Large Animal Emergency Rescue with Vicki Schmidt

Sunday February 22nd, 2025 at 7pm EST — Online on Zoom.

Vicki Schmidt is a firefighter for the Buckfield Fire Department (Maine) and is also a State Fire Instructor III with the Maine Fire Services Institute. She has owned and managed Troika Farms, a 100-acre draft horse farm in Western Maine, for 25 years. Combining her skills with horses and the fire service, she has instructed dozens of programs for Large Animal Emergency Rescue throughout the United States and Nova Scotia. Vicki can be contacted at: ShireFire11@gmail.com or by phone at: 207-890-4590

REGISTRATION: Email dapnetinfo@gmail.com by February 21st. Use subject line “February DAPChat” in your email.

Logging Story Time with Chad Miano and Guests (to be announced)

Sunday March 22nd, 2025 at 7pm EST — Online on Zoom.

REGISTRATION: Email dapnetinfo@gmail.com by March 21st. Use subject line “March DAPChat” in your email.

Story Time and Questions on Working with Horses ith Ted Russel and Green Mountain Draft Horse Association

Sunday April 19th, 2025 at 7pm EST — Online on Zoom.

REGISTRATION: Email dapnetinfo@gmail.com by April 18th. Use subject line “April DAPChat” in your email.

Building a Life with Draft Cattle with Lea Fales and Brian Alfonsi

Sunday May 3rd, 2025 7pm EST — Online on Zoom.

REGISTRATION: Email dapnetinfo@gmail.com by May 2nd. Use subject line “May DAPChat” in your email.

2025 DAPChats Recordings

Shoeing and General Hoof Care for Working Stock Date with Rich Dumond — Sunday January, 26th, 2025
DAPChat Recording on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/2KVZ6y2ht2U

Rich is a logger and farrier based out of Stillwater PA, in the northeast corner of the state. His wife Ariel and Rich also own/operate Stone Ridge Farm where she trains and boards horses, as well as provides both English and Western lessons.

2024 DAPChats

Ranching with Wes Lupher and Scott Moorehouse — Sunday, March 24th, 2024
DAPChat Recording on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/bQ76TvJxJL8

Come meet the RANCHERS Wes Lupher and Scott Moorehouse - Wes Lupher, a 5th generation rancher from Wyoming using American Brabant's - Scott Moorehouse, a 4th generation rancher from Missouri using a team of draft horses They are going to talk all things draft horses on ranches! From making hay to feeding cattle and adapting to diverse climates, this discussion promises to be enlightening and inspiring for ranchers and enthusiasts alike. Join us for an engaging conversation that explores the life of ranching! This DAPChat happened on March, 24th, 7:30PM to 9PM EST.

Carriage Driving in New York City with Christina Hansen — Sunday, February 25th, 2024
DAPChat Recording on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41iQ4jYmqPE
Christina grew up in Lexington, KY, "Horse Capital of the World," but she didn't learn to ride until she was in graduate school, studying French history at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. After receiving her MA (2004) and completing doctoral coursework, she decided she didn't want to be a history professor and moved to Philadelphia. She needed a job there and figured since there was plenty of history in Philadelphia, she'd be a tour guide. The big tour company in Philadelphia, which did the double decker buses, trolley tours, and walking tours, was owned by the carriage company, 76 Carriage Company, who had an ad, "Do you love horses? Do you love history? Have we got the job for you!" It turned out they did, and she finally figured out what she wanted to be when she grew up.

Christina has now been driving commercial carriages for 17 years - first in Philadelphia; now in New York City for the past 12 years. She has long served as a spokesperson and media liaison for the New York City carriage industry and is currently the Chief Shop Steward for TWU Local 100 - Central Park Horse Carriage Division. TWU Local 100 represents the carriage drivers and their horses against attacks by powerful NYC political interests, such as animal rights activists and real estate interests. Her professional memberships include the New York State Horse Council, New York Farm Bureau and the Carriage Operators of North America. She is also a licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide.

Christina lives in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, with her husband Peter in an apartment, and with approximately 200 carriage horse co-workers in 3 stables nearby. Her own four horses - King (25), Billy (21), Oreo (18), and Sherman (10) - divide their time between West Side Livery Stables on 38th St. and vacation farms upstate and in Pennsylvania.

Meet our Loggers using Horses and Oxen power! — Sunday, January 28th, 2024
DAPChat Recording on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK9rmULsT3s
Are you interested in hearing stories, advice or asking questions to experienced loggers? Here is your chance to come learn, listen and exchange with Tom Jenkins and John Plowden.

Tom is a graduate from Paul Smith’s College and worked in the Massachusetts timber industry for 20 years. He is a consulting forester at Blue Dog Forestry, and works with his team of oxen in the woods.

JOhn Plowden at the 2023 Draft animal Power Field Days

John Plowden has been working with draft animals for nearly 20 years and is a professional horse logger and a partner of Third Branch Horse Logging in Vermont. He also manufactures modern horse-logging equipment, including arches, sleds and forwarders.

2023 DAPChats

Keeping Our Emotions in Check — Sunday March 26th, 2023
DAPChat recording on our YouTube: https://youtu.be/Taq346ENugU?si=c0vMn_iHbfIXuVr6
A round table discussion with horse and ox teamsters sharing how our emotions can affect our success or mistakes when working with draft animals. We'll dive into how staying present is important and how in the end we and the animals really look for the harmony in our relationships. The second half will be open for Q&A and open discussion on this topic. To register please email dapnetinfo@gmail.com by deadline 3/22/23 with the subject "DAPChat" to receive your zoom link and phone-in information.

We hope you can join us." Resource Recommendations Below:

Small Farmers Journal
Rural Heritage
Draft Horse Primer
Farmer Boy (classic youth book), Laura Ingles Wilder
The Truth About Horses, Andrew McLean
Reaching the Animal Mind, Karen Pryor
Draft Horse Primer, Maurice Telleen
True Horsemanship Through Feel by Bill Dorrance with the help of Leslie Desmond, first two chapters
How to use Applied Behavior Science to train any type of Animal - Patricia Barlow
Having a Mentor to check in with and bounce ideas off of
Feel free to contact Ivy or Ted with any questions

Ivy Pagliari - hitchpointfarm@gmail.com.
Ted Russell - 1tedrussell@gmail.com

Land Access & Collaborative Partnerships — Sunday February 2nd, 2023
We'll be hearing about traditional and non-traditional land access options and we will have a lawyer go over some legal considerations with us. The second half will be foe Q&A, then we will hopefully all have an opportunity to share the opportunities that we have to offer (land for sale/lease, incubator, mentorship, etc), folks looking for land can share what they are looking for, and anyone wanting to find partner/s to collaborate with on shared land. This will be a great networking opportunity to get DAP minded folks connected. To register please email dapnetinfo@gmail.com by deadline 2/22/23 with the subject "DAPChat" to receive your zoom link and phone-in information. We hope you can join us."

Important links from this DAPChat.