Thinking about looking for a new team…

There are several reasons for these thoughts. First is, the older I get the more I want younger horses. Second, if I can get the young horses I want, then I want to be able to move my current team while they are still young enough to bring real value to the new owners. I am in the beginning stages of formulating this change, and I have a lot of work fog this team to do while I build the new one…..

Donn you pretty much nailed it.

Ed’s post really made me think back a bit, which was not really where I wa coming from, however I have never brought home a “broke” horse.

The first horse I bought had been a project for some guy that loved to watch horse pulls. Someone convinced him to buy a big horse, but he was always too busy doing something else. The horse looked good, and was easy to handle, but knew nothing. He was not a renegade, but I had to teach him everything…. As I learned it. He turned out to be a fantastic work horse.

My second horse had been worked, but by somewhat misguided back-to-the-landers. She had been resistant, and they sent her to the neighbors who hooked her into a sap sled, and when she got hung up in the brook, took the two-handers to her. She was angry, and not cooperative, very distrustful. She was probably the horse with which I learned the first of the biggest lessons. I knew I could do it, but was ill informed and impatient, but persistent. It took me a few years, but I really did learn how to show a horse that I was trustworthy, and she worked for me for 21 years.

Third was a 3 month old Brabant stud colt. Butter in my hands. Started playing with him right away, and the horse never knew what hit him. He just grew up in communication with me. He really showed me how the horse becomes an extension of my body, and the manifestation of my intention.

I bought the bay gelding Ted as a 3 year old. Green, barely halter broke, and kind of nervous. He is thirteen now, and working with interns. Not the most ardent worker I have ever had, but generally a good solid contributor.

The blind blonde mare is the only horse I have bought that actually had some foundation. She was 4 years old when I got her, from a 14 year old young woman who had started Parelli work with her. She didn’t know work, or harnesses, but she had a very solid foundation of momentary communication. Even today as dead blind, she is probably the most responsive horse I have ever driven. She is thirteen and in great shape, but I am skeptical about how much more challenging I can be with her without getting into trouble. She does amazingly well in the woods, but obviously I have to be entirely responsible for seeing for her. I will keep using her to some degree, but I cannot utilize her full physical capabilities.

The other 13 year old mare I have now had a great foundation put under her by a renowned horseman from the northeast kingdom, but she had been a pasture pet, and allowed too many habits over the last ten years by her last two owners. She basically became very spoiled, resistant, and was running away in harness. She has come around nicely, but still has a way to go to regain her trust during work. She is powerful, and motivated, so she is fun to work, but she is definitely not a horse that I would pass on to someone else at this point.

When I started working Kate and Ted as 5-6 year olds, I quickly felt the youthful vigor, as I had been regularly working a 15 year old gelding and a mare in her upper 20’s. At that point I decided that I would make an earlier transition with these horses. Because as I listed above, I want to be able to keep working at a certain level without having to stop to shift gears. I had four horse, two old, and two young, but when in harness they don’t average out. You basically have two old comfortable horses with reduced capability, and two horses with vigor that require more guidance. (Like Brad described)

Clearly this is something we all think about, and as a community looking to support the sustainable use of draft power, it is an important consideration. I don’t have the room, nor work to support any more horses than I have. I cannot wrap my head around the management of stallions and pregnant mares (not from an intellectual point of view, but from a practical standpoint). I also have seen enough horses in harness to realize that I will do best if I set out to build my next team, regardless of their foundation. I also have not really gotten to the point where I can just go throw down the cash to buy a pair of 4-5 year old horses in today’s market. But at the same time, the time required to get 2 year olds really will be a cost of distraction, not to mention that perfectly sound manageable young horses are nearly as expensive as broke ones.

So I am just in the formative stages of trying to visualize this transition. I know there are horses out there that are too much for their owners. Unfortunately many owners in that predicament don’t admit it until the horse is around 10, and I would like to get back closer to 4…….

We’ll see where it goes from here, Carl