Winter Caroling 2009

Thank you to Tricia and Donald for providing the draft team and wagon. Caroling on Sunday the 13th was loads of fun for all in attendance, the weather was better this year then last.

Interesting Facts

Farming is NOT a Crime!
College of Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Horse manure has been considered a
Valuable resource rather than a “waste”.
Fertilizer value of the 8 1/2 tons of manure
Produced annually by a 1000-pound horse is
About 102 pounds of nitrogen, 43 pounds of
P2O5 (phosphorus pent oxide [phosphate] =
43.7% P) and 77 pounds of K2O (potash =
83% K). The nutrient content of horse manure
Can also be represented as 12 lb/ton of N, 5 lb/
Ton of P2O5, and 9 lb/ton of K2O (nutrient
Values for any manure vary widely so these
Are only guidelines). Traditionally, nitratenitrogen
is the component that presents the
most pollution potential due to its ability to
move freely in the soil. Most of manure’s
nitrogen is contained in the urine.

Next Meeting November 28th

November Meeting
ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR OFFICEPLEASE JOIN US IN NOVEMBERTHE NOMINATING COMMITTEE Meeting**ALL OFFICES ARE OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS**
The meeting for November will be held on the 28th at 7pm. We will be holding Italian Pot Luck please bring a covered dish with an Italian flare
And then Nominations for 2010 election
NO DECEMBER MEETING Have A Happy Holiday

Hunting Season VS Trail Riding

With the hunting season traffic at the club has picked up significantly, especially on the Saturday and early mornings.
If you plan to ride horse back during hunting season use caution.
Fall is wonderful time of year to ride with the cooler air that our drafts so love, rich colors in the trees, just being outside enjoying nature with your equine friend, and holding of thoughts of winter in Maine.
Bright Colors
Remember this is most important at dawn/dusk. Don’t forget to outfit your horse in bright colored gear and your dogs as well. Nickel, Mini has a blaze orange vest we purchased here in Maine.
Your horse needs to be visible as well and not be mistaken for a deer or elk. Outfit your horse in a bright colored halter under your bridle, and use bright colored saddle bags. Tie bright colored ribbon in his mane and tail.
Location
Contact the Maine Division of Wildlife and find out the dates of the different types of hunting seasons, and the locations where the hunting is to take place. Try to ride in areas that are less concentrated with hunters. Call a friend or family member and make them aware of your plan .If possible try riding out in the open, where visibility is high, or in groups. If you do break for lunch or to use the out house make sure you secure your horse to the trailer or in a very visible spot.
Sunday's
Sundays are your best bet as their is no hunting on Sunday, in Maine.

Octoberfest

Oktoberfest was today. The weather was OK, but not great .The rain held out until 2pm, however it was cold. The teams were beautiful. Dick and Sonny plowed the field , while Donald and Tricia and Liz and George did hay rides. The 4H club brought animals, to the new barn.

4 H Barn

Leo has been working to recycle a barn he picked up on rte 111. When completed it will be a 4 H barn. This should be a welcomed addition to Octoberfest . The 4H members and their animals will find show and shelter away from the Draft Barn.

More Poto's from Wild Root Farm

Plow

Lending a hand

Some of the core values of the Abenaki Draft Horse Club are:

To promote interest in horses , build knowledge of the care and to support event using draft horses and their families. A number of the members displayed these values on Saturday when they worked plowing Wildroot Farm.

Spring Shots

Today a couple of the members got together and shared a barn call, to complete spring shots.

Maple Sunday

Next week / Sunday is the official Maine "Maple Syrup Sunday"look on www.getrealmaine.com. This is when folks share their maple syrup harvest. Today the Abenaki Club had their version. Leo made the syrup and Charlene made the crepes. It took a lot of folks pitching in but it was a success. The final count is not yet in but an estimate 2050 was made. This will help with taxes etc. The kids from the 4h helped to park cars and no one got stuck in the mud.

One Week Away

Next Sunday March 15th is the Maple Sunday Breakfast at The Club House on Duke Lane.

Crepes , bacon , sausage , home fries, juice/coffee 6.00 adults 4$ children under 3 FREE

Sliegh rides 5.00 (if snow permits/ or wagon rides)

More Pictures

I was thinking in my spare time, between now and Saturday I will try to put together a slide show of club photo's for Saturday. Stay tuned if I pull it off we will have a showing.

Reminder

Meeting

Saturday 28th 7pm

Duke Lane Club House

More Pictures from Sunday

And if you missed it do not miss Maple Syrup Sunday

The Abenaki Draft Horse Association

Invites you to join us for The Annual Maple Sunday Breakfast

Fun for the entire family
Sunday
Abenaki Club March 15th
8am – 11:45
Bacon –Sausage- Home Fries- Crepes with Hot Local Maple Syrup- Coffee- OJ- Hot Chocolate
Donation:
$6.00 Adults $4.00 children 3-13 under 3 Free

Winterfest

Today was "winterfest" . We had a nice balance of snow and sun. Everyone had a real good time. The club house was a nice place to take the chill off with baked goods and soups. More photo's later stay tuned.

Practice Run

Today Dan and king did some fine tuning on the trails. See more at Hoovesandhounds.blogspot.com