How did I get here?

[michaelk]

Curious to hear individual stories of how life with draft animals began. Did you grow up with animals being used in the fields and forests? Was a hole in the human soul forming as a result of modern busy life and machines running our days into a lifeless blur, thus finding the renewed spirit through draft animals. An economic decision? Environmental? I for one don’t have much experience farming, but working in the woods has been both a job and pleasure for the last 15 or so years. My wife and I bought an old hunting camp 9 years ago on a completely wooded hillside which we live in. At the time we had Siberian Huskies and they were my power source for getting firewood out of the woods, our only heat source. We have since cleared an acre or so, built a log barn, and are continually trying to grow grass for our horse and 2 goats. We, as a choice, have always been financially restricted to buying what we have money for and that has never included a tractor. As each year goes by I find myself drawn more towards animal power for economic, environmental, and global reasons. I am going to work with a semi-local horse logger to learn all I can of this business of driving horses in the woods. I feel drawn to it like I should have learned this years ago. I’m just starting, but it would be great to hear how other people started working with draft animals and why.

[Anonymous]

I’ll have to thank Carl for that …THANKS !!!!

[Wolfscout]

I used to use a team of billy goats. But when I had to have the rest of this land cleared I got rid of the goats. They worked even when not in team as they cleared the underbrush.
Now, I’m wanting to go into Oxen as my power source. And like the OP, my fixed income budget and being disabled have not allowed for a tractor and it’s implements. I’m still learning more before I go get my first steer though.

[clydevalley]

I have always wanted a heavy horse and 37 years later I was fortunate to be in the situation to buy one.
He was totally green but within a week I knew he was a “working” horse as opposed to a hack so as well as breaking him to ride I also dabbled in teaching him to drive, he loves it.
We have a long way to go as we have only covered the basics but the future is part of the excitement in learning.
I rent some land, very low income and spent the whole of last summer hand weeding paddocks etc then fate intervened, I met up with my old pal John (Jac) who convinced me to “work” Clyde on the farm.
I am now proud to say that I am awaiting our first harness (I’m so excited) and I am looking forward to spending time with my boy, working with him and controlling the land both peacefully and enjoyably.
Funny thing happened the other day. I was training Clyde in the field when my young boy Buddy fell in beside us and trained alongside. John keeps telling me to drive a team, looks like I might be at a later date 🙂
Liz

[dominiquer60]

When I was too little to remember father said,”No body better get in her way, because she knows what she wants.” I grew up with a yard full of food, a few chickens and great disappointment in my parents for not having a “real farm.” Though skipping a couple generations, farming seemed to make sense to me for as long as I can remember. At 7 I was introduced to riding horses, in college I made sure that I took every draft horse course offered. In 2002 I was a veggie apprentice that took part in a tour of David Fisher’s farm and was in awe of the lack of hand weeding his farm required.

In 2006 I met Carl and Lisa at a workshop, in 2007 I attended the first NEAPFD and in 2008 I watched Howie Van Ord explain the basics of starting a pair of calves. That same fall Jim Hawkes let me drive his young team of steers with a scoot at Low Impact Forestry in ME. In 2009 my soon to be father in law let me train a misfit pair of beef, a heifer and a steer. On 10/10/10 I was proposed to with a fine pair of Milking Shorthorns calves instead of a ring. Today I call a “real farm” home and used my shorthorns on a light chain harrow to prep the pea patch.

Great topic,

Erika

[mitchmaine]

how did there get to be a “here” for us all to get too?

i love all the important stories on how we all got here and i don’t want to change the question, but at the same time, i wonder how dap came about, and happened so we would all have a place to get to. thanks to carl and lisa and all the others who created this “place” for us to share our days stories.

mitch

[jac]

I have our very own Grey to thank for me being here.. eternaly thankfull Grey… I had found another draft horse site but all they wanted to do was ride them and show them.. which is ok if thats your thing but it isnt mine and to be honest some of the folk were less than friendly. Grey pm me with this one and the rest is history… This community is awesome and a huge debt of gratitude is owed by us all to Carl an Lisa for kickstarting this all off..
John

[Author]

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