So are horses really used as work animals anymore?

[Chicks_N_Horses]

My mare is on the Equisearch team and she helps tote deer home for my DH.

 

[txredneckmedic]

Im in the process of getting my mare fixed up so I can start up another search and rescue team and one of the things were planning on doing is horseback SAR in the desert. Helicopters are great but you miss alot of things

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I use my quarter horses on cows all the time. When I had a team of Percherons, I used them to hay, and occasionally on the sleigh. A good team is invaluable around a farm. There are so many things they do more efficiently than a motorized vehicle.

Rusty

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
If you could only put a loader on the front of 'em, they'd be perfect

Pat

 

[thebritt]

I just read the saddest story in our local paper today. In a small nearby town called Trinidad, there's a couple who has 2 draft horses - Belgians. They use them for low-environmental impact logging. On weekends, they give wagon rides to children, and the proceeds go to the volunteer fire dep't. Well, about a couple weeks ago, one of the horses, "Mike" DROPPED DEAD of a heart attack while pulling a wagonload of kids!

The article said that the kids all gathered around the fallen horse, and were petting him and letting him know he was loved

I'm getting verclempt just writing this! Mike was only 17 yrs old, but the weak heart was undiagnosed untill his death. HOW SAD IS THAT!? This couple takes impecable care of their horses. They will buy a horse to keep the survivor, Bill, company untill they can aquire and train a new horse. Sorry to share sad news, but yes, people still do work workhorses.

 

[first time farmer]

Yup my horses are all cow ponies. They are all trained to work cattle. I have one that can even pull a cart.

 

[BarbK]

Yep there are a handfull of people out there who still use them. Like others have said the amish use them for everything.(just wish the ones that only see them as a tool would ease up on them) There are also loggers out there who are trying to keep from harming the forests that use them to haul the downed trees. That way they don't have the machinery tearing up much more of the forest. It is kinda neat I got to see 2 teams working the trees last year.

I plan on training my girl to pull a buggy and use her to mow my yard in the future.

 

[bkreugar]

We have 3 horses. But one is an arab morgan cross.She is VERY smart.She is my daughters pony (she is 14.1).I taught her to pull a cart so she pulls up ALL the firewood we use during the winter, in our woodstove. She pulls I walk beside her and she know the commands "okay go, SLOWELY, woah and turn. SHe is very smart and picked up in a day.

She totally knows the routine down to when she is supposed to go, where she is supposed to stop AND when she gets her treats!The amazing thing is she doesn't care about the rattling of the cart behind her.Even if she is 1/2 arab she sure isn't spooky.

 

[SarahFair]

Quote:
oh how neat!

 

[bkreugar]

Yes here we say Sophie is THE ONLY ANIMAL who earns her keep and she does! Using the oil furnace would cost about 2,000.00 a year more in oil and Sophie doesn't eat that.

She is also a great trail horse and great gymkhana pony for DD.She rides her bareback almost EVERY day.Also enjoys parades.Just a great all around horse.

I bought her for 700.00 from a horse trader 10 years ago.She is now 18.She is not MY cup of tea but she loves DD.