Tuesday, April 29, 2008

37 Year Old Workin' Man

Elmer does it again!
Congratulations to owner Mary Anna Wood for keeping up with her 37 year old half-Arab in competitive trail riding. In his first ride of the year, Elmer traveled 55 miles over 2 days, averaging 5 mph, vetting out sound at the finish line and bringing his competitive miles total to 20,300.

Seminar - The Environmentally Friendly Horse

This seminar is not a TREES Production, but looks good. (They will talk some about elder care. What's not to like?)
What: The Environmentally Friendly Horse: Caring for your Land
When: MAY 15, 2008 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: King George Community Center on Rt. 3 in King George, Virginia
Who: Tri-County/City Soil & Water Conservation District in partnership with VA Cooperative Extension
Topics:
  • Kathleen Greiwe Crandell, PhD - Learn about conditioning, behavior & how the
    way you use your horse impacts his needs
  • Chris Teutsch - What kind of hay do I REALLY need? What’s the best way to
    manage pasture areas? Do I need a soil test?
  • Dr. Dennis Blodgett - Toxic Plants & your horse
  • Dr. Shea Porr - Alternative Forage Species & Extending your Hay supply
  • Dr. Brian Petruskie, DVM - Issues that are occurring locally among backyard horse owners
    Also, nutrition & care for your elderly equines

"You'll learn about hay quality and alternatives, horse health and research, pasture and barnyard management, composting, and more! Registration is required, and there is a small fee to cover food and materials. You'll also be eligible for door prizes from our sponsors. A hearty lunch will be provided. Register NOW to assure your place! For more information, call (540) 899-9492 x117. "Registration: http://tccswcd.vaswcd.org/upcoming.htm

See you there?

Monday, April 28, 2008

Many thanks!

We have many "thanks you's" in order.

Two weeks ago, Marcia and Kimber stopped by to help for a while. Kimber chose Traveller's Rest to fulfill her service requirement for her confirmation. Both worked hard at helping Emma shed her winter coat. (I think that will take several more sessions!)

Last weekend, Janet Dobbs (Animal Paradise Communication and Healing) held a Reiki workshop here, donating a very generous portion of the student fees to TREES. It was a miserable day, weather-wise, on Sunday, but the workshop was very enlightening in spite of the rain. Thank you, too, to the students who made the workshop a success.

This past Saturday, we were visited by Michele and Kelsey, who worked steadily for four hours, doing a lot of scrubbing and "poop-scooping," and grooming Betty, who thoroughly enjoyed the attention. Kelsey chose Traveller's Rest to fulfill her community service hours for school and will be back to complete another four hours (soon, we hope!)

Sunday, Gene and Carol, two of our most dedicated volunteers, finished the paddock clean-up, helped hang fans in the largest shed, scrubbed water tanks, cleaned up Sonny's feed-smeared walls, raked a couple of paddocks and scrubbed feed dishes. I probably missed a few things. It seemed like both were in constant motion.

Sunday afternoon, Girl Scout troop 3502 arrived to help the horses shed their winter coats. It seems that many elders grow heavier coats than they did in their younger days and spring is always difficult in terms of keeping up with the shedding. The girls worked hard and groomed Emma, Sonny, Rienzi, Belle, Betty and Freddy. We're not done with the hair yet, though. We can count on several more weeks of watching the fur fly.

So, we offer one tremendous THANK YOU to those who come out in sun or clouds, or sometimes in cold rain, to help the elders enjoy their golden years in a safe, clean enviroment. You are all awesome. (Please bring friends during future visits. We'll put them to work too!)