any body out there still using draft horses

[guy54]

I was just wondering if there was any houndmen or women out there still using draft horses? We still use them in our haying operation. We mow and rake with them. If I can ever get good at posting pics I will put some on this forum.

[hunt14]

I would love to see some pics of your teams. My grandfather speaks of some very fond memories of his old teams that he used to plow, rake, haul, and feed in the winters with. Who knows...with the way things are going we might be back there some day. If you need help posting you can email them to me and I can post them for you.

[guy54]

Thanks hunt14, if you would PM me your e-mail I will send you some pics to post for me. Thanks again, Guy

[horshur]

I worked one fall with a horse logging outfit driving team of Belgians.

[guy54]

Belgians are good horses. I have a bay team of belgian/shire. My other team at the moment is a pair of half sisters that are grey percherons. Four years ago we had a small haying party and had a team from New York, one team from Illinois, three teams from Iowa, and my teams all mowing at one time. We had six mowers going and layed down a lot of hay. Not compared to todays modern standards with swathers, but still a lot of hay got mowed doing it the old way, along with good fellowship. A lot of good friendships have been made.

[hunt14]

Guy here are the pictures you sent me. I will let you tell about them. I really like the young pair. Once again great pictures! Send some more over if you have some that you want posted.

[not color blind]

I have a bunch of Amish neighbors using them, I'll give them a call tonight and see if I can get some pictures.

[guy54]

In the first two pics I am plowing with three of my horses. The bays are the belgian/shires, and the grey is a percheron mare. The next pic is of a young team I broke for a ranch over by Toponas, Colorado. The deer I shot in the oats that we planted in the field we plowed.

[Mike Leonard]

You feed the Percheron a little extra ok? Because it is doing the most work. LOL! My Grandad kept about 60 head of percherons and actually did remote right of ways and road work with them for the railroad back many years ago. My Dad talked a lot about draft horses, and they had all kinds. Ofcourse like hound dogs they were very opinionated to their likes and dislikes.

Dad said Shires are tall and pretty and good movers but a bit lazy. Clydesdales good but need a lot of weight for balance to stength. Belgians they easist to to get along with and very strong and take the weather great but their feet need a lot of attention. Percherons were by far their favorites. Double strong, feet like iron, and they last a long time and work for many years.He also said the first Budweiser wagon he saw pulled was by a team of gray matched percherons.

They also had some Suffolks and said they were hard to beat in the log woods and for tight work extreemly strong for their size.He also had some Cleveland Bays for heavy coach teams. Too bad all this happened before I came along but I did get to do my first haying behind a fast walking team of black percheron mares. Midnight and Lightning, funny names I know for mares but they sure were some gentile giants.

[guy54]

Thank you Mike, I have owned more percherons than anything else. We went back to using horses in 1979. Gas prices were high (not according to todays standards but high for then). Our old tractor mower kept breaking down so we got out the old horse mower and kept going while waiting for parts for the tractor mower. It seemed to work well for us so we just kept on doing it. You will like the pics of this years mowing crew. We had four mowers going and three out of the four were pulled by percherons. I will try to get them posted soon.

[Mike Leonard]

Sounds great! In this day of roaring motors and all that type of noise it is hard for anybody to imagine being out there in a hay field and it is quiet.

all you hear is the slight clatter of the gear pulled sickle bar, the rattle of trace chains, and the clop of those big hooves on the prairie sod.You can hear the meadowlark on the fence post nearby singing his morning song, and as I remember it, occasionaly God's voice. Whew! the good old days...

[lmorgan]

This is logging country down here and they used to use oxen, mules and draft horses to snake logs out of the swamp. All of that was before my time, but I did come along when some of the old folks were still using plow horses. The trail ride wagon craze is still fairly big around here so we still see quite a few big drafts. I'd argue that this is definitely Belgian country. We don't hear about many problem with their feet, but our ground is mostly free of rocks of any kind and soft and muddy. My neighbor down the road has sold all of his Belgians and bought Haflingers. They're a bunch smaller than the Belgians and put together like a giant Welsh pony. Most of his aren't any bigger than a big quarter horse, but he says they can really pull a load and are easier for him to keep than the Belgians.

Mostly, though, i think it's like Mike said. Just like houndsmen, horsemen all have their own personal preferences and will argue why their opinions are better than others all day long.

[Zman]

This is my team of Percheron mares Leta & Lady, heading out to do some skidding of logs.



This is my team of Belgians Clyde & Dale at a local pulling contest.



Zman

[bob baldwin jr]

anyone know where to find info on percherons for sale ?
I know someone looking for a pair for his place in Maine.
THANKS
PS he will travel for the right pair.

[Brady Davis]