Dilemma #2…too much horse?

[Thecowboysgirl]

I can’t get past the idea that Belgians or other true heavy horses would be too much for this farm. Or rather, we could get the job done with much less. We are farming about an acre for our own food supply (produce garden). Most of the farm is pasture which may need to be mowed. Beyond that there is some logging work needing to be done around the perimeter of the farm and a manure spreader would need to be pulled.

Our pasture grows green and strong year round so I don’t think we need to worry about cutting hay.

My husband and daughter and I would like to ride together for recreation, and in a perfect world, I’d like to find a pair of horses/mules that could double as riding horses for my husband and I and also do farm work here. Given my lack of experience with doing horse drawn farm work I’d need a really seasoned team and they mostly seem to be 17+ hand belgians and the like. Tossing the horses on a trailer to go twenty minutes to the state park to ride just got much more difficult! (what trailer holds two huge belgians and a light horse for my daughter??) Not to mention all these great teams for sale are in those faraway places which would make buying them nearly impossible.

My dream team would be smaller, 15 or 16 hand lighter drafts who could ride and drive but I don’t know where I’d find such a team, specifically here in SW florida unless I were to train them myself. Training to ride would be no problem for me, but driving?

Sorry for all the rambling these are all my thoughts. I am stuck with moving forward with draft power or shopping for a tractor in the not too distant future. I really want to figure this out so I can go fourlegged. We moved to this farm wanting to take responsibility for our food supply, live in a sustainable way, be prepared for anything that might happen…

Last idea is to just get some good riding horses (quarter horses would be my pick and they’re plentiful here) and possibly teach THEM to work in harness and do the small amount of work we have here.

Anybody have any feedback on all my crazy ideas?

[Andy Carson]

If you have less work you could consider using a single draft. I use a single and am pretty happy with her. You might want to think about getting an animal that can take Florida heat, and I’m not sure if a big draft is going to be your best choice for that. There are several days a year where I can’t work my draft (or have to work very lightly) because it’s too hot or too humid, and I live in western PA. My wife has an arab/andalusian riding horse and the heat never phases him, even on the hottest days. There is a world of difference between these two in terms of how they take heat. The other thing I would say is if you haven’t driven or worked a horse before, you are better off getting and horse that drives and teach it to ride. I have done this a couple times and I am only a passable rider (although I can always as my wife for help with this). I can’t really comment on how to find your horse(s) in florida, though. I am blessed with living close to Amish communities that make finding work horses pretty easy… Good luck with your farm and your horses!

[sanhestar]

Hello,

you might want to check out the smaller breeds: Haflinger, Fjord or Highland pony.

[blue80]

The only crazy idea I see is the one where you are considering buying a tractor;)
When I bought my first team I also had a couple tractors. Between not having a great amount of confidence driving, nor experience or availability of equipment, and also a lack of time due to work schedule, the team got fat, tractor got worn out, and I didn’t progress where I really wanted to, that is working the drafts… Hope you find a good balance, but if you don’t start, you won’t get there.
As mentioned, some of the smaller draft breeds may suit you. Or a draft cross. I am training a couple standardbred/belgians right now and they are a nice ride/pack/drive size with great temperments.

I peruse drafthorseclassified.com once in awhile and tonight just noticed a team of black percherons in Orlando. Might check them and the owners out?

[Mac]

I’ve never owned a draft horse in my life. We have regular, quarter-horse sized horses/mules. My current farm team consists of two full brothers, 4 and 5, foxtrotters, who weigh in at about 1200 each. Thats big enough. I also have their 20 year old uncle who’ll weigh 1000 lbs and can hold his own with either one of them. And seeings how you’re wanting to have something to ride and work, this seems like a good idea. And regular size riding horse/mule can pull a wagon, spreader, or logs. Just remember… its not size, but heart. My boys do all I need to and then some, and enjoy it. The meet me at the gate and truly enjoy the work. Heat doesn’t seem to be a bother with them, but they come out of the field wet. I hope my rambling has helped you some. Please feel free to ask any questions.
Mac

[lancek]

If all you are doing is light work and you want to trail ride too a large breed saddle horse app Morgan etc. will suffice as long as it is harness trained! even a large quarter horse would do many of a western field was plowed with the same horse that rounded up the cattle. Hafflingers are well suited for riding as well as farm work!

[HeeHawHaven]

Check out my fjord mule team. 1000 pounds each. Just a little over 14 hands and strong as heck. They also pack and have been ridden some and will get ridden much more this summer. They’re very hardy.

I would think you can find a good mule team somewhere down south. Check out dream horse.com or google mule teams for sale.

Muleville.com might have some.

My mules and fjord horse can be seen at gallery.me.com/heehawhaven … They’re not for sale, just offering choices.

I also agree that you can turn a driving horse into riding horse. You’re better off getting a seasoned team if your green driver. Green + green = black

Dave

[FELLMAN]

A Fell pony would suit you, check out my web site in my sig 🙂

[lancek]

Those are stout looking pony’s are they available in the Us ?

[FELLMAN]

@lancek 26263 wrote:

Those are stout looking pony’s are they available in the Us ?

Yes, there are breeders in the us , but the best fells are in scotland :D:D we can export ponies to the us, im currently breaking Towford Harmarnie who is on the web site to harness , i will upload some pics of her when i get my new harness from pioneer soon , they are very strong for there size 🙂

[Donn Hewes]

Yes, smaller horses or mules sound good, but my recommendation is that you find some one working animals doing the kind of work you want to do and get there. I know that can be a real challenge, but you will learn so much. It will greatly inform your ideas about what you want. It might give you ideas about how to find them. Most important it will give you some idea of what to do when you bring them home. We want to you to have a safe start with drafts and spending some time working with someone else is key part for most folks as they get started.

[Thecowboysgirl]

One of the bigger reasons I was stuck thinking I needed a pair as opposed to one horse is the equipment: most of what I have seen for sale seems to be designed for two. One horse doesn’t do me much good if I can’t find equipment for him. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places (but I don’t have a huge budget for brand new stuff and have been looking at used)

I have given a lot of thought to a pair of mules- I have seen a few teams for sale that were at least in the deep south. Location is as important for seeing, buying, getting them home as much as acclimation to the heat. As someone else said, I too would be really concerned with taking an animal who lived its whole life in Minnesota and hoping it could handle the heat. Mules seem to come in the right size range and are often already broke to drive and ride although I’m a little wary of trying my hand at it since I have zero experience with mules and from what I understand it’s just not the same as a horse!

I think the bottom line is that light horses would be my first choice but unfortunately they aren’t usually broke to drive and would likely have no experience pulling or doing other farm work. I did post an ad on a Florida horse forum looking for anybody doing anything with draft animals who might be willing to teach me. Maybe I could break them to drive myself if i had gotten some experience somewhere…?

[Andy Carson]

Yes, finding a full range of equipment for a single is tough, but it is definately possible and you can find what you need if you really want work a single. It sounds like you are more interested in a team anyway, and there is nothing wrong with that. My two cents is that you will definately spend alot more time training a team to drive (if this is still something you are thinking about) than the time you would spend to go pick up a team that is far away. You will get a much better start with a team that knows what it’s doing. I see well broke Halflinger teams for sale all the time around here. I know it’s a long way, and you can surely find something closer… I would really do my very best to find a team that already knew what it was doing.

PS. If you really are interested in a single, please let me know what pieces of equipment you are having a hard time finding and I can tell you what I use and/or where I found it. There really isn’t anything wrong with a team, but if you only have work for a single, don’t let the equipment issue hold you back.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Perhaps a team of large-standard or mammoth donkeys would suit you. Definitely attuned to the heat, smaller (600-1000 lbs. 44-58 inches) and quite trainable, once they know/like you.

[Thecowboysgirl]

Keeping in mind that I am a girl and I am not handy at all (though I am a talented mickey-mouser) can any of the team equipment be modified to be pulled by a single horse?

My husband IS extremely handy and good at carpentry and basically everything. Like a manure spreader meant to be pulled by two horses? Or do they make them to be pulled by just one?

Sorry for all my ignorant questions!

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