So are horses really used as work animals anymore?

[ksalvagno]

The Amish in my area use horses for everything. Many are carpenters so mainly for driving back and forth to their job site but some Amish are still farming and use the big horses for the plows.

 

[Duck Keeper]

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Amish use them for most everything as far as I know.

 

[Soccer Mom]

I live in Texas ranching country and most places around here still use horses to work their cattle. In fact, there has been a movement away from working cattle with motorized vehicles. A decade ago, everyone was using four wheelers and such to herd cattle. Now most have learned that cattle actually do better when worked with from horseback. The cattle are more compliant and less stressed which means fewer injuries and health issues. Plus a smart horse is truly invaluable. Never met a four wheeler that could "sense" where a cow would go.

 

[ducks4you]

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You GOT that! I read an article decades ago about a rancher didn't have a place to wean his QH filly, so he put her in with the cattle. Before long she was first to water, first to feed, bossing the cows and herding them!!!

A good horse and a good dog are a joy, forever!!!

 

[patandchickens]

Aside from the Amish (and Mennonites, who I'd guess are probably more numerous in North America), there are a scattered bunch of small farmers who use draft horses/mules/oxen, more than you might expect... www.drafthorseconnection.ca/ etc etc etc.

Also some people log with horses, they make it possible to selectively log without totally ripping up the woodlot, which is appreciated by some landowners. Obviously this is small scale not, like, Weyerhauser or anything, but still.

I do not know whether horses that pull tourist cabs around city streets/parks count as "working", in your book, but there are still a reasonable number of them around AFAIK. A few people even use miniature horses as seeing-eye guide animals, believe it or not

And of course horses are still used on a number of ranches. They can go places an ATV can't, much more useful in working cattle in closer quarters too.

Pat

 

[fowler_chick]

i use my mare more then i do our atv.....when the price of gas was really high i tought my mare to ground drive......i use her to pull rail road ties around the farm, once got her to pull our atv out of the way for us.

 

[SarahFair]

Glad to see people still find use for the creatures God gave us

 

[destiny_56085]

Mounted patrol, search and rescue teams, handicapped riding programs, ranching, trail riding, farming, buggy rides, heck even just for keeping those teenagers out of trouble.....

 

[Skyesrocket]

My Amish neighbor made himself a horse drawn lawnmower.

 

[miss_jayne]

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Go any pics?!?

nope, i don't have any of them pulling big honkin' stuff, but....they are seriously big beauties. sleek like Morgans and tall like Clydes. and gentle as all get out. love them. geehaw!