Regular Sized Horses

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  • March 27, 2013 at 12:13 pm #78030
    our5acredream
    Participant

    I’m a newbie here,  so please forgive if this has been answered somewhere else – but I couldn’t find it when I searched.

    My husband and I own a small 5 acre homestead that used to be part of a 800 acre farm from 1940, but hasn’t been farmed in YEARS.  We are really interested in using our horses to farm with and have 1 – 15 hand horse and 1 – 13 hand pony and are interested in using them to mow, plow, till, etc…  Can this be done using these sized animals or would we need those big ol boys to do anything really?

    If we CAN use them, anyone suggest where we could purchase equipment for those sized horses at a fair price??  Used would be AWESOME as we are trying very hard to get our homestead back up and running as self sufficently as possible, but like I said – it’s been abused for YEARS AND YEARS so it’s costing a small fortune!

    March 28, 2013 at 8:43 am #78044
    Does’ Leap
    Participant

    Yes you can used these size horses.  I have mowed hay, logged, and performed other farm tasks with a halflinger pony and an 1,100 pound draft cross (15 hands).  With a smaller team, you need to pace them accordingly and don’t overload them.  Plowing might be a little much depending on the size of the plow, the horses’ physical shape, and the amount of land you plan to turn over.  Best bet for equipment are roadsides, craigslist (put in a wanted ad), and word of mouth.

    George

    March 28, 2013 at 8:55 am #78045
    our5acredream
    Participant

    Thank George – I’ll start looking for equipment then.  My husband used to be a horse trainer years ago, so I’m sure we can get our horses to do it with time and patience… I just wasn’t too sure they had the strength and didn’t want to hurt them.

    Laura

    March 28, 2013 at 10:24 am #78048
    nihiljohn
    Participant

    Farming is always done to scale.  If you farm your own herbs in a window box in a 10th floor flat, all the tool you need is soup spoon.      For that farm, your horses would be way to much power.  5 acres in a farming year?  No problem.  Early potatoes first.  A patch of fall wheat for bread with clover seeded in for hay or pasture to end the year and bridge into the next season.  Bits and peices.

    March 28, 2013 at 11:12 am #78051
    Eli
    Participant

    I am also training regular sized horses 15 hands or so, I was told that they aren’t much smaller than drafts of the day when most antique equipment was built. So with proper conditioning and nutrition they should do anything I need.      Eli

    March 30, 2013 at 10:46 am #78098
    j.l.holt
    Participant

    If you look for equipment that was meant for a single horse,your two should handle it..Also, there is a lot of equipment out there that was scaled down for a pony team..I know where a one horse mower was for sale.  Add a tong and pull with your team

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