Anybody going to the Irish Draft Pony Conference in Flat River this year?

I read that they will have the largest vendor fair ever!  Lots of trailers to see. Sure that Blue Moon will be there again with their 2007 models. I've heard that there will be an organizational meeting of short bed trailer pullers . . . setting up a volume purchase club to buy  rear windows for their trucks.

As usual there will be conferences and training sessions on a variety of equine topics.  The one that seems to be getting the most attention this year on on "Global Worming"  Global worming is scary stuff and we all need to stay informed!  Also supposed to be clinics with that guy that communicates with his horses via iPods.

If anyone else is going, let me know maybe we could get together for a cold one and swap trailer stories.

Roll on

Jean,

You are on it!  That new butt-bar prototype will be unveiled at the conference. That will be one big deal . . . I think all the network news and cable news people will be there to cover that one.  It ought to settle the butt-bar debate once and for all. 

I heard last night that there will be a definitive presentation on wood vs synthetic floors . . . some guys from Bogue Chitto A&M did the research.  I believe they are the same ones that did the ground breaking research on which blinker fluid lasted longest when used in horse trailer tail lights.

Anybody else going to the conference this year?

Roll on

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=85

Had to special order a Blue Moon for him, he don't fit into those regular trailers too well. BIG GRIN

Edited by halfpint23 2007-03-02 3:05 PM

Flat River is a pretty good pull from here.  Are they going to have Dressage demonstrations?  That could be the lure to get us on the road. 

As to Global Worming, is Blue Moon going to try the wormwood interior again?  Or stay with the distressed pecan?

And what about that new rubberwood flooring?

Anyway, here is our new Denmark Draft Saddle Pony.

Have started using bubble wrap on the rear windshield of the truck, so far so good.  Happy Trails. 

1/2 and Rose,

It sure sounds like folks on this board are ready for Flat River this year! Great to see those horse pics posted . . .  Fine animals indeed.

We're using all our spare time getting ready for the pull up to Flat River: bearings packed, aluminum acid washed, horses scrubbed down . . . you name it we're doing it to get ready. 

We are thinking of doing some extra maintenance prior to the trip . . . Wifey and I have been reading recent posts on this board and both of us are considering getting a 3 inch lift prior to the trip.  Has anyone done that?  Have a doctor you can recommend?  We are both in our 50's and think it might be time.

Roll on

PS - Tried the bubble wrap . . . horses kept reaching out through the windows and popping it.  Drove me crazy to hear that popping over and over and over . . .

Rollin, glad to see you coming around again.  Are you going to be able to keep us posted as you make the trip to Flat River?  Can't wait to hear how it goes. 

What are you pulling the Blue Moon with these days?

Rose,

Sorry I didn't answer your question about the Dressage demonstations earlier.  Yeah, I think those are on the schedule for The Conference; not sure which days but I think Wifey will be riding in them.  The Conference managers are also planning a demonstration where the attendees can watch paint dry and watch corn grow.  I think the crowd will be equally "wowed" by all three exhibitions.

Roll on

Arroyosecco,

Thanks for the "welcome back."  I have been away for a while . . . things have sure changed on this board but it's good to know that there are always some things we can depend on . .  . euro-trailers still stir 'em up!

To your questions - Yep.  I am hoping to post along the way got a cell card for the PC and ought to be able to post from most of the populated spots along the way.  Don't yet know what we'll be pulling with.  Here are my 1/2 ton options so far:  Dodge truck made in Mexico, Chevy/GMC truck made in Canada, Ford truck made who knows where (if they stay in business) or a Toyota made in the USofA.  Go figure that!!!   If I go up to the 3/4 or 1 ton diesels I think I will have to decide between the D-Max and the Cummins.  I do know that I will be considering that EXTRA-long bed or the new flexible rear window option since I'll be pulling a GN most of the time.  Have you seen the new 4 inch thick rubber bed rails they have put on the Dodges for 2007?  Perfect for pulling a goose neck trailer. No more banged up bed rails from the ultra high stance of the truck.  Yahoo!

If you have any suggestions on the truck let me know. 

Roll on 

Rollin,

When is your drive-off date for the trip to Flat River?  I have a cousin that is heading there too. He is looking for someone to caravan with and wondered if he could tag along with you.  He has a really special 3 year old Irish Draft Pony . . . pulls a Euro Horse Box with a '74 AMC Pacer.  What a rig!!!!

Arroyo,

Your cousin is welcome to roll along with us . . . glad to have him and his pony.

I can't wait to see his Pacer.  What a TV (that's Tow Vehicle, for the rookies) they make!  I remember using one back in the 80's . . . welded a hitch ball in the center of the roof and pulled our first gooseneck with it.  Man, was that thing manuverable.  I could spin that gooseneck around any way I wanted. 

The Pacer was pretty good by '74 but the earlier models had problems:  There was a recall on the fulcrum nodes because they expanded when accelerating too quickly. (That didn't happen too often with the Pacer)  Installing the brake controller was tough too.  It usually required a licensed electrician and a certified mechanic to get it right because of the arrangement of the waxenburg beacon and lateral thermistors.  It really could roach the horses manes if you got it wrong! 

We still have the Pacer parked out in the pasture next to the yellow refrigerator and the washing machines; now its just a pile of rust and a bubble of glass but the Rumber floorboards still look pretty good after all these years.  Somebody ought to consider using that Rumbar stuff in a horse trailer!

Enough Remeniscing remenescing  reaminscin  reliving the past.  Tell your cousin to PM me and I’ll get him all the details for the trip.

Roll on

Love the image of that rusting pacer, and all that other crap in the yard....  must look kinda funky next to your BLUE MOON trailer.  Maybe you could wrap it in bubble wrap and save it for posterity?

sure hope you can dig up a photo of the pacer pulling the GN...  guess you didn't break any windows turning like so many others have. 

Dunoir,

I'll post a picture soon.  Can't do it right now cause the camcorder is mounted in the BlueMoon trailer to keep an eye on the horses when we trailer out to Flat River.  In the meantime I'll look around to see if there are any Instamatic pics of the Pacer and gooseneck all hooked up.  It was an engineering marvel and way ahead of its time:  it predated all of the gooseneck extenders that are in use today by shifting thousands and thousands of pounds to a point infront of the rear axle by merely welding a hunk of steel on to the center of the roof.  It still stands as a monument to trailer towing engineering.

Hey, while you're reading this maybe you can answer a question for me:  I was checking the rig out yesterday making sure that everything is ready for the long tow to Flat River.  After I unhooked the trailer I noticed that my Tokonsha brake box didn't have the normal two lighted dots that it usually has when the trailer is unconnected.  Instead of the two dots its all lit up like a little LED panel and is showing re-runs of "My Friend Flicka"  .  .  .  any idea what is wrong?

Roll on

Vaquer-r-r-r-r-o,

Glad you asked about Flat River.  Its at least 16 hours; doesn't really matter which direction you are coming from.  Of course it could take longer  . . . all depends on how steep the pass is that day, the condition of your wiring and of course, whether your hitch weight is on top of your axle or in front of your axle (if it is behind your axle, just forget it!)  If you're over-trucked and under-trailered it could take longer but nobody is over-trucked and under-trailered. 

And about the rodeo: Let me tell you about the rodeo. Its the biggest thing since rodeos started down in Pecos (that will stir some folks up!)  Of course there are some "special" events for the Irish Draft Ponies but they have all the normal stuff to . . . including peanuts and cold drafts (beers, not horses)

If you like a nice road trip and some fun with horse people you'll love a trip to the Conference in Flat River.  There are going to be some really cool sessions.  I think I told you about the one on "Global Worming" but they are going to have other really relevant ones too: "Electrical Wiring: the positives and negatives", "Feeding while towing:why your horse needs a Diet Coke and Cheetos too" and one that will draw a big crowd, "Say goodbye to shavings, sawdust and straw: how Walmart and the Chinese are out to change our lives"

Hope to see you there!

Roll on

My horse prefers french fries (must have ketchup)  to cheetos....

The last time I went to Flat River I made it in exactly 15 hours 53 minutes and 47 second. Of course I had to go to the court house to start. And that added 16 minutes and 12 seconds.

Was I overtrucked and under trailered?

Rig was '53 Mack pulling 1-horse special built for my neighbor's Mini