Where Horses are still King

 There was a day when horses ruled the earth, so to speak.  In the 1800's, horses powered most of the world, at least on land, while steamboats ruled the waters.  Shortly after the turn of the twentieth-century their reign ended, as they stepped to the side of the road while automobiles and tractors took over.

 When we used horses everyday as our main mode of transportation and when they powered our farming operations, we knew them well.  Nowadays, even many horse owners barely understand their friend, the horse, and struggle to work peacefully with their charges.

What I have discovered, living near an Amish community, is that there is no replacement for working with horses everyday, if you want to understand them.  I love my own horses, but when bad weather hits, they stand in the barn.  Imagine if the only way you could go anywhere, in any weather, was to harness up a  horse and hitch it to a buggy or wagon.  Wind, rain, cold, heat, storms or being in a hurry, all are enough to make a preacher swear... when he is in a car. Try all of that behind a horse.

Generation after generation of farmers, passed down horse handling skills to their children and grandchildren, as they worked together on the farm.  Now, we try to learn those same things from a manual or DVD.  It is always better to learn first hand from a master, not to mention what we've lost, in not spending time with our extended family.  My Amish neighbors are still part of this historic loop, that we have stepped out of in order to improve our lives through modernization. 

 There is still a place where horses are King,

among the Amish

Pictures provided by my friend, Jerry.  If you would like a print of any (but the boy and draft horse,) contact me at amishhorses@outlook.com and I will get you in contact with Jerry.

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There were several things I noticed, such as the cars in the background, which look outdated.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

Hay Sale

 Hay is a precious commodity this time of year. Mountains of bales, round and square get stacked up one day and hauled off the next.

Kalona is one of many rural communities that are fueled by hay.  Cattle, horses, sheep and now days goats all need their staple, hay!  Almost all Amish farms in the Kalona area now have milk goats, only five years ago they all milked cows.

A local Amish man I know said recently, "When I go to sell my dairy herd, I will have to take them to the exotic sale!"

If you are looking for good hay, check out the Kalona Sale Barn, they have a hay sale every week.
http://www.kalonasalesbarn.com/home/

There is also a Auction house near Frytown that has a hay sale every Wednesday.  Here is their link
 http://www.yoderauctionservice.com/

Check out Amish Horses Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/AmishHorses

My Changing Background

I am sharing a string of photos taken from within 50 feet of each other, to make a point.

Our lives often feel like we are stuck in a rut, same places, same views, everyday.  But if we take time to notice, we will realize that God is changing our backdrop constantly!

Especially here in the mid-west we find that our plain, wide-open spaces are changing daily.

Make sure to take time and drink in the beauty that surrounds you everyday!

Okay, I will admit having a pair of beautiful horses gives scenery a huge advantage. This morning when I fed my mares, I told them, "Per dollar, you girls were the best money I ever spent!"

Amish Never Forget

 One day I was driving down a country road a few miles from home and saw a mare with a colt in a small pasture.  The Amish family, who lived on that farm, were all out in the pasture admiring their new addition.  I slowed down, wound down my truck window and called out, "Nice Colt!" They all waived, with big smiles. I didn't know this family at all, but drove by occasionally to look at their horses.

A few years later, I bought a team of horses from this family at the sale barn. They asked to use the horses they sold me, that next spring, for plowing.  I was more than happy to oblige.
They invited me to come plow for a day with a six-horse-hitch, that included my two horses.

Stonewall and Jackson

(the horses I bought from this family)

When I was on their farm, I thought I should ask if they remembered a guy stopping by, one day years ago and hollering, "Nice Colt."  I doubted they would know what I was talking about.  If they did remember, it would surprise them that it was me.  Oh no! That's not how it works with the Amish!  Not only did they already know it was me; they told me, "You know what we were doing that day? We were counting the starlings on the telephone lines."

Most of us Americans are more familiar with celebrities or sports stars than our neighbors.  As a letter carrier, I have found that many people have no idea of their neighbors names. The Amish, on the other hand, are completely community oriented.  Once they know your name, they never forget it!

That day plowing and other experiences I had on their farm are part of the stories I share in my novel, Under the Heavens, http://www.tinyurl.com/underheavens
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmishHorses

Horsepower in 2014

 The world has changed a lot in the past one-hundred years! In 1914 almost every farm in America was powered by horses, not tractors. At first glance these monster tractors look like a vast improvement over farming with horses, but are they?

Let's stop and go over the pro's and con's:
Tractors... one man can farm hundreds of acres alone. Horses... more people needed but that means more people with jobs.
Tractors... although they use expensive fuel, they don't need to be fed when not working. Horses... they have to be fed everyday but they can raise their own renewable, environmentally safe fuel.
Tractors... don't get sick and die. Horses... can reproduce their own replacements.
Tractors... don't have personality flaws. Horses... actually have a personality, many that you can fall in love with.
Tractors... will make you more dollars (True, that modern farmers spend more money on luxury items but almost all of them are strapped with a debt load their huge tractors can't pull them out of.)  Horses... will save you more dollars (Most Amish who farm with horses operate with zero debt.)
In the end, it is obvious that tractors are more convenient and make it possible to raise more food with less labor. If you ever visit an Amish farm, where they are using good old-fashion horsepower, you will find that with our "convenience" we have lost a lot of what makes life rich and meaningful.
What if, instead of one man farming a thousand acres alone, there were eight families working that same land. And those eight families helped each other daily in a close knit community. Welcome to the world of the Amish.

Does this fascinate you? Check out my novel, Under the Heavens, it will give you a chance to feel what it is like to spend a summer on one of these farms.

                 http://www.tinyurl.com/underheavens

Hog Farm

        In the good old days Iowa was covered with scenes like this one. Hog sheds were everywhere and big sows could be seen rooting in fields with a litter of baby pigs nearby. Now, this type of view is about non-existent.

I was born in Iowa but we moved to Michigan in 1965. I moved back to Iowa in 1980 and clearly remember seeing hogs in fields all over. From 83 to 88, I worked in a hog confinement operation with close to a thousand sows in house.  That type of operation has taken over the industry and today very few small farmers can compete with those mega farms.

 I miss the old style hog farm!

Whenever I pass by this farm I slow down and look in, remembering how things used to be.  We can't go back in time or even make time stand still, but we can take time to look around and appreciate what is around us.  We never know what changes will take place.

I have to remind myself that the present is tomorrow's good old days.

Horse Pull

 Kalona Sale Barn

 Spring and Fall, Kalona Sale Barn has a draft horse sale.  It's a two day event; equipment and tack on Monday, teams of horses on Tuesday. With all those draft horse enthusiasts here in town, it only makes sense to have a horse pull on Monday evening.  I took a slug of pictures with my cell phone, so that I could share them with you.

Just watching a team get harnessed and ready is a fun experience.

 Our local Amish don't take part in this event or any contest for that matter.  You will see some Amish in these pictures; they are from other communities with slightly different rules.

Watching these super athletes compete is a big thrill for me. I enjoy seeing horses working and it is interesting to see the interaction between horses and humans.

Each teamster has a unique style and each horse seems to have its own pulling form. Some walk upright, others squat and dig, and others seem to almost hop.

 These pulling contests weed out poor handlers quickly. As the loads get bigger, teamwork is critical. Horses that work together well can pull more, and each teamster has a lot to do with that. First, in choosing two horses that compliment each other. Next, in training and conditioning, which takes patience and personal discipline. And finally, knowing how to stay calm during the heat of an exciting pull.  Horses can feel their handlers mood and usually reflect it, some more than others.

This was an exceptional pull, with the sled weight topping out over 12,000 pounds! At the end, there were three teams still in out of nine that entered. All three teams seemed to max out at the same weight and each of the three teams gave more than one try at pulling that last load.

A very important element of top quality horsemanship is knowing when to bow out of an event. If you make your horses try too often on a load they can't handle, they learn to doubt themselves, and give up sooner. Yet, making a successful second attempt on a load, can actually build confidence. Just like with people, we gain confidence from pushing ourselves to our full potential.




Some horses love to pull. Only that kind of horse can have any success at an event like this. Horses that don't enjoy it let you know quickly and wouldn't get far in a horse pull. Some of those horses make great pets and farm horses though. There are plenty of jobs on a farm for a draft horse that wouldn't make it in a pulling contest.

  

                                         I have a video of part of this pull on my Facebook page                                   https://www.facebook.com/AmishHorses

Grandchild Artwork

        My grandchildren know that I love horses!  My granddaughter Lyla was with her mother at a store and saw a packet of horse stickers, she asked her mom to buy them.  When they got home she had made up her mind that she was going to make a horse picture for her grandpa.  My daughter told me that Lyla wanted her to send me this collage in the mail.  I like how she has put everything together, especially the way she put a saddle on one horse.  Lyla is my horse girl, I'm afraid she has the same bug I have.  I am including a picture of Lyla sitting on Coke, even though this picture has appeared in an earlier post.

        My grandson Alex is my scientist.  He studies books about sea creatures, especially sharks, whales and sea turtles.  He drew this picture for me, I think it is a Percheron.  I am also adding a repeat picture of Alex and myself.  We took a horse drawn wagon ride a few weeks ago, at our place.

This little horse picture was on the envelope.

My Time Machine~

        In my short story, Back in Time, I refer to my S-10 pickup as my little time machine, and myself as a time traveler.  I have also mentioned my time machine in a few of my blog posts; so, I thought I would clear up any confusion.
       If you read about my time machine, I am talking about my S-10 pickup!
 
       You may doubt that I am a time traveler.  If you saw were I work, delivering mail in Iowa City, Ia. (aka: Little New York) and where I travel, rural Kalona, you would believe me.

     

        When I leave Iowa City, Big 10 football game-day, tailgate crowds of tattooed, skimpily dressed, modern people, it's only minutes until I'm taking these cell pics of another world.  Iowa City was named number one party school recently by the Princeton Review, mentioned in USA Today.
       Driving past Amish farms, I feel as though I've slipped back into another century.  Even on my neighbors Mennonite farms, it seems I've gone back a few decades in time.
       This picture to my right was taken on my Mennonite neighbors farm. I was buying some hay and his dog jumped on board.  Dan is having a little conversation with his pooch about getting back off before the Time Machine leaves.

        Most of my cell phone pictures are cropped before you see them.  I try to take out incidental rear view mirror, side mirror and dash board sightings.  I looked through my reject pictures for a couple examples for this blog.

       I want to encourage you, my readers, to use your vehicles as time machines.  Next Saturday, or whenever you get a chance, head to the nearest Amish community; pull in a drive where a sign advertises goods for sale.

        As I have suggested before, go buy some brown eggs, sweetcorn, pumpkins, flowers or anything that is offered for sale.  Even if you don't need what your buying, the experience will be worth far more than the small price you will pay for these goods!
        When you get there, think about what decade it was, the last time someone in your family lived as these Amish do.