The Rural Voice, 1979-10, Page 12street pavements, and at railroad cros-
sings. Newly painted lines on a Listowel
street caused a lot of problems for horse
owners during a parade there, BillLeeming
remembers.
Despite what spectators might think,
music from bands doesn't much bother
teams on parade. "You can get them used
to that with the radio at home," Bill
explains.
Flags flopping in the breeze can scare a
horse though as can a child's balloon
breaking. But the big hazard is "what they
walk over. I have one pony who won't walk
over a manhole cover yet," the horse
breeder says.
The Leemings own their own float to take
the various wagons to parades and Bill
admits it costs quite a bit to haul his teams
around the country. But he gets satisfac-
tion from the appreciation of the crowds.
Breaking the horses he raises isn't easy.
First they must trust you, Mr. Leeming
says "and understand they must do what
you mean them to do." And clobbering
horses is "for the birds. Kindness goes a
long way with horses," the McKillop
farmer believes.
He once bought a mare that had been
cooped up in a barn all winter, existing on
what straw she could pick out of manure.
She could barely walk when he got her. It
took two years but he eventually got her
gentled down and back to good health.
"Some people shouldn't own a dog either"
he comments and adds abuse of horses is
less common than it used two be.
The Leemings trim all their ponies'
hooves themselves and get them shoed in
Millbank. Two neighbours, Doug Riley of
Winthrop and Les Campbell of R.R. 1
Seaforth also shoe.
Bill Leeming and his two sons who live at
home are gradually renovating their barn
to make box and tie stalls and a tack shop
where they can keep their eight sets of
chrome harness, made by Malcolm Jacobs.
A new drive shed on the farm houses the
wagons, Bill's collection of antique farm
machinery and a workshop.
Bill Leeming's father, Tom, was a great
horse lover. His five children all ride. And
it looks like the future is in good, horse
loving hands. Bill's four year old grand-
daughter whose parents are Mary and
David Brady, had her first ride on one of
grandpa. 's Palomino ponies a few weeks
ago and did just fine.
" A love for horses"
Vern Bast has a hobby that's worth all the time and effort
Vern Bast of RR 1, Newton, in Perth
County has always liked horses and that's
the main reason he got into the showing
and selling of Registered Belgians.
He started into the Registered Belgian
horses in 1956 but had worked with horses
all his life, having done farm work with
them in the 1940's. In 1956 he had the
opportunity to trade a team of working
horses for Registered Belgians, an oppor-
tunity, he says, "which at that time meant
a lot to me." He traded his horses to Albert
Kieswetter of St. Clements. The Register-
ed Belgians were priced at $600 and Vern
paid a difference of $400. That price would
be considered a bargain today since now
the same pair of horses might sell
anywhere from $5000 to $7000. A gelding
would maybe sell from $3000 to $5000 but
these are just average figures as some
mares are selling for up to $14,000,Vern
says.
One of the brood mares that Vern
traded, was in foal and that is how Vern got
started in the raising and selling of horses.
"I just got started because I had a love
for horses and always hoped that someday
I could have registered horses and a wagon
and harness," Vern says.
Vern, his wife Grace, and their four
PG. 10 THE RURAL VOICE/OCTOBER
children have all taken a part in getting the
horses ready for shows. The Basts first
started showing in 1960 but were restricted
to showing in the line class because they
didn't have a wagon and harness. In 1964
or 1965 they started showing with a
harness and they had a wagon handmade
at Heidelberg Woodworks for about $250.
Since that time the Basts have bought a
new wagon which cost $2000 from a friend
of Verns.
The wagons are increasing in value Vern
says because the gears for them are so
hard to get. When showing at the local
fairs, you don't make much money he
points out.
"'It's just good advertising for your
horses." Some sales could result from the
showing of the horses at the fair as well.
When he started shwoing horses in the
1960's it meant a lot of hard work for him
as he was farming 250 acres south of
Carthage on #19 Highway at the same
time.
"It was very hard because I was also on
Mornington Township Council," Vern
said.
But luckily when he was showing horses,
three of his children were home and they
helped with the farm work. His three
1979
daughters Shirley (Mrs. George Vallance
of Toronto). Marlene (Mrs. David Penning-
ton) of Toronto, and Nancy who attends
Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo,
shared their father's love of horses and
used to drive in the ladies driving class at
fairs and all the children including son Dale
of Stratford helped at the shows. Vern has
shown at local fairs from Simcoe to
Walkerton.
It was in 1969 that the Basts purchased a
new line of Belgian mares from Meadow -
brook Farms in Howell, Michigan which
are of Conquest breeding. Conquest was a
well-known horse.
They just recently purchased a stallion,
Orndorff's Jim's Prince from Indiana., iu
breeding purposes. He is going to be their
basis for a new line of colts. The idea is to
improve and have them bigger, the Basts
say. The horses weigh anywhere from 2000
to 2500 pounds.
The Basts haven't been showing any
horses for the last three years but Vern
says he has some young horses coming
along that he intends to get in the shows in
the coming years. The Basts made 10 or 12
shows a year when they were showing.
Currently Vern has 12 Belgian horses
and operates a breeding program and he