The Old Folks Home

[perchie.girl]

PERCHIE LOVE the horse pictures, I don't care what breed they are - tho I do have favorites. I used to watch FURY on tv and My Friend Flicka , and John Sheldon (Smiley Burnett) with Rex the Wonder Horse, and the "Spin & Marty" segment of Mickey Mouse club. Those were the days!! I had quite a set of plastic horses, little but, could rear on their hind legs etc.

I love them all. for their unique characteristics. Even the unfortunate ones who should never have been created (back yard breeding without considering conformation... a pet peeve of mine).... I still have my set of horses.... They must be at least fifty years old now.

deb

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Mules are incredibly intelligent..... Usually people dont hitch them together with a horse... For that difference in work ethic. A Mule would work as hard as a horse meaning get the job done as well... and would suffer less because they "finesse" the work. Its that Hybrid vigor. Mule people are just as different too.

My last roommate was nicknamed Wild Mule Mary because she rode mules only...

deb

A mule is like a horse, only with a brain.

Mules will work very hard for you, if you remind them that they need to do so.

On the other hand, I once watched a span of Belgians that worked logging in Oregon. One did all the work, and the other didn't even have the traces tight. Driver didn't notice, so the horse got away with it - probably the same thing the mule did.

I actually do like horses; It's been more than forty years and I still miss my Lady Bird.

No matter how long you've been driving, it's probably a good idea to have someone take a look and see if you have one performing Shakespeare instead of work.

 

[drumstick diva]

Perchie I could listen to your stories all day, love them, know my niece would love them BUT, can't get any of family/friends to even check out BYC as a lurker. They all think diva is weird. Who told them?

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Diva, Miracle Whip? That sounds horribly artificial. And after checking what it is, confirmed. Get some real mayo instead, much better. Better yet, make some. All you need is some yolk, some oil, a splash of vinegar and some salt. Super simple.

This thread merely informs about the existence of wonderful food things, you yourself must still make them. Unless Oz is willing to deliver, in which case I'll have the egg plant panine.

And a dash of paprika.

 

[perchie.girl]

lol Deb, yes, those quarter horsed are quick. They are the ones you see in the rodeos..doing those barrels..although some of the girls like using the Arabians for barrels too.

I didn't do barrels, I ran through the corn fields though, and, up and down sand hills, and through the streams, and yes, jumped a few ditch/streams too. Oh those were the good ol days! I wish I could still sit a horse. My hips just say no. :/

I used to ride a Palimino..the color of the one above, up and around the foothills of these mountains..always bareback..loved that old gal.

My riding days ended when I became pregnant. I was trying to get acquainted with a lovely Thorougbred named Stone Road. Big goober about sixteen hands. I was trying to teach him to stand when mounting from a mounting block. No go. he spent too many years having a Jockey tossed up while he was in motion. I fell forward in the saddle and didnt like it. No damage I wasnt far along. But I decided to lease him out.... that didnt work. So I found him a new home.

I didnt get back into horses till my son was ten or eleven.... I was 45 at the time. and had gotten rather fluffy. Oh I have ridden my girl about ten times total. But Driving a vehicle is so much easier to share your horse with other non horsy people... so I concentrated on that.

deb

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Belgians Kick butt for logging and pulling.
each bag on that FLAT bottomed sled is fifty pounds
Each horse weighs around 2000 to 2500 lbs
statistically drafts are supposed to be able to pull twice their weight



They are like the Bull Dogs of the horse world


My girl Gets very excited when she Gets to really work..... We trained her first by pulling a Tractor tire. Just dragging it along the ground.... But While it dragged it filled with sand and by the time we were done there was about a four cubic feet of sand built up in there. Which is about 400 lbs or so Add on whom ever wanted to "go for a ride"... Always had volunteers for that... Every kid on the ranch stood in line. and quite a few adults....

My Katee is a Percheron... With blood lines that go back to Kloentharp... Kind of the Man of War for Percherons.



I am a Carriage driver so we dont do logging stuff. Its heavy dangerous work I do have the eqipment to do it though in the form of a Forecart. Very very useful vehicle. they can be used simply for training or they have hitch points on them so you can pull any number of different farm implements.... from Mowers to Maneur spreaders.... Even Logging Chokes.

deb

Love it. Ever seen a Brabant? They're similar to the Belgian, from the same part of the world, less common in the US and considered by many to be a better draft horse.

On the other hand, pound for pound nothing can out pull an old style British Shetland. I've always wanted to have a team (that's four or more in the hitch, although some consider a troika a team) of either British Shetlands for the heavy old-style American Shetland ponies.

I love the way those pulling contest spans kind of tighten up the traces, and then drop low and move forward in bounds. Seeing them really work, they have such incredible power.

Some years back we were singularly blessed at Bishop Mule Days - possibly the last time anyone will ever see two 20 mule teams at the same time. In addition to the jerk line Borax team, there was a four abroad farm team from Washington state that was down to be shown and then sold after the show as the owner was retiring. Everyone on their wagon and half the audience were in tears at seeing that fine harvesting team being broken up. In the arena they were pulling a wagon packed solid with people, and they still had the drag on to keep the team settled - normally they pulled an enormous harvester.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Ooh Norikers come in many colors....
But here is one that is STUNNING And i believe a Liver Chestnut in general terms Color is not my strong suit.

Looks like a blonde liver chestnut from here. The ones I've seen had dark manes and tails though.

Remember, I still one of my favorite colors buckskin and can't remember the silly long winded term used to describe the color now. Either I'm getting senile, or I'm just fed up. Not sure which.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I never drove a team ever..... I have seen mules do some incredible things... Like jumping the chain in a 20 mule hitch.... youTube not in person. that mule skinner was driving with a Jerk line too. Amazing. They do this when turning the wagon on tight roads.....

Jumping the chain 20 mule hitch:

My friend Mule used to say the only way to keep a mule in the corral is lock him out.....

deb

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Oh there are all sizes and bloodlines that are suited for heavy work. There are bloodlines of Percherons who are short and stout too. WE in the US tend to want to mess with conformation... Making horses that are bigger "better".... but Bigger is not necessarily better.

For instance Percherons were the ones used in the inner city because they have a tendency to Know where their feet are... Helpful for loading and off loading cargo at the docks.... They were also the White horses charging down the road pulling the fire engine.

But the Belgians were used for pulling the big combines and harvesting machines.... Of course both breeds can do it all... I am just remembering my research.

I personally would rather have a Suffolk Punch for working land... Closer to the size of a riding horse but built like a draft. Stunningly RED coloration.

deb

Oh, yeah. A punch. Haven't heard of those in at least twenty years, and longer since I've seen one.

There are some other breeds, to. The Iowa Cream draft horse.

My grandfather liked to use Percherons to haul combines, plow, run the planter, etc. in Eastern Colorado during the 1910s - until the dustbowl. They used celluloid up the harnesses with decorative white rings made from celluloid.

Percherons were also used a lot in circuses for the bareback riding acts. They're a little more nervous than the Belgians because someone bred some hot blood into them somewhere along the line.

I don't know if Clydesdales or Shires ever found much favor with working farmers and ranchers in the US because those feathers have to be kept scrupulously or they get mud fever.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I've always said my next horse will have to be built like a corgi.... Short and easy to get onto and very sturdy. Of course, with that conformation the ride would probably be horrendous.....

There are some really sturdy smaller old style Morgans and Quarter Horses. Stay away from the modern fancy Morgans and the TBs masquerading as Quarter Horses. They have rotten temperaments, are frail, and the QHs have a nasty habit of falling down and being unable to get up if actually worked.