2010 saw the addition of draft horses to the Saugeen River CSA. A team of Belgian mares, Molly and Bert, were purchased from an Amish farm near Chesley, ON. These horses were very well trained and accustomed to daily farm work. This was essential, as I needed to have a team that could teach me alot.
As animals are a central aspect of a Biodynamic farm, from the beginning of my apprenticeship, I thought draft animals would be a sensible thing to pursue. The importance of it was not evident until 2009, when the question of energy use on the farm became more in the focus, and the issues of peak oil and climate change sunk in. I drummed up the courage to embrace the changes that would be needed to begin integrating horses into that farm. I took a three day draft horse workshop, and what surprised me was being around the integration of human thought and animal will, and the harnessing and hitching of the horses, I experienced the joy and singing of the nature spirits involved.
Financially, I wasn’t sure how to manage buying the horses and equipment. I decided to sell the Farmall tractor, as it would become obsolete with horses on the farm. I thought of selling off more, but realized I needed to transition into working with horses. This gave me the idea to work with the CSA members. I proposed if 25 members were willing to advance me $200 each, that would go towards a share in the farm for the next two years, then I could afford the horses and some equipment, and not deplete the farm’s cash flow over the next couple of years. The timing must have been right, as I got such a great response from the members.
One of the main activities the horses have been doing on the farm is wagon work. We used to always use the tractor and wagon for moving things around the farm and for our regular twice a week harvests. The horses take to this very well. The first thing I noticed was how much quieter our trips to the fields are, but when they are “parked” at the tie post in the garden, they express the sounds of life that we never heard from the tractor (the occasional snort and the jingle of the harness as they swish the flies).
An early morning harvest
The trick has been coming up with work for the horses on a regular basis. I needed to accumulate some equipment. I now have a sickle bar mower, a riding cultivator, and a walking cultivator. I have developed, with a mechanic friend, two implements to make our raised beds. I am now looking for a plow, a disc and seed drill, and that would allow me to do most of the field work with the horses.
What I learned though, is that much of this work would actually be better done with three horses, as well recognizing that one team could not sustain all the work all the time. I was approached by some CSA members about housing horses their daughters could ride. We looked into getting horses that could be both for riding as well as draft work. We found a team of Percherons that met that requirement. So in the winter of 2010/11, Pete and May joined the farm. Now I’m looking forward to the coming season to see how much we can do without the tractor!!
What I have learned this past year working with the horses, is how much more I have to learn. When I first experinced the ”integration of human thought and animal will,” I still hadn’t developed the language where the horses and I meet and communicate in the middle – in our feelings. There is a gap between my intention and the horses carrying out this intention. I’m learning what it means to have the horses as real partners in our work, and respecting our shared courage and willingness.
