Orinda
Horsemen’s Association
Board Minutes November 14, 2000   

Mark
Your Calendar:

?
December 15-Membership dues are due–$225 per horse
? Saturday, December 16 tentative date for move to lower pasture.  Use
wormers in lower pasture saddling area
? Jan 2-Membership dues are late-a $10 fee per horse per month late now
applies
? Tuesday, January 9- Board meeting at Bubb’s house-starts at 6:30 p.m.
? Jan 13-tentative date for move to upper pasture

The Board of the Orinda Horsemen’s Association met on November 14, 2000 at
the home of Richard Brown. Present were Board members Richard Brown, Beverly
James, Bubs Schaaf, Shirley Delsart and Morris Older. Anna Johnson was unable
to attend.  The agenda prepared by Richard Brown and the minutes of the
previous meeting, with one correction—the meeting date was October 17 not
September 17– were both approved.
Shirley gave a brief treasurer’s report, clarifying some issues from our
budget discussion in October.  She has sent members bills for
unfulfilled work hours totaling $1,900 for the last two years.  As of
the meeting $700 of these fees had been paid.  We agreed to finalize the
budget for this current year at the next meeting, but as it seems that our
projected income and expenses will match closely, we agreed to hold the
December dues at $225 per horse.
Next we discussed relations with EBMUD.  Because the
replacement of the water line in the lower pasture was accomplished at the
lower range of the allowed budget, we have $1,400 remaining in allocated capital improvements funds for the
current year.  We agreed to propose spending this money on the
replacement of the water line from the spring box in the upper pasture, down
through the trees above the saddling area, to the point where it disappears underground
on the way to the lower pasture.  We have received a bid on this work
for $1,735, and would pay the excess from our own funds.  In addition we
agreed that Bev, our EBMUD liaison, Richard, and any other interested Board
members would meet with Virginia in early December to discuss our grazing
schedule, capital improvements, cross fencing of the upper and lower
pastures, and expansion of  the pasture to include sections of the
Sullivan Ranch property. We agreed that, as the lower section (below El
Toyonal) of the Sullivan Ranch requires extensive work to be make it safe for
grazing, we would propose to EBMUD that we only add the upper section to our
lease this year.
We discussed filling the empty horse space which the
previous board had decided not to fill in May.  We had delayed decision
on this issue until we could see how many of our allotted 398 Animal Unit
Months, a measure of how many horses have been on the pasture, were used this
last grazing year, concluded on September 30.  It turns out that we used
368, after using 356 the previous year and exceeding our allotment by using
418 AUMs in 1997-8.  Opposing viewpoints were argued: that the numbers
show that the pasture can easily support one more horse, and that the numbers
show that even with a number of unfilled spaces we are nearly reaching our
limit.  We agreed to look further back into the past to see if the
numbers of AUMs used in past years can help us predict what to expect in the
future.
The Board appointed Richard and Morris to propose by-laws revisions to bring our
by-laws into accordance with our rules and regulations.  These changes
will be proposed for approval by the general membership at the next general
membership meeting.
There apparently has been no negative reaction to the
abolition of horsey hotel fees at
the last board meeting. All members are asked to pay their outstanding bills
accumulated before the abolition of these fees as of  October 18th,
regardless of whether you had recorded your usage.  Please send your
check directly to Shirley.
We next discussed the protocol for moving horses to the lower pasture in December and
back in January. The first move will be to the lower pasture on Saturday,
December 16th.   Wormers for your horse will be in the lower pasture
saddling area. Please do not move your horse before 10 a.m.  At 11 a.m.,
any overly excited or wild horses in the upper pasture who appear to pose a
danger to themselves or to anyone else by their behavior will be moved to the
lower pasture.  Calm horses that have not yet been moved will remain in
the upper pasture until their owners arrive.  Whiteboards will be placed
in the upper and lower pasture saddling areas listing any horses that are
moved by volunteers.
We briefly discussed ideas relating to cross-fencing the upper pasture to
encourage the growth of grass and the demise of weeds. Possibilities include
a fence from the north corral to the upper limits of the pasture near the
water tanks, which would allow for a water trough near those tanks.  A
fence could go up further towards the Sullivan Ranch property if a water
trough can be supplied there. And a section towards the forest might rely on
the forest pond for water, although doubts were expressed concerning the
ecological impact on that pond.  It was agreed that these ideas would be
discussed with EBMUD.  Additional control of weeds may possibly be
accomplished by EBMUD, which may be willing to mow thistle, mustard and
teasel.
With little discussion an addition to our rules and
regulations concerning the lower
pasture corral was approved.  Last winter this corral
was used during winter rains for the first time and the result was major
rutting and deep footprints.  The board decided unanimously to restrict
usage of this corral in the winter, subject to the same conditions applied to
winter arena usage: “The lower
pasture corral is not to be used when wet.  ‘Wet’ is defined as when the
ground is moist enough for horses to leave a ¼ inch deep hoof print.”
    Our
next discussion concerned the compost
bin, largely completed at the time of our meeting.  We
still need to divide it into three sections.  Once we start using it,
Bronwyn and Bubbs agreed to be responsible for aerating and turning the pile
for the first time period.  Their experience will help to establish
future guidelines for the most efficient use of the bin.
By the time you receive these minutes, new forms for
nominating your friends for riding
partner memberships should be available in the shed.
Our by-laws give the power to fill any vacated board position to the
board.  We agreed to add to Section 1A of our rules and regulations the
following sentence:  “The Board will fill any vacated board positions
after notifying all members of any such vacancy.”
Horse News:
Our count of horses currently at OHA is down to 29, but will soon increase
again to 30.  From our usual total of 38 subtract four unfilled spaces
(one that the board will reconsider filling, and three vacant spaces held by
Elise, Morris and Linda Furtado), Frank (at Moraga Horsemen’s), Leo, Scotty
and Freckles (gone for the winter),  and TJ (coming back
soon).   Loree Cole’s  horse, Beau arrived on December 3rd and
is available for your viewing pleasure in the North corral until December
16th.
The Board scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday, January 9th at 6:30 p.m. at
Bubbs house. Members should feel free to attend any board meeting-we welcome
your input.  The proposed agenda includes:

?
Adoption of the budget for the  2000-2001 grazing year
? Possibly filling the horse space abolished by the previous board
? Consideration of Loree and Kim for full proprietary membership
? Timetable and protocol for moving the herd back to the upper pasture
? new class of membership for people without horses on pasture

November
14, 2000 minutes respectfully submitted by Morris Older, Secretary

OHA
Work Projects List 12/11/2000:

? Move
cut brush to road side of fence so EBMUD can chip it.
? Cut and remove brush remaining around barns and structures and in lower
pasture corral
? Place builder’s hardware screen  and canvas over  barn vents
(call Richard)
? Facilitate drainage in old stalls
? Cut drainage ditch from N corral to El Toyonal
? Replace railroad ties separating covered and uncovered areas in the
pavilion corrals
? Check lower pasture fences and remove trash along fence line before move to
l.p.
? Cut drainage ditch from N corral to El Toyonal
? Weed control-yellow star thistle and others-call Alice Brown
? Build enclosures around pipes at lower pasture trough and at and near lower
pasture corral
? Haul manure in trailer off-site for last time??—call Anna Johnson  for
details
? Set up hose stand adjacent to old corner stall in saddling area
? Move hose faucet on El Toyonal to below the gate to avoid puddling by gate
? Insulate water pipes above ground
? Repair trail from upper pasture saddling area to facilitate winter
run-off—call Morris for details
? Fill ditch near repaired water pipes between pavilion small corrals and
tie-posts

Orinda
Horsemen’s Association
Board Minutes October 17,
2000   

Mark Your
Calendar:

 Tuesday, November 14-OHA Board¨
Meeting-6:30 p.m. at Richard’s house
December 15-Membership dues are
due-$225 per horse¨
December 16-tentative date for move to
lower pasture¨
Jan 2-Membership Dues are late-a $10
fee per horse per month late now¨ applies
Jan 13-tentative date for move to
upper pasture¨

The Board of the Orinda Horsemen’s Association met on September 17, 2000 at
the home of Katherine Schaaf. Present were Board members Richard Brown,
Beverly James, Bubs Schaaf, Shirley Delsart and Morris Older. Anna Johnson
and Bronwyn Swan were unable to attend.  The agenda prepared by Richard
Brown and the minutes of the previous meeting, with one correction—the
meeting date was September 12, not August 2– were both approved.  The
unusual personal note about Flame in those minutes was approved as
appropriate, and it was decided that members are encouraged, when
circumstances require, to request that any similar note about their horses be
put in the minutes.
Shirley gave a brief  treasurer’s report, along with preliminary budget
projections for the coming year.  We discussed these at some length, and
hopefully be able to approve a  revised budget at out November meeting.
Our major discussion of the evening concerned horsey hotel fees.  Prior to
the meeting there had been proposals both to  abolish and to
increase  these fees.  Various board members argued that the fees
were an extra burden to those who, in most cases were keeping their horses in
stalls due to medical or dietary issues beyond their controls. These members
are already burdened by having to come up to the pastures to feed, medicate
and clean up after their horses once or twice a day, and in some cases by
veterinary bills as well. While the stated purpose of the fee was to
compensate the association for the extra cost (mostly work hours) of trucking
manure off-site, the fee was also applied to those who used the lower pasture
corral despite the fact that the manure produced there has never been trucked
off-site.  And now we have a new composting facility which will reduce
greatly the time required to deal with the manure.  In support of the
fees it was pointed out that they were also meant to discourage stall use, a
priority mandated by EBMUD, and that abolishing the fees would mean that that
income, about $20/horse/year, would somehow have to be replaced in our budget
for next year.  Bubs, who has been keeping track of the pasture census
for the last two years, reported, however, that if anything stall use has
increased, not decreased, since the fees were instituted.  As a strategy
to discourage stall use, the fees have not been effective.  In light of
these factors, the board voted 4-1, with Beverly James dissenting, to abolish
the fees for horsey hotel starting on October 18th.
Next we discussed riding
partner memberships.  The rule passed last year gave the
Board the “authority to approve, deny or revoke riding partner
memberships.”  In practice, OHA members have declared other persons
riding partner members simply by requesting it, filling out liability forms
and paying the fee, all of which are necessary steps outlined in the rules,
without ascertaining that the secretary has received these forms or giving
the board a chance to approve these members.   While the intent of
the last  and also the current Board is to keep the process simple, not
all fees and releases have been received for all riding partners.  The
Board decided that forms will be available in the shed for riding partners,
and that riding partner members will not be allowed on the pasture until the
secretary is able to acknowledge that all appropriate paperwork has been
completed.  We also decided that the words “approve, deny or” will be
stricken from the rule quoted above.  Please note that until I am able
to make up a riding partner application, a letter from the proprietary member
proposing a candidate, which includes all of the information listed in D2(b)
on page 12 of our rules, will be considered to be a sufficient application.
We briefly discussed the lower pasture, noting the impending delivery of hay
there (which has since been delivered and tarped).  In addition, as part
of the replacement of the water line from the lower pasture corral to the lower
pasture water trough, completed as one of our capital improvements, we were
able to have installed standpipes of faucets and hoses at the top and bottom,
of the lower pasture corral,  and along the lower pasture corral fence
line in the lower pasture.  Because the standpipe in the lower pasture
and at the bottom of the corral  are in the open, they will need to be
fenced off for safety.  But we now have water at the top of the corral,
and  available in the saddling area as well-both  improvements over
the previous situation.
EBMUD has completed the installation of a new fence around the upper portion
of the Sullivan Ranch property, adjacent to the upper pasture above El
Toyonal.  This makes it likely that we will be asked to graze the area
adjacent to the current fence line in the upper pasture (where the July, 1999
fire was) sometime this year.  Previous discussion was that we would
enclose that are with electric fencing and then open up the gate, and
probably a good stretch of the fence line, currently separating that area
from our pasture.
The OHA manure
compost bins are nearly complete.  At this writing walls
need to be installed to divide the bins into three parts, but otherwise all
the work has been done.  We are deeply appreciative of all the work
done by Andrew Woolman, who not only designed and supervised the construction
of the bins, but who also added the artistic horse heads on the main roof
beams.  In addition Richard, Fred, Lisa, Georgia, Morris Nina, Bronwyn,
Gary, Kim, David Benoit, Alice and probably some others as well assisted in
the construction.
The Board deferred approval of Loree and Kim as proprietary members since the rules
require this to be done so once one year after the arrival of their horses on
the pasture.  Although it has been a year since they were accepted as
probationary members, their horses did not arrive until late November of last
year.
Horse News:
Our count of horses currently at OHA is down to 28, but will soon increase
again to 30.  From our usual total of 38 subtract four unfilled spaces
(one that the board will reconsider filling, and three vacant spaces held by
Elise, Morris and Linda Furtado), Frank (at Moraga Horsemen’s), Leo, Scotty
and Freckles (gone for the winter), TJ (coming back soon) and Loree Cole’s
space, soon to be filled by her horse, Beau.
Many of you have already heard about  Flame.
Suffice it to say that on election day she fell down and was unable to get
up, despite the valiant efforts of  a large search and rescue team who
moved her over fifty feet to a flat spot in the pavilion corral. I chose to
end her suffering and wish to express my deep appreciation to all of you who
helped me with her over the years, recently, and on that day.
The next meeting will
be at Richard’s home at 6:30 on Tuesday, November 14.  Members should
feel free to attend any board meeting-we welcome your input.  The
proposed agenda includes:

 treasurer’s report, 2000-2001 budget,¨
including dues for coming year
Possibly filling the horse space abolished
by the previous board¨
By law revisions necessary to bring
our by-laws into agreement with¨ our rules and regulations
Timetable and protocol for moving the
herd to the lower pasture and¨ group worming
Pasture rotation and cross fencing
options to improve uniformity of¨ grazing and combat weed invasions
proposal for method to replace a board
member who has resigned or¨ died
new class of membership for people
without horses on pasture¨

October
17, 2000 minutes respectfully submitted by Morris Older, Secretary

OHA Work
Projects List 11/12/2000:

 Move cut brush to road side of fence so¨
EBMUD can chip it.
Cut and remove brush remaining around
barns and structures and in¨ lower pasture corral
Place builder’s hardware screen
and canvas over  barn¨ vents (call Richard)
Cut drainage ditch from N corral to El
Toyonal¨
Weed control-yellow star thistle and
others-call Alice Brown¨
Build enclosures around pipes at lower
pasture trough and at and near¨ lower pasture corral
Haul manure in trailer off-site—call
Anna Johnson  for details¨
Set up hose stand adjacent to old
corner stall in saddling area¨
Move hose faucet on El Toyonal to
below the gate to avoid puddling by¨ gate
Insulate water pipes above ground¨
Fill ditch near repaired water pipes
between pavilion small corrals¨ and tie-posts

Minutes from September, 2000

Orinda Horsemen’s
Association

Board Minutes September 12,
2000           

Mark Your Calendar:

¨
Tuesday, October 17-OHA
Board Meeting-6:30 p.m. at Bub’s house

¨
December 15-Membership dues are due

¨
December 18-tentative date for move to lower pasture

¨
Jan 2-Membership Dues are late-a $10 fee per horse per month
late now applies

¨
Jan 13-tentative date for move to upper pasture

The Board of the Orinda Horsemen’s Association met on
August 2, 2000 at the home of Beverly James. Present were Board members
Richard Brown, Beverly James, Anna Johnson, Bronwyn Swan, Bubs Schaaf,
Shirley Delsart and Morris Older, as well as Jane Binder.  The agenda
prepared by Richard Brown and the minutes of the previous meeting, with one
correction—the meeting date was August 1, not August 2– were both approved

Our last minutes reported the resignation of
Heather Hafleigh, but did not state that she had resigned because she felt
that the workload for board members would be exceeding her
expectations.  We were very fortunate to have Bubs volunteer to take her place,
and the Board
accepted her nomination prior to the September 12th meeting.  Since our
rules do not tell us what to do when a Board member resigns, there will be a
proposal discussed at our next meeting for a new rule to cover this
situation.

We talked about our capital improvements budget.  We
agreed to accept a bid of $5,359 to replace the water line in the lower
pasture from the lower pasture corral to the water trough in the lower
pasture.  This will use up our entire 1999-2000 capital improvements
budget, as well as all but about $800 of our 2000-2001 capital improvements
budget.  We have just today, October 5, 2000, added $150 to that total
to provide for standpipes and faucets in the lower pasture saddling area, at
the top of the lower pasture corral, and on both sides of the chain link
fence just below the lower pasture barn.  We debated on two alternatives
for the rest of the money: electric fencing for the area of the Sullivan
Ranch property adjacent to the upper pasture, which we will be asked to graze
sometime in 2001, and replacing pipe running from the springbox  which
feeds the lower pasture water system.  Lacking knowledge as to what
materials or labor EBMUD might supply us with, we left the decision to our
EBMUD representative, Bev, to be made when more info is available.
More on this in our next minutes.

We talked briefly about upcoming work parties, of which there have
been two since the September 12 meeting, to build the roof for our compost
bins.  Thanks to our master builder, Andrew Woolman, our compost bin will
have a truly unique and wonderful look to it—if you haven’t seen it yet, you
have another reason to come up to the pasture.  Much still needs to be
done, so please call Andrew if you can help finish the roof.

Three 55 gallon drums have been filled with water for use in an
emergency.  Two are near the pavilion, and one is in the
upper pasture saddling area.  These are to be saved incase there is a
fire, or used if the water system fails.  As long as fire season is upon
us, please keep an eye on the pipe filling the pond.  If it stops
flowing, that means that the water tanks that are in the upper pasture to
provide fire to the new hydrant on El Toyonal are not full.  If that
happens we need to conserve water, so if you see that the pond is not filling,
make a big note on the dry-erase board, and let Richard or Morris know ASAP.

Reminder: Part of feeding the herd is checking on
all of the horses up there.  This means looking them all over
carefully to check for injuries.  Driving or walking through the herd
does not allow you to see all sides of each horse.  Owners should be
notified of any injuries, and a seriously injured horse should be
confined.  The horses should be counted as well, to be sure they are all
there.  Currently there are 33 horses at the pasture, though that number
will change soon when Loree Cole brings Beau to the pasture.  Between
the stalls and the pasture, you should be able to count to 33.

A personal note on the above: I am
hoping, before it starts raining, to be able to give Flame more time
in the pasture.  She’s the one with the enlarged right front knee, the
right front leg that barely bends when she walks, and a stiffness in the rear
that has kept her out of the pasture for a few weeks, but which she has had
for several years.  When she lays down, it is to rest for a while.
With her front leg the way it is, it has been difficult for her to get up for
years, and she may not want to rush.  Just because she is laying down is
not itself a cause for panic. She may even sound like she is moaning—in fact
she has made similar grunting noises her whole life, and quite often when I
used to ride her.  I always thought she was singing and sang along. When
she is laying down, these noises are not a sign of colic or distress.
She was on the pasture the first two weeks of feeding and did quite well for
most of that time.  If she is not in the pavilion, look for her when you
feed, and please feel free to let me know what you observe, especially if she
seems any worse than what I have described.  Thanks to all who have been
keeping an eye on her, both on and off the pasture.

We had a long discussion of forage, weed control and
pasture rotation.  Alice presented a survey she had done of
weeds and grass in the upper pasture.   Despite some disagreement
on the amount of grass in the upper pasture, we were pretty much agreed on
her recommendations to improve the quality of forage in our pasture.
She recommended the following short and long-range solution:

¨       To survey
and keep track of the grass and weeds each year

¨       To
consider strategic, aggressive weed control when indicated to combat invasive
species

¨       To
investigate re-seeding of some areas

¨       To
consider using future capital improvements funds for more water pipes in the
upper pasture so that

¨       Cross-fencing
of the upper pasture might improve grazing patterns and discourage weeds

We
all appreciated the extensive efforts that Alice had put into preparing her
materials and her recommendation.

It was reported that the Sullivan Ranch property,
above El Toyonal South of the pasture, is being re-fenced around the
perimeter by EBMUD so that in the future sections of it can be grazed by OHA.

We discussed a couple of member issues.  We
granted Elise
Geske, who tore her Achilles tendon in an accident near the end of
a 100 mile endurance ride, additional time to find a horse to fill her
space.  Kim Christlieb was approved as a new riding partner of Lisa Jordan, and
Diana Lynch was approved as a riding partner of Morris Older.  Anne and
Diana Hodge were approved as riding partners of Jane Binder—Diane is a
daughter of Lucille Arnon, for many years an OHA member prior to her death in
1986, and Anne is Diane’s daughter. In addition Ryan Munoz was approved as a
riding partner of Anna Johnson.  Marianne Rice and Laura Klein were
approved as riding partners for Edie Black. .  Remember that riding
partners may ride with any OHA member

Sad to say, there was an auto buglary  at
the pasture, just outside the El Toyonal gate near Wildcat on August 9^th.
The thief smashed windows on Angie’s car and looked under her seats to find
her purse, and then drove off.  A police report was made, and apparently
there have been other such incidents recently at Inspiration point.

The next meeting will be at Bubs Schaaf’s home at 6:30 on
Tuesday, October 17.  Members should feel free to attend any board
meeting-we welcome your input.  The proposed agenda includes:

¨
possibly abolishing the charge of $1/night for keeping your horse in a
stall or paddock

¨
filling the space abolished by the previous board

¨
treasurer’s report, 2000-2001 budget, including dues for coming year

¨
the OHA web site

¨
1 year vote on Loree, Elise and Kim as proprietary members

¨
work participation

¨
proposal for method to replace a board member who has resigned or died

¨
new class of membership for people without horses on pasture

¨
cross-fencing upper pasture to improve forage

September 12, 2000 minutes respectfully submitted by
Morris Older, Secretary

OHA Work Projects List 10/8/2000:

¨
Move cut brush to road side of fence so EBMUD can chip it.

¨
Cut and remove brush remaining around barns and structures and in
lower pasture corral

¨
Place builder’s hardware screen  and canvas over  barn vents
(call Richard)

¨
Build roof on compost bins—call Andrew Woolman to volunteer

¨
Weed control-yellow star thistle and others-call Alice Brown

¨
Haul manure in trailer off-site—call Anna Johnson  for details

¨
Set up hose stand adjacent to old corner stall in saddling area

¨
Move hose faucet on El Toyonal to below the gate to avoid puddling by
gate

¨
Set up pallets for lower pasture hay delivery-call Morris or Lisa for
details

¨
Fix underground water leak at faucet near small pavilion corrals

OHA Board Minutes From August, 2000

Orinda Horsemen’s Association

Board Minutes Aug 2,
2000              

Mark Your Calendar:

¨
August 19-Horses return
to upper pasture-clear out hay barns

¨
September 9- Feeding
Begins in the upper pasture

¨
September 16-Fall
Vaccination clinic with  Mike Parker, DVM

¨
December 15-Membership dues are due

¨
December 18-tentative date for move to lower pasture

¨
Jan 2-Membership Dues are late-a $10 fee per horse per month
late now applies

¨
Jan 13-tentative date for move to upper pasture

The Board of the Orinda Horsemen’s Association on August 2,
2000 at the home of Richard Brown.  Present were Board members Richard
Brown, Beverly James, Anna Johnson, Bronwyn Swan and Morris Older.
Absent were Shirley Delsart , in Japan, and Heather Hafleigh, who has
resigned as a Board member (more below).  The agenda prepared by Richard
Brown and the minutes of the previous meeting were both approved.  In
Shirley’s absence a quick treasurer’s
report was presented by Richard.  We have $10,300 in our
checking account and $227 in a savings account, in addition to $8,000 in an
account containing member deposits.  This total does not include an
unknown number of member board checks that had not yet been deposited as of
August 2.  Our major upcoming expenses are winter hay and EBMUD lease
payments.

We discussed a number of responsibilities that members have assumed.
Ginny will continue as our disaster
–preparedness chair.  The fire department has not as of yet
been able to supply Morris with a pager for emergency communications.
Lisa will arrange for our hay
purchase.  Anna will coordinate a work party on the day we
move horses to clear out the hay barns so that new hay can be stacked
inside.  Bubbs will arrange the feeding schedule, and Liz will type it
up and distribute it.  If you haven’t yet talked to Bubbs, contact her
immediately—she’s more than halfway done with the schedule. Bubbs will
continue to report to EBMUD on the pasture census; please be sure to sign
your horse out and in whenever you remove or return him or her to the
pasture.  Bronwyn will arrange for the fall vet clinic.  If you plan to
give your own shots, see the rules for the list of required shots.
Horses are to be wormed at that time.  We discussed fly control and
agreed that in addition to biologic controls, we would like Liz, who had
volunteered, to put 2 or 3 traps at the tack room.  Andrew Woolman will
coordinate the construction of the compost bin roof.  If you have
relevant skills, please call him to volunteer to help.

We briefly discussed yellow-star thistle control.  On
July 8, Fred hired 4 workers to cut and pull yellow star thistle in our
pasture bordering Seaview trail in Tilden at a cost of $377.60.  A group
will go back later to get whatever has grown back since this initial
effort.  Although we have eradicated most other yellow-star in our
pasture, this has only been accomplished by our vigilance in attacking new
stands before they can get established.  It is vital that we get these
at the earliest possible moment, so if you see yellow-star anywhere in our
pasture, please call Alice Brown immediately.

We discussed our grazing plan, including capital improvements.  We were all
a bit surprised to learn that the 1999-2000 grazing plan was never completed,
although the grazing year ends on October 1.  We decided that we would
want the extra $2500 or so spent on concrete for the compost bins to
be our first priority for a capital improvements credit. If this alternative
is selected, then any amount left over would go towards the drainage and the
roof for the compost bin.   If the concrete is not allowed, (as
redently haws turned out to be the case) then we would want the money to go towards
replacing the
water line in the lower pasture.   We had several bids
submitted, with and without EBMUD doing the trenching for laying pipes below
the ground.  This would mean a more reliable supply of water, as well as
water in the lower pasture saddling area.  We also discussed altering the pasture
rotation so that we would ideally move down to the pear orchard
and lower pasture earlier in the spring. That way the horses might get to the
grass in the lower pastures before it blows over, and leave more in the upper
pasture for later on.  In recent years, the move has been postponed due
to late rains, late washout repairs, and water supply problems.
Hopefully these can be avoided next year.

We discussed whether the number
of feedings for members with 2 horses should be double those of
people with one horse, or whether the ratio should remain at 1.5 as it has
been for years.  The board was split on this issue, and decided that it
should be moved slightly in that direction but not all the way.  In the
past families that have filled both feeding spots on the same day have been
given credit for only one feeding.  We decided not to change that rule,
and not knowing how many days would be so filled, decided that we would leave
it up to Bubs to determine the exact number of feedings for one and two horse
memberships.

We discussed the situation that developed in moving the herd from the pear orchard
to the lower pasture.  Numerous horses were moved well before the
designated time, the horses grew unmanageable and the gate was opened before
numerous members arrive to move their horses.  The horses pushed through
the narrow gate and rushed up behind three members who were barebacking their
way up.  Fortunately no one was hurt.  Some members who arrived on
time were unable to worm their horses because they had been let go
early.

We decided that in the future moving early would not be
allowed, and that one person should be in charge of each move—Richard
volunteered for the next move.   Several volunteers will be
assigned to move horses whose owners do not appear within 15 or 30 minutes of
the designated time.  Each move will be discussed by the board in detail
before it happens.

Heather Hafleigh has resigned
her position on the Board, so there was much discussion before,
during and since the meeting of how to replace her on the Board.
Our rules book does not address this situation.  Last year, when Lisa
resigned, Bronwyn, the runner-up in the previous Board election, replaced
her.  The runner-up this year, Christie, considered and declined.
Some of the only other possible replacements will not finish their one-year
probationary period until October, although we have had probationary members
on the Board at times in the past.  At this writing the issue has yet to
be resolved.

We briefly discussed filling
the empty horse space left by Karate, and abolished by the last
board, which in May over-ruled the 1999 annual meeting decision to leave the
number of horse spaces unchanged.  It was decided to table this
discussion until the next meeting, when a full board may be present.  If
you have strong feelings on this or any other issue, please let a board
member know so that your views can be taken into account.

There has been a complaint from a member who wants us all to remember to clean out old hay
(not just manure) from the stalls and paddocks when you remove your horse
from them.

We moved on to discuss member issues.  Elise Geske, who
on July 16 completed the 100 mile Tevis on a friend’s horse, finishing 10^th
and winning the Haggin Cup awarded to the Best Condition horse, was granted a
three-month extension until October 8^th to find a horse to put
into her space at OHA.  Bronwyn Swan, also completed the Tevis on Scout,
finishing 36^th.  Angie Woolman has the continuing conditional
approval of the Board to graze Scotty, who is being treated for EPM, in the
ring pasture, although she is now required to feed him hay while he is in
there as the grass is starting to look short.    Loree Cole has
given Shotsie to her grandchildren, and will bring her other horse, Beau, a
Morgan, to OHA in October.  Kim Zvik has had Sky off the pasture from since
July 27—he will return August 28^th.  Morris has had
Granite off the pasture since early July—he will return soon.

We did our annual review of Associate Members, and all
associate members were approved to continue for another year.   We
also discussed our Riding Partners.  Ryan Munoz has been approved as a
riding partner for Anna Johnson, and Diana Lynch was approved as a riding
partner for Morris.  Both approvals are pending payment of fees, signing
of release forms, and submission of letters to the secretary.  Although
riding partners are sponsored by particular members, they may ride on the
pasture with any member.

The agenda
for the next meeting will include:

¨
possibly abolishing the charge of $1/night for keeping your horse in a
stall or paddock

¨
filling the space abolished by the previous board

¨
moving the membership meeting back to the fall, as stipulated in our
rules

¨
the OHA web site

¨
the protocol for moving the herd, and

¨
the grazing plan and capital improvements.

The next meeting will be at Beverly James’ dome home at
6:30 on Tuesday, September 12.  Members should feel free to attend any
board meeting-we welcome your input.

August 2, 2000 minutes respectfully
submitted by Morris Older, Secretary

OHA Work Projects List 8/15/2000:

¨
Move cut brush to road side of fence so EBMUD can chip it.

¨
Cut and remove brush remaining around barns and structures and in
lower pasture corral

¨
Place builder’s hardware screen  and canvas over  barn vents
(call Richard)

¨
Finish  drainage on compost bin

¨
Build roof on compost bins—call Andrew Woolman to volunteer

¨
Weed control-yellow star thistle and others-call Anna Johnson

¨
Haul manure in trailer off-site—call Anna Johnson  for details

¨
Set up hose stand adjacent to old corner stall in saddling area

¨
Move unused hay from pond hay barn.  Remove, rake and replace pallets

¨
Fix underground water leak at faucet near small pavilion corrals

Minutes from June, 2000

Orinda Horsemen’s Association

Board Minutes June 21, 2000

Mark Your Calendar:

¨
July 1-Member dues
($225) and sponsor’s annual dues ($50) are now late.  A $10/month late
fee now applies.

¨
July 15 or 22- Horses
return to lower pasture-wormers will be in lower pasture saddling area.
All horses must
be
wormed before moving to lower pasture.

¨
July 18-Oha Board meeting
at Richard Brown’s starts at 6:30 p.m. All members welcome

¨
August 10-Red barn and pond hay barn must be cleaned out to
allow new hay to be delivered.

¨
August 5 or 12-Horses return to upper pasture

¨
August 15-Deadline for completion of your work-hours.

The newly elected Board of the Orinda Horsemen’s
Association met for the first time on June 21, 2000 at the home of Beverly
James.  Present were Board members Richard, Brown, Shirley Delsart,
Heather Hafleigh, Beverly James, Anna Johnson and Morris Older.  Absent
was Bronwyn Swan.

The first order of business was to act on the suggestion
made at the general meeting to stagger
the terms of the board.  Normally 4 members are elected one year
and 3 the next, so that there is continuity in the board’s functioning.
This year six members were elected. Accordingly we decided to designate
one-year terms for Heather, Beverly, and Morris. Shirley’s term, the only on
that had not expired this year, will also become vacant next year.
Richard, Anna and Bronwyn’s terms will be for two years.

Next we elected officers and filled key positions for the coming year,
as follows:

¨       President:
Richard Brown
510-653-5172
rjoelbrown@aol.com

¨       Vice
President:
Bronwyn Swan
510-519-2764
spswan@earthlink.net

¨       Secretary:
Morris Older
925-254-8943         morrisolder@earthlink.net

¨       Treasurer:
Shirley Delsart
510-527-7322         sjd@uclink4.berkeley.edu

¨       EBMUD
Liaison:          Beverly
James
510-524-7597
bbjames@james-engrg.com

¨       Work
Chairperson:      Anna
Johnson
925-254-0414
Califgirl1@aol.com

We agreed that we will seek as much participation from members not on
the Board as is possible in sharing equally the work of running our
organization.  Expect to be called, and please volunteer often.

Everyone who was present at the Annual Membership Meeting
received a copy of the newly revised Rules and Regulations.  If you were not there,
your copy should be included with these minutes.  If it is not please
call me (Morris) and I will be glad to send you a copy.  The last Board
worked long and hard to bring these up to date.  A couple of things
worth noting:

¨       Riding Partner Memberships are now available so
that you may ride with your friends who are not members, on their horses or
yours.  The fee is only $25 for a year-see the complete rules on pages
12-13.  At this Board meeting we accepted Christie Larner’s application
to make Cheryl Ann Fulton, a world-renowned harpist who keeps her horse Fazon
on El Toyonal, our latest riding partner.

¨       Wormings are Mandatory whenever the whole herd
is being wormed.  This rule was passed years ago but some members have
chosen to ignore it because their horses are ‘on a different schedule’.
You may worm your hose as often as you like, but you must worm on the date
twice a year when everyone else does.  This rule was passed a few years
back to ensure that the herd is wormed as a group when it shifts pastures.
Worms can live on the ground for only a short period, and when we first
switch pastures, that new pasture is worm-free.   If this rule is
followed a worm-free pasture can be kept from being immediately contaminated
by fresh worms from horses whose worming medication has worn off, thus
promoting the health of the entire herd.

¨       OHA Parking Placards are
Mandatory in
every car that you park at the pasture.  This is for the safety and
peace of mind of all pasture members.  You shouldn’t have to guess if
that strange car really belongs there. Gailyn has made up sixty new
placards.  You should have one in each car that you drive to the
pasture, and it should be visible.  If you need additional placards
please call Gailyn at 925-254-5126 and she will mail them to you.

We agreed on the following tentative pasture rotation
schedule: Removal of electric fence in pear orchard, July 1 (turned out to be
June 27); return to lower pasture on July 15 or 22, with the entire herd to
be wormed at that time; return to the upper pasture on August 5^th
or 12^th.

Having attended the recent yellow-star thistle management workshop
Alice Brown recommended that yellow-star thistle must be pulled or cut by
June 28.   This because it begins to seed shortly after the first
flowers turn bright yellow. Studies have shown that cutting it then and again
a few weeks later is very effective in reducing the number of plants year to
year. Controlling it before the seeds are produced also reduces the need to
remove the plants.  For this reason we need all members to be on the
lookout for yellow star in bloom at OHA.  If you see it, call Alice and
tell her where you spotted it.  We agreed to try and get it picked or
cut as soon as possible.  It was noted however that the plants, if cut,
do grow back, and that new flowers appear on the plants for a period of
months.  This means that even if we don’t get at it immediately, it will
be months before it is too late, as new seeds will from throughout those
months.  We will ask EBMUD about spraying with Transline near Sea View.

Next we discussed fly control.  We used to spend $80-100 on
flytraps.  Last year we instead used biological controls, primarily
insects that eat fly eggs, and spent $423.  The budget this year is
$500.  But members reported that the flies, if anything, seem
out-of-control this year.  Biological controls may be effective, it was
argued, but $500 may be just a tiny drop in the bucket in a pasture as large
as ours.  We agreed to supplement the biological controls with flytraps
this year.

Our manure
compost bin is nearing completion. Since our meeting a trench has been
dug around the bin.  Geotextile cloth, perforated pipe and gravel will
fill this trench to prevent water from flowing through the bin from
above.  Andrew Woolman will be working on the roof in August and could
use some help.  The Board will appoint someone to be charge of
composting, to develop rules for composting and to teach them to the
membership.

Reminder:
Sign out you horse whenever your horse is not grazing on the pasture
for 24 hours or more.  Our annual rent is determined by how many horses
are on the pasture for how long, and if your horse is not signed-out, we are
probably paying more than we should.  While you’re at it, don’t forget
to sign out on the horsey-hotel sheet.

Capital
Improvements and our Annual Grazing Plan came up next.  Due to
the lack of continuity between this year’s and last year’s board, we did not
know that the current year’s grazing plan and capital improvements budget has
apparently not yet been completed.  Three possibilities for spending
$3,000 to $3,300 on capital improvements were discussed:

¨       A new
water line to the lower pasture, with or without EBMUD digging the trench for
a new pipe.

¨       Roof,
drainage and the portion of concrete not covered by last year’s budget for
the compost bin.

¨       Electric
fencing for the areas of the adjacent Sullivan ranch property that we could
be asked to graze, perhaps within the next year.

Member
News and Issues: Sara Schaaf’s Corazon is up at Grizzly Peak Stables
for a month of intense riding.  Granite will also be up there for a
couple of weeks so I can do some more riding.  Elise Geske’s 3-month
extension to bring her horse into the pasture expires on July 8^th.
Scotty has EPM and will be confined at least 6 months.  Angie received
permission from the Board to turn ‘Scotty out in the ring pasture during the
days from 10a.m. to 6 p.m. as the walking around may be therapeutic.
Please contact Angie (first) or Richard if you experience any problem with
this arrangement.  Shirley will be in Japan until August 26^th—please
contact Mirek or Lisa if there is any problem with Dusty.  Tony
Romero’s request to escort the Oakland Police Department’s Mounted Patrol
through our pasture will be referred to EBMUD.

Treasurer’s
Report: Shirley reported that we have $5,400 in our checking account,
as well as an $8,000 CD covering member deposits. This is, of course, before
the deposit of most of the spring membership dues.  While Shirley is
gone, Richard, our other check signer, will handle any immediate tasks. When
she returns, she will be sending out bills for work-hours, horsey-hotel and
hay.

We approved the last meeting’s minutes. The next Board meeting
will be on Tuesday, July 18^th at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Richard
Brown.  Members, as always, are welcome to attend.  Call Richard if
you need directions.  The agenda will include:

¨       Fall
veterinary clinic, dental clinic

¨       Feeding
schedule

¨       Move to
upper pasture

¨       Annual
review of sponsors

¨       Adding
organic material, dirt or ?? to the arena—it’s getting to rocky to rototill

¨       Rescheduling
our general membership meeting back to the fall

¨       Capital
improvements and grazing plan

¨       Maintaining
the number of horse spaces–reconsider decision to dissolve empty space

¨       Horsey
hotel fees

June 21, 2000  minutes respectfully submitted
by Morris Older, Secretary

OHA Work Projects List 7/1/2000:

¨
Move cut brush to road side of fence so EBMUD can chip it.

¨
Remove brush remaining around barns and structures and in lower
pasture corral

¨
Place builder’s hardware screen  and canvas over  barn vents
(call Richard)

¨
Place 55 gallons near pavilion and barns and fill with water for
emergencies

¨
Finish  drainage on compost bin

¨
Build roof on compost bins—call Andrew Woolman to volunteer

¨
Weed control-yellow star thistle and others-call Anna Johnson

¨
Haul manure in trailer off-site—call Anna Johnson  for details

¨
Set up hose stand adjacent to old corner stall in saddling area

¨
Move unused hay from pond hay barn.  Remove, rake and replace
pallets

¨
Fix underground water leak at faucet near small pavilion corrals

Minutes from June 10, 2000

OHA Annual Membership
Meeting

Minutes June 10, 2000

This
is an attempted reconstruction from memory of our annual membership meeting,
since no one took notes.  Present were most if not all of the following:
Fred Goff, Richard and Alice Brown, Shirley Delsart, Bronwyn Swan, Heather
and James Pineda, Beverly James, Ginny Conte, Lisa Jordan, Christie Larner,
Katherine Schaaf, Angie Woolman, Rene Benoit, Morris Older and several
others.

Before
and during the meeting, several lists were passed around so that they may be
corrected and revised.  If you were not at the meeting, be sure that you
let Morris know if you have any changes that should be made to the horse or membership list.
Also Heather Hafleigh may or may not have a photo of your horse in the new horse identification photo
album she is assembling.  Contact her if you are not sure.
If you were not at the meeting and a copy of our new rules and regulations book is not
enclosed with these minutes, please let Morris know.

After
welcoming the membership and okaying the agenda, we moved on to the board election.
This time 6 seats were open, with only Shirley continuing in the second year
of her term.  There were seven candidates, so we voted by writing on
secret ballots which of the seven we did not want to be on the board.
Elected were Anna Johnson, Beverly James, Richard Brown, Heather Hafleigh,
Bronwyn Swan and Morris Older.

Our
featured speaker,
Willis Lamm could not attend this meeting, so Orinda-Moraga Fire Captain Rob
Goodyear spoke in his place.  He suggested that in many circumstances of
fire in our pasture it might be best to move the horses to safety on the
pasture.  The ring pasture and the pavilion both might make good secure
areas depending on circumstances.  If evacuation is necessary, he
strongly suggested that we keep trailers off El Toyonal, where they could
impede the passage of emergency vehicles, and instead try and load on Wildcat
Canyon Road.   He answered questions from those attending, and
since no one took notes, I guess you had to be there.

We briefly discussed fly control and agreed
to continue with our program of biological controls, and there were a few
announcements and a brief discussion of yellow star thistle before we
adjourned.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Morris
Older, OHA 2000-2001 Secretary

Minutes from May 2000

Minutes from April 2000

Minutes from March 2000

Minutes from February 2000

Minutes from January 2000

OHA Board Minutes From January 4, 2000

Present Board members: Fred, Richard, Lisa
J., Shirley and Heather, Ginny and Bubs. The November and December
meeting minutes and present agenda were discussed and the following changes
made before the meeting commenced: November: 1) Dues are paid semi-annually
not bi-yearly.  2) Work parties: Marcia and Alice not Richard
and Alice tarped the hay. 3) Manure is to be placed as far toward the front
of the trailer not the back. December: 1) Board meeting date/time
was left off the top. 2) Marion Long and David Widdle’s names were spelled
incorrectly. 3) “Richard is tired of taking sole responsibility for the
trash.” Remove sole.

Dues

A few members overpaid on their dues in December.
Shirley will contact those members to reimburse the excess payment.

v
EBMUD Report: The compost bin is to be located on a graded,
graveled pad where the lower south corral used to be. The work is in progress
thanks to the tenacity of Richard.  Member’s concerns with this project
were presented consistently to EBMUD – the outcome was that the bin is
inevitable.  The Board discussed Cap Improvements for the 9/99-9/00
year. The following is in order presented in the Grazing Plan: 1) Weed
abatement; 2) Waterline from Pavilion to lower pasture; 3) Sullivan Ranch
fencing (joint project); 4) Other fencing; 5) Erosion control of hill above
saddling area (EBMUD may take this on); 6) Gravel side of El Toyonal (done);
7) Culvert at pear orchard creek; 8) Ongoing pavilion stall maintenance; 9)
Doors on two pavilion stalls; 10) Increase drainage in old stalls; 11) Remove
south corals and brush (partially done due to compost bin); 12) Hay feeders
in pavilion stalls.  Others: 1) Repair of lower trail for lower pasture
to pear orchard; 2) Feeders in north and pavilion corrals.

Top Priorities: The Board voted
unanimously to propose that the waterline be repaired as the top priority
with any extra moneys to be spent on weed abatement.  Heather P. will
research route, cost, materials, labor and what, if any part EBMUD may be
willing to help repair.

v
Treasury Report: All bills paid. Dues almost in.

v
Insurance Policy Update: CSHA sent a letter that they are
revamping policies offered. They now have three options for coverage. We will
fill out a new form asking for the same coverage  (the highest they
offer). It looks like it’ll be less expensive. CSHA are also offering
specified coverage for individuals. Heather P. will  summarize
availability for the membership.

v
Work Update: We will at some point in the dry future rent a
chipper to mulch all of the newly cut brush. Richard, Lorree and
Morris removed coyote brush from the pavilion corral and piled it for
chipping. Richard, Alice, Renee, Linda and Tony  fixed the
fence at the south corral and upper pasture, cut brush on the SE side of
pavilion and replaced locks on the road gates up from El Toyonal. Liz
and Richard dumped the 10^th load of manure. Lens
made a deal with a fellow contractor to dump gravel on the roadside for
parking ease (I wonder what Lens’s part of the deal was?). Richard
hinged the ramp into the trailer to reduce possibility of further tumbles. Bubs
and John collected almost all of the rest of the Yellow Star. Lisa
ordered two tons of hay for the red barn and Anna directed the
delivery.

v
Disaster Plan: Ginny presented the first draft of the phone
list. Revisions were made. Ginny will present final copy at the next meeting.

Rules and Regulations: The Board
continued the arduous task of plowing through the rules and regulations. The
following were discussed. Riding Partners is complete. At the GM
meeting the membership gave the Board permission to make a final decision re:
riding partners. The Board voted unanimously to accept (after numerous
changes) the following:

A.
Riding Partner Membership

1.
Criteria for Membership

a)
Any person interested in riding with an OHA Proprietary Member may
apply. 

2.
Application for Membership

a)
A Proprietary Membership of OHA would propose an individual for a
Riding Partner membership.  The Proprietary Member accepts
responsibility for the presence and conduct of the Riding Partner.

b)
Applications for membership must be submitted in writing to the
Board by the Proprietary Member, and must include the name, address, phone
number and an emergency contact person for the proposed Riding Partner.
A signed Release of Liability form must accompany the letter of application.

c)
The Board maintains the authority to approve, deny or revoke Riding
Partner Membership.

d)
A Proprietary Membership may not have more than three (3) Riding
Partners.

3.
Privileges of Membership:

a)
The right to access the OHA pasture, when accompanied by an OHA
Proprietary Member.  The Riding Partner could ride a horse belonging to
an OHA member, or bring their own horse to the pasture for the purpose of
riding. 

b)
Riding Partners bringing their own horses to the pasture would not
be allowed to keep their horses at OHA overnight.

c)
Riding Partners may accompany a Proprietary Member during feeding
of the herd, but a Riding Partner may not substitute for one of the two
members required to feed the herd.

4.
Responsibilities of Membership

a)
The Riding Partner agrees to abide by all Rules and Regulations of
OHA, and signs a Release of Liability form. 

b)
The Riding Partner membership is an annual membership.  The
Riding Partner member will pay $25 annual dues to OHA on date of acceptance
and on each June 15^th thereafter.  Dues will not be
pro-rated.

c)
Fees and signed Release of Liability forms must be received by the
Secretary prior to the Riding Partner being allowed on the property.

d)
Riding Partner Members are not given keys to the pasture gates.

I.        There
is no work hour requirement for this membership category.

II.
Grievance: The following was voted on (unanimously) as a draft
to present to the membership: GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

A.
Disputes Between Members

1.
All members are encouraged to resolve disputes amongst themselves
through rational, cooperative communication.

2.
If a dispute persists, members may contact the President to act as
mediator of the dispute.

3.
If a solution or compromise cannot be obtained through mediation,
members may request time at a Board meeting for discussion of the issue.

4.
The Board will discuss and vote on a resolution to the
dispute.  If either party will not accept the resolution, they may
follow the steps for Dissatisfaction with Board Action, below.

B.
Dissatisfaction with Board Action

1.
A member dissatisfied with an action of the Board may attend a
Board meeting to discuss his/her concerns.

2.
If the Board cannot address the member’s concerns to his/her
satisfaction, the member may request input from the General Membership.
In order to call a special meeting of the General Membership, at least
two-thirds of  existing members (not including Board members) must agree
that the issue merits discussion by the General Membership. The member who
brought forward the issue is responsible for polling the membership.

3.
If, when polled by the member within thirty days of the member
having attended a Board meeting, two-thirds of the General Membership do not
concur that a special meeting is warranted, the Board’s decision is final.

4.
Any decision made by the General Membership to revoke a Board
action must be passed by two-thirds of the members present at the General
Membership meeting.

Associate Member Work Hours: The Board  voted
2:4 with one abstention to present the following proposal to the membership:  Associate
members will complete 5 work hours annually. A $50.00 work deposit is to be
paid (same rules as Proprietary members).

Submit in writing either by mail, fax or e-mail to a
Board member any discussion of either the Grievance policy, or Associate
Member Work Hours by 2/1/00.  The Board will consider any feedback
before taking a final vote on these issues.

v
Immediate Family Members: Discussion ensued re: “what
constitutes a family member?” Previously we had voted to go with the
immediate family as was requested by EBMUD. After numerous members brought
concerns to the Board – the decision was reconsidered. Due to some of our
members having only extended family to claim, the Board voted unanimously to present
a proposal to EBMUD based on an insurance description of family that one
of the Board members found.  This proposal will include: Member, spouse
or significant other (has to cohabitate – a further description of s.o. will
be made available), parents, children, brother/sister, brother/sister in-law,
son/daughter in-law, mother/father in-law, niece/nephew. Note: This is
only a proposal at this time – please consider our lease and refrain from
bringing extended family to the pasture until a decision is made.

v
Announcements: Lisa has resigned as Secretary of OHA due to
personal/work involvement. The new Board member/Secretary will be chosen
soon. Thank you for your support over the past years!