Tractor Pull

Last Sunday was one of the most fun days I've had with my team all year.  We had just barely gotten home from scout camp, so we were a bit worn out, but the events that unfolded that day are the kind of thing that just make a teamster smile.

The  North Texas Antique Tractor and Engine Club was hosting a big event on Saturday and Sunday.  Due to scout camp, I could not make it Saturday, but they wanted me to come down on Sunday.  I got contacted by them thanks to my good friend Bev McGowan of the Double M Warhorse Ranch in Terrell, TX.  The club was looking for a team of horses to do some pulling, and Bev referred them to me.

I was under the impression that I was going to be pulling some type of antique farm equipment, similar to what I did at the Paris TX Antique Tractor Show.  Little did I know the fun that waited.

I arrived at 10:45.  Tractor Supply had provided a round pen, and Bev was there with 2 of her Clydesdale mares.  People were coming over and petting them and the kids especially were in heaven.  I got Rachael and Pam unloaded, brushed and prettied up, and they soon had a stall up front.  People started coming by, and I loved watching the reaction people had when they realized how gentle and kind these huge horses are.  One older gentleman kept coming back and was really enjoying Rachael.  I took pictures for him with him and Rachael nose to nose.

Rachael and Pam enjoyed a nice shady pen with hay and water.

The tractor club president came over, thanked me for coming, and said that I'd be pulling a sled at 1PM.  I was thinking a sled like my training sled I use.  I then found out that there were going to be quite a few people there to watch me.  At the time I didn't understand why people would be lining up to watch me pull a sled, but I came here for the club, so I was going to do what they wanted.

Rachael and Pam, getting fly spray.  Bev's Clydes are in the background.

At noon I started harnessing the girls up.  They looked gorgeous.  Soon after we started driving to where the sled was located.  It was on the far side of the event, and I hadn't seen it  yet.  While driving the girls over there, I actually let my son take a turn at the lines.  He ground drove the girls really well.  I really enjoy sharing this hobby of mine with him.  He seems to enjoy it too.


When I turned the corner, I couldn't believe my eyes.  There in front of me, was someone hosing down a long dirt path.  At the end of it, was a big tractor pull sled.  I'd only ever seen them on TV.  It was the kind with wheels on the back, and as the wheels turn, weight slides forward, putting more weight on the nose of the sled and thus making it a harder pull.  THIS was the sled I was going to pull.  I drove the girls over, and tied them, and began talking with the man in charge.

I can't say enough about that  "hook the tugs together" trick.  :)  Thanks Pat!!!

Apparently the tractors had all pulled the day before, and on this day, they wanted to see what a team of draft horses could do.  He asked me how much weight my girls could pull, and I told him that I honestly did not know.  I'd never done anything to test them like this.  I was grinning ear to ear.  This was going to be a new adventure, and I was loving it.  There were bleachers set up, and I estimate that around 100 people were there.  We started working out how we were going to hook the horses up to the sled.  Luckily I brought my double tree, and the tractor club had a clevis big enough to hook up to it.  While the tree was getting attached, an announcer started talking, and he came over and had me talk about my team.  I gave the crowd a brief run-down on their breed, age, weight, and how long I'd been working them.  They were very curious and asked me lots of good questions.  Soon though, the double tree was secure, and we were ready for the horses.

This is the sled we pulled.  Very cool!

Setting up the double tree and figure out how to hook it up.

At this point the guys in charge came over and were discussing what gear to put the sled in.  At first, they wanted to put it in first gear (the easiest) and then if we did that well, we'd move up to the 2nd gear.  Another guy had an opinion that he just wanted to start in 2nd gear, and so that's what we ended up doing.

Talking with the guys in charge about how to do things.

This is where I brag on my horses.  :)  I grabbed the lines, and drove the girls up into position.  They were stepping perfectly.  I backed them up to the tree, and they were so light on their feet and easy.  If I asked for one more step, they gave it and only the one step.  They were calm, relaxed, and no excited at all.  When I said to stand, they did, and it was awesome!  When you have a team like that, it makes them look fabulous, and makes the teamster look pretty good too.

Walking up into position

Hitching up

Stepping forward to get the slack out of the cables

Once hooked up, I eased them a few steps forward to get the slack out of the cables hooking us to the tractor pull sled.  Then I threw the lines over my shoulder, and asked the girls to step up.  And step up they did.  We were off!  The girls were pulling real nice ... until!!!  Remember how I said someone was hosing down the track?  Well ... hosing a track down does not work well for horses.  The girls hit that spot, and lost their footing.  Since only the first inch or so of ground was wet, their feet were sliding all over.  I stopped the girls, and they stood perfectly.  Calm and quietly.  Such good horses!

Here they are stepping out.  A few steps more and they hit the mud.

Stopped after losing footing in the mud.

At this point the main tractor pull guy proposed a new idea to me.  He said that he would move the sled 5 feet to the side, so that it was on the grass.  This way the horses would have traction the entire length of the pull.  So they pulled the sled back into position, and I drove the girls back around to hook up for our second attempt.  Once again, as the pictures prove ... the girls were perfect!

Hitching up for our second attempt

Once again, we stepped off.  This time we were in 1st gear, and the horses had no problems with 1st gear.  They pulled the sled the entire length of the track, and we stopped.  At this point, the coolest thing happened.  I heard the roar of the crowd.  They cheered loud.  I've never heard that before and it was actually pretty cool.  I turned and looked, and the crowd was smiling and clapping.  It was great.

Stopped after pulling the full length of the track.

Since we aced the 1st gear, we reset, and attempted our third pull.  This would be in the sled's 2nd gear.  We got hitched up, and off we went.  It was awesome to watch the girls pull for me.  The load got heavier and heavier, and the girls were doing awesome at working together to bear it.  They gave it their all, and they eventually slowed and slowed until they were done.  Once done, they stood perfectly and waited for further instruction from me.

Hitching up for our 3rd and final attempt

The crowd cheered loud for them, and I get the feeling they kind of knew they'd impressed some people.  The judge came up and told me that we pulled 104 feet.  He then informed me that we out pulled a number of tractors from the previous day.  I was grinning ear to ear.  My team had out pulled some of the very tractors that were created to replace them.  I was content and very satisfied.

After this, I let my son ground drive the girls back to the pens, and they stood wonderfully while snacking on some delicious alfalfa cubes.  People started walking over again and telling the girls how good they did.

It was a wonderful day!  I had a great time.  It was a nice relaxing day with the horses.  Much needed after the previous 3 days of pulling a wagon all day long.

I should also brag on my pal Bev.  She made me some business cards.  I was so flattered.  They have the picture of me with her black and white Clydesdale.  They call me "The Green Teamster - Training Hitch Horses"  They had all my contact info and the address to this blog.  It was kind of cool.  They came in handy too, because people were asking how to get in touch with me, and it was very convenient to hand them a card.  I wouldn't call myself a hitch horse trainer, but I am very flattered that Bev thinks so highly of me.  Thanks BEV!!!!

Teaching the Boy Scouts

I had an awesome opportunity last week.  I went camping with Boy Scouts from wednesday till saturday.  This was not just any scout camp, this was a "High Adventure" camp.  What this means, is that it's only for boys age 14-18 and they get to do lots of really fun stuff that is more dangerous then just earning a merit badge.  They had shotgun shooting, mountain biking, canoeing/kayaking, matchless firestarting, orienteering, and horses.  Typically the horse group would just be horse riding, but not when my good friend Chuck Whitlock is in charge.  The camp took place on an actual working ranch, and the horse area was located at the calf working area.  We happily made use of the shade the big pole barn type enclosure gave, and all the traps around it came in handy for keeping the horses and the calves happy as can be.

Rachael and Pam hooked to my forecart.

Chuck is as good a man as they come.  He has taught me a lot about being a teamster in the short time I've been doing it.  He contacted me six months back, and asked if I would be willing to take part in this scout camp.  He decided that he wanted to do things that these boys will probably never do again.  What he came up with, was to have 2 mini-events.  The first, was me, teaching the boys how to drive, and then using my horses and actually letting the boys drive horses.  The second event was roping, with the finale of the fun being that the boys would get to try roping a real calf.

The roping area.  Roping dummies, and a simulator too.

I decided that I was going to bring my 3 belgians down on the trip, and that I was going to use my wagon and just load up all the boys, and swap them out every so often once on the trail.  I got some great insight into this from a great yahoo group I belong to.  I was going to use Pam and Rachael for the boys to drive, and then use Nellie as a model of the Belgian breed.

Nellie tied in the round pen getting attention from a boy scout.

We were set up very nice.  We had a nice round pen that I kept the horses tied in when they were on break from the wagon.  The place had running water and power.  We were very comfortable.

So here's how my agenda for each group went.

1. The Belgian Horse.  I gave the boys the history of the horse and how the breed came to be.  I also used Nellie as a model to point out the characteristics of a Belgian.
2. Harness.  I used Pam or Rachael as a model for this part.  I introduced the boys to all the major components in a harness, and explained what the various parts did.  I applied the KISS (keep it simple stupid!) theory, and so mostly I just taught them about gas(collar/hame/tugs), brake(breast strap/quarter straps/breeching), and steering(bridle/lines).
3. Steering - bit pressure and line pressure.  To introduce the boys to how a horse is driven and controlled, I played a game with them.  I had extra bits, and rope tied to both sides.  I made the boys pair up, and one boy held the bit in front of him in his hands, while the other was behind him, essentially driving him.  I gave the boys with the bits strict instruction not to move if they didn't feel the proper communication throught he bit.  It was cool to watch the boys figure out how steering a horse worked.  I also taught them driving commands during this.  The boys learned "Step Up, Woah, Back, Gee, and Haw".
4. Wagon Driving.  The entire group loaded up on my wagon, and I drove them out to an empty pasture.  I then let them take turns driving in the pasture.  I gave them directions as to where I wanted them to go so that they really had to make the horses listen.  The last boy would drive most the way back, then I would take over and bring us back in.

The boy in front holds the bit, the boy behind practices his line tension.

Rachael and Pam waiting for the next wagon ride.

We did 6 groups a day, for 3 days.  I estimate the girls were under wagon about 40 minutes every hour and a half.  They got worked well.  It was hot as could be, so I was giving them electrolytes with their grain.

A beautiful open field for driving.  One of the scouts is driving here.

A happy bunch of guys!

It went so well, and I got to see the seeds being planted in a few future teamsters.  Most of the kids thought it was cool, and had a good time.  But there were a handful that just got it.  They caught the fire, and loved it.  It also happened that the boys that got it, were the ones that did the best when driving the horses.  They had the touch ... that instinct to communicate well with the horses through the lines.  It was a great thing to be a part of.

Working Rosie: feeling a bit defeated

Tonight I had the evening in front of me with plenty of daylight left.  It was 95 degrees, but cooling down.  Sounds perfect for another training session with Rosie.  That is about the most upbeat I may sound about the night.  I'm feeling a bit defeated.

She was easy to halter, and walked willingly out with me.  Then we did some ground work.  Disengage the rear end, check; flex the neck, no problem; lunge either way, you got it.  She did everything with ease for me.  I was getting pretty excited, thinking that we'd maybe come to an understanding.

I had her harnessed without a problem.  Things were going great.

Looking good in the harness

The plan for tonight was simple.  I was going to just ground drive her alone.  If things progressed well, I figured I might try hooking up a single tree and dragging a tire, but overall, I wanted to see her ground drive and acknowledge my commands.  I replaced her bit with one of my liverpool bits, and I put my lines in the furthest hole away from the bit.  If she decided to do her own thing tonight, it was not going to be easy.

We started off okay.  She stepped off just fine.  But when she felt the bit tension in her mouth, she immediately started getting nervous.  I told her woah, and she stopped really well.  I was praising her and letting her know how well she was doing.  Also, tonight I was pretty mild spoken with her.  I was purposely talking with a firm but calm voice to try and help her succeed.

That first drive away from the house was the best driving she did.  After that, she refused to do it again.  She would not step forward, and instead kept trying to spin her butt around to look at me or the other horses.  The liverpool bit did great at helping me keep her head where I wanted it, but she would still throw her body all the way around.  I've never seen a horse do this.  She nearly fell over 2 times from her twisting her body without moving her head.  When she would stop, I would make sure to emphasize the woah command, and then praise her for standing still.

How I have taught to step forward for all 4 of my horses in the past was to give the command, and constantly put pressure on the butt, until they step forward, then I stop the pressure.  Rosie would not learn this.  I was smacking her on the but and instead of going forward away from it, she would twist and keep backing.  There were a few times where she did step forward, just a step.  I quickly let off the pressure, and praised her.  She could not make the connection though.  Sooo frustrating.  She finally refused to move at all.  I sat there tapping her butt constantly for 10 minutes and she refused to budge, even when I got harsher and harsher. 

At this point, I decided that if she wasn't going to even try to drive for me, that she was getting a work out a different way.  I wrapped the lines around the hame balls, and led her with the lead line.  We did tight circles both left and right for 30+ minutes straight with no breaks.  round and round and round we went.  After 30 minutes she was almost walking drunk, so I decided it was break time.  I tied her to the telephone pole at this point, and she was soaked.

A tired sweaty mess

At this point, I gave her a 15 minute break.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Either she is completely stubborn and masks it well (I did not get the vibe from her tonight that she was being head strong, I got the clueless vibe from her), or she is all beauty and no brains.  I called a friend and rattled off the events to see what she thought.  One idea she had was to give her a break, and then try again.  Now that she'd really worked hard, give her the chance to do what I wanted.  I decided that was a good idea.  I first offered her some water, but she declined the offer.

I led her away from the other horses, facing away from them, and stood behind her.  "Rosie, Step Up" I said, and followed it with clicks.  She instantly tried to turn and face me.  I held her head and tapped her butt, but she would not stop backing and turning.  Round and round and round and down she went.  I could not let her back, because my feed shed was nearby, so I tried to keep her head facing the way I wanted.  She kept twisting her rear end around till she fell down.  I was in awe.  I have never ever seen this happen before.  I have never had a horse that could not make the connection that when they step forward, the pressure stops and the praising starts.  She then laid there, not moving.  She looked defeated, and made me feel like I'm abusing her or something.  I pulled out my phone and snapped this picture.

And down she went

At this point, I kind of gave up.  The only thing I can think to help teach her how to step off, is to have me with the lines behind her, and someone else leading her at the same time.  She leads perfect, she lunges perfect, yet she cannot make the connection that the same command I use in lunging and leading means to step off here.  Like I said, either she is really dumb, or she is a stubborn horse that masks it well.

At this point I pulled on the lead line, and she stood up.  I then did 5 minutes of easy leading and tied her.  (wanted to end on some kind of a good note).  I unhitched her, and spend a good 15 minutes brushing her, grooming her, and just loving on her.  She stood perfectly, and seemed to enjoy the attention.

All done, and looking pretty

So here I am.  I don't know what to do now.  I'm feeling very defeated, and am scared that somehow, unbeknown to me, I'm ruining this horse.  I talked to her owners last night, and 2 years ago she was at a TDHMA event and Bob Lewis was praising this horse and her sister as great hitch horses.  2 years later, and I'm seeing this.  I'm really feeling like this horse needs more than I can offer.  I'm really at a loss.  I guess it's just time to talk to others I know and trust and see what more I can do.  I really hate this feeling.

Working Rosie: My first run-away

Last night I decided to work Rosie alone.  I decided that I was going to do some ground work with her, and go from there.

I started with just some basic desensitizing stuff (whipping the end of the long lead line all over her lightly).  She did perfect with this.  Then I flexed her neck a bit and she gave to me very easily.  I worked with her on disengaging her rear end, and she did well with that.  Then I lunged her.  She didn't know what I was doing, but she picked up quick on what I wanted.  I should note that I don't have a round pen, so when I lunge, it's out in the open.  I'm really REALLY going to appreciate a round pen when I get one.  ;)  But she did wonderful and I was impressed by how smart she was at figuring out what I wanted of her.  She moved well and I had her trotting around me in no time.  She also stopped very well for this too.  I did this for about 30 minutes (seemed like forever), and she did so well I figured that we'd do some harness work.

When I started leading Rosie to the spot where I tie them, I could feel her resisting.  She would stop, but give in to pressure on the lead line within a second.  I tied her, then I went and got Rachael, my best trained mare and brought her up.

I harnessed the horses, and Rosie actually stood very well for it.  I was impressed.  She wasn't trying to get away or anything.  Things were looking good.  I hooked them together with a yoke, and hooked their butts together, and had the lines on them.  All was going perfect.

We started ground driving next.  Going forward was great.  The first time I said whoa and stopped, Rosie threw it into reverse.  Rachael stayed put, and so Rosie couldn't get far.  It took me a good minute to get her to stand still though.  Once I got her to stop, I sat there, praising her, making sure she knew what Woah meant.  Then we stepped off again and she did perfectly.  We stopped again 100 feet later, and the same thing, but this time she only tried to go backwards for a few seconds before she stopped.  Progress!

We drove out 1/2 mile away from the house in the pasture, and by the time we got 1/2 mile away, she was stopping really well with Rachael.  I was grinning, and all was well.  This is what it's supposed to be like.

THEN ... we turned around to head back.  Rosie knows the pasture, and when we turned around, she knew we were headed back.  She decided that she wanted to trot.  I kept the lines tight, and successfully got her to walk with Rachael.  Then we tried to stop again.  Nope, not happening.  She would not stand still.  It seemed that she had 2 gears, forward and reverse.  When I said woah, reverse kicked in.  This kept me busy on my feet keeping behind the horses who were turning circles because Rosie would not stop walking backwards.  And I have to praise Rachael here for doing what I asked.  She stood her ground as best she could.

I was in a vicious cycle, because I would smack her on the butt to stop her from going backwards, and then she'd start to trot forward.  Then she'd feel the bit tighten up and I'd say woah, and she'd hit reverse again.  I finally decided I just needed to walk them back to the house.  Walk would have been what I wanted, but Rosie was too amped to get back to the house.  She was trying her best to trot.  I kept pressure on the lines, and Rachael was walking for me, but it was a struggle.  Then we turned the corner and the other horses were in sight.

At this point, Rosie started prancing and pulling for all she was worth.  I was hanging on tight and trying to get them to stop, but it was not going to happen.  Even with my heels dug in the ground and pulling back for all I was worth, she started galloping, and would not listen to any of my commands.  I could feel the lines slipping through my grip, and before I knew it, the end of the lines slipped through my gloves and they were off.  They ran in a full gallop towards the other horses with the lines dragging behind them.

I have never felt so helpless in my life.  I sat there watching and praying that they would not injure themselves.  They ran a good 1/4 mile, right up to the corner of the fence and stopped, wedged in the corner of the pasture.  Luckily they stayed right there (Thanks to Rita walking up and bumping noses with Rosie).  I got to them, and unhooked Rosie from everything.  I then led Rosie to a nearby telephone pole, and I tied her to it.  She was a sweaty mess.

Then I went back to my Rachael.  She was standing there, and didn't move a muscle.  She honestly looked a little scared, and she perked right up when I grabbed the lines and drove her back to the house.  I unhitched her and turned her back out.  Meanwhile Rosie was having a fit.  She was rearing back, and trying for all she was worth to get untied.  So ... I kept her tied.  I did walk out and take her bridle off, because I didn't want her snagging the bit and hurting herself.

At this point, I had a cold drink.  I was sweating profusely, and my skin felt a little chilly.  I recognized these as the signs that heat stroke was near.  It was only 90 degrees out.  ;)  I guess getting drug behind a horse that doesn't want to walk for 1/4 mile has a way of really taking it out of you.  I took a short break and caught my breath.

Rosie was a stressed out mess when I went back out to her.  She was dripping with sweat.  However, she wasn't fighting the lead rope anymore.  She seemed happy to see me, and walked with no problem back to be tied and unharnessed. 

So now, I'm trying to restrategize how I'm going to do this.  I'm not sure I'll have these girls ready in a month.  At this point, I'm not sure what to think.  My experience thus far has been that drafts listen well, and try their best to follow instructions (as best they understand them).  I've never had a horse flat out try and run away from me while in harness.  It's a bit alarming to me.  Now, I think if she was out away from home, she wouldn't do that due to her not knowing where home is.  However, she shouldn't be doing that anyway.  At this poing I'm feeling a little defeated.  What she needs is someone who can work her every day, and break her of her bullheadedness.  I can't put that kind of time into her.  I also can't decide if she ran back because of being barn sour, or if it was separation anxieties from being away from her sister Rita.

Anyone have any advice?  I am now reluctant to hitch her to Rachael again, because I do not want anything to happen to Rachael.  Basically, I'm looking at a horse that lunges well, and does everything I ask in ground work, but then under harness, she doesn't listen and does what she wants.  How do you handle a horse like that?  How do you break that?  Looks like I need to hit the books.  As always ... feedback is welcome and appreciated.  If you don't want to respond via the blog, feel free to email with thoughts.  I'm really scratching my head on this one.

Working Rosie and Rita

I decided to take on a job for my good friend Bev.  Her mares Rosie and Rita are staying with me, and since they are already here, the decision was made for me to work them.  Bev told me that they were hitch trained, and that they really liked to work.  I figured it wouldn't be too difficult to brush them up.  The Texas Draft Horse and Mule Association (TDHMA) is having a field day on June 25th and the goal is to have these 2 mares ready for it.

Catching Rita was easy.  She's real lovable and walked right up to me.  She did not like to lead though.  It took me 10 minutes to get her to walk to my hitching post.  She would take a few steps and then just stop.  How I handle this is to just wrap the lead rope half way around my waist and lean on it.  I keep constant pressure on until she takes a step, then I release the pressure, keep walking, and praise her.  It works, but it can take a while when the horse is being stubborn.  Rita stood pretty good though while tied.  An occasional scrap of the ground with her front foot, but other than that, she was quiet and calm.

Catching Rosie was more like catching my mares when they don't want to be worked.  We did 10 minutes of her trotting away from me, and me just always walking towards her.  Once she stopped and let me halter her, she was easy to work with though.  She leads fine, and really seems to tune into what I am asking of her.  Standing tied though ... that was where she grew impatient.  Thank God for good lead ropes and rope halters!  :)


The girls were good for grooming, besides Rosie's occasional distaste at being tied.  They were also very good for me when I harnessed them up.  This took a bit of time because I was sizing their harnesses to them.  Rosie let me bridle her very easily, and Rita fought me a bit on it.  Once the bridles were on, they both sat there tonging their bits like they had no idea what it was.  This had me curious on how well they were going to do.

Rosie.  Looking really pretty in her harness.

Rosie and Rita.  These are the biggest horses I've ever worked by myself.

Next I led them each individually with all the harness on.  Always good to make sure that they are used to the noise the harness makes.  Rosie did great.  She would step off when I asked, and stop when I asked her to.  Like I said before, she seemed to know the drill and would tune into me to see what I wanted.  Rita, not so much.  She would step off okay, but did not want to stop.  She seemed more concerned with finding where Rosie was than on listening to me, so we did lots of circles.  Woah is not one of her strong suites.  And while dealing with her not wanting to listen, I could hear Rosie back at the trailer trying to become free.  Lots of bangs and trailer noise and I was hoping that she wasn't hurting herself, or my trailer.  When I got back, everything was in order.  I then let the girls stand with the gear on for 15-30 minutes.

At this point, I was wondering what I should do next.  They weren't showing me signs that they were completely hitch broke.  They were also showing signs of pent up energy though.  Part of my mind wondered if they just needed to get walking and that maybe they would relax and settle in and show me how good they could be.  I decided to try and drive them together and see if they resembled the team Bev told me they were.

I yoked them together, and then hitched their butts together using the new (and soooo awesome) trick that Pat showed me.  I got the lines put on, and then untied them from the trailer.  The minute I started giving commands, the trouble started.  I asked them to Gee up by putting a little pressure on the right line.  They both went into reverse and would not stop.  I was smacking their butts and giving commands but they did not listen.  after 10 feet or so, they backed into my wife's Dodge Durango.  (Sorry honey).  Once they couldn't back anymore, they actually listened and walked forward.

I had a good 100 feet of good driving.  They were walking side by side, and doing well.  Then I asked them to stop.  Rosie stopped fine, but Rita would not.  She kept moving.  This then got Rosie very nervous.  She wanted to stop because I asked, but then she didn't want to be drug by Rita.  Not a good combination.  Eventually I got her to stop.  But Rita did not want to stand.  I started off again, and did a lot of accordion work (one horse standing while the other takes too steps, then the horse in front stopping, while the horse behind started walking.

At this point, I decided that I should not be working these horses together, because neither has a clue what I was asking them to do.  I was putting them in a position to fail.  I tried to get them to turn to the left, but as soon as they felt pressure on the bit, Rita decided to go backwards.  Even with me on her butt she stepped back and rosie soon followed.  I could not get them to step up only when they backed into the treeline did they stop.  At this point, I was feeling like I had no control over them, so I decided to lead them back and not drive them.  This went well till we were about 10 feet away from the trailer, then Rita decided to stop and not walking anymore.  Soooo Annoying!!!  Rosie was trying to pull her and do as I asked, but Rita was determined to be a stubborn horse.

I finally got her to move by throwing the end of the lead rope back to whip her butt, while still staying in front and in control.  Not as easy as it sounds.  I would have just unhitched them from each other, but I was alone, and did not trust them to stand while I unhitched them.  We finally got back and I tied them, and then I let them stand for 30 minutes more.  At this point though, they both stood well and relaxed.  Rosie was sweating pretty good from the stress of trying to move Rita.

SO ... that was our first day.  Definitely not how I had hoped it would go.  Lessons were learned though.  These horses need to be worked individually with a horse who knows what is going on first.  I also learned that when training a horse, I need to start from scratch and go through the normal routines I have figured out first.  I cannot just trust what people tell me and try to go on that.  Always start with the basics and work up to where you want to be.

My arms were beat after that.  I'm going to start hitching them individually with Rachael and dragging a sled.  They need work, and they need to figure out what I'm asking them to do.  Rachael is a great horse to team them up with for that.  Hopefully we see some success.  I certainly have my work cut out for me if I'm going to meet our goal (field day on June 25th). 

Paris, TX. Antique Tractor Show

I had an amazing day last saturday. The Antique Tractor Club in Paris, TX held an event. They had all kinds of antique tractors there, and the also had some demonstrations. One of the new things they did this year, was get in touch with my good pal Roger Barnes to see about some horse drawn stuff. One of the tractor guys had a hay rake, a sickle mower, a cultivator, and a hay bale loader. Roger took on the task of getting some teamsters to show up with their teams to use the equipment. The teams were supposed to cut some wheat, and rake it as part of a demonstration. And then pretty much do anything we felt like trying. He had also planned on riding a wagon around for a bit and give free rides to any of the kids or adults that wanted them. Roger gave me a call, and I could not turn it down.

Roger driving Shelby's Clydesdales

Roger's 3 abreast.  All horses are 18+ hands.

There were 4 teamsters there. Roger was there, with his 3 biggest horses. He worked them as a 3 up on his big hay wagon, and then worked a pair of them as needed. I met a teamster friend of Roger's named Shelby. He brought a team of clydesdales. They were 3 1/2 years old, and knew how to work. Good training on those horses! My good buddy Pat Chase was there, and due to AI scheduling, he was only able to bring one of his mares. He ended up bringing his mare Dolly, and his yearling gelding. Lastly, there was me. I brought my 3 belgians. I planned on working Rachael and Pam on the wagons, but if we got to do field work, I wanted to try and work Nellie in there, just for the experience. I also should mention that my teamster friend Jerry was there without any horses. He was there with his daughters and it was great to see him. He was always willing to be an extra set of hands and his presence was awesome.

Unfortunately, it rained really good the night before. We arrived and found that the wheat field was a swampy mess. Sadly, it meant that we would not be cutting any wheat. This really bummed me out at first, because I was REALLY looking forward to trying that sickle mower. A sickle mower is next on my list of things to acquire, so I was really wanting to give it a go.

I arrived a bit late, and started getting my horses ready. Pat was there, and I hurried to get Rachael ready for him. I let Pat borrow Rachael to team up with Dolly since he couldn't bring both his girls. They got hitched up to Rogers new logging forecart that he made, and they worked really well together. This was also a great experience for Ace, Pat's yearling gelding. Ace had to stand there. He complained and made a fuss at times, but it was a great experience for him to be there. Also, if I might add, he is going to be an AMAZING boy! he's probably close to 16 hands tall as a yearling. He looks fabulous and I look forward to seeing him become a hitch horse with Pat.

Pat had limited time to be there. He had another event he needed to get to, so by the time I had my other two horses ready, Pat had to go. Rachael and Dolly worked really well together. I wished him well, and he hit the road.

At that time, I hitched up to Roger's Wagonette. I then drove around with Rachael and Pam and we spent 2 hours giving wagon rides. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoy giving wagon rides, especially to kids. The wagon rides came to an end around noon. Thats when all the antique tractors fired up and we did a small parade.

This is me and my wife giving wagon rides.

 This is where draft horses just impress me. Here I am with my mares, old tractors firing and sputtering all around them, and they never even batted an eyelash. They were so laid back, and relaxed, that it made me really proud. Rachael and Pam are my dream team. They do so many things perfectly. I could not ask for a better team than I have. They are also healthy and gorgeous to boot. Can't beat that. We got to finish off the parade and listen to all the kids ooh and aahhh over the big "clydesdales" ;) (to non-horse people, every big horse is a clydesdale).

After that, it was time to give the girls a break. I pulled them up to the back of my trailer and tied them. They were happy to get a nice breather. My wife and I then walked around and checked out all the things that were going on.

We got to witness the thresher machine and hay baler run. I've never seen anything like it. Both of these machines were powered by an antique tractor, that sat 30-40 feet away. A 8 inch wide belt went from the machine to the tractor, and this was what powered the device. The thresher took a big wagon full of wheat, and turned it into a gunny sack half full of wheat kernels, and all the leftover was spit on the ground. The leftovers were then fed into the baler, and after an hour of baling, 3 1/2 bales of hay were produced. It really made me appreciate how nice we have it now. Just knowing that 1 hour of that work would only feed my horses for 1 day really made me appreciate technology and all it does for us today.

After that we went and got some homemade icecream, and while we ate that, we watched a sawmill demonstration. There was a big metal frame with a big ol' saw blade in it. This machine was powered by an antique tractor some 40 feet away. A log was placed on the machine, and then the machine would make passes down the saw blade, cutting planks off the tree. It was really neat to watch.

After this I went and looked at all the horse drawn equipment. There was a cultivator, and a john deer hay rake. Most of my attention was focused on the IH #9 Regular gear mower. It looked soo neat. This was the first time I'd been close enough to touch one, so I took my time looking it over and figuring out how it worked. About that time Roger came over and asked if I wanted him to see if we could try it out. The ground was really muddy and boggy, but I said I would love that. They owner said that we could feel free to use it, but that we could not cut any of the wheat that was there. We agreed and went to getting hooked up.

Here I am, hitched to a sickle mower.

We ran into a problem getting my double tree hooked up to the mower. The thru-bolt was just barely too short to accommodate my pioneer double tree. We tried and tried, and eventually just decided to see if we could make it work. That was when I went and got the horses and we hitched them up.

Fixing the evener ... again.

I have to take a moment and brag some more on my horses. On this day, every time I hitched them to something, they backed up perfectly to their position. This was new. Normally they don't like to back up to things, and I end up pulling the wagon up to them. Today was different, and it was awesome ... not to mention, you look a lot better in public when your horses do this without a problem. :) Also, when I said "Whoa", my horses stopped. They would then cock a foot and just stand still. I am sooo grateful to have horses that do this. I attribute it to working the horses on the farm. Making them actually work hard (not just pulling a wheeled wagon) makes them appreciate the breaks!

Rearview of the mower in work

I loved mowing. It was so much fun. I figured the mower out and how to work it. My horses didn't even flinch when I fired it up. It was very fun. The evener kept popping off though. This is where my horses standing so good was very much appreciated. I had to stop several times to fix the evener. I finally just chained it around the mower and we kept moving. At one point, I was standing there, with my head 6 inches from the rear feet of the horses, and I realized that I am so very lucky to have a good team. I was also very lucky to have a good friend in Jerry who was acting as my header.

The only downsides to the mower, were 1) We didn't get to really cut any tall grass. I did get to run through some patches that were a little long, so I did get to watch it work, but it would have been more of an experience to actually cut the wheat. Maybe next time! :) 2) The mower was set up for mules. This meant that the yoke was too close to the eveners. My girls were smacking the double tree with the backs of their legs as they walked. They didn't let it get to them, but it wasn't ideal. I stopped after 15 minutes when I noticed the red paint from the trees on their legs.

Running the mower

Another shot

Overall ... it was AWESOME! I gotta get me one of these. I am thinking I need the IH #9 High Gear mower though. I will mostly be cutting coastal bermuda, which is very thick. I think the high gear will handle this much better. Gotta keep my eyes peeled.

Roger with the rake, and me with the mower

A better shot of the rake set up

While I was mowing, Roger hooked his logging cart to the hay rake, and he and the owner of the items raked a bunch of wheat that had been cut the day before. It was really cool.




One great thing about this day, was that my wife came with me. The horses aren't her thing, but she was a trooper and came along. Because of this, I have some awesome video clips and pictures of us working the horses. Enjoy!

6 Horses and herd dynamics

Not too much has been going on, but I figured I'd drop a line about a few things.

First off, this next Saturday I will be having FUN!  The Antique Tractor Club in Paris, TX is hosting an event for old time farming.  There will be antique tractor events, but also horse drawn stuff too.  It will be all day, in Paris, TX at the Civic Center.  There should be 4-6 teamsters there with teams of horses.  There should be plows, disks, a mower, wagons, sleds, and other horse implements.  It's basically going to be a day of teamsters having fun and trying things out.  I'm really excited about it.  I'll have my 3 Belgians there and am looking forward to trying the sickle mower out (since that is next on my list of things to purchase).

I honestly think Rachael and Pam want to get pulling something.  The past few days, when I'm out in the pasture, they walk up to me, side by side, (on the correct sides) and put their heads in my belly.  I think they are trying to tell me that they want those harnesses on them and to be heading down the road.  :)

The only other thing going on right now is the fact that I am horse sitting.  My good friend Bev asked me to take some horses for a week.  Bev has done wonderful things for me, so I happily agreed.  This added 2 big and beautiful Belgians to my pasture.

A little history:  My mares Pam and Nellie spent a month and a half down in Bev's herd, so they are already familiar.  Rachael was my only worry on how she gets along with them.  This pair is Bev's Belgian team, and they are beautiful mares.  Here's a picture to prove it.

Rosie and Rita

When they first got here, they ran right up with my Belgians and everyone was just fine.  Bev's horses fell in love with the long grass and went to eating right away.  I was quite surprised that they group got together so fast.  I figured that there would be the usual sorting out of the pecking order, but it didn't seem like that happened right away.

All the horses together

Now ... just to refresh your minds ... the Alpha of my horses is Nellie.  Rachael is a lead mare and those two fought it out with Nellie being the victor.  Rosie and Rita are half sisters, and always side by side.  At Bev's, they are the dominant mares.  Rosie is the alpha, with Rita in her back pocket and sometimes doing her dirty work for her.  At first here, Nellie ruled all.  Rosie and Rita bowed to her and stayed clear.

Then 3 days passed.  :)  Now that Rosie and Rita are more comfortable, it's been awesome watching the herd dynamics transform.  At feeding time yesterday, I got to witness Rosie take the alpha role from Nellie.  Nellie was finishing off a bowl of food (left overs after Nellie ran off the horse the food was intended for).  I watched as Rosie ran right in and she just had this aura about her that screamed "I am the boss".  Nellie felt it too, she turned, squealed, and I thought she was going to give Rosie a big kick.  Instead, Nellie did a small half kick and ran away.  Rosie took the lead without even lifting a hoof.  It was awesome to watch.

Well, now things have taken a different turn.  Rachael (my mare, still angry at losing the alpha role to Nellie), decided she was going to put Rosie and Rita in line, and she did.  They both bow to her.

So now ... feeding time is like a circus.  It's hilarious to watch.  Nellie will run off Pam or Whinny, then Rosie runs off Nellie, then Rachael runs off Rosie.  A few minutes later, Nellie will come and run off Rachael.  It's a giant circle.  Needless to say, you hear lots of hoof stomping and squeals when it's dinner time.  Things are great while all have their food, but the minute one of those 3 is done with theirs, they head off to take someone else's.  It's pretty interesting to watch.

Here's a picture of feeding time this mornig.  Rachael and nearest the camera.  Nellie is off in the back ground, mad at the world, and Rosie/Rita and right there side by side eating the last of the remaining food.  Oh yeah, and Whinny is in the mix too, just trying to stay out of the way of all these huge draft horses.  ;)

Feeding time is ending.

Awesome Saturday Part 3: Into the ditch

I finally had a mishap behind the lines.  I've been extremely lucky, and a lot of that is because I try to do everything in my power to consider safety.  Well, sometimes things just happen.

We were just walking down the road, and then it happened.  In one horrible sweep, Rachael took away my ability to use my left line.  As she was walking, she lowered her head as low as the check would allow, and then she raised it up quickly and swung her head to the right.  Well, when she dropped her head, her cross-check line went under the end of the pole, and so when she raised her head and swung it out, it pulled hard on the cross-check line and pulled the cross-check buckle through the ring of the spreader. 

I saw it instantly, and pulled on the left line to try and pull the buckle back through, but it would not come.  It jammed in the ring, which basically kept me from being able to put any pressure on the left bit of either horse.  BAD!

I started saying Woah and I pulled on both lines, hoping I could get a little pressure on that left side of the bit, but I couldn't.  What ended up happening, was the girls turned right.  They ended up stepping down into a ditch, but then stopped before going up the other side.  I handed my son the lines and told him to to keep them tight and I jumped off and quickly grabbed lead lines.  Whew.  I then fixed the lines, and led Pam to the left, out of the ditch.  Rachael followed perfectly, and only one wheel dipped into it as we straightened out.

So ... this leads to a question that I am pursuing now.  How do you keep this from happening???  What trick is there to keep the buckle from sucking all the way through those spreading rings?  I'll post anything I learn.  This seems like it would be a common problem and that there would be a solution for it.  If anyone knows, please feel free to post a comment here and let me know.

Awesome Saturday Part 2: Driving with my son

I was really excited to work Pam and Rachael again.  Pam has had 5 months off since I last drove her.  She got really fat and lazy spending a month and a half down with Vegas (Belgian stallion standing at the double M warhorse ranch).  She hitched up fine.  This was her first time being fitted with her new biothane harness, so it took me about 15 minutes to adjust everything and make sure things were fitting correctly.

I love Pat's place.  He has everything you need for training purposes, and also has extra wagons.  I can just haul horses over to his place, and still haul a wagon down the road.  It works really nice.  Pat and his wife are as good as gold and I am very lucky to have them as friends.  I always have a fun time when I'm over there.

We hitched up to a 16 or so foot long hay trailer.  That went well, and they stepped off with no problems.  When I asked them to stop, they showed their skills, and stood like ladies.  I tell you, having a team that will stay put when you stop is such an awesome thing!  Pat got hitched up, and we were off.

Rachael, Pam, and the boy, all ready to go

Pat backing his team away from the fence to get heading on the ride

I really love Pat's mare Dolly.  She's so pretty!

The first 20 minutes of this ride were not so nice.  Pam decided to show me how rusty she had gotten.  Every little thing she spotted made her stop, and cautiously walk.  Meanwhile Rachael is stepping out strong and ready to move that wagon down the road.  On the road we started on, semi's were hauling crepe feed to some nearby dairies.  One of the trucks was awesome and came to a complete standstill to let us pass.  Pam was an idiot, and completely froze like a deer in headlights.  It took a swift smack on the rear to snap her out of it.  This was not the same horse that pulled for christmas wagon rides last year.  ;)

At this same time, I had another problem.  when going down a hill, the tree was right on the horses heels.  Each step had them kicking the tree.  This caused one of Rachaels tugs to come off completely.  Luckily, I have a great team and I stopped and fixed it with no issues.  This made me realize that the pole on this wagon needed to be about 6 inches longer than it was.  I didn't want to continue the ride like this, so I stopped and fixed it.  I pulled the yoke ring in front of the pole bolt that is supposed to keep it from slipping off the end of the pole.  I then took the tie strap from Rachaels harness and used it to secure the yoke ring to that bolt on the pole.  This gave me 4 more inches on the pole.  This was acceptable.

After this, it was smooth sailing.  Soon Pam had returned to her element and was acting like the girl I remembered.

Then ... an awesome thing happened.  My son took interest.  I could see him watching my hands, so I started talking to him about what I was doing, and asked if he wanted to try.  He did ground drive a 3 up at my friend rogers house once a few months back, but this was on a wagon.  He took over, and after a few tips, he was on his way.  He ended up driving for 45 minutes.  He did very well.  I had to talk to the horses for him.  They didn't respond well to his voice, but once they heard me, they did just like they should.  Having him drive, let me actually stand up and take a bunch of pictures.  It was nice!

I love driving down these county roads.  Very peaceful

Pat and his awesome team

My son working on his line tension

 

Another shot of my son with the lines

 

We couldn't have asked for a better day

I had one issue arise, which I'll discuss in the Part 3 of the blog.  We ended up getting back to Pats, and we all got to relax a bit.  It was a great day, and I had a wonderful time.

The girls relaxing after a nice 3-4 hour drive