Amish Life 101

I passed an Amish farm on my way to work one morning and got this photo of their barns.

Amish life 101, begins with horses

Working with horses is second nature to an Amish child.  Hardly a day goes by that they don't need to handle a horse.  They can't get frustrated and give up if they have troubles, they have to find a way to work through horse problems and come out the other side, somehow.  Most modern Americans have little experience with horses and try to handle them like a dog, and they fail.  When things don't go well they say things like, "I don't like horses." or "Stupid horse."  The reality is that if you depended on horses for transportation you would find a way.  You would soon figure out that horses function as predictably as mathematics; if you have trouble balancing your checkbook, it's your mistake, not math's.  (disclaimer: Some horses have already been ruined by previous poor handling. In those situations, if you have problems, it's not your mistake.)

Some math is complicated and takes some figuring to come to a solution to solve problems.  Same thing is true of horses.  But in the end, I'm convinced that it is true that horses are very predictable to those that use them regularly, thus the success Amish have with horses.

This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken so far.

I'm always impressed by what all these girls can get done while barefoot! 

How many teenage girls, these days, have to hitch up a horse if they want to go somewhere.  If they did, I doubt they would head out barefoot to get that job done.  I have been stepped on my own horses and was glad that I had some shoe leather between me and that big foot.

My wife and I were guests in an Amish home one evening.  Another Amish couple were also invited for supper but arrived quite a bit later than expected.  When they got there, the wife said, "Henry was milking and I was going to get the horse and buggy ready, but I couldn't catch our horse."  She seemed worn out and exasperated and made a statement, "I bet those fancy ladies in town wouldn't make as many shopping trips, if they had to catch a horse before they went!"

Amish Books

 I love history. My favorite time period would probably be the early 1800's.
       Growing up, I always read horse books and watched cowboy movies.  Throughout my life, I have read a ton of books about Native Americans and the Civil War. When I moved to a community that was populated by Amish and Mennonites, it came to my attention that living in this area was the closest thing to going back in time.  Now, I love Amish books, because they have the essence of those wonderful by-gone years, yet, the events taking place in these books are possibly happening in the here and now.

       A short time ago, I set up a new Facebook page named, Amish Books.  I have gone to great lengths to connect you with as many types of books about the Amish, and with as many authors of Amish Books as I can.
       I discovered that many Facebook pages about Amish books are managed by specific publishing houses to promote their own titles.  This fact limits the variety of books they can share with you.

       If you are on Facebook, please check out Amish Books and "Like" it!  If you hear of any books about the Amish, please feel free to share them with all of us on this Facebook page.  Here is the link for Amish Books:
   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amish-Books/720643077981078 

       I will gladly post any Amish book on this page.  My goal is not to decide which are "good" or "poor" but to make you aware of as many titles as possible.  I'm sure that different readers will connect with different authors, depending on their interest.  Some are looking for romance novels while others may be interested in farm life or religious views.

       Under the Heavens, is more of the type about life on an Amish farm.  As the series title (Amish Horses) suggests, there is a focus on horses, yet it includes a little romance and religion to boot.

Kalona Amish 1978

These pictures were taken in 1978.

A retired couple that lives on my mail route recently read my Amish novel. After reading it Jerry told me about these pictures he had taken in 1978 near Kalona.  I think his photography is great.

There were several things I noticed, such as the cars in the background, which look outdated.

 You may also notice that the Amish haven't changed much during that same time.  These pictures could have been taken this afternoon, minus the old cars.

The picture of corn shocks (below) reveals a change among Amish in Kalona.  I haven't seen any corn shocks in a really long time.  We still have a few families in our area that shock oats, but not corn.

Buggies, at first glance, look exactly the same in 2014 as they did in 1978.

I moved to the Kalona area in 1980 and have noticed changes in Amish buggies.  They now have headlights, which didn't exist in our community until only a few years ago.

Jerry took a number of other great pictures in 1978 but I am saving those for other blog posts.  Keep checking in on this blog and you will be blessed with many more great pictures!

If you see one you really like and want to purchase a print, Jerry said that he would be willing to accommodate that.  Simply email me at amishhorses@outlook.com and I will get you in touch with Jerry!

Amish Horses For Sale

Are you looking to buy horses from the Amish

I think I can help you!

This is a Help Page,

    How to buy horses from the Amish in thee easy steps.

 1) Horses owned and trained by the Amish are available for sale throughout much of the U.S.
Because most Amish communities don't have electricity or computers, it is difficult to find these buying opportunities online. 

 Don't give up ...  there are websites 

 I will share them with you.

2) The easiest (and maybe the best) way to buy horses from the Amish, might be at auction facilities. 

 There are large sales held every spring and fall called Draft Horse Sales. These events draw many Amish sellers and buyers.  There are usually buggy and riding horses available at these sales also. 

        (Good Horses)  Scroll down for Sale Barn Links.

Buyer Beware!  Just because an Amish person is driving a horse through a sale ring doesn't mean they own the horse or even trained it. Many Amish are paid to drive horses through the ring because they are great horsemen, making horses look better.  Before the auction starts talk to the horse owner.  Most Amish people are very honest, if you ask them straight out, they will tell you if they raised or trained the horse.

 3) If you want to buy from an Amish family on their own farm, that is quite possible!

It is actually very easy to find horses for sale in any Amish community.  Horses are a huge part of Amish life, anywhere there are Amish, there are horses. Most Amish folks are excellent businessmen and love to wheel and deal! Another feature of Amish communities which make them great places to do business is that they are extremely close-knit.  This makes it very simple to find what you're looking for.  Merely stop at the first Amish farm or business you come to and tell them what you are looking for, more than likely they will know exactly where you can find it.

If your first Amish encounter seems difficult, don't give up. 

Many Amish people are reluctant to open themselves up to strangers. Be persistent. Once they take you in, most Amish people will go to great lengths to help in any way they can. I am Thomas Nye and I wrote a book based on my experience buying horses from my Amish neighbors.

This book is about draft horses from cover to cover.

Under the Heavens is more of a draft horse manual than a novel.
Click here to find out more:  Under the Heavens

"I thoroughly enjoyed Under the Heavens. So much so that I hurried and read the next two and then the novella... It was a great story, a bible study, and training manual for draft horses all in one." 

                                                                                    Jack

"Such an enjoyable adventure into the Amish faith and lifestyle. I enjoyed the book and went out and bought 4 copies to give away as presents. I am now a follower of the Iowa Author Thomas Nye. I have sat down many times to re-read and enjoy this story."

                                                                             Curtis

Links

State by State Amish Community Guide

Click on the link to find an Amish community near you!

http://amishamerica.com/amish-state-guide/

Horse Sale Links

Kalona Draft Horse Sale

http://www.kalonasalesbarn.com/home/       

Mid Ohio Draft Horse Sale

Multiple Draft Horse Sale Dates if you click on events... 

 (Draft Horse Journal)   Draft Horse Sales