How many people work their farm with horses

[wyoDreamer]

My Dad tells stories about the olden days when they cut timber in the swamp during winter. They hired a couple of guys one year and they showed up with 2 mules. One guy went into the swamp with one mule and a saw. He would cut down the tree, limb it and cut it into 10' pieces. He would hook up the mule to the timber and set it loose. That mule would haul the log back to the wagon and stand there to be un-hooked. Once the traces were rolled up and hooked to the harness, it would go back into the swamp and get the next piece. Every couple of hours or so, they would swap out mules and let the one rest and eat some grain while the other one worked. They did that for 3 months - 5 days a week. They hauled out alot of lumber and left some nice trails. In the fall, when all the vegetation is dying back, you can still see some of the trails in the swamp.

 

[Mini Horses]

Donkeys & mules are do smart that it's scary!! HUGE memory. And stronger than a bull. You wonder where it comes from because my mini Jack 31" could lift 2 six ft, 200# men off the ground, they could not hold him -- if a jennet in heat. Otherwise, tame. Oh, at feed time, when he saw you, he'd pick up his rubber feed tub & toss it over the fence at you.

I love to watch horses/mules working, pulling -- plows, carts, etc. Those big old drafts -- gentle giants -- will lean into a harness and walk off with whatever is in tow. It's beautiful to watch. Prancing carriage horses, lovely, lovely1

Minis can be trained for harness work, as FEM says, they don't always have the "dedication" of a donk/mule...poor work ethics. I've seen some plowing, 3 & 4 up on a team...just no weight there for that type of heavy work. Couple of mine were broke and I have pulled stuff with them, in a wagon thing. Those are long gone now. None of these old ones are ready for any work.

My grandad used to plow with his brother's mare, Nellie. I so loved her...big black with white snip on face. They always told me to keep away from her but, loving horses... it didn't happen. She enjoyed the love of a kid. I used to climb her harness & sit on her while she grazed on breaks.

 

[Britesea]

Although they are too small for field work, most large dogs are really good about pulling stuff, and they are strong!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I watched a YouTube video a few days back that had dogs pulling carts. Really cool!

 

[Britesea]

until horses came over with the Europeans, horses were unknown on this continent. The Indians used dogs as their beasts of burden

 

[Chic Rustler]

Can't afford horses. I have kids for that