Monday, March 29, 2010
A wagon ride
Friday, March 26, 2010
A farm horse
So the wife invited 3 of her siblings over this weekend. That meant today I had to do some outside stuff to get ready for them. I had 2 tasks ... get the big tree that had come down this winter to the burn pile, and then move my mobile chicken coop to a new location. Both of these jobs are very simple to do with a truck and chain, however, since the ground is so soft, I would have been an idiot to try and do these tasks with a truck.
Well I happen to have a horse named Rachel who seems to be good as gold, so I decided to let her show me how she fares as a farm horse. Within 30 minutes I had her brushed and all harnessed up. This horse amazes me the more I use her. Today, when I was sliding the collar over her head, I just kind of had the lead rope hanging and not tied to anything. She was standing perfectly still. My friend Roger has horses that will stand perfectly while they get harnessed up and he doesn't have to tie them. So I decided to test Rachel on this. She did perfectly. The minute the collar was on, she fell right in line knowing what was to come. She even opened her mouth in anticipation of the bit, which was a first time I've ever had that.
So with her all harnessed up, we did a few laps just ground driving to get her in the right mindset. She did great, so I drove her over to where the tree was waiting. I had already chained the tree, and hooked up the single tree, so I just had to drive her over, and hook up the tugs to the single-tree. So I did that, she backed right up to where I wanted her, and with a single woah, she stood, cocked one rear heal and settled in as if to say, "alright ... lets do this". It didn't take long to hook things up. I honestly think that when Rachel hears the tugs move, she freezes and won't move at all. It's really nice!
I gave her an "easy up" and she leaned into the collar and tried to move it. She got a few inches and stopped. This tree was pretty heavy. I told her to step up and this time she put her all into it and next thing I know, this tree was a moving. My chainsaw died a while back, so I am dragging this tree with all the limbs still on it. As I was pulling it through the gate to get to the burn pile, the branches got stuck. I kept asking Rachel to pull, and she did. Finally I started moving her from side to side as she pulled, and as she did this, the tree broke free of both sides of the gate, and we were gold after that. Rachel did so awesome. To get to my burn pile from there, I had to do a 90 degree turn with the tree. Rachel had no problem coming around 90 degrees while the tree stayed stationary. It was pretty beautiful to watch. Next thing I knew, the tree was in the burn pile, Rachel was standing like a lady, and I was unhooking the chain. She was so calm and laid back that I was pretty shocked.
I kept the single tree and chain hooked up to her and drove her over to the chicken coop. This coop is 8x4x8 and is on skids. This was going to be a bit more interesting. In order to hook up the chain, I had to put down the reins, and get on my belly to feed the chain down through the skids. Rachel had been doing so well, and there was no where really she could go if she decided to go, so I trusted her. I backed her up where I needed her, and gave her a woah. I then got busy wrapping the chain through the coop. What a girl. She didn't even flinch. So awesome.
This coop hasn't been moved for a year, and boy did it show. It took Rachel 4-5 tries to get the coop actually moving. It was stuck pretty good. I tell ya ... I always think it is amazing to sit there, giving the command for her to move, and listen as the collar and harness begin to crackle and pop as all that power is transferred down the tugs and causes something big and heavy to move. Once she got it moving, she had no problem keeping it going. To get the coop where I needed it, it had to move 270 degrees. Basically, the shape of a paperclip to some extent. I knew that once again, this was going to require some precise movements and a mastery of coming around to go the path I wanted. Rachel didn't disappoint, and did all I asked of her.
After that, the single tree was unhooked, and I drove Rachel to be unharnessed. She walked really slow back. I think she's a lot like me ... she can do anything I ask her once, but after that, she's pretty tired. :) I really have to work her more to get her muscles back up into wagon pulling shape. I've got big plans for my team, including haying my pasture.
It's so awesome to be able to do stuff using a horse. Like I said, this was stuff that could've been done with a truck, had the ground been dry, but I was able to do it even with wet ground thanks to the same methods used long ago. Having a functional farm horse is an amazing thing, and I think the fact that not everyone can do it now days, makes it feel even more special to me.
Well I happen to have a horse named Rachel who seems to be good as gold, so I decided to let her show me how she fares as a farm horse. Within 30 minutes I had her brushed and all harnessed up. This horse amazes me the more I use her. Today, when I was sliding the collar over her head, I just kind of had the lead rope hanging and not tied to anything. She was standing perfectly still. My friend Roger has horses that will stand perfectly while they get harnessed up and he doesn't have to tie them. So I decided to test Rachel on this. She did perfectly. The minute the collar was on, she fell right in line knowing what was to come. She even opened her mouth in anticipation of the bit, which was a first time I've ever had that.
So with her all harnessed up, we did a few laps just ground driving to get her in the right mindset. She did great, so I drove her over to where the tree was waiting. I had already chained the tree, and hooked up the single tree, so I just had to drive her over, and hook up the tugs to the single-tree. So I did that, she backed right up to where I wanted her, and with a single woah, she stood, cocked one rear heal and settled in as if to say, "alright ... lets do this". It didn't take long to hook things up. I honestly think that when Rachel hears the tugs move, she freezes and won't move at all. It's really nice!
I gave her an "easy up" and she leaned into the collar and tried to move it. She got a few inches and stopped. This tree was pretty heavy. I told her to step up and this time she put her all into it and next thing I know, this tree was a moving. My chainsaw died a while back, so I am dragging this tree with all the limbs still on it. As I was pulling it through the gate to get to the burn pile, the branches got stuck. I kept asking Rachel to pull, and she did. Finally I started moving her from side to side as she pulled, and as she did this, the tree broke free of both sides of the gate, and we were gold after that. Rachel did so awesome. To get to my burn pile from there, I had to do a 90 degree turn with the tree. Rachel had no problem coming around 90 degrees while the tree stayed stationary. It was pretty beautiful to watch. Next thing I knew, the tree was in the burn pile, Rachel was standing like a lady, and I was unhooking the chain. She was so calm and laid back that I was pretty shocked.
I kept the single tree and chain hooked up to her and drove her over to the chicken coop. This coop is 8x4x8 and is on skids. This was going to be a bit more interesting. In order to hook up the chain, I had to put down the reins, and get on my belly to feed the chain down through the skids. Rachel had been doing so well, and there was no where really she could go if she decided to go, so I trusted her. I backed her up where I needed her, and gave her a woah. I then got busy wrapping the chain through the coop. What a girl. She didn't even flinch. So awesome.
This coop hasn't been moved for a year, and boy did it show. It took Rachel 4-5 tries to get the coop actually moving. It was stuck pretty good. I tell ya ... I always think it is amazing to sit there, giving the command for her to move, and listen as the collar and harness begin to crackle and pop as all that power is transferred down the tugs and causes something big and heavy to move. Once she got it moving, she had no problem keeping it going. To get the coop where I needed it, it had to move 270 degrees. Basically, the shape of a paperclip to some extent. I knew that once again, this was going to require some precise movements and a mastery of coming around to go the path I wanted. Rachel didn't disappoint, and did all I asked of her.
After that, the single tree was unhooked, and I drove Rachel to be unharnessed. She walked really slow back. I think she's a lot like me ... she can do anything I ask her once, but after that, she's pretty tired. :) I really have to work her more to get her muscles back up into wagon pulling shape. I've got big plans for my team, including haying my pasture.
It's so awesome to be able to do stuff using a horse. Like I said, this was stuff that could've been done with a truck, had the ground been dry, but I was able to do it even with wet ground thanks to the same methods used long ago. Having a functional farm horse is an amazing thing, and I think the fact that not everyone can do it now days, makes it feel even more special to me.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Restoring an old harness, Step 1
2 months ago, a friend offered me a set of leather team harnesses. They were complete, and the leather is very pliable, but very dirty. This set was used for her team, and they upgraded to bio harnesses, leaving these old dirty leather ones to sit. A deal was made, and the harnesses arrived at my place.
I wish I had a before picture of the harnesses, but I don't have one. The leather is very soft and pliable. There are no stress cracks, and the only problem with the harness is that it is very dirty. The brass buckles have a lot of green build up, and the leather itself will get your hands quite dirty from handling it. Now that I have Pam and Rachel working okay, I need to get this team harness up and functional. I decided that I am going to clean it very thoroughly by taking it completely apart, cleaning the hardware, and cleaning the leather.
Today I broke the harnesses down. I unhooked all the harness pieces that were hooked with conways, and I unhooked the tugs from the hames. So now everything is separate.
THE HAMES: I unhooked everything possible from the hames. I even took a drill bit, and drilled out the rivets that were holding pieces of leather that were between the tugs and the horse's shoulder. After that I took a wire brush to all of the loose paint. I also wire brushed around each part that sticks out from the hame. I wanted to remove all debris, so that I can repaint them. I am going to tape all the rings and brass balls, and apply a fresh coat of black rustoleum paint. I'm still torn between flat black, or shiny black. Since this is going to be a set of work harnesses, and not fancy parade harnesses, I may just go with flat.
The hames are in really good shape. They didn't take too much to get ready.
TUG HARDWARE: The hardware that held the tugs to the hames is really rusted. They used to be painted, but a lot of use has worn them a bit. I decided that I was going to wire brush each part, including the spacers and bolts. The picture to the right is half-way through that process. The parts on the left are done, the parts on the right are not done. Of the parts not done, the top one shows the side that was on the outside, and the bottom shows the side that was right against the leather. The top one is not black, it is rusted. The picture isn't very clear.
After I finished up with those parts, I decided to keep going and wire brushed all the conways and the snaps that were on the hold back straps. It was really nice to get all these pieces done.
And ... the results for the night. Most the hardware has been brushed and is shiny. The picture below shows it. (I should note that the yellow hue in the pictures is from my energy efficient work lights. They sure don't help with pictures.)
As I get ready to work the leather, I have a lot of questions and need to research this more. It seems everyone has their own idea for the best way to clean up leather. I feel like I should wash each piece with soapy water to clean it, but I know that will make the leather dry out when the wet leather dries. I have a bar of saddle soap, and wanted to use that, but it seems to me that the leather is way to dirty to just do that. The only think that I think I'm sure of is that I'll be using neetsfoot oil after it is all clean. If anyone has any tips on this, please let me know. I'm not much of a leather pro, and I'd hate for my ignorance to do something detrimental to these harnesses.
I wish I had a before picture of the harnesses, but I don't have one. The leather is very soft and pliable. There are no stress cracks, and the only problem with the harness is that it is very dirty. The brass buckles have a lot of green build up, and the leather itself will get your hands quite dirty from handling it. Now that I have Pam and Rachel working okay, I need to get this team harness up and functional. I decided that I am going to clean it very thoroughly by taking it completely apart, cleaning the hardware, and cleaning the leather.
Today I broke the harnesses down. I unhooked all the harness pieces that were hooked with conways, and I unhooked the tugs from the hames. So now everything is separate.
This is the spieders and backsaddles broken down.
This is the cruppers, belly bands, holdback straps, Brichons, and tug holders.
These are the tugs, and the bridles are in the back.
THE HAMES: I unhooked everything possible from the hames. I even took a drill bit, and drilled out the rivets that were holding pieces of leather that were between the tugs and the horse's shoulder. After that I took a wire brush to all of the loose paint. I also wire brushed around each part that sticks out from the hame. I wanted to remove all debris, so that I can repaint them. I am going to tape all the rings and brass balls, and apply a fresh coat of black rustoleum paint. I'm still torn between flat black, or shiny black. Since this is going to be a set of work harnesses, and not fancy parade harnesses, I may just go with flat.
The hames are in really good shape. They didn't take too much to get ready.
After I finished up with those parts, I decided to keep going and wire brushed all the conways and the snaps that were on the hold back straps. It was really nice to get all these pieces done.
And ... the results for the night. Most the hardware has been brushed and is shiny. The picture below shows it. (I should note that the yellow hue in the pictures is from my energy efficient work lights. They sure don't help with pictures.)
As I get ready to work the leather, I have a lot of questions and need to research this more. It seems everyone has their own idea for the best way to clean up leather. I feel like I should wash each piece with soapy water to clean it, but I know that will make the leather dry out when the wet leather dries. I have a bar of saddle soap, and wanted to use that, but it seems to me that the leather is way to dirty to just do that. The only think that I think I'm sure of is that I'll be using neetsfoot oil after it is all clean. If anyone has any tips on this, please let me know. I'm not much of a leather pro, and I'd hate for my ignorance to do something detrimental to these harnesses.
Friday, March 19, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and the Awesome!
The Good:
I harnessed up Rachel today, and drug an old tractor tire behind her. This is the setup I use to make sure a horse knows how to move with weight on the tugs (including turning circles wide enough and not stepping over the tugs with her rear feet).
Rachel did awesome. She is such a pro. She responded to everything I asked her to do. I even had her come around 180 degrees with the tire staying in place ( with me holding the chain up and tension on it) and she did it.
After dragging the tire around for quite a bit, I took her back up to the house and tied her for a nice break
The Bad:
No picture for this one. After tieing Rachel, I saddled up Pam, and went for a ride. Pam was doing pretty well. She's still very green, and sometimes I have to use a lot of pressure to keep her head where I want it. I'm thinking about changing her to a liverpool bit instead of the snaffle so I can get more bite on the bit.
We rode for at least 30 minutes, and then, out of the blue, for no reason that I know of, it happened. Rachel suddenly decided to trot. I have stopped her plenty and she's always done just fine. Well when she started to trot, and I put on the brakes, Pam decided that she was going to override the brakes.
She sucked her chin to her chest and lept out into full on bucking. Both rear legs were kicking out. She headed in a straight line just bucking as she went. Thank goodness for my australian saddle (love those wings!) and a mind that stays cool under pressure. Even though she was bucking I kept talking calmly and trying to encourage her to stop. After 100 yards of bucking (it seemed like an eternity) she finally started trotting, and then walked. She then stopped for me and was fine. I pet her really good on her shoulders for stopping and I tried to keep composed with all the adrenaline that was surging through my body. I kept thinking that it couldn't end like that, so I did a few more laps with her, and then we called it a day. I took all the tack off her, and put her away. My legs were still shaking as I walked. I haven't checked, but I'm sure I left a crease in the center of the saddle. :)
The Awesome:
I chilled out for a few minutes, and then decided that since Rachel did so well at pulling the tire, I should really test her. I would've loved to have tried her on a training cart, but since I don't have one, I used what I have. :)
Rachel is SOOOO awesome! She did an incredible job. She was pretty tired, so I didn't do too much with her. I went for a few quick laps, and then my wife and son hopped on and we went for a wagon ride. We just kept it short and went around our whole pasture. Rachel responded awesomely, and even backed the wagon up for me at the end so I could put it away. She's amazing.
After such a great day, I brushed her out good, and gave her a more than healthy serving of her food. I also decided that the girls earned a day in the pasture, so I turned them both out to eat the green grass that is growing right now. They were in heaven.
I Love my horses! They are incredible. What an awesome day!
Rachel did awesome. She is such a pro. She responded to everything I asked her to do. I even had her come around 180 degrees with the tire staying in place ( with me holding the chain up and tension on it) and she did it.
After dragging the tire around for quite a bit, I took her back up to the house and tied her for a nice break
The Bad:
No picture for this one. After tieing Rachel, I saddled up Pam, and went for a ride. Pam was doing pretty well. She's still very green, and sometimes I have to use a lot of pressure to keep her head where I want it. I'm thinking about changing her to a liverpool bit instead of the snaffle so I can get more bite on the bit.
We rode for at least 30 minutes, and then, out of the blue, for no reason that I know of, it happened. Rachel suddenly decided to trot. I have stopped her plenty and she's always done just fine. Well when she started to trot, and I put on the brakes, Pam decided that she was going to override the brakes.
She sucked her chin to her chest and lept out into full on bucking. Both rear legs were kicking out. She headed in a straight line just bucking as she went. Thank goodness for my australian saddle (love those wings!) and a mind that stays cool under pressure. Even though she was bucking I kept talking calmly and trying to encourage her to stop. After 100 yards of bucking (it seemed like an eternity) she finally started trotting, and then walked. She then stopped for me and was fine. I pet her really good on her shoulders for stopping and I tried to keep composed with all the adrenaline that was surging through my body. I kept thinking that it couldn't end like that, so I did a few more laps with her, and then we called it a day. I took all the tack off her, and put her away. My legs were still shaking as I walked. I haven't checked, but I'm sure I left a crease in the center of the saddle. :)
The Awesome:
I chilled out for a few minutes, and then decided that since Rachel did so well at pulling the tire, I should really test her. I would've loved to have tried her on a training cart, but since I don't have one, I used what I have. :)
Rachel is SOOOO awesome! She did an incredible job. She was pretty tired, so I didn't do too much with her. I went for a few quick laps, and then my wife and son hopped on and we went for a wagon ride. We just kept it short and went around our whole pasture. Rachel responded awesomely, and even backed the wagon up for me at the end so I could put it away. She's amazing.
After such a great day, I brushed her out good, and gave her a more than healthy serving of her food. I also decided that the girls earned a day in the pasture, so I turned them both out to eat the green grass that is growing right now. They were in heaven.
I Love my horses! They are incredible. What an awesome day!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Rachel Drives!!!
This afternoon was awesome! I got home with plenty of time to kill, and decided that I would work the horses. Rachel needs to gain a bit of muscle, and I want to see what she remembers from her old hitch training, so it seemed logical that ground driving her was the best thing to do. So that is just what I did.
She harnessed up with no problem, and even let me slide the collar over her head instead of unhooking the clasp. I was very happy about that. When the lines got hooked up to the bit, she started getting a bit antsy. She wanted to start walking off, but the lead rope was keeping her in place. Once I was ready, I unhooked her lead rope, walked behind her, and we were off.
When I told her to "Step up", she sprung into a canter. Her feet were lifting well, and I jogged behind her keeping the tension on the lines. She responded VERY lightly to the lines. I was really excited about this.
I walked her in a few circles, and then stopped her. She really struggled at standing still. She kept throwing her head, and wanting to get moving again.
After 15 minutes, she settled in nicely, and I was just enjoying myself driving her. She was incredibley responsive. The slightest pressure on either line would get her to move, and towards the end of our session, she was stopping on the whoa command before I really put any pressure on the lines.
Like Lily, Rachel had someone who loved her enough to put some time into her training. She seemed to remember what to do, and after 40 minutes of driving, she was acting like a pro. Thanks so much to whoever trained her!
I wore her out after 45 minutes of driving. Her head was getting pretty low towards the end (which is when my wife took the pictures). This was a great day! Rachel got a good work out, and I got to see her perform in harness.
This really exctied me, because I had counted myself out this year for all the major parades. I'm almost thinking that I may not be down for as long as I thought.
Up next, drive her while dragging the tractor tire behind her. Once I'm comfortable with her doing that, then I'll head to my friend Rogers, and make use of his 2 wheeled training cart. If that goes well, I'll have to dust off my wagon, and get working her with a real wagon.
Great times here! I've got a great team, and they are coming along nicely. I can't be more satisfied right now!!
She harnessed up with no problem, and even let me slide the collar over her head instead of unhooking the clasp. I was very happy about that. When the lines got hooked up to the bit, she started getting a bit antsy. She wanted to start walking off, but the lead rope was keeping her in place. Once I was ready, I unhooked her lead rope, walked behind her, and we were off.
I walked her in a few circles, and then stopped her. She really struggled at standing still. She kept throwing her head, and wanting to get moving again.
After 15 minutes, she settled in nicely, and I was just enjoying myself driving her. She was incredibley responsive. The slightest pressure on either line would get her to move, and towards the end of our session, she was stopping on the whoa command before I really put any pressure on the lines.
Like Lily, Rachel had someone who loved her enough to put some time into her training. She seemed to remember what to do, and after 40 minutes of driving, she was acting like a pro. Thanks so much to whoever trained her!
I wore her out after 45 minutes of driving. Her head was getting pretty low towards the end (which is when my wife took the pictures). This was a great day! Rachel got a good work out, and I got to see her perform in harness.
Up next, drive her while dragging the tractor tire behind her. Once I'm comfortable with her doing that, then I'll head to my friend Rogers, and make use of his 2 wheeled training cart. If that goes well, I'll have to dust off my wagon, and get working her with a real wagon.
Great times here! I've got a great team, and they are coming along nicely. I can't be more satisfied right now!!
Playing with Rachel's baby
Last night I spent some more time with Rachel. I really really like this mare. The more I get to know her, the more she impresses me. As I walked into her stall, she gently walked over to me and lowered her head right to the perfect height for me to put on her halter. It was awesome. I've never had a horse that would do that before. I've had them stand still, but never lower their head to make life easy.
I brushed Rachel out real good, and the wife and I were assessing Rachel's pregnancy. I've had my doubts lately about how soon Rachel is going to foal, and so I had my wife (who is a vet tech for a small animal clinic in town) out to help me in assessing the situation. As I brushed her all over, I noticed a bit of movement on Rachel’s right side, in the soft area between her ribs and her rear leg. I put my hand there, and there was distinct movement, that I could not dismiss as gas or normal digestive movement. My wife and I both held our hands on this area and felt the baby moving around. It was really cool! I started pressing in on that area, and the little foal seemed to push back. I pressed again and the area didn't budge at all, as if trying to resist my pushing. Then suddenly the foal moved and disappeared completely from that spot. A few seconds later the movement came back to that area.
So Rachel is bred. I have no idea when to expect the baby. She isn't bagging at all, but I've read and heard that that isn't necessary a guarantee that she won't foal soon. I guess only time will tell. In the meantime, I'll just keep working her and getting her in shape.
One other cool thing to note today is the change in Pam. Pam used to be this normal horse, who liked other horses and didn't want any human interaction at all. Well last night as we were focusing so much time and attention on Rachel, Pam was right there, longing for attention. If we came within her heads reach of the fence line, she would reach out and gently nuzzle us. She seems to love the affection that comes from humans now. It's awesome to see this horse transform like this. I even caught a glimpse of her nuzzling Rachel. These two girls are kept in different stalls, but I think they are already pretty good friends. It's awesome to have 2 sweet girls like I have. How did I get so lucky?
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Rachel In Harness
Well, today was an amazingly beautiful day. On days like today, I can't help but work the horses! (especially after all the rain and mud we've had this year).
So today, Pam and I did our thing. She once again let me lift her feet and clean them out without the use of the rope I've been using for training. She did awesome. I was going to saddle her up and ride, but I have some plans for later, and I decided that I wanted to spend more time with Rachel today. So Pam got put away, but she wasn't sad at all, cuz we had a whole bag of apples that were on the downhill side of their life. Rachel didn't want any, so Pam got all of them. She was very very happy about that.
So Rachel got some real nice one on one time. I really like her!! She is so easy to work, and so laid back. She is a lot like Lily in that I can do anything to her without her even caring. She even surpasses Lily in that she will let me also mess with her ears and mouth (Lily was protective of those areas). Rachel is filling out nicely, and I think I've been able to give her more nutrients than her baby is taking. She isn't bagging yet, so I'm not expecting a baby anytime soon.
After all the brushing, I decided to put the harness on her and see how she took to it. I decided to put the bridle on first, since I was pretty sure she was going to need to get use to the straight liverpool bit that I use. It took some work to get her to take the bit, but we got there. I then let her stand for 15 minutes while she kept shaking her head trying to get the halter off. She didn't complain at all about the rest of the harness. She stood like a lady (aside from the occasional head shake) and let me adjust everything to her.
After that, I spend 30 minutes just walking her around my property. She didn't react at all to all the metal parts moving and clanging together. I decided to keep todays lesson simple, and end it at that. Maybe next time I'll hook the lines up and work on ground driving her.
I did stop for a second, and ran in the house and got a camera. So here she is. Rachel in harness.
So today, Pam and I did our thing. She once again let me lift her feet and clean them out without the use of the rope I've been using for training. She did awesome. I was going to saddle her up and ride, but I have some plans for later, and I decided that I wanted to spend more time with Rachel today. So Pam got put away, but she wasn't sad at all, cuz we had a whole bag of apples that were on the downhill side of their life. Rachel didn't want any, so Pam got all of them. She was very very happy about that.
So Rachel got some real nice one on one time. I really like her!! She is so easy to work, and so laid back. She is a lot like Lily in that I can do anything to her without her even caring. She even surpasses Lily in that she will let me also mess with her ears and mouth (Lily was protective of those areas). Rachel is filling out nicely, and I think I've been able to give her more nutrients than her baby is taking. She isn't bagging yet, so I'm not expecting a baby anytime soon.
After all the brushing, I decided to put the harness on her and see how she took to it. I decided to put the bridle on first, since I was pretty sure she was going to need to get use to the straight liverpool bit that I use. It took some work to get her to take the bit, but we got there. I then let her stand for 15 minutes while she kept shaking her head trying to get the halter off. She didn't complain at all about the rest of the harness. She stood like a lady (aside from the occasional head shake) and let me adjust everything to her.
After that, I spend 30 minutes just walking her around my property. She didn't react at all to all the metal parts moving and clanging together. I decided to keep todays lesson simple, and end it at that. Maybe next time I'll hook the lines up and work on ground driving her.
I did stop for a second, and ran in the house and got a camera. So here she is. Rachel in harness.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Introducing ... Rachel.
Introducing the newest member of the 3A Ranch. This is Rachel. I got her from a friend who has a private rescue organization here in greenville, tx. (http://www.wrights3wranch.com)
Rachel is really sweet natured with me, and reminds me a lot of Lily. She walked right up to me to put the halter on, and then she trailered without a problem. Once I got her home, she had to stand tied for 1 1/2 hours while I got her stall (which will also be a foaling stall) ready. To my surprise, she stood like a perfect lady. No pawing or other bad habits or anxieties were shown. I was very impressed with her. I was told that she was green broke on hitch a few years ago, so I'll have to see what she remembers.
Besides being totally happy with how awesome Rachel is, I saw these two girls together, and realized what a close match they are. Rachel is a bit taller than Pam, and Pam is wider than Rachel. But they look pretty close to each other in size. Looking at those two together got me real excited about the team in the making I have. It's gonna take a lot of work to get there, but I'm excited to do it. I think Rachel is going to fit in real nicely here at the ranch.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Gordyville USA
Last week I went to The Mid-American draft horse sale in Gifford Illinois (aka Gordyville). My friend Pat called and asked me if I wanted to attend with him. Upon learning more, I found out that this sale is pretty much the best of the best in Percherons and Belgians. I was excited to go and see what the best horses look like. I pulled some strings, got work off, and went up with my friend Pat.
Pat and I left Wednesday morning at around 9AM. It was a 12 hour drive to get there. Much of this was new terrain for me to cover. We headed east through Texarkana and then on up to Little Rock Arkansas. From there we continued up into Missouri and then into Illinois. The highlight of the drive up was crossing the mighty Mississippi river. I have never seen it before, and it truly is marvelous. I had no idea that it was as wide as it is. It was awesome to see.
I absolutely love road trips. There’s something awesome about seeing this great land with your own eyes. Cruise control set 5 over the limit, sunflower seeds, and Dr. pepper make for good driving. The hours passed quickly and eventually we arrived at the hotel, and hit the sack. Sleep came easy after spending the entire day on the road.
The next day we got prepared for the day at the sale. The temps were in the teens outside. The sun was out, but I had forgotten what an icy wind really felt like. Texas sure has spoiled me.
The sale was in a giant indoor building. The layout consisted of stalls up and down both sides of the building. The center portion was divided in half. The front half was arranged with bleachers and this is where the auction would take place. The second half was the hitching area. This is where horses were hitched to wagons either single or as a team so that potential bidders could see them work. There was also a second building that had some vendors and shops.
I was blown away with this experience. Pat and I began looking at the horses in the stalls, and looking in our sale guide to see the details on each horse. Pat is amazing at knowing bloodlines. Walking around with him was a very educational thing for me. Pat knew which sires were good, and what they were good for. He also knew which mares were good. It was awesome to hear him talk about all this stuff. It was completely new to me, so it was like drinking from a fire hose at first. J
When I saw my first Belgian worked in the hitching area, I was floored. This was the first time I had ever seen the high stepping action that the high dollar horses do. It was so cool looking. Basically, the front hooves, come all the way up to their shoulders when they trot if the horse does it right. VERY PRETTY! Both Percherons and Belgians are desired to do this.
In order to make this somewhat shorter, I’m going to give some bullets and put my thoughts on it. I could probably write a novel with how much I observed and learned.
· The Amish: This was the first time I’ve ever seen the Amish people. This sale was about 90% Amish, so it was definitely out of the norm for me. If I had to stereotype, I would say that they are a short, healthy group. It didn’t look like many of the men were even 6 foot tall. What they lacked in height, they made up for in other area’s though. I didn’t see a single overweight Amish person. They were all very fit, and very healthy. I would also have to say that these people are masters of horsemanship. Watching them work them was awesome. They make it look easy. The conversations I had with a few of them were very pleasant. I really enjoyed being exposed to them for the first time and seeing what wonderful people they are.
· The horses: It was amazing to see so many top notch horses in one place. All of these horses were amazing. The ones with the good leg action, size, and bloodlines went for a lot of money. (I saw a Percheron gelding go for 32K, and a Belgian mare go for 16.5K) It was interesting to see what traits were desirable and which were not. To my surprise, there were many there that were quite affordable. Some of the mares (which were better looking that most I’ve ever seen) went for a thousand dollars. That floored me. Most draft rescues I have seen, want 1500 or so for their horses, and then you might get a horse who is overcoming some health issue, with no papers, and only 30 days training. These horses at the sale were all extremely well trained, and had good papers to boot. I guess a person might get warm fuzzies from knowing they rescued a horse from somewhere, but I get warm fuzzies knowing I have a top notch mare that is trained and papered.
· America’s farmland: It was incredible to see the land in Illinois. Pat explained that all the farmland I saw was usually filled with corn in the normal season. The land stretched for miles and miles, and was dotted with farmhouses, and silo’s for storage. It was quite a sight. Pat also taught me about the history of farming in this region, and explained many of the outbuilding on each farm to me. It was very cool!
· A friends horse: My wonderful friend Pam had a horse that she bred selling at the sale. Pam was at the sale and I got to meet her for the first time ever. What a wonderful friend I found thanks to my yahoo horse group. This horse, Cassie, was 3-4 years old, and Pam sold her at 6 months old. The current owner had her trained amazing, and was selling her. I got to watch her pull a cart, and wow was she good. She had really good leg action, wonderful conformation, and a cute little white spot on her rear end. Pam was beaming with pride. It really says something about your breeding program when you have a horse that gets sold at Gordyville. This is not the kind of sale that average, non-papered horses go to. Cassie was superb and looked wonderful at the sale. Congrats Pam on helping to bring a wonderful mare into this world.
· Show me the money: One amazing thing I noticed, is the gap in pricing between Percherons and Belgians. Just looking at Geldings. The average price for a Percheron gelding at this sale was ~7000. Contrast that to a Belgian gelding that averaged at ~5000. Almost all the Percherons were pure black. I kind of got the feeling that if you want to be into draft horses for the money, Percherons is where the money is. LOL.
The sale was simply amazing and I would love to make it a habit to go there every year. It’s a lot of fun to see beautiful horses and hang out with wonderful horse owners. This trip was awesome and taught me a whole lot of stuff I didn’t know. Thanks for asking me to go Pat! I could not have had a better time with a better friend. Thank you so much!
I took some video clips at the sale. Sorry, no sound. Click the link to see the video.
A short clip of Cassie hitched to a cart
A long clip of Cassie hitched to a cart
A clip of Cassie being sold at the auction
The sale was simply amazing and I would love to make it a habit to go there every year. It’s a lot of fun to see beautiful horses and hang out with wonderful horse owners. This trip was awesome and taught me a whole lot of stuff I didn’t know. Thanks for asking me to go Pat! I could not have had a better time with a better friend. Thank you so much!
I took some video clips at the sale. Sorry, no sound. Click the link to see the video.
A short clip of Cassie hitched to a cart
A long clip of Cassie hitched to a cart
A clip of Cassie being sold at the auction
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