How many missed out on this kind of work?

[ironglow]

  That is working draft horses..  I worked draft horses until my late teens, worked them on the farm and in the woods, until our farm went all tractors..
  One benefit of the horses over tractors...in boggy woods, there was little chance if getting them stuck to the point where they couldn't get out without help.

  Dad usually had Belgians..about like those pictured below.

[BUGEYE]

My maternal Grandpa was a share cropper in Illinois.
The only thing he ever owned with wheels was his farm wagon.
He had a team of big black Percherons.  (can't be absolutely sure of breed)

I spent a lot of my summers with them and on Saturday we'd go into Vienna Illinois which had a wagon yard plus hitch rails if you came to town on a saddle horse.
There was a watering trough and pump, while the horses were drinking you pumped so the trough stayed full.

I always had to ride in the wagon going to town but when we got ready to go home, I'd walk the tongue and pull myself up on the off horse, (the one on the right) because Grandma wanted me to stay clean in town, you could get mighty dirty riding a sweaty draft horse.

Grandma always had eggs to sell at the feed store then we'd walk up to the square where she'd buy coffee, sugar, etc.

[BUGEYE]

I keep up with a guy on youtube called "working horses with Jim" who has a team of Belgians, a team of Percherons, a team of Suffolk Punch, and a Suffolk Punch stallion.
He farms and logs with them.

[Bob Riebe]

My father worked with horses and was glad when they died.

[ironglow]

Bueye..
  You should hold those memories dear...  When you mentioned "walking the tongue'..that brought to mind a childhood incident..  I was walking the pole, down toward the tongue when I slipped..hit a big rusty bolt..and collected several stitches just below the left kneecap.  Just a few of many...
  I have a neighbor about 3-4 miles away, who writes for a magazine involving horses, oxen and etc...can't recall the name, but I'll look it up !
  When my wife was about 5-6 years old, she and her friend were playing somewhat away from home.  The neighbor farmer finished working his field, an offered the girls a ride home on his big work horses. When she saw the setup her mother got excited..the farmer was jogging the horses..and the girls could barely hold on.  THe broad back of a Belgian or Percheron, doesn't allow much curvature for tiny legs.  It was more like sitting on a table while the horses jogged.  They did have the big, brass haymes to hang onto, however.

  TM;
  The top picture is from a horse pull. My Dad never put his horses in a horse pull..he believed they were made them too "jumpy" that way..and dangerous to the hands etc.

[BUGEYE]

IG, yes I cherish those memories.
My Grandpa could walk down a row of corn breaking off the ears and throwing them in the wagon and controlling the team by voice alone.
I never learned to harness them but he taught me to cool them down with a wet rag on their neck and legs.
And they loved for me to stand on the milking stool and brush their backs.

I still love horses today.

[Ranger99]

My folks had mule(s) for farm
power and for transportation
to town and back.
Any other places they wanted to
go , they walked or caught a ride
if a neighbor happened to be
passing by in their wagon.
Nobody harnessed up the work
stock just for joyriding.
There was a whole lot less
frivolous BS done in that
area in those days

[oldandslow]

I have some very early memories of dad using a team for certain field chores and then it went to just one for light duty things where it wasn't handy to do with a tractor and then he retired "Dan" to the pasture. His only chore then was putting with me riding him around now and then. Little kid on a great big horse. I had to lead him over to the water trough where I could get up on the side of the trough and then onto his back. He was a gentle soul and steady as a corner post.

[Bob Riebe]

Did any of you parents/grand-parent use/adapt the horse drawn machinery to tractor use?
My one grandfather who had used horses did.

[BUGEYE]

I have some very early memories of dad using a team for certain field chores and then it went to just one for light duty things where it wasn't handy to do with a tractor and then he retired "Dan" to the pasture. His only chore then was putting with me riding him around now and then. Little kid on a great big horse. I had to lead him over to the water trough where I could get up on the side of the trough and then onto his back. He was a gentle soul and steady as a corner post.

Yep, the big horses were gentle souls, they were what is known as cold blooded, and you can break one to ride in 5 minutes and they seldom buck.

[oldandslow]

I only saw him get riled up once in his life. If you dropped his reins on the ground he would stand there like a statue until you came back for him. One day at noon my dad tied his reins to one corner of a cotton trailer  while we ate. Hearing a noise outside we went to see what was happening and 'ol Dan was seriously upset about being tied and dragging the trailer sideways try to get loose. Dad got him settled down and untied and he was his same old gentle and calm self and standing there waiting when we fined eating. There was good leather in his bridle and reins since mothing broke.

[BUGEYE]

I only saw him get riled up once in his life. If you dropped his reins on the ground he would stand there like a statue until you came back for him. One day at noon my dad tied his reins to one corner of a cotton trailer  while we ate. Hearing a noise outside we went to see what was happening and 'ol Dan was seriously upset about being tied and dragging the trailer sideways try to get loose. Dad got him settled down and untied and he was his same old gentle and calm self and standing there waiting when we fined eating. There was good leather in his bridle and reins since mothing broke.

You can't help but love the big horses.

[mcbammer]

   Its the Amish that amaze me pulling modern ag equipment  by horse .  https://youtu.be/O_Qash0LqFs

[ironglow]

Did any of you parents/grand-parent use/adapt the horse drawn machinery to tractor use?
My one grandfather who had used horses did.

  Of course..That was part of the routine when switching from horses to tractor..we used mowers, spreaders and even reapers with poles cut short.  Back then, we usually didn't buy a tractor along with the whole line of equipment..

[ironglow]

   Its the Amish that amaze me pulling modern ag equipment  by horse .  https://youtu.be/O_Qash0LqFs

  One thing that surprises me though...  I don't know where the Amish get their work horses, but they don't seem to be as big as the Belgians and Percherons w had years ago..but perhaps that is just around this area.

  The few local non-Amish folks who log with horses seem to have the full size ones.  Our work horses usually went  about 1700 pounds to the largest we had..being a ton in weight.   

[TrumpWon]

We were more of a mule family
Pap would take first place in the team pulling and first and second in the singles every year at the county fair.

[BUGEYE]

   Its the Amish that amaze me pulling modern ag equipment  by horse .  https://youtu.be/O_Qash0LqFs

  One thing that surprises me though...  I don't know where the Amish get their work horses, but they don't seem to be as big as the Belgians and Percherons w had years ago..but perhaps that is just around this area.

  The few local non-Amish folks who log with horses seem to have the full size ones.  Our work horses usually went  about 1700 pounds to the largest we had..being a ton in weight.

Back in the middle 60's I kinda made friends with a Amish man who had a huge barn.
He had 2 Clydesdale stallions that he used for a large truck garden, but his main income was boarding pregnant mares in the winter.
The Amish around him didn't have to feed those mares all winter and he had a collection system for their urine which was collected in barrels and shipped to Chicago to a pharmaceutical company that used the hormones from those pregnant mares.
Many of the mares were no larger than a quarter horse and they threw foals that grew to good size but not as large as his stallions.
I'm sure there was other stallions around to keep from line breeding the filly foals.

One thing I did not like about the Amish, (at least those around Arcola Illinois) when a horse got too old to work they did not put it out to pasture, they sent it to a slaughter house.

[ironglow]

   Its the Amish that amaze me pulling modern ag equipment  by horse .  https://youtu.be/O_Qash0LqFs

  That modern equipment is being manufactured for horse/Amish use.  Their "rules" vary from community to community.  Some must not use engines..most of what you see there.  Others may use a stationary engine..
  Some may use a tractor..but not with pneumatic tires.  ..And the beat goes on.

  My son had a building built for a photo studio..but it was built at the man Peter's, farm/sawmill..because ne is not allowed to work in a village.
  When we decided to refurbish our barn/craftshop/blacksmith shop, we had to hire Lester, an Amish man from about 25 miles away..to install new concrete floor, install 4 new doors (2 garage doors) and many windows, and finish with hemlock board & batten.

  We will be putting a hunt cabin in my woods soon..  If Peter can't build it in the woods, he will likely build it on his farm..

  Different strokes for different folks...works for the Amish too !

[mcbammer]

  That modern equipment is being manufactured for horse/Amish use.  Their "rules" vary from community to community.  Some must not use engines..most of what you see there.  Others may use a stationary engine..
  Some may use a tractor..but not with pneumatic tires.  ..And the beat goes on.

  My son had a building built for a photo studio..but it was built at the man Peter's, farm/sawmill..because ne is not allowed to work in a village.
  When we decided to refurbish our barn/craftshop/blacksmith shop, we had to hire Lester, an Amish man from about 25 miles away..to install new concrete floor, install 4 new doors (2 garage doors) and many windows, and finish with hemlock board & batten.

  We will be putting a hunt cabin in my woods soon..  If Peter can't build it in the woods, he will likely build it on his farm..

  Different strokes for different folks...works for the Amish too !

No Amish here but there was a family of Mennonites  bought a farm in the next county over from me . Their ladies  frequent a local flee market to sell their  butter & other goodies .  What the difference between  them and the Amish I really dont know .

[ironglow]

  We have both  Amish and Mennonites in our area.  Generally speaking, the Amish are what you may consider more severe in their restrictions.
  You likely know how separated from the world and restrictive in practices they are.  Well, the Mennonites..at least the conservative ones, such as we have around here, seem to come in 2-3 varieties,,starting where the Amish leave off up to and including, using motor vehicles.  Often times the only thing differentiating them from the rest of us, may be the women's little lace bonnets.

  Now, there  is a far left, liberal branch of the Mennonites, but we don't have any around here, that I am aware of.

  You would likely best ask Motoguzzi here on GBO..because he says he is one of them..  Some info below:

   https://gentsoflancaster.com/2021/01/18/what-are-the-mennonite-denominations-from-an-ex-mennonite/

[oldandslow]

Years ago Budwieser brought their Clydesdales to my little town and set up in the parking lot of our little shopping center. When they trotted them around you could fell it in your feet. They were gentle as old house cats and a lot of little kids got held up to pet them and nary a flinch from from any of them. A lot of Bud ball caps and jackets were sold that day. Huge horses and I certainly wouldn't liked to have been part of the clean-up crew.

[BUGEYE]

Huge horses and I certainly wouldn't liked to have been part of the clean-up crew.

Barns that house only horses have a pleasant slightly sweet smell so cleanup is not too bad and I've shoveled a pile of horse manure.
All other livestock stinks. 

[Ranger99]

Huge horses and I certainly wouldn't liked to have been part of the clean-up crew.

Barns that house only horses have a pleasant slightly sweet smell so cleanup is not too bad and I've shoveled a pile of horse manure.
All other livestock stinks. 

Equines are not ruminants
Their poop is processed differently
That's why equine poop isn't suitable
for vegetables without composting
to kill the harmful bacteria

[ironglow]

  Horse manure can pass hay & weed seeds through into your garden also. 

   One way  to combat it in a small garden..cover the plot with black plastic...on warm days..the black plastic will generate some high temps, that will hopefully, kill some of the bacteria & weed seeds.

  Of course, it will also drive the earthworms out...temporarily..