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  • From: Bunjov AT aol.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Draft Animals
  • Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 08:33:51 EDT

Thank you, James -
Jack Kerouac reincarnate I am - along with Ginsberg and Eliot and Pound and
the Gonzo Gang - but Amish, I'm not. God forbid, so to speak.
I have thought and re-thought this idea for the longest time - I have even
gone back to the travois concept. Just the bare basics.
I think every day...what if we woke up in the morning and were totally
alone, and naked, and 'out there', with no shelter and no food and no idea of

where to begin?
Somehow, mankind has managed to make it to the top of the food chain, and is
now in the process of screwing everything up. I am a total Darwinist.
Now, back to the serious. A large horse is a possibility. (BTW - a photo you
sent of you and Denise and your very large horse - name begins with a P - is
now my screensaver) - but where in the world would one buy oxen nowadays? And
what would they be needing or doing on a day by day basis? I have no land to
till (well, I do, but I'm not living on it).
I just want to go to bed at night knowing that - should The Big One - or
equivalent - happen, there's something in my driveway that could get me to
safety, intact, with all necessary supplies and equipment.
Sandy
Mid-Mojave




In a message dated 10/5/2008 4:48:05 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
Clansgian AT wmconnect.com writes:



> >Am I crazy?

Only partially.

A motorized vehicle, of course, did not have draft animals in mind when its
basic vehicular structure was designed. Since the draft animals daily
ability
to draft is a finite commodity, you wouldn't want them to be working at a
disadvantage.

So if you wanted to be a sort of Amish Jack Kerouac, it makes much more
sense
to pocure (build, rig, modify) a vehicle specifically for draft animals
rather than drag around several tons of useless metal. Most of those
humongous
RV's would take at least four big horses to pull it any distance.

Reproduction Conestoga wagons, gypsy wagons, moveable shepherd's hut, and
such are much more feasible ..... and cheaper than an RV even if the RV
isn't
running. Horses are best for short hauls, but if you intended on, say,
crossing
the US, oxen would be better.

James
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