Halloween Drive 2022

When leaves are falling and pumpkins thrive
We put on offbeat costumes — and drive!

On a delightful October afternoon our club gathered once again to celebrate Halloween with a drive. This year it was a continuous drive, followed by driving games at the Julia Bird reservation in Ipswich. Nine costumed entrants (along with their ghostly horses and spooky grooms) trotted menacingly through woods and fields, deftly negotiating hazards and collecting small pumpkins on the way.

As they reached the end of the continuous drive, they next found themselves facing the second peril: the Cones of Torment. Thankfully, few fell victim to these. Lastly, they were offered the option to improve their scores by accurately dropping those small pumpkins into buckets.

The costumes ranged widely: bees, sunflowers, ER staff, hula girls, Day of the Dead, Opposites, Katniss Catching Fire, and even a witch with her familiar.

At the end of the day, final standings were:

Many thanks for the monstrous efforts of Holly and Nat Pulsifer, Sue Knowles, Eric and Linda Wilking, Judy Gregg, Ellen and Veronica Attridge, Joe Dailey, John Cabot, and a cast of thousands of screaming extras.

OR Team Pam Stone and Kaleigh Hills driving Blue
Bees Rachel Nydam and Karleen Mohn driving Sunflower Lacey
Deirdre Quirk and Ella Smith driving Flash
Lowell Murray driving Ballmarker and daughter Samantha riding George…as ringers for each other
Dot Rourke and Skeleton Veronica Attridge driving Turbo
Hula dancers Kate Cabot and Shelly Nelson driving Ditto

Second Chance HDT

On a beautiful September day, a number of club members competed at the “Second Chance” horse driving trial held at Julia Bird Reservation, Waldingfield Estate and Appleton Farms in Essex County, MA.

Myopia Driving Club Picnic Drive

Is it ever too cold to drive?

Well, maybe… But not on Sunday, November 7 at Bradley Palmer State Park! Clouds and 40-ish temperatures were no match for the zeal of Myopia Driving Club members who came out for the Final Picnic Drive of the 2010 Season. Six intrepid drivers brought out their equines to enjoy the trails of Bradley Palmer, each other’s company and… The Picnic! (We all know that food is a central focus of any MDC Activity… more on that later.)

Someone drove her truck and trailer into the known muddy spot in the parking area, forgetting that her new truck didn’t have 4-wheel drive! After Marc Johnson heroically towed the rig out of the mud, we hitched and drove the always-lovely and interesting trails of Bradley Palmer. Marc rode with Pam Biggi and Finn the Wonder Pony; Nan MacGown drove her Friesian Syb with Fred Sullivan on the back step; Kat Tremblay and Metallica treated Judi Milano to a ride; and Dierdre Pirie rallied to drive Rupert, ably assisted by Alice Burnham. (Nothing can stop that woman when she is determined!) Nancy Kiley and Robyn Royer brought their “Little Frenz” in their special MINI-Vans. We were thrilled to be able to include the Minis due to the Park Staff bending over backwards to make it possible for them to avoid the rockiest parts of the trail. The Park Staff at Bradley Palmer have always done their best to accommodate our every need. Kudos and many thanks to them.

Back at the parking area, Margot Clark joined us to share the camaraderie, picnic and to take pictures of the Happy Adventurers. Highlights of this day’s offerings were a Shrimp Cocktail, a lovely bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, and a Birthday Cake… not telling whose birthday it was though…. <insert evil laugh here>

Minis at Myopia

Myopia Driving Club has been actively trying to encourage the owners of miniature horses, also known as VSEs (very small equines), into the driving community and joining in the excitement of combined driving trials. Happily, the minis have become a success in proving that even the “little horses” have big hearts and give it their all when doing three phase events. Yes, we may need a smaller ring and a shorter marathon, but just watch out for us in the cones! Those little minis think the cones courses are made just for them and really enjoy the competition.

The minis bring a “curiosity” factor with them. People are attracted to the little ones, which are much less intimidating than a big horse. When the minis are on the move, people are snapping pictures and asking all sorts of questions.

There are many perks to owning a mini. They eat much less, basically a flake of hay a day and small amounts of grain. Blankets and equipment are much cheaper. They do not wear shoes, so farrier costs are much less. You don’t need big rigs to transport them and for the price of one Freedman harness, you can outfit 10 minis for driving. I think the best thing about owning a mini is that I can do it all by myself. I don’t need a header or someone to help me load all of my gear and horses. This is the perfect driving horse for people who are getting a little older and don’t have the manpower anymore to load the cart, load the horse and drive the rig. Another plus is that the cart is closer to the ground, so if you happen to fall out of your cart, it’s a very short distance.

Minis also seem to “get it” quicker than a big horse. You can teach a mini something in say, three attempts, where a big horse will take six attempts. They have a greater intelligence (my opinion) and for the most part are very kind. This is proven out by how wonderful they are at therapy work, going into buildings, riding in elevators and generally just being a lot of fun. You can walk them like you do your dog, of course, the looks you get and the traffic you stop is always a hoot. They are also really good at raising money for charitable events. Have I said enough about the perks of owning a mini….if not I can go on. For instance, we can go under gates that big horses have to find a way around… not that I am advocating trespassing, just giving a little more insight to mini ownership. The minis have become great ambassadors for the horse industry with the general population but especially the elderly and children.

So with all that said, you might just want to try driving a mini before settling on your next driving horse, you might just be pleasantly surprised.

Nancy LeBaron-Kiley

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Nancy LeBaron-Kiley and Maggie the mini…

2010 Annual Meeting

Maureen Aulson was our gracious hostess for the annual meeting of the Myopia Driving Club. Alan was not present, as his company is in Washington, DC painting the Capitol (no mean feat!).

The meeting was well attended by both old and new members. Alice Burnham was welcomed and “pinned” as a new Regular member. Several Provisional members attended Sue Fryer, Valerie Giacalone, Suzanne Mooney, Robyn Royer, Linda and Eric Wilking.

David Smith chaired the meeting in Alan’s absence. He explained the selection process for the new slate of officers. The slate was presented to the membership for a vote. The slate, as presented, was:

President: Margot Clark
VP of Communications: Kate Prestero
VP of Public Relations and Hospitality: Nancy LeBaron-Kiley
VP of Activities: Susan Koso
Secretary: Amy Barton Treasurer: Fred Sullivan
Members-at Large: Kat Tremblay and Pam Biggi.

The new slate of officers was unanimously approved by the members and will officially take office in the new year.

Marc Johnson reported on the past years’ club activities. A discussion regarding member participation ensued. It was decided that earlier notification might improve participation. Marc addressed the difficulties of coordinating activities within the Northeast Region.

When the club’s yearly activities for 2011 are proposed, Susan Koso, in her new role as VP of Activities, will be coordinating with the Regional Director. Our club activity calendar will be available and emailed in early winter for our club members. There was a discussion centered around the use of the Myopia Schooling Field and Polo Arena. The members of the Ex-Comm have high hopes of being able to secure usage on a regular basis for club events such as clinics, informal ADT, lessons, etc. Susan asked for activity ideas from the members. The idea was greeted warmly and several suggestions were made. These included another navigator’s clinic, a clinic on pleasure showing, and a hands-on long-lining clinic.

Updating the MDC website was discussed. Since the meeting, Margot and Kate have gotten together for a conversation regarding this. Kate had already updated the calendar, re-activated the email links to the president and the secretary, and updated the site links. The VP of Communications maintains the website, but is not responsible for generating its content. THEREFORE, we are requesting articles and photos from our general membership. This is your website and we need your contribution. Any and all ideas, volunteers, input are welcome. Please contact Margot.

After the club business, members enjoyed a delicious pot-luck supper. While dining we had the good fortune to watch the professional DVD of the WEG Driving competition. Maureen shared some of the more memorable “insider” WEG moments. It was noted that the old mailing address of the club has been revived. This will hopefully facilitate improved communications.

MYOPIA DRIVING CLUB PO BOX 55 HAMILTON, MA 01982

Please send your $30 membership fee to the above address or save a stamp and bring it with you to our annual Christmas Party. We would appreciate this being submitted in a timely fashion as it helps with our bookkeeping. Thank you!

Spring Cleaning Your Rig

As we look forward to a new driving season, here are some carriage maintenance tips. Let’s start at the front with the harness.

I’m not going to get into leather care. I think there are others who can do a better job on this subject. I would like to address the metal bits. If brass, they have to be cleaned and polished regularly. Even stainless ones need some work if they are to look really good. I have found two products that have worked very well for me. I’m sure there are many others on the market as well.

The first is BRASSO. Anyone who had any contact with the military before they went to black buckles and insignia will know of this one. It will polish up the most green and dirty brass and make it shine brilliantly. It does take some work, though. Available at hardware stores.

Another that works very well is SIMICHROME. It is a German product that is available at motorcycle shops. I have used a lot of it on my bikes and have been very satisfied. Bike shops are interesting to visit. You may meet your doctor or lawyer there!

Both of the above are applied with a rag (old t-shirts work well) so some effort and patience are needed, but the results are worth it.

For those with less time or patience, or who are just plain lazy, the process can be motorized. A Dremel tool with a felt mop can be used to good effect. You will need some polishing compound for the mop. The ones to get are Tripoli and White Rouge. Start with the Tripoli and then go to the White Rouge, if you want it even brighter. You may well be satisfied with the Tripoli. If you are a real fanatic, there is also the even finer Jeweler’s Rouge for the ultimate shine, but I don’t think this is practical or desirable on working harness. However, a few notes on safety.

Firstly, a Dremel tool turns at an incredible rpm. The little tools are obviously turning at the same speed. They can fly apart, especially if mishandled. The possibility of serious eye injury is real. The solution is to wear goggles or a face shield. I have used these tools for years with no trouble, but why take a chance?

Once you have used one of these, you will find they are handy for all sorts of things. There are an almost unbelievable variety of attachments available. Dremel tools can be purchased at hardware stores and the like. The buffing compounds mentioned above are more of a problem. Try automotive specialist stores that cater to the DIY set such as hot rodders, the tuner car people, or auto body supply places. Don’t be afraid to go in. They’re cool! You’ll meet some interesting people! If you can’t locate some, check out www.eastwoodco.com. This is a good company with good products. I have found them to be good people to deal with.

Another safety problem is the dust, filled with abrasive, that comes off the mop. Granted, you won’t be doing much and the mops are small, but why expose yourself at all? Simply wear a face mask that can be purchased at any hardware store. Read the label to get the right one, as there are many types. You want one that protects from fine dust. In the old days in motorcycle factories where they had chrome plating facilities, the buffers, who usually didn’t wear proper safety equipment, would often come down with an affliction called “plater’s cough” which in time could be fatal. When they died, it was said they “fell off the wire.”