Horse Progress Days

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#999933" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="040006e0ddwnfv.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Lively's Livery - Horse Drawn Carriage Services                                     </B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Livelys Livery Horse Drawn Carriage Ser"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recent scenes "><U>Recent scenes </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Carriage Rides "><U>Private Carriage Rides  </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weddings"><U>Weddings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More about weddings"><U>More about weddings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wagon rides"><U>Wagon rides</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Birthday Wagon Rides"><U>Birthday Wagon Rides</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Photos"><U>    Photos</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Cream Draft Horses"><U>American Cream Draft Horses</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Parade preparation"><U>Parade preparation</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Services Travel"><U>Our Services & Travel</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trouble Ladies, n me."><U>Trouble & Ladies, 'n me.</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleigh Rides Day Night"><U>Sleigh Rides Day & Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleigh on wheels "><U>Sleigh on wheels </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="12 mile work out."><U>12 mile work out.</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Moose Removal Service"><U>Moose Removal Service</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gift Certificates"><U>Gift Certificates</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us "><U>Contact Us  </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mowin"><U>Mowin'</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Horses for sale"><U>Horses for sale</U></A>   |   <B>Horse Progress Days </B>   |   <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Horse Hauling Services"><U>Horse Hauling Services</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Henry House Inn"><U>The Henry House Inn</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" background="041bec00esnpes.png"> <div> <B>We decided to participate in the 2011 Horse Progress Days event in Pennsylvania's Amish country.  An invitation only event for horses, we were happy to be chosen to showcase our Creams for the two day event.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Dave & Nancy Lively</div> <bR> <div> Horse Progress Days July 1st & 2nd - 2011</div> <bR> <div> To go or not to go:</div> <bR> <div>   Nancy made the original call to David Stoltzfus Jr, the coordinator for the horses/teamsters back in March…….asking about having one of our teams come to Horse Progress Days to participate in the field demonstrations for the two day event. As you may or may not be aware, horses come to these events by invitation only, so it was gratifying when the request from our Secretary was met with a nod of approval from the organizers.  Well that part was easy and we moved on to the “What exactly are we going to do there?” part. Our first task @ this point was to repeatedly tell Mr. Stoltzfus that American Creams are not halflingers in stature nor strength. “These are small horses” he suggested,  “so maybe you'd like to cultivate in the vegetable gardens across the street from the hay fields.”  “Nay, nay”, Nancy said.  These Creams are 1,750 lbs and 16.3 hh….a tad bigger than the breed standard, but quality well trained Creams all the way to the bone.  A mother/daughter team of 13 & 9yrs, respectively, Shirley, bred by Don & Linda Johnson and Samantha, sired by our `Jumper's Trouble' were the Cream team coming to represent our breed along side some of the best working horses and teamsters that HPD's would showcase.</div> <bR> <div> Once we got past the small horse thing with David, we were accepted to come and pull with the big boys; and the usual suspects of Belgian, Perchies, Fjords, Spotted Drafts and yes….Halflingers.  But there was a bug-gaboo…..we had developed big time truck worries.  Our `01 Ford 350 was engine willing, but the body, breaking system and suspension was a real concern to us; a breakdown with horses in tow can take the fun out of any trip. Then on Saturday the weekend before we were to leave, a wheel bearing went and so did a rear seal in the differential.  For those of you mechanically challenged….we were in deep doo doo.  Time to trade? A tough decision given todays' truck prices, and the sagging economy, but we had committed to the event and figured that we were in need @ some point soon, so we found a new truck, which we managed to get `trailer' ready with a goose neck ball hitch by Wednesday, two days before HPD.   We just couldn't bear the burden of telling all our Cream friends and the straw hats hosting the event that we had to cancel out.  We couldn't bear the thought of being left out or somehow eliminated from consideration @ future draft horse events of this sort.  </div> <bR> <div> We got our local `Big Boys Toys' folks to stuff in a goose neck ball with almost no notice…that's gonna cost me a case of Bud, but they did a really neat job.  We've been good customers through the years, so the `what goes around, comes around' thing…..came around.  But a caveat….the new integrated braking system on our 3500HD Silverado didn't recognize the potent amperage draw of an electric-over-hydraulic braking system on the new Eby trailer, so - for you challenged - deep doo doo, again. We found out this marvelous little piece of news the morning we had brought the horses home from across town with our old Ponderosa trailer with magnetic breaks…which worked fine on the new truck.  I figured we were golden to go.  Um….hook up new trailer with horses and gear aboard…no brakes.   Four hours later @ the Chevy dealer with techs, computer plug-ins, and two horses on  the trailer, we knew we weren't going to have brakes for this trip. The new truck has an engine brake and most of the trip was interstate where we could keep a safe space; we decided to go.    </div> <bR> <div> A safe passage:</div> <bR> <div> We arrived without incident early evening Wednesday @ the site….a  beautiful Amish farm, who's owner had committed to giving up some 80-100 acres of tillable land to horse and vendor tents, trash, toilets and thousands of people for a week. Where else but in Intercourse, Pennsylvania - a name a bit harder to say than to read.  Our rig had barely come to a stop, and it was instantly like a `home coming' as Cream folks who had come from far and near for the American Cream Draft Horse Association's Annual Meeting and HPD converged in smiles of familiar faces, handshakes and hugs.  We now knew we had made the right choice to come so far.  With helping hands we settled the horses in their stalls beneath a tent and fetching water & hay for the pair of mares this effort was all about.  Once we were confident that chores were done, we finalized our dinner plans, cleaned up the horse trailer by fertilizing a nearby cornfield, and parked the trailer where it would serve as our harnessing and standing needs for the next three days. As most of the horses and trailers would be coming in throughout the day on Thursday, we were lucky to pick a pretty good spot to park, close enough to the horse tent, yet quiet enough to avoid the bevy of activity to come.  It was time for sit down with friends over an Amish dinner, with some catching up on stories and happenings of the year past…..some happy, some *sad.  More on the later, later.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="366c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Fix the darn brakes:</div> <bR> <div> Thursday morning arrived quickly @ the motel….the internal clock with “where's my horses” got me hopping out of bed.  Doug Garrand, a friend and ACDHA member jumped in the truck with me and we headed to the farm.  I just love it when all is quiet in the early morning…..heck, we beat the farmers out of bed!  The horses hadn't emptied their water buckets, but had finished cleaning up their hay and were relatively clean. I'm pretty sure they didn't lay down; not a surprise as they were in a strange looking barn.  We walked them out to the water, but they weren't interested.  So true; `you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make `em drink'. </div> <div> So back to the stalls we went, with hay and freshly filled pails of water.  We hitched the trailer and were headed to Blue Ball, PA, where Eby had a manufacturing plant. They were the ones who built this trailer, and knew we were coming to deal with the `no' brake issue.  Well…long story short, they installed an electronic device in the trailer brake wiring that fooled the truck's computer into thinking we had regular magnetic brakes. Ain't technology great? Now we had brakes and now I could focus my attention on the task @ hand - horses!</div> <div> Our wives, both Nancy's had come along to the farm a bit later and held our spot for the trailer, while making the ACDHA booth display ready for the event coming Friday and Saturday.  Then they were off for our annual meeting in town, while Doug & I decided to stay and give the horses a real good look @ what was outside their tent along with all the activity that was just beginning to bring the farm to life.      </div> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure:</div> <bR> <div> As this was an event different from what our horses are familiar with, I thought it was a good idea to put them out and about to get a feel for what they'd be experiencing for the days to follow.  We harnessed up and ground drove the team around the area, having to pass through the barn yard area of the farm.  We met head up with pairs, three and four abreast teams of horses and mules pulling steel wheeled  wagons,  forecarts, and a rather scary 1,300 gallon liquid manure spreader that was bring used to water down the dust on the access lanes and paths that were getting pounded by the heavy footed  and their dray.  Doug stayed on their head, just in case things got out of hand, but other than their wanting to walk a bit faster than their teamster, they settled in after a few rounds up and down the growing line up of horse drawn equipment that would be put to work.  Tied to the trailer, the horses stayed harnessed, accept for bridles, so they could eat and drink   I intended to take them back out later in the afternoon.  So did several other teamsters with their hitches; I guess we were all on the same page with being prepared and getting the horses more comfortable.  Even though we were throwing the fluff and puff out the barn door for a couple days, tomorrow was show time and we all knew it.  In hindsight, it was well worth it both for the horse and me.  <IMG SRC="369c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="36cc9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Creams near, then Belgians, then Spotted drafts.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Time to go to work:</div> <bR> <div> Friday morning we had a 7:30 teamsters meeting @ the end of big horse tent.  We had each been given an index card with our specific hitches in the order of presentation.  After a friendly good morning and a thank you for bringing our animals to the event, the subject turned quickly to safety. “Don't drop your lines” were the first words of caution.  “I know you all know your horses and how well they stand, but please: `Don't drop your lines”  He didn't have to tell me, not once, not here, not in this circus environment.  Do mine stand? Yeah, and they are like rocks for me, but again not now and not here.  Although we all have heard the drill, it was a good way to get everyone focused on the importance of good harness, calm horses and watching to see and avoid dangerous situations.  “It's in our nature to sit and watch when something is wrong, but today let's not do that…tell someone and get it fixed”, said David Stoltzfus Jr., as he looked around at the mostly Amish teamsters.  I guess there were a half dozen of us that were not.  David continued with a couple points, reiterating safety and ended with a comment that I'll not soon forget: “There are going to be some people here that don't know much about what we do, so don't abuse your horses anymore than you need to”.  As I walked away from the meeting to ready the horses, I tried to think of anything I would or could do to my Creams that one might consider abuse.  It's not in my nature to beat a horse for any reason, but unfortunately I guess it happens all too often.  I avoid people that do; sooner or later it catches up with them.  As I drew the attention of our team, they gave a look of recognition.  I walked up to Shirley and whispered in her ear: “You ready to go to work?” </div> <bR> <div>  Wives Nancys had been busy brushing and helping Doug harness during the meeting, so when we left to find our first hitch, the horses looked really good.  Sammy got into the bit for a minute or two, but seemed to settle down as we moved on.  “E..a..s…y” I spoke to her, “We walked this yesterday……let's settle down, now”.  Doug was in his usual spot @ lead horse Sammy' head.      <IMG SRC="36ec9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Me on the cart, Nancy McBride, left & Doug @ heads.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="370c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> It became apparent of the need for headers and hands on lines as team after team came quite close to other teams backing into their hitches, with strange horses standing only a couple feet from total strangers………though I never heard a squeal, or saw any problem with horses not wanting to share the limited spaces given us.  Once we got in line to make our way through the hedgerow and the waiting crowds, things were very calm.  Each piece of equipment got top billing when the announcer brought us up to stand while folks checked out each piece of steel and wheel.  The last thing spoken by the announcer before each demonstration was the description of the horses pulling the equipment.  “This spreader is being pulled by a nice pair of Cream Horses”, he said.  It was time to put the spreader in gear and go.  But first a rewind from a memorable manure spreading episode.</div> <bR> <div> <I>About 5 years ago, I had a runaway with a young pair of American Creams on an old rickety ground driven spreader.  I guess it was the vibration of the pole and the noise [at a gallop, these things are really loud and shit flies really really high!…….@ least that's what the club members told me later] that got the lead filly out of sorts.  Somewhere I've got a picture of the initial take off.  Flaps down and power @ 100%.  The hardest thing for me was trying to hold their heads without falling off the flopping seat, which had bolts of questionable tightness.  There was a fence line ahead and thankfully we were heading somewhat uphill……the spreader was lighter [make that empty] but still the beaters rumbled through the hardware.  About 50 feet or so from the fence line, the horses slowed and stopped.  I sat and kept an eye on them, prepared to get a line full of bit, should they want more.  I lifted the levers on the spreader and after a minute or two I swung the team around to face some of the club members across the meadow, who appeared to be applauding.  I wasn't in the mood to bow.  Long story short, we went back to the barn loaded up the spreader again.  The second load spread much more evenly and not so high in the air, though I had my feet planted and had to hold hard the first few feet.  OK, back to HPD's.   </I></div> <div> <I>  </I></div> <div> Doug had put the spreader in gear, and announcer gave me the go-ahead.  I called `Sammy' and the team walked on nicely.  We spread an even load staying straight as an arrow between the rows of onlookers.  This was much more fun that some previous experiences of spreading manure with horses.  We made our way back to the equipment line, unhooked the horse and moved on to the back blade attached to a fore cart; this one had rubber wheels. The second time through the line up of teams and equipment between the hundreds of people lining the field was much more enjoyable for all of us.   The blade was better suited for snow removal or gravel work…..but we took it through the open ground, filling in a dead furrow with varying degrees of success.  The team stayed true in line, but the clumps of sod didn't roll back so well.  I didn't care….the horses were doing fine.  We took the blade back and parked it.  The afternoon session was a couple hours away, so the horses were taken back to the trailer where they rested while we had some lunch and reflected on the morning's work.  <IMG SRC="372c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="374c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="376c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Same spreader, but a different forecart for the Saturday demo.</div> <bR> <div> We only had one hitch for the haying demo; an old `power take off' hay tedder, the kind with horizontal bars and tines that never seem to pick up the hay to my liking.  The forecart was a homemade wheel driven pto cart with 20” tractor tires.  The lever that engaged the pto didn't work very well….Doug tried several positions to get the tedder to turn while we started down the field of downed hay. Friday's demo with this unit was better than Saturday's.  Turns out we couldn't get the pto cart in gear until we were almost to the end of the field.  Oh well….it was good chance to have folks see the Creams in the field. <IMG SRC="378c9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> We had signed up for the breed demo, which took place in the arena, each day after the field work was done.  The Pioneer Company graciously let us use one of their wagons for the demo.  Donna Miller, our newly elected director held the team while we waited our turn to enter the ring.  It seems that there was something tasty in the brand new neck yoke, and Sammy was bound and determined to chew the dickens out of her side.  I half expected a little note from the boys @ Pioneer, but I guess they chalk that kind of thing up to `demo equipment'.  It was the last event on Saturday and I think the horses were ready for some quiet and a bale of hay. For those who do the fairs and such, it becomes clear @ the end of a long week, that the horses are ready to go home.  I think this was stage `one' of  I'm bored, so I'll just chew this piece of wood.    We had gathered up the Cream clan [ACDHA members] in attendance and visited while we sat and waited…then we greeted the crowd in the bleacher seats as we did figure eights and circles around the ring.  The announcer in the booth gave the onlookers the history of our rare breed and described this team as a good representation of the American Cream draft horse.   We left the ring and took a little ride around the farm for a little unwind walk and to reflect on the last three days. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="37cc9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="37ac9db0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> *In Memory:</div> <bR> <div> The 2011 ACDHA's Annual meeting was dedicated to Mike McBride, a long time member and tireless worker for and of the American Cream Draft Horse.  Mike was a regular @ these events and shined as a great teamster, working his horses and loving what he did.  Mike would never leave his horses alone @ events like this.  He'd spend the nights in a sleeping bag, or a bale of hay, refusing to leave his best friends.  Mikes' wife Nancy, came to this meeting to help celebrate the memory of her husband and lent a helping hand with our horses, took some great photos, and was truly an inspiration for the legacy of her life partner.  I'm sure it was difficult for her to be here without Mike, but I think I can speak for all of us, that we, as a group are happy to have helped share our offerings of condolences and yet extend our hope and good feelings that Mike's memory will carry on with all of us as a man who did great things for the American Cream Draft.  We will certainly miss him!  Nancy McBride, don't you become a stranger!</div> <bR> <div> In Closing:</div> <bR> <div>  The event was a success.  The horses did well; they looked great and I think they represented our breed as  good looking working horses that can proudly stand side by side with their peers in the draft horse world. I think that it's important for us as an Association to get these horses out and about for people to see and enjoy.  Our first time @ a HPD's, working the horses in this manner was a great experience for the horses, me as a teamster and hopefully all our attending members and friends old and new that we saw throughout the three days. Happily, we have new members that are truly excited about the breed and are stepping up to the plate to do their part to help keep the American Cream Draft horse numbers growing not only in numbers, but in acceptance as the great American Bred horse they are.  We are proud to have been given the opportunity to show off our Creams.  </div> <bR> <div> Nancy & I would like to thank everyone who helped make our trip to Horse Progress Days 2011 a successful and memorable experience.  A special thank you to Doug & Nancy Garrand for their hours of help with horse care from start to finish. It will be seven years before this event returns to the Northeast.  I would love to see four or six or more Creams here next time.  I sincerely believe that they will be welcome.  For those who have participated with their Creams in the past and for those who will come tomorrow, we wish everyone only the best.  These American Creams are truly a genetic treasure.</div> <bR> <div> Dave Lively  </div> <bR> <div>          </div> <div>      </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>          </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>