Draft horses.

[Barry Willis]

I remember when I was a wee lad hearing the heavy horses pulling a wagon coming down the road at Oxenden, the farmer going to town to get their groceries. I would run up the road and stand just a few feet away and watch them go by. I could feel the ground shake. It was quite a spectacle that I will never forget. Here's just a couple pictures of the most stunning and beautiful Noriker draft horses I have ever seen and likely ever will see.

Edited May 7 by Barry Willis

[pics]

My daughter has a horse that looks just like them but he's not a draft..

[Barry Willis]

Wow he's beautiful Pics. That photo almost resembles one of our barns for the Calgary Stampede. He doesn't appear to be hard to handle, no offence,  but being around horses most my life I'm just curious about the chain to lead him. For many years I was manager and foreman of Pinecrest Poultry and Thoroughbred Race Horse Farms. The fellow I hired to train our horses - Jimmy Suiter, was one of the trainers of Northern Dancer.  I was the first one to get on their backs but they were gentle trained by Jimmy and myself and not once did one try to buck me off, thank god LOL.

[pics]

The chains are just for the cross ties... he's a gentle horse so a simple lead rope or strap is all that's needed. Appaloosas can be a handful but my daughter handles both of hers easily.. 

[Barry Willis]

I understand Pics. That is a very beautiful picture, I love the horse, wow. You must be very proud of your daughter, I always wish I had one but after two big boys my wife said that's it LOL. I've spent my share of time with appaloosas and never had a problem for a minute. The horse's I have now came from the Rocky Mountain Foothills, wild horse's. The black and white one, so beautiful, looks as though he just came off the reserve.  I just got him a few months ago. He has his playful moods and can be a handful. He will tease the Hell out of me when I try to saddle him by running off, just one of the things I like about him. but once it is on him he quits playing games. I'm not afraid to take him anywhere. The other one is as gentle as can be, also a nice looking horse, at least to me with nice dapples. Just a sweet heart.

Edited May 9 by Barry Willis

[pics]

Both of hers are rescued as are our 3 dogs,2 cats and a rabbit.. we don't have any history of the darker one but we know he came from a very bad situation and was almost 500 pounds lighter when the rescue got him

[lew]

Beautiful horses guys.

My dad grew up in Saskatchewan during the depression and spent the summers working on his uncles farm. He always talked about the pair of Clydesdales they had and my dad usually got to drive the team for whatever job they were doing. He always said they were massive critters and unbelievably strong but gentle as lambs. 

When I was a kid growing up in Toronto (East York) in the 50's there was a horse stable at St. Clair & Warden where us kids would go on Saturdays. Seems to me we paid 25 cents for an hours trail ride and my favorite horse that I always picked was "Big Red" LOL

Sadly that's all gone now and the fields and stables are  monstrous homes, plazas  and subways stations but I spose that's progress/

Edited May 10 by lew

[Barry Willis]

The good old days eh Lew. Clydesdales are incredibly gentle which isn't a bad thing considering their size. You were very fortunate to have experienced that when you were a young lad in them neck of the woods. I used to know Toronto pretty well in the early 70s as we used to go to the CNE, the sportsman show of course and take a drive down just for something to do on a weekend. I doubt I would recognize it these days. I would likely get lost just trying to find Young St. I certainly have no desire to go back.

[CrowMan]

On 5/10/2024 at 8:29 AM, lew said:

Beautiful horses guys.

My dad grew up in Saskatchewan during the depression and spent the summers working on his uncles farm. He always talked about the pair of Clydesdales they had and my dad usually got to drive the team for whatever job they were doing. He always said they were massive critters and unbelievably strong but gentle as lambs. 

When I was a kid growing up in Toronto (East York) in the 50's there was a horse stable at St. Clair & Warden where us kids would go on Saturdays. Seems to me we paid 25 cents for an hours trail ride and my favorite horse that I always picked was "Big Red" LOL

Sadly that's all gone now and the fields and stables are  monstrous homes, plazas  and subways stations but I spose that's progress/

Yes, the city's changed since I was kid growing up in High Park in the 60's & 70's, but it's still the same town in a lot of ways. 3 million people, but it remains a city of neighborhoods.

The horse stables at Sunnybrook (Leslie just north of Eglinton) are still there...my daughter used to ride there when she lived in Leaside. A little bit of the countryside in the middle of a metropolis. 

Edited May 11 by CrowMan
*

[lew]

20 hours ago, CrowMan said:

 

The horse stables at Sunnybrook (Leslie just north of Eglinton) are still there..

We moved to a new subdivision at Leslie & Lawrence in '54 and used to hike down to the area of those stables. I did a lot of bike riding in that area in later years and that's probably the nicest park setting in all of Toronto.

Another stable we rode from in the 50's was at Todmorden Mills in the Don Valley. It was really nice and the Parkway wasn't even thought of then and we'd ride the horses along the Don River and you'd think you were a million miles from a city down there. No noise, no cars and just a really nice place.

[Barry Willis]

If you hadn't mentioned Don Valley Lew, I wouldn't have ever remembered it. I can still remember it a little but not much. But I do remember back in late 60's and early 70's it being a very beautiful area. Back up to Crowman. You and your family having spent time in Calgary I expect you are familiar with Carseland. My dad worked for a farmer out there in the 30's. I wish I knew where exactly as most of the farmlands are passed down through generations. It seems like a lot of other things being born and raised on a farm it get's in your blood and one sticks with it.  

Edited May 13 by Barry Willis