Nylon Harness Shop

This past February, I brought my draft horses into the barn to harness them up. I was planning to hitch them to this little sled that my harness is hanging on.
Coke (one of my horses) reached to the ground to get a mouthful of hay that she had dropped and broke a snap off her harness.
When you weigh almost a ton, it's easy to break things without meaning to.
The next thing I knew her harness was draped over her head. Being the good horse she is, she stood still and waited for me to unsnap everything.
I knew that I was going to be making a trip to my friendly harness man.

While he looked at what needed repaired, we had a chance to visit about other things. He told me about a new team of Percheron horses they had recently purchased. This is a picture (above) of one of those mares and her new colt. You can see her teammate in the background with some other horses. He told me that they seem to be good horses... if you can catch them. They were purchased at the Sale-barn in Kalona and he didn't know anything about their history. He said, "We normally catch our horses when they come into the barn for grain, but they don't come in with the others." That is unusual, most horses love to come in for grain. I'm sure they will get used to their new routine soon enough.

While I was getting my harness repaired, I remembered that my steel bits were getting rusty. So, I bought this new set of stainless steal bits. Not that I wanted to spend the money, but these are like the brakes on a car, if they go out your done! You can see a copy of my repair bill below. The Amish church-bench wagon was parked at the harness man's house, and he told me that they would be having Church in their home in a few weeks. I got a call about a week later, asking me to please pick up my harness as soon as possible. I knew what that was about. When an Amish family hosts Church in their home they want everything on the farm immaculate, even in the harness shop.

Yes, he did misspell my name, but I was honored that he remembered my name without asking.

Another footnote: When I arrived to pick up my harness, the shop had an open sign in the window, but nobody was anywhere in sight. I could hear what sounded like a large group of children. Just then, Monroe came out of the big barn. He told me, "Our goats are kidding!" I asked him,"How many kids?" He told me around 40. I don't know if that was a total or if more were on the way.

In my novel Catbird Singing, Lenny visits a harness shop multiple times. His good friend, an aging Amishman, gives him good advice about more than horses and harness.

Daddy Daughter Day

My daughter, Bethany, spent the day with me at the Kalona Draft Horse Sale. She was there on the day of the equipment sale. I took this picture of her in front of a couple of buggy horses. After I took this shot, I realized that an Amishman was eating his lunch in his buggy, hitched to the horse on the right. He didn't seem to notice us, until we walked past, and then gave us a friendly greeting. Bethany was the first person to read my novel, Under the Heavens. She read it while living in Italy, where her husband was stationed. (Funny that my book made its debut in Italy)

There are usually dozens of buggies all lined up. A lot of Amish come in from the Hazelton Amish community in northern Iowa and from Bloomfield in southern Iowa. They ride with English drivers, in semi-trucks that are hauling trailers with horses to sell, or ready to take home newly purchased stock and equipment.

I bought this Bobsled (pictured below) for a very reasonable price, maybe because it's springtime and it won't be much use for a long time. I will be really happy that I have it the next time it snows. I had a similar sled but it was really old and falling apart. This one is good and solid.

Bethany and I never seem to run out of things to talk about.  We enjoyed looking at all of the really old items and discussing what we thought they were, and how they were used. We noticed that some things we considered antiques were being purchased by local Amish folk, not as antiques.

My daughter pointed out how the light was making a nice shadow of this Percheron.

This dad and son are heading home from the Horse Sale with their newly purchased items... just like my daughter and her daddy. Yes, that is the Maple Avenue Greenhouse on the left. I blogged about the greenhouse a few weeks ago.

I sold books on the second day of the Horse Sale, and bought an amazing pecan sticky-bun from an Amish family that was selling baked goods. I took one bite and it was warm and delicious. So, I called over to the teenage girl that took my money, "Did you make these this morning?" She smiled and nodded.

I took this photo from where I was set up, selling books. I had a great view of the sale ring and was quite impressed with the quality of horses that sold that day. Good horses were bringing a handsome price.

There were a couple of young Amish families that came to the sale together... I passed them on the way home.

This young Amish fellow impressed us all with his skill and courage

Thank you Bethany, for being a sweet daughter and a great friend...
I loved spending the day with you!

Horse Pull in Photos

A team of Belgian Pulling Horses, take a rest.

   I like how these two pictures (above and below) show the same horses, with opposite focus.  The top picture shows both horses heads clearly.  Below, everything but the heads are clear. This may be because these horses are completely synchronized; their heads bob together as they stride, and hold still as they push.  Notice how many concrete blocks are on the sled.

This older puller does a great job.  I was visiting with a young Amishman, who was watching the pull beside me.  We liked how this man got his horses to stand quietly and get even before asking them to pull. Then, both horses leaned into their harness gently.  The young Amishman said, "That's the way you want a team to work on the farm."

In my novel, Under the Heavens, I describe a man at a horse pull as a "kind old cowboy."  It so happens, that this is the guy I had in mind while writing.  I've watched him pull horses for years.














Pictured below, is my other favorite horseman at the pull.  This older gentleman sold his team the next day at the Kalona Draft Horse Sale.  Whoever bought them will never regret it.  His horses were not old, but perfectly trained, and showed a lot of heart.  They were the only team at this horse pull not wearing pulling shoes.  Horse Pullers put shoes with cleats on their horses much like a football player might wear, to enable them to get good traction. This old fella isn't a "puller" but a man who uses his horses for a variety of things on the farm, and because they are trained right, they will also pull a big load if asked.  His horses really got in there and dug, pulling as much weight as the others even without cleats.  They pulled all the way through on the second to last pull, after which he very wisely chose to not ask them to pull the final load.  Only one team was able to pull the final load 18 feet. It reminded me of the horse pull in Under the Heavens, Lenny's horses didn't have pulling shoes on either.

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Above and Below, an Amish girl stands near a big team.

The top picture is better of the girl and the bottom of the horses, so I included both.

 

This young Amish girl swung the gate open as teams entered the ring.

She had a smile on her face the whole pull.

Kalona Amish do not attend this horse pull, but Amish who are in town for the Draft Horse Sale often stay for it.  I'm not sure if their home communities are not against horse pulls, or if they are able to take in new sights while on a trip, that seems to be common among Amish.

Amish are Happy People

 I sat at this little booth all day selling books.  This picture was taken at about 8:00 am, when I first set up, but by about noon the place was so packed a person could barely see this table.  At one point I looked around and realized I was completely surrounded by Amish people.  The thought crossed my mind, that I could get some great pictures without anyone knowing it.  Then, I reminded myself that many of these Amish were my good friends and I know they don't want their pictures taken.  Why would I do that?

It would have been fun to share that moment with you, my reader, but I just couldn't let down my Amish friends!  So, instead of taking pictures, I sat and watched all the Amish folks visiting.  And I noticed something, they were all smiling.  When Amish are in town they often seem stern and quiet.  If you can visit Amish people in their own environment you will find something else; they love to tease and have fun.

During the day, I got a chance to visit with several of my Amish friends. I gave a copy of Under the Heavens to the man I bought Karm and Coke from, he was excited to see his old horses on the cover. Another Amish friend bought a book from me, and made a comment as he did, "I helped you write this book."  He didn't know how true that was!

By the time this horse pull was taking place, all the local Amish had gone home.  Kalona Amish don't believe in contests of any type, including horse pulls. There are some Amish people in these horse pull pictures but not from our community; it is off limits.

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

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