The Rural Voice, 1992-09, Page 26The four -horse hitch is an
impressive sight.
Whcn Arnold gets the halters out, the
Belgians come right up to have them
positioned over their heads. They
seem to welcome the chance to be out
in the cool morning air, kicking up
their heels.
During thc day, they arc kept in
the barn, to avoid thc flies and to
keep from getting sunburnt. At night,
the two pair are let out into thc field.
Although the heavy horse can run,
they don't very often do it. They
don't often play as a yearling or a
lighter horse might. Five other young
horses, yearlings, are out in the fields.
They can graze all day when you
don't have to worry about their coat.
The yearlings are purchased.
Arnold says he used to breed the
heavy horse at one time but he gave it
up adding that, "It costs quite a bit to
raise a colt."
Although the Belgians are hosed
down the night before, all the final
work is done the morning of the
showing. Up before dawn, Arnold
and his family have the horses ready
and loaded. The trailers are leaving
the farm at 8:30 a.m., hauling the
horses across -country for the Fair.
The two teams are washed with
soap and water and curried and their
manes and tails are tied with red
ribbons. "They don't mind the
attention," says Arnold. "They get
used to it."
The Belgians aren't ridden at all.
These animals are a little too big for
22 THE RURAL VOICE
riding although many farm children
have ridden about on a draught -horse.
The heavy Belgian horse is docile
and placid. Although they don't
often run and are seldom ridden, they
can be frisky. A large horse can do a
lot of damage, if it is reacting
aggressively to a threat, such as an
intruder.
A slow -talking, slow -acting man,
Arnold says he never has had any
trouble with his horses. Some
farmers over the years had animals
which could be counted on to run
Slow -talking
horseman never
had trouble with
balky horses
away, several times in a season,
wrecking equipment, if they were
bitten by a bee or startled by a dog.
Sometimes, horses wear blinders so
that they will not be upset by people
or cars coming up behind them. With
a wide circle of vision, horses can see
to the side and partially in the back of
them.
Other heavy breeds such as the
Percheron, a dappled grey or black
horse, or the Shire, the English breed,
were used for heavy -draught
purposes. The commercial breed of
heavy horse, a lighter breed, are more
popular for carriages.
Horses are chosen for their
conformation, for work or showing,
especially if the horse has to
compete. Terms such as short
coupled, well let -down, deep girth
and doesn't show much daylight
(short legs and compactness, which is
a good point) all refer to the make
and shape of a horse.
Similarity in appearance of the
pair is a concern, as is how they
perform — if they lead off with the
same foot, if their agility and
movement is matched. They must
keep their heads up and appear alert.
Arnold Young figures he can show
these pairs about another two years
and then he'll start to look for another
set.
"When they get older, they don't
move the same. They don't have the
same action," he says.
The horses are also shown singly
and in two or four -horse teams. The
showing of the heavy -draughts is a
family affair. Young's wife Donna
has also won trophies in the heavy
horse category for ladies driving a
two -horse team.
When asked if he had any special
secret to his success in showing,
Young said he just looks for good
horses.
"Then we wait and see. We just
take what we get," he says in his
patient approach to his farming.
Young says he has practised mixed
farming in the past and has never
worked off the farm, something few
people can do today. The showing of
beautiful horses has given him
pleasure in his later years.0