Filed under: July 2022 | Tags: contentment, draft horses, Horse manners, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch horses, Suffolk stallion
July 10, 2022
The sun shines on our stunning herd sire Hank. This picture was snapped by our daughter Lisa. He is growing into a real workhorse. His qualities of mind and body are excellent. He is a gentleman both in the field and in the barn. He watches over his herd and all the goings on around the farm.
In the barn, he watches all the visitors, but greets them with a confident, quiet attitude. We are proud of this guy. He will have babies of his own next spring. All of us are looking forward to see just what he puts into his progeny. I expect good things and if he is any example, I know that we won’t be disappointed.
These gals are both expecting babies next April. Currently, they are doing farm work, greeting and hauling children and making me smile often. I cannot say enough good things about these Suffolk Punch horses! It may seem a bit strong, but I love them!
Filed under: July 2022 | Tags: farm tour, horse drawn, school children, socialization, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch foal, Suffolk Punch horses
July 7, 2022
This past week has been a blur. We celebrated the birth of our country on Monday after a busy weekend that included a fast trip to Indiana to Horse Progress Days.
On Wednesday, we hosted another group of school children here on the farm. We introduce them to farm animals and give them a glimpse of farm life. Many of these kids are from the “city”. Most have never stepped foot on a farm or interacted with animals other than a few pet cats and dogs.
So, once again, our baby got to meet 20 squealing, wide eyed youngsters. The socialization is good for both the horses and the children. They had a fun couple hours that included petting chickens, goats, a pony, a donkey, cattle and our farm dogs and cats. We give them a horse drawn wagon ride around the farm, pulled by our Suffolk mares Amee and Abby.
This is our third such tour this year. We have more scheduled too. It is my hope that the young people have a favorable experience. Perhaps, I will plant a seed that will start a dream in a young life. I hope that as we share our lifestyle, hearts are opened and God is glorified. I will do my best to teach the little ones and they in turn will help train our animals too. It is a win win, as they say :o)
Filed under: June 2022 | Tags: Groundhog, meat chickens, pastured poultry, Small Farming, whistle pig, woodchuck
June 28, 2022
The night before last, as I watered the cows, our dog Sam treed a woodchuck! I had not ever seen that before. The digging rodents usually just run along the ground and dive into their burrows. Sam must have caught this guy in the open, away from his home entrance. I heard loud scratching sounds that made me look for the noise. I stood a while looking at the out of place woodchuck. He in turn stared at me. I don’t think he was comfortable, but there was no way he was coming down anytime soon!
We have been enjoying a few very nice summer days. The heat and humidity will return soon, but wow these last days are perfect. Highs in the 70’s, low’s in the 60’s with very low dew points. I has been very comfortable for man and beast. We missed a needed rain yesterday. It is getting pretty dry after that very wet spring. God knows what we need and He will send it soon.
We moved the first batch of meat chickens to the portable pen. I started leaving them in the pen on the concrete until they are fully feathered out. This lets me string a cord and add a heat lamp if needed. Soon they will be out on grass in the pen. This makes for tasty meat and they have a good life until they go to “freezer camp”.
Second cutting hay, the gardens and field corn are growing well. The rain will help them, but they all look good so far. The horses have enjoyed a few work free days, as I catch up with other stuff. The speltz is ripening fast and will soon get harvested. I am making a piece of a field into a play area for us all. We will use all sorts of equipment to train the young horses. It is an area of about 3/4 of an acre. I am thinking later this year I will plant it to Speltz, but right at this moment those plans, like the woodchuck, are up in the air.
Filed under: June 2022 | Tags: haying, round bales, Small Farming, Suffolk Horses
June 20, 2022
We are done with our first cutting hay for 2022. There is one small field that remains. We didn’t cut it yet due to an abundance of nesting birds. We will cut it in another couple of weeks. It is just one acre. It will be a small job so I consider our job completed for now.
Our son Jake and I split our teams up. We put each one of his younger horses with each one of mine. This made for two great teams of working partners. Belle and Abby are pulling the tedder, fluffing the hay to cure and dry.
After the tedding was done, Amee and Anna pulled the hay rake, making fluffy windrows to finish drying in the sun.
I followed up the next day with the tractor and baler. We are far from having all of our winter hay stored away yet, but we are off to an exceptional start.
We will haul these bales off the field in the next few days. The horses easily pull 5 at a time on the wagon like in the photo at the top. I look like it was more work for me than them and it is! Climbing up the hay rack with two steel knees, carrying an extra few pounds makes the age show on this teamster!
It was a great few days. The weather held. The temperature was actually cool with a stiff, hay drying wind. The flies were almost non-existent! We have more work to do, but wow, what a great few days this was. The horses all worked great and barely worked up a sweat in the cool air.
This evening we got a brief rain shower. The corn and recently cut hay were all grateful. I am satisfied and well pleased. God is good…all the time!
Filed under: June 2022 | Tags: chicken toys, hen boredom, high school graduation, life plans, stewardship, Success
June 17, 2022
I built this little amusement ride for our hens. This flock of young pullets sit on it and even take it for a spin now and then. Our old flock were afraid of the strange contraption made from a bicycle wheel. The new gals however see it as a challenge and something to do.
Once in a while, we all find ourselves on life’s treadmill, just grinding away each day as if stuck in a rut. This is when we need to stop, take a look around us and just be thankful. When we pause, if only for a few minutes, things become clearer. Our focus will shift away from ourselves and the mundane. We can reflect on others and their problems and accomplishments.
This is graduation open house season. We are offered a chance to congratulate a young person and offer suggestion and guidance. They are about to embark on their life’s journey. Some young folks will have a plan all worked out. Others will have no idea where they are headed, they just know they are headed away from the status quo. Away from mom and dad and childhood responsibilities, where life offers freedom. All of us fit into one of those categories.
I remember having big plans. I remember running towards freedom with those big plans, hopes and dreams. I remember too getting smacked in the face with bigger responsibilities and reality. I floundered for a bit. I dug myself out. I hurt a few people along the way. I finally discovered what I had probably always known, life for me, needs to be simple.
By simple, I mean without glitz and glamour. I don’t need, nor do I want, late nights in the big city, people pushing and shoving me literally or figuratively. I thrive on peace, contentment and perhaps the mundane. I enjoy this life of farming, being surrounded by nature and all of its wonder. There is beauty everywhere that I look. We need to remember that when we pause, God speaks to our hearts. Our hearts will let us know if we are doing the right things, hanging out with the right people or following the right dream.
The Bible tells us that “Man plans his way, but God directs his steps.” It took me a while to understand this and even longer to go with what my heart told me. I was stubborn and willful thinking that I was in charge of my destiny. I plunged into what I thought were great plans. I pushed myself hard, right up against the brick wall of life, but then thankfully, I paused. It all became crystal clear.
As I rest in the barn listening to the animals chew, or sit on the seat of the plow and listen to birds singing I realize that this is what I was born to do. I was made to steward the land, care for animals and share my experiences with others. I help them learn. I offer suggestion based upon my experiences. I nurture, I care and I am filled with peace.
As you talk with the young men and women over a piece of graduation cake, listen to them and share with them. Listen to the excitement in their voices and share what you know. Planting seeds of encouragement will go a long way. You never know just how far your kind words may take someone. Like a ripple on a pond, the little wave eventually reaches the other shore. Be the ripple in someone’s pond. Who knows, you may help them find the way off of life’s treadmill and on to the path of their true destiny.
Filed under: June 2022 | Tags: Draft horse training, Suffolk fillies, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch horses, young horses
June 13, 2022
The photo above is of Bree of Riceland Meadows. She just turned 2 in April. She is filling out and growing well. Her training has started. We plan to be driving her single by the end of the week. She is a good girl with a great mind. She recently starred in a video of getting her harness fitted. The video will appear in an upcoming Rural Heritage show on RFD-TV.
This is a picture of out two fillies side by side. Riceland Meadows Amazing Grace is in the foreground. She just turned a year old in April. She is gaining on her older pasture mate quickly. In height they are very close, but Bree is a chunkier gal. The breeding lines are a bit different, but both fillies will make good workhorses and great broodmares.
The girls are growing and filling out nicely. They are fast friends who don’t stray far from each other. The green grass is sure doing them good. It is fun watching them grow. They were both born here on the farm. Grace’s full sister Miss Maggee, is still nursing on mom and will be for a couple more months. She to is growing like a weed too.
Haymaking is starting, weather permitting. Watch for Bree pulling the hay rake by late summer. We are blessed in this life we choose!
Filed under: June 2022 | Tags: corn planted, hay making, home gardening, late spring
June 6, 2022
After a very wet and cool spring, I managed to get the corn planted on June 1, 2022. I was not real happy with the seedbed preparation, but it wasn’t too bad for the way the rains came. I finished up just before we got another half of an inch.
This morning, I see little green shoots peeping through the dirt. The warm moist soil helped the seeds to sprout and grow. This field of about 2.5 acres should yield plenty for us this year…unless the wildlife hit us hard, growing next to the woods like we are.
Our gardens are doing well in spite of the wet weather. Somehow, I managed to get them off and growing a bit earlier than normal. The raised beds are doing well too. Connie worked on freezing strawberries yesterday, so that job is done for the year.
We got our hay equipment mostly ready to go. We even cut a couple rounds to make sure things are in order and will use that hay, put up loose, to feed the horses when they are in the barn. We bring them in to help dodge the flies during the day.
Training continues for our younger horses and they will be helping in the hayfields soon. The filly Maggee continues to be a delight to watch and be around. Its June already, half the year is gone but half is left to go. We plan to make the absolute best of it!
Filed under: May 2022 | Tags: Draft animal training, draft horses, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch Foals, Suffolk Punch horses
May 30, 2022
Today was a good day for training. Hank, our stallion, is on the right. He is sweating from a little work, but mostly nerves. Look at Abby on the left. She has done the same amount of work, but she just walks along taking it all in stride. Hank wanted to fuss a little and be out in front pulling much of the load. He was wide awake and looking for anything to be mad about.
After about a half hour of him fussing, he decided that it was much easier to just relax and do what I asked and what Abby did. He was a real good horse by the time the lesson ended for the day. I don’t fight with him, I just let him have a little more of the load and talk softly to him to build trust and confidence. He does better at every lesson.
I had been using a jockey stick on him. The jockey stick is a pole about 48 inches long. I fastened it to Abby’s bottom hame ring and then to Hank’s halter. The purpose of the stick was to keep him n his place and to keep him from reaching out to her exhibiting stallion behavior. In other words it kept him minding his P’s and Q’s.
If you look close you will see that there is no stick being used. He has learned that he must behave when in harness. I kept a rope from her hame ring to his halter as a sort of safety rope in the event he rubbed his bridle off. He isn’t going to run off with my big anchor Abby standing where I say whoa. He never tightened the rope and he kept in his place like a true gentleman.
We have a long way to go to make him a trusted workhorse but he is well on his way. He turned three years old in April. I can now use him for meaningful work. Those sessions will be kept short and the loads still a bit light, but he will be contributing to the farm and his upkeep.
My voice and time together coupled with some sweat, makes for good, well broke, trained animals. Nothing beats daily use to keep draft animals working and working well.
Our newest filly Maggee has become a friendly little gal. All of us pet her and make her welcome. My wife Connie greets all the babies and makes them feel at home. Her soft voice lets them know that no danger will befall them in our presence. This same direction is used when training our youngsters. We want them comfortable, safe and secure. They will be asked to work and expected to do their share, but kindness prevails at all times.
Filed under: May 2022 | Tags: draft horses, Horse minerals, Suffolk Horse foals, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch horses
May 27, 2022
We are getting a few things done, but the wet weather continues. Earlier this week, we made videos for Rural Heritage on RFD-TV. We spent two days filming. The videos will appear on RFD-TV in to coming months. Hank, who is enjoying the mineral tub in the photo above, worked with Abby hitched to our training tire in one of the films.
The mineral tub is like a candy bar to the horses. They lick and eat the molasses covered minerals free choice. This year we are trying a tub that includes garlic. The hope is that the garlic helps with fly control. We are only a few weeks into using it, so we will see how well it works. All of the horses like the lick, even our filly Maggee.
After getting their fill from the mineral tub, Amee, followed closely by Maggee, head out to the big pasture to graze. Amee is starting to do light work with Maggee tied beside her. Amee’s maternity leave is almost over. She will still nurse Magge for a few more months, but she will work in the hay fields. Amee is getting extra feed and the best pasture grasses we have to keep her in good condition. Maggee too is getting grain, grass and mama’s milk. She is growing very well. The minerals help all the horses keep in good condition.
We got chased out of this years corn field yet again by rain. We are making progress and hope to be planted by the end of next week weather permitting. We just keep taking care of business and looking ahead.
Filed under: May 2022 | Tags: draft horses, family, Small Farming, Stallion behavior, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch horses
May 23, 2022
Hank, quietly grazing with his small herd. The baby filly pays him no mind as she slumbers nearby.
Hank has a wonderful demeanor. He is always on the lookout for danger and also for flirty girls, but responds well to my voice. He brings the herd to the barn and is social with the farm’s visitors.
Our newest filly Maggee gets the run of the barn during the day. She visits Hank, who softly grooms the youngster.
Magee pays him back as she learns to also groom just the right spot.
This amazed me the first time that I saw it happen. Most studs may not think so kindly of a bothersome youngster, but Hank takes it all in stride. I think this action is just one more example of the Suffolk breed. I can say for sure that I am looking forward to seeing this level headed behavior in Hank’s offspring.
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