Working Horses and Ponies
It's amazing what you can find on your doorstep when you start looking and people hear of your interest in learning about working with horses. I've just discovered a series of positive horsemanship courses given by Cathy Griffin at the ISPCA National Animal Centre in Co Longford.
Courses for September cost €200 and include Positive Pony Power on the 18 & 19th ; training horses and ponies to work on the farm and fields thus having fun, getting fit (horse and owner!), saving fuel and reducing carbon footprints. Email Cathy to book a place cgriffin@ispca.ie
As part of our quest to find a horse or pony to work with us at Sallygardens we've decided to have riding lessons! I'm hoping to discover a riding school that will take on all four of the family to have lessons together, that will be quite a challenge with the age range being from 4 to, well, er thirty something. We are all total novices so it will be an interesting journey, perhaps we'll rapidly change our minds when we come face to face with these enormous creatures!
Working horses are great, but you need quite a bit of pasture to maintain one well. If you are having to import your feed they aren't such a great option unless you really have a lot of heavy work to do. For light hauling, cart rides, and packing I like goats. A full grown standard goat can pull about 400 lbs. You can train them as a team and move even more. You already have goats, so maybe you should look at training an excess male as a cart goat.
P.S. Good luck with the riding lessons. It's great fun, and riding for pleasure is a good reason to have a horse if you can afford the upkeep.
Posted by: Alan | August 17, 2008 at 11:57 PM
I took up riding in my late 30's - my beginner classes were with a bunch of 12 year old girls, and I loved every minute of it. I finally got my horse and it has been a dream come true. Hope you all have fun.
Posted by: Mary Lou | August 18, 2008 at 03:15 PM
Oh dear your doomed.....
Ican see you doing the pony club rounds in a couple of years or so and maybe one day The Dublin Horse Show won't just be a venue for selling for you....
Posted by: carolyn | August 19, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Paul Heiney made some videos (and wrote some books) about using working horses on a small farm. The videos and books used to be available from Farming Press (now called The Good Life Press) and may still be. I don't know how much use they might be but it could be worth a look.
Posted by: susi | August 19, 2008 at 07:58 PM
We are very definitely into getting draft animals on our farm. Some cheese makers we know also raise draft mules; Percherons bred with Giant Donkeys. They are magnificent animals and have a much more gentle disposition than draft horses. It is only a matter of saving the $$ to buy one (or two) now.
Someone visited my blog and gave me a link to your blog, it is very inspiring. We are market gardeners in the U.S. We were just discussing innovative ways to earn money for the farm without solely relying on market income. We are thinking of putting up some yurts and having people come for "working" vacations. We have had friends visit many times and they all love getting their hands dirty while they are here. I like your idea of having workshops on the farm. I think we all have many skills we can share with other people (and there is nothing wrong with making a little cash along the way). I am actually taking a break form blogging (yea, right) but I will be back to visit you for inspiration again!!
Posted by: LisaAnne | August 21, 2008 at 04:06 PM
Hi Rebecca - good luck with the riding lessons! Not sure if you're "into" blog awards but I've nominated you for one over at my blog if you'd like to pop over and receive it!
Posted by: Amanda | August 22, 2008 at 07:57 PM
Gene Logsdon just posted a bit about oxen and draft animals on the garden-farm. http://organictobe.org/index.php/2008/08/19/oxen-power-for-family-farms/#comment-2829
Might interest you.
Posted by: Alan | August 24, 2008 at 01:59 AM
Best of luck with the riding lessons.
Just to let you know (in case you don't get the Farmers Journal) that you and your e-booklets are mentioned on Backchat (which is the back page of the country Living Magazine part of the Farmers Journal.
all the best, Lorna
Posted by: Lorna | August 24, 2008 at 08:29 PM
As a child I was terrified of horses, but was pushed into taking lessons. Now when I sit on top of a horse, I feel their power and beauty and am so thankful I was taught as a child. Learning to ride is a beautiful journey. Enjoy!
Dagny
www.onnotextiles.com
bamboo clothing
Posted by: Dagny | August 26, 2008 at 12:13 AM