-9
Brown or black 0-6 |
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Penalties :
Trash, weeds, dirt, etc.- Subtract 0-35 |
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| SUBTOTALS |
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TOTAL
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HEALTHY HORSES, HEALTHY LAND
The Vermont Horse Council, Vermont
Pasture Network and The White River Conservation District are sponsoring
two workshops on managing your land and your horses for maximum health.
UVM Horse Farm Demonstration – Discuss a mud management solution
and observe a demonstration on creating all-weather surfaces the week
of August 126th at the UVM Horse Farm. Betsy Greene and others will
share their struggle to keep paddocks void of muddy gate entrances.
We will demonstrate how to layer a paddock entrance with gravel, a geo-textile
fabric and bark mulch to eliminate mud problems.
Horse Council Barn Tour – Travel around central Vermont visiting
local horse barns on November 20th. November is a great time to stay
off the trails and instead visit with other horse owners and observe
other operations in your area.
The Vermont Pasture Network is a program of the UVM Center for Sustainable
Agriculture, funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
with support from the Vermont Grass Farmers’ Association. Contact
Gwyneth Harris at 656-3834. The White River Conservation District is
anon-profit organization committed to the wise use, protection and enhancement
of Vermont’s natural resources through the use of local initiatives,
education and partnerships. Contact Abbey Willard at 802-828-4493 ext.
110.
Mail the registration form to UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture,
63 Carrigan Drive, Burlinton, VT, 05405. You may also call UVM Center
for Sustainable Agriculture and register by phone for one or both of
the workshops. Phone 802-656-5459; email sustainable.agriculture@uvm.edu.
For more information, contact Gwyneth Harris, 656-3834, email gharris@uvm.edu.
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REGISTRATION FORM
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Vt. Horse Council Barn Tour
On Saturday, November 20th |
Price: $5.00 |
Total: _____ |
| Name (s): |
Address: |
| Telephone: |
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Safety Committee Report
June 2004
Lynn Dow, Chair
The VHC Safety Committee has had a busy spring!
We started by offering two bumper sticker styles to promote road safety
and they have been very popular. The “Caution Horses” and
“Slow Down for Horses, It’s the Law” are still available
for sale if you are interested. Contact any safety committee member
to get yours. Thank you Cindy Cross-Greenia for all the legwork in getting
these produced.
The Governor’s Proclamation and “Equine Safety Hits the Road”
parade were held on the damp and drizzly Saturday, May 22. Neal Perry
drove his beautiful white carriage with two black Morgans at the head
of the parade. His carriage contained Governor Douglas, Betsy Greene,
and State Representative from Manchester, VT, Judith Livingston, and
myself. Cheryl Rivers drove her surrey and Morgan with Steve Kerr Secretary
Vermont Agency of Agriculture on board. Seventeen VHC members rode in
the parade and several walkers participated as well. Everyone involved
had a fun time promoting road safety despite the damp weather. Thanks
to one and all for participating in this event. Hopefully we will be
able to organize the parade again next May 2005 to continue to increase
awareness for equine road safety.
On June 10th Betsy Greene and myself took the road safety message to
“Across the Fence” on WCAX. During the show Betsy described
the flight nature of the horse and its sometimes-unpredictable behavior;
which is why motorists need to proceed with caution when coming upon
a horse and rider or carriage. We also talked about the law, VSA TITLE
23 SECTION 1127, which requires motorists to provide every caution when
approaching horses on roadways. The show included pictures from the
parade and footage of horse and riders on a busy Vermont road. We also
talked about the safety committees future plans to submit information
to be included in future Vermont Drivers and Motorcycle Operators Manuals;
and the committee’s plan to produce a safe driving brochure and
poster to distribute to Driver’s Education classrooms around the
state. The brochure will educate young drivers about horses on roadways
and safe practices when they come upon them, and it will stress the
law requiring all motorists to be responsible.
This segment of “Across the Fence” aired on Tuesday June 15th.
Betsy Greene taped a second show when we finished ours; her show was
“Horses Count! Vermont Equine Survey.” Betsy presented the
results from the recent survey she completed and published in 2003.
Thank you to all who have participated and supported our recent efforts
to promote equine rode safety awareness! Thank you for displaying the
bumper stickers, which help educate all motorists to Slow Down for Horses!
Committee members are: Susan Mitchell, Betsy Greene, Cher Laston, Virginia
Lancaster, Bev McMullin, Lisa Moreno, and Lynn Dow.
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Scholarship Committee Report
June 2004
Lynn Dow, Chair
At the June VHC Directors meeting
the committee proposed raising the Cliff Murray and Floyd Fuller Memorial
Scholarship level from $250.00 to $500.00 in 2005. The motion was approved.
This year we have yet to receive any applications for the college scholarship
although we have had three students show interest. If you know any student
planning to enter, or already attending, any animal science program, please
encourage them to apply. All information to apply for the scholarship
is posted on the website.
The scholarship committee hosted two riding clinics this spring to raise
funds for our accounts. The first was held at Breckenridge Farm in Barre
with owner and instructor Judi Whipple. The second was at Water Tower
Farm, owned by Diane Lashoones in Marshfield with instructor Sarah Seidman.
These were both fabulous clinics that received rave reviews from all participants.
We raised money for the scholarship accounts, learned new tips and skills,
and had a great time doing it. Thank you to all who participated, as well
as to the hosts and instructors. A special thank you to Susan Mitchell
for organizing the clinic at Water Tower Farm.
The scholarship committee awarded two young ladies $30.00 scholarships
to attend the annual 4-H Horse Clinic at the Tunbridge Fair Grounds in
June. This clinic is a super opportunity for young equestrians and VHC
is happy to support these attendees.
Remember the Scholarship Committee whenever young people need financial
help with their equine goals.
Committee members are: Morris Lasell, Susan McNeill, and Lynn Dow.
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Membership Committee
Report
July 9 , 2004
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183 members, this compares
to 184 @ 6/15/04- this compares to 122 @ July 1, 2003
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Breakdown by County
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Iincluding:
6 LIFETIME
16 NEKET Sponsors
10 Business
53 Family
11 Farm/Club
78 Individual
9 Junior |
Addison = 15
Bennington = 3
Calendonia = 7
Chittenden = 23
Essex = 2
Franklin = 12
Grand Isle = 3 |
Lamoille = 9
Orange = 26
Orleans = 8
Rutland = 9
Washington = 39
Windham - 1
Windsor = 16
Out of State = 10 |
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Welcome new members!
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Joy and Bruce Lyon, Eden Mills
Dianne Tanner, Marshfield
Lena Wasmus, Calais
Mielle Fox, Barre
Lorraine Blake, Norton, Mass.
Ed & Jody Barna, Moretown
Susan Field, Craftsbury Common
Allison Boswell & Nelson, Fairfax
Kylee Snow, Marshfield
Robin & Karen Orne, Newport
Sheryl A. Smith, Weathersfield
Lynn & Randall Morrill, Westford
Shannon Warden, Vergennes
Nancy Brown & Chuck Fergus, East Burke
Callie Streeter, Warren
Debra Holt, Randolph
Nancy Johnson, Waterbury
Neal Perry, Brownington
Chris Byrom, East Calais
Sharon Lawler, Northfield
Carol Baillargeon, Lyndonville
Lynn Hunter, North Hero
Katherine Maxwell, Island Pond
Penny Brown, Roxbury
John Russell, Plattsburgh, NY
Stevie Balch, Northfield |
Bud Carpenter, Orwell
Judith Conley, Glober
Nancy Boldt & Rich Ennis, Jericho
Jessica Fennell, Jeffersonville
Carolyn & Mike Harris, Jericho
M. Lopez Hauck, Orwell
Julie Kinney, Braintree
Jim Lipinski, Hyde Park
Cheryl Rivers, Stockbridge
Katie Swanson, So. Hero
Susan & Carl Taylor, Derby
Carrie L. Turner, Brandon
Susan Vita, Bolton
Patricia & Hannah Kwapisz, East Corinth
Georgeanna Stapleton, Montpelier
Marilyn Thomas, Westford
Tracy Ostler, White River Junction
Millie Armstrong, DVM, Milton
Liz & Steve Heilner, Ludlow
Steve & Lucie Noble, Salisbury
A.J. Sweet, Marshfield
Jane Creagh, Plainfield
Charity Ryan, Fairfax
Sarah Seidman, Middlesex
Carrie Vaculik, Sutton |
Thanks to the rest of our members
for renewing their dues!
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Vermont Equine
Liability Statute Signs
The Vermont Horse Council has
a supply of signs available for sale. We will have them at the VT
Equine Summit IV and at the UVM horse fair, both in March. If you
would like to reserve one for your property please contact Lynn
Dow. email:
vthorseland@yahoo.com
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