Yesterday I spent the morning and early afternoon attending the Southern Idaho Draft Horse and Mule Spring Field-day. It is just recently established and is only in its 3rd year, but it is already one of the largest and best-attended events in our immediate area. This year there were probably close to two dozen teams present and as it was a beautiful, sunny day with a temperature around 60, there was no shortage of action. The event centered on preparing and planting a small field in a mixture of ryegrass and sweet yellow clover. The teamsters began the day’s work by discing and harrowing, after which they used an old grain drill to begin planting the pasture seed. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay for the entire event, but what I did witness was quite a treat for a young man who dreams of using draft mules (horses) on his own farm someday, (Yes Mr. McConnell, I think you may have converted me). I even got to ride along with some of the teamsters as they worked the field.

As one would expect with such a number there was quite a variety in the horses and mules present. Overall, Mr. Lee’s team of matched Belgians made the most impressive show, but there was also a beautiful team of black Percherons, a team of Spotted Drafts and an assortment of other horses and mules. However, none of them compared to advantage with Sam and Sadie, especially the mules, which appear as but play things next to their massive, but gentle strength. Nothing against smaller draft horses and mules by the way, I just happen to be partial to the larger animals. And yes my report on our trip to Rayville is still coming, (soon I hope), I have just been trying to juggle too many balls at once.

I have included some photos, (I took 115), for those of you who, like me, are captivated with the world of the workhorse and I hope to post more periodically as I have opportunities to work with and learn from these people. Enjoy!

Look at those beautiful long ears! These mules were some of the largest at the event and yet they can’t even be three quarters the size of Sam and Sadie.

Black Percherons - \

These are the team of black Percherons – Four in Hand hitch. Notice the rope going from the lead horse all the way to the rear evener. It is set with a pulley system so that the forward team must due there share of pulling. Compare this with Mr. Lee’s Belgians below which are hitched using standard trace and chains.

Here I am on the forecart with Mr. Lee while pulling the disc. These are enormous animals, according to Mr. Lee they range from 2200 to 2400 pounds.

This gentleman bought his mules several years ago from an Amish farmer. They had been trained to respond to German commands so he was forced to learn a limited German vocabulary to work with them. I heard that they did eventually learn English.

It is said that variety is the spice of life – a proverb well proved by this lady and her team of perfectly matched Shetlands. They were tough little horses as they worked fairly steady from around 10:00 am until I left at about 1:00.

This team is owned by a gentleman named Calvin if I remember correctly. He is just preparing to hook up to this 8` disc. While I was in Missouri Tom used a strap to connect the rear of the harness together on both Sam and Sadie so they would remain parallel while backing up. No one here uses such a device and almost all of them had some difficulty backing up to their eveners. I must also point out however that most of these horses are only used as a hobby and so are not nearly as well trained or well conditioned as the mules of Missouri Woods.

These mules were the first team to start seeding the pasture mix. This is the absolute largest mule team at the event and yet they are still much smaller then my friends in Missouri. There were several dogs enjoying a run with the mules, (notice the German Shepherd with those beautiful blacks above), but none with the horses, coincidence I wonder?

Here they are beginning to harrow over the seeded areas, (you can still see the team pictured just previously in the background). I thought this was a interesting implement set-up. The gentleman is sitting on a two wheeled “cart” behind a harrow to which it is connected by two bars which extend to the front corners of the harrow. The double tree or evener is hooked directly to the harrow itself thus pulling the teamster along behind. I had never seen this type of implement before. I wonder if it is meant to be capable of converting for other uses such as a row cultivator, (they have a similar frame and seating arrangement).

This friendly gentleman and his team of five year-old Belgians were giving wagon rides to the visitors. As you can see I got the best seat right up front next to the driver, or should I say teamster, himself. It was from this lofty vantage point that I took the picture at the start of this post. Its location was down this road and off to the right, just outside the edge of this photo.

So here is one last photo of Mr. Lee’s Belgians. He uses these horses in the show ring and for parades and the like, and it tells – they even have matched stride, stepping with the same foot forward each time. The amount of muscle on these animals is absolutely astounding and yet even with all that strength they are still so gentle, a great lesson that would be well learned by many of us men!

Tyler