RicelandMeadows

Raking hay 2010

June 9, 2011

 

     This is a photo from last season. I was raking hay. I stopped to rest the horses and Lucy came for a visit. I like working horses for just such reasons. You can hear the birds sing, the hay sliding off the rake and the creaks and jingles of the harness. There are no fumes … well not diesel fumes anyway 😮  Really you can smell the horses and the fresh-cut hay as all your senses get involved in your farming.

 

     So far this year, the rain has made it impossible for hay making, at least the way I do it. One of my neighbors with tiled fields and chemicals he sprays on the hay, did get some first cutting made. A few bigger farmers chopped their first cutting grass for silage, but here it continues to grow tall waiting for the weather. I know it will get here soon.

 

     I still have no corn planted. The weather has been relentless. My garden is ready for seed, but even as I write a large thunderstorm looms. Rain has already fallen this morning and more appears to be on the way.

 

     Farming will teach you patience, horse farming will drive the point home a bit more. Farming with horses has advantages, that out reach tractor farming, but a tractor can be driven relentlessly without rest. That type of farming is what is needed right now to catch up. I keep a tractor for that reason, but I much prefer the horses. After all, men need rest too.

 

     Some have called me crazy for using horses to farm. Many others don’t take me serious, but I don’t care. I know the value of a good team of horses and with todays fuel prices, that value is going up. We make a small carbon footprint and when they talk about “green” farming … I’ve seen green be expelled from a horse as we harvest and fertilize at the same time!

 

     I work horses for many reasons, one of which is because my grandfathers, and my father did. I want to carry on that tradition. I also enjoy it very much. I have never gotten a hug from a tractor, but my geldings will often put their heads over my shoulder and give me a horse hug. It’s nice that I like them, but its crazy how much they like me.

 

     Perhaps I bond with animals better than most, I am not sure. I am sure that they bond with me. All of mine come when I call them, well except for my youngest son’s mini horse who is new here. He loves aggravating me, but he will come around. I find that kindness goes along way with animals. I hear it works pretty well on people too.

 

     Consider horses on your farming operation, consider a pet in your life. Animals will enrich your soul. Try kindness on both animals and people and your whole life will be better … I know it works for me 😮