Much Needed
It rained yesterday as we came home from the draft horse show meeting. It's raining again this afternoon and it looks like we're getting quite a bit more than yesterday. Our area just got a light sprinkling yesterday, other areas got more. Today it is compensating for that. I think it's been raining for close to an hour.
The draft horse show meeting went for about two hours talking about all sorts of things. I got myself in charge of redesigning the show entry form. Actually I placed the task on myself because the old one was pretty sad. We also talked about the class list, grounds fees (or lack thereof), volunteers, sponsors, and the mules. I guess the draft people, one of them specifically, have had some issues with the mule people. The draft portion of the club is much more active than the mule portion and I guess one mule guy didn't come through for the club and a few draft people griped about a mule smoking them in a few classses. I think they just need to hit the reset button with the mules.
I'm already thinking about next year. This is a bit of a reshaping year. The first three years were tied to the Festival of the Horse, which died this last year, leaving us on our own. One reason we've migrated to Prescott rather than staying out here.
So next year I'm thinking of getting things rolling and organized a bit sooner. That and also trying to push for both the draft ponies and mules. We are the Draft Horse AND Mule Association after all. The draft ponies, well that's my pet thing as I think it will help expand the base and I like draft ponies.
I think part of what needs to be done is focusing on draft type rather than the abstract "1500lbs" is a draft thing. Partly because we're not running around and weighing horses. I personally think that type is more important than height. That's part of the issue that I'm starting to see in some of the drafts. They get leggy and tall. Yes 19 hands is impressive, but a 16 hand horse of the same weight can pull as well or better and is much easier to put a harness on. Drafts were first and foremost a creature of function, not flashy.
Anyway, enough rambling. The next meeting is next month in about three weeks.
The draft horse show meeting went for about two hours talking about all sorts of things. I got myself in charge of redesigning the show entry form. Actually I placed the task on myself because the old one was pretty sad. We also talked about the class list, grounds fees (or lack thereof), volunteers, sponsors, and the mules. I guess the draft people, one of them specifically, have had some issues with the mule people. The draft portion of the club is much more active than the mule portion and I guess one mule guy didn't come through for the club and a few draft people griped about a mule smoking them in a few classses. I think they just need to hit the reset button with the mules.
I'm already thinking about next year. This is a bit of a reshaping year. The first three years were tied to the Festival of the Horse, which died this last year, leaving us on our own. One reason we've migrated to Prescott rather than staying out here.
So next year I'm thinking of getting things rolling and organized a bit sooner. That and also trying to push for both the draft ponies and mules. We are the Draft Horse AND Mule Association after all. The draft ponies, well that's my pet thing as I think it will help expand the base and I like draft ponies.
I think part of what needs to be done is focusing on draft type rather than the abstract "1500lbs" is a draft thing. Partly because we're not running around and weighing horses. I personally think that type is more important than height. That's part of the issue that I'm starting to see in some of the drafts. They get leggy and tall. Yes 19 hands is impressive, but a 16 hand horse of the same weight can pull as well or better and is much easier to put a harness on. Drafts were first and foremost a creature of function, not flashy.
Anyway, enough rambling. The next meeting is next month in about three weeks.