Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Fargir@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/17/2006 9:53:37 A.M. Central Standard Time, ggiffen@1st.net writes:

>People who used  animals because they had
to,
not want to, tended to use what ever method to get  the work done

peggy<

 

>I'm sure there were cases of abuse in farming, but I am of the
opinion that in general, farmers who utilize large animals for a living,
particularly on small farms, have much to lose with an unhealthy animal, and
so are more likely to pay close attention to the animal's health and
well-being. Many treated their work horses better than their wives

Gwen<

 

    I agree that many farmers did treat their horses well but I was referring to those that did not WANT to work with horses.  My father farmed all his life.1920- 1990. He saw and did farming from horses to the huge machinery.  His stories of horse farming from his life and the standard practice of his neighbors made me very happy that tractors came to replace horses.  Not all, in fact most farmers, were not expert horsemen.  They used some  training and handling methods that would be soundly decried now.  Maybe now with modern information and ways of acquiring it, and having options available , the horse farmer would not be abusive.  

    Again I state, the farmer has to want to work with the animals.  I do not want to get into a flame war here and do not want to defame any religion. We have a Amish community near by. The local non Amish horsemen regularly report instants of horse abuse among the Amish .  Again, most/many of the  Amish do not abuse.  But the ones that simply want/ need the work done and do not especially care  for the animal will get it done by any method needed.

    For that matter, many reports are out there of abuse by people who do not have to use horses but do.

    I agree and approve of low impact , sustainable farming but let us keep in mind that some ways are not good for all.

 

    As for the work horses being treated better than their wives, ....The poor horses couldn't talk back and had a higher monetary value at a sale barn if unharmed.  The wife could talk back and if divorced, might have taken some of the farm goods, and/or children (farm labor).  Beside that, a horse can kick a lot harder than most women. :-)

     ( dry tone and trying for sense of humor here)

 

Peggy