First Horse Sale

Grandpa (Thomas Nye) and Grandma took our little  2-year-old Ruby to her first draft horse sale a few weeks ago. First, you need to understand, Ruby is horse-crazy just like her grandpa. When we stepped out onto this catwalk she literally shook with excitement. See how she is pointing in the photo below? She pointed at every horse in sight and squealed, "Horsey!"

 

We went down among the horses. Ruby made a special point of saying a friendly, "Hello" to anyone who happened to be on horseback. She ignored people on foot. LOL

When we headed outside she enjoyed watching buggies and horse-drawn wagons rolling past.

We ate in the Sale Barn diner where the cooks and waitresses are Amish or Plain Mennonite. Ruby smiled at everyone and cleaned up everything on her plate!

We watched horses sell to the relaxing rhythmic sounds of an auctioneer. Horses are super pricy right now. A horse that would have sold for a thousand dollars five years ago would sell for three times that amount today.

Horse sales are a place where the Amish and non-Amish worlds come together. It probably feels to them like a day in the modern world. And to us, as if we stepped into the past.

 If you love horses, the good-old-days, or if you're intrigued by Amish culture...

You need to give one of my novels a try. Click here for the list Amish Novels

Big Day at the Sale

 Amish horses came trotting into town early on the morning of the big Draft Horse Sale in Kalona. Spring field work is underway, and this sale is a good place to pick up some extra horse-power to help finish the job.

 Nice looking horses were slicked up, dressed in harness, matched with a compatible teammate, and made ready for their new homes.


A horse is a living, breathing, tractor with a big heart and bright eyes. They nicker when you walk into the barn, work for hours in sweltering heat, and nudge you with a soft mussel as you brush them in the evening.




Yes, there are some horse wrecks, but there are mechanical accidents as well. I've heard stories of a good horse sensing a problem and saving their handler's life. I've never heard of a tractor doing that!



This sale is a great place to pick up a new plow. (a very, very old one, but new to the person buying it) If you farm with horses, you may be looking for new or used harness. That's here too!

All you have to do is lift a hand and waive one more time than the next guy, and you earn the right to take home a horse that weighs around a ton.