Intresting article from the 1980’s

@Joshua Kingsley 17430 wrote:

I found this article (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1987-07-01/The-Suffolk-Punch.aspx) about a member here on DAP. It gose into how Jason started with Suffolks and farming with horses. It is a good read now we just need an Update on how things are there…

Joshua

motherearthnews; I had forgotten about motherearthnews. Glad you pointed this story out, it was a good read. I think everything they had to say was appropriate to that day, and probably more so to this day. If their coverage was timely then, it is “timeless” now.

As interesting as it was to read about our friend Jason, and it was interesting, I liked the little mini-profiles of other horsefarmers at the end of the story. Just tends to show how versatile and adaptable (and widespread) they really are.

Best of all I really enjoyed reading this;

Horses are quiet, tractors are loud. Horses are temperamental, personal, attention-demanding … company. And there’s the rub. If you find that you don’t enjoy working with horses, you absolutely should not do it. All the extra care and attention they demand will soon become a burden. If, on the other hand, you take pleasure in their company and the quality work they do, then even the caretaking chores become pleasures of their own.

Good find Joshua.

Wow, a blast from the past. That fellow that did the photos for that article is also a photographer for National Geographic. It would be cool to have an article in NG one day, but that may be a bit more difficult apparently.

I guess this proves how old I am now and how long I’ve been at this culture. We certainly have evolved our approach to working, training and promoting the modern use of draft horses since that article. I think a common thread to this experience is the repeated observation by others that one of the most intriguing aspects is that one continues to learn from working with the animals. That makes it a much deeper personal life experience that most occupations or lifestyles. It is the same as working in the woods in some ways. The work is diverse, each log is different, each tree is different, each horse is different, so if you like diversity in your life, this may be something to consider doing with yourself. It is not easy, as all of you that keep and work animals know.

The M.E.N. did a follow up on this article a couple of years ago, written by a guy that “knows” me from here in the county that didn’t even bother to come to the woods to interview me or the family members about the ongoing experience 20 plus years later. He already “knew me” so he didn’t bother. I have never met the guy in person to this day. My point here is that although it is in print it is just words and has to be taken as just that. The reality of doing this work is much deeper than the words or photos can express. It’s like putting your life into a slot machine of reality and pulling the handle – there’s no telling what may come up in the portrayal. This culture isn’t suited to sound bites and shallow considerations.

Many positive things happened from this international exposure, the Suffolk horse gained some notoriety from the article. We did sell many horses, (for more than they bring today) for a couple of years after the article came out. I have been told countless times that someone got into draft horses from reading this article. I am happy about that.

Then there is the negative side of many people coming to our community looking for a eco-utopia or place to live and buying land. Often paying far more than the land would or could possibly support and displacing the opportunity for our local young people to afford the prices paid by outside folks from places far distant to Appalachia. I have been partially blamed for the increase in real estate prices over the years from the cover story article in Mother Earth News. Probably the saddest thing about that experience is that most of the people that came to this community from reading this article are now gone on to other places after elevating the land prices beyond the grasp of our local young people. It seems to have happened in most parts of rural America so I guess we are not much different.

Meanwhile things do come around and repeat themselves. I have just returned from a 12 day trip to the U.K. searching for a colt to continue our breeding of the Suffolk Punch horses in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Since I was in the U.K. on my 21st birthday it was interesting to be there again nearly 40 years later. English countryside hasn’t changed that much and really I don’t guess I have either, except being much older, grumpier and set in my ways, of course.

The dogs and horses in that photo are long gone and fondly remembered. I did make some real friends from that article and many are still serious horsemen and women and I appreciate the opportunity to put this culture forward as a part of the present and a promising potential for the future.

It a pleasure to share this culture on DAP. Thanks for looking that old stuff up Joshua. Reminds me of my youth for sure and fuels the personal drive to keep on going. Now if I can live out my retirement plan of “dying with my boots on” maybe they will make a movie out of it someday. They could call it “A Forest of Dreams”. It is a great journey, this life with horses. I wish the very best of luck to everyone doing this work in their own lives to any degree. You never know how your efforts may influence others while you are enjoying your own unique experience. At least you are all keeping the animal powered option alive!

~