First of all, the officers, directors, and members of the club thank everyone who participated in the events of 2007. Both events produced good times for all who attended!
On this first page, we introduce you to draft horses, we give a brief history of the club, and we tell you how to navigate our website.
Draft horses are larger and heavier than the horses seen in rodeos, race tracks, and riding stables. Although they are bigger, draft horses are usually docile, level-headed, and eager to please. Sometimes called work horses, draft horses have been bred to draw (or pull) very heavy loads. Fully grown, some draft horse breeds can weigh up to 3000 pounds. In the Middle Ages, draft horses carried warriors and their heavy armor into battle. Before cars and trucks were common, draft horses pulled wagons to carry goods between one place and another. Until there were tractors, many farmers used draft horses to plow their fields, to cut their hay, and to harvest their crops. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in draft horses --- for work, for pleasure, and for general interest.
Since 1988, the Endless Mountains Draft Horse Club has promoted the draft horse. Club membership extends from the Finger Lakes and the southern tier of New York into northern and middle Pennsylvania. The club is dedicated to working with and having fun around horses and horse people. Among the members, a number of draft horse breeds are represented: Belgian, Clydesdale, Percheron, Norwegian Fjord, etc. Whether or not you have horses, come to a club event, learn about draft horses, and relive yesteryear! If you don't have horses, you can still be a member. Just come to an event, meet some nice people, see some great horses, have a good time, and ask any member about joining.
Regarding club membership. Note that if you become a member of the Endless Mountains Draft Horse Club, and if you want to learn how to work and handle horses, an absolutely free benefit of membership is that you can learn from participating teamsters who have a total of over 500 years of wisdom and experience with draft horses. This means that you can have live, hands-on demonstrations of driving and handling skills, typically at club events, either with your horses or with those of other willing members. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask any teamster member.
In 2008, there will be two official club events, and everyone is welcome! Each event will be held in a different location. Please see the specific event for more details. Plow Days is held in early May, and Corn Days is held in late September. Use the navigation bar below to learn more details and to view pictures from past events.
Press either area on the navigation bar to select the page that you want to see.
For general information about events and membership, contact President Joe King (570-888-4229) or Secretary Alice Marks (607-898-5101) by phone. Alternatively, you can e-mail Alice at ammarks@verizon.net or Bob Gusciora at bobgusciora@earthlink.net (Note that if you e-mail, please be sure to have "HORSE CLUB" in the subject line.)
