Horsepower

And so the learning begins! I have been reading avidly about using draft power, books like The new horse powered farm by Stephen Leslie, the small farmers journal publication, going to events like the North east draft animal powered field days and anything else I can get to or get my hands on but, nothing compares to hands on experience. I searched high and low for a mentor and I finally found one when I was searching for something else entirely. A farm's website with a picture of horses pulling a cart caught my eye, close to home and I thought what the heck! Why not give it a try. I contacted the farm and told them of my en devour and what I hoped to find- a mentor with the same passion as mine where we could help each other.

I received a response from A.M. telling me of her 30 year experience working with draft animals and how she would be interested in having someone to help her take the horses out once in awhile and would I be interested. Of course I responded right away that I would love to! Any experience is good and helpful.

Sunday November 10th was my first lesson/play date (haha). After seeing a man about some tools and spending a good 4 hours at the property digging out berried tires from around the small outbuilding and mapping out where I want my horse barn and field set up to go I jumped into my truck and headed over to have my first driving lesson.

I arrived at a beautiful farm with large old red barns. We started by cleaning up one of the work harnesses and we talked and I learned the parts of the harness. Ellie is a small 13.2 hand draft halflinger trained by the Amish. So quiet and gentle you can hug her around the neck and pick up her feet and she stands calm as if she was out in the field munching on hay. On the cross ties I brushed her and took in the wonderful sweet smell of horse, and clean hay. Ellie stood there- not her first rodeo she's been doing this her whole life. A.M. told me stories of other drafts she owned and I knew she was just the mentor I was looking for, well both of them were. Ellie with her kind eyes and patient and calm manner and A.M. with her stories and experience excited to have someone interested in hearing them and wanting to learn.

We put the harness on and I was finally able to make sense of all that mess of leather. Collar first, Hames then saddle then hindstrap, crupper.

We hooked her up to the cart and away we went. It was a brisk fall day and once in the ring he turned her over to me and I had my hands on the lines. We drove and talked and Ellies ears swiveled as she listened for commands and cues. It was a different connection than the one you feel when riding. The connection comes through your hands and then to the rest of your body. I watched Ellie's body as she pulled the cart and saw her working but it was easy work, compared to when she used to take her Amish owner to work 9 miles every day.

A.M. took the lines and we drove her at a nice extended trot that ate up ground down the road and back. The wind started to pick up and it was getting even cooler. We unhitched the cart and I drove Ellie loose around the yard getting a feel for how you drive horses when doing work with a walk behind plow or harrow.

When the harness came off and Elllie was brushed and put out in the paddock with hay we made plans for our next lesson. We both had just as much fun as the other.

I couldn't have asked for a better day, no pictures this time but I hope to have some of the horses in action next time November 24th- counting down the days!