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  • From: "Gwen Giffen" <ggiffen@1st.net>
  • To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Alternative fuels on the farm
  • Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 02:23:54 -0400

I haven't worked with horses much myself. We had a pretrained mare when I was growing up, and I have messed around with foals some. My maternal g-grandfather was a horse team trainer, and my paternal g-grandparents used a team on this farm. Maybe farm teams are sugar coated in my mind because of my family's pervasive positive attitude toward them. You are probably right that many average farmers were abusive. My husband, who has worked with horses a good bit more than me, says you are right. I've heard people comment on some of their Amish neighbors regarding abusiveness to their horses, and sometimes its an Amish person doing the commenting. And then some people abuse and neglect out of ignorance rather than intention. So I would agree with you that it isn't good for all people. It is an option though, as you said, and a positive one for some.

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"





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