Of all the teams in the field at a recent plow day demonstration this pair of powerfully-built Haflingers was the smallest in stature but more than up to the job. Originating in Italy, the breed offers extraordinary strength relative to its size – making it a favorite for agricultural assignments.
In they rumbled, trailer after trailer. From them unloaded seven teams, ready to be hitched in four two-up, one three-up and one six-up configurations. Hosted on March 30 by farmer Bobby Trip for the North Carolina Work Horse and Mule Association, this plow day featured a gentle breeze, bright sunshine and the loamy soil of Pitt County’s flat coastal plain. Designed to showcase the talent of highly-skilled teamsters and their 17 carefully harnessed partners, the mix included one team of ponies (above, driven by Robert Myers of Bertie County), one team of mules and five teams of the day’s predominant choice, Percherons. They pulled a variety of rigs, including walking plows, sulky plows and one forecart/gang plow combination. As equine ears flicked to catch commands from the drivers, each team adeptly muscled into its work as a crowd of admirers watched from the fringe of the huge field. Roughly three hours later the grass gave way to acres of neat furrows – a productive start to the spring planting season.
In a rare opportunity to see horses and mules at work in a job only they can do, a perfect March day featured sustainable forestry in full swing. Here team and teamster skid logs to a mountain ridgetop in Henderson County, North Carolina.
Tug chains a-jingle, three teams stepped into a quiet wooded stand ghostly with early spring buds. It was field day at Banks Mountain Farm and silviculture was the subject. An audience of nearly 100 observers gathered along the narrow skid path. They watched closely as highly-focused teamsters eased their equine partners into position near freshly cut logs resting at expertly chain-sawed angles on the forest floor. The felled trees had first been painstakingly selected by owners Bob and Stuart Richens, who relied on the precision of mules and horses to profitably commercialize this harvest. Circling for repeat pulls the teams eventually hauled out hundreds of board feet – including a one whopper nudging 30″ in diameter. The teams off-loaded in neat stacks next to an on-site mobile saw mill, which zipped the timber into custom-cut lumber. As the teams at last relaxed, a growing stash of sturdy boards put the Richens’ construction agenda on the fast track.
This fanciful cover illustration may stray far from the nitty-gritty of actual farm life, but the unmistakable sense of partnership between horse and human rings true.
A 1951 children’s book offers a bittersweet glimpse into America’s farewell to most horse-powered farming. With a valuable harvest at stake, Nubbins faithfully returns to work after the family’s shiny new tractor breaks down. Nubbins gets to keep his stall, but thousands of equine workers met a far less happy fate in the break-neck shift to fossil-fueled farming during this period.
The perils of a poorly-fitted harness add up fast for both horse and driver. An uncomfortable harness makes for an unsafe outing – with potentially serious consequences for all involved.
Some jobs go best with pint-size horse power, but this pony won’t be able to pull anything until her backstraps can be lengthened. To work properly the hip assembly should rest along her croup, indicated by the blue line. Good harness fit is essential and will be included in clinics offered by The Sustainable Stall.
