Ensuring the Future of Agriculture since 1977
What do you envision?
Make sure you have proper infrastructure to support equines Find the right fit of a breed for your needs turn the pet into a productive resource
1. Husbandry skills educate yourself about the animals before you leap into ownership! 2. Fencing hotwire vs. mesh 3. Housing/shelter dependent on location and breed 4. Pasture animals need space to graze, exercise and socialize 5. Feed depending on breed, may need to supplement with hay and grain 6. Transport means to move animals should they need to leave the farm
Veterinarians sooner or later you need one! Seek out local horse owners to find out who they use. Shop around to find the right fit. Average annual bill (shots and Coggins testing alone) ~$300-350/yr/animal
Farrier no equine can make due completely without a good farrier! As with veterinarians, shop around for a good one Average annual bill $200 (barefoot) -$400 (shod) per year for basic care
Why do you want to bring equines onto the farm? Riding or driving for pleasure? Work? Breeding? Lawn ornament? Can you afford to have non-productive animals?
Security Guard Land Maintenance Horse hair products Hippotherapy & therapeudic riding Grass cutting Improving soil fertility Dairy Products Draft power
Donkeys can make excellent livestock & poultry guardians
Some horses are used around the world to manage land effectively through selective grazing
A much more pleasant sight and sound than a lawnmower!
They aren t just for big jobs!
Horse hair can be used in a wide variety of arts and crafts
Donkey Dairies Gaining Popularity in Europe Cleopatra famous for bathing in donkey milk
Donkeys or Horses?
Domesticated around 6000 years ago and descend from the African Wild Ass Valued as pack & draft animals and for milk production
Life expectancy 30-52 years tend to assess situation before spooking Has long gestation of 12-14 months Considered more intelligent than horses but can translate to stubbornness Large ears & lack of undercoat makes them more vulnerable in cold wet conditions Have smaller harder feet that need to be shod less frequently than horses Most (not all) can thrive on marginal forage
American Mammoth Jackstock Created by George Washington Good riding and work animal Creates excellent mules Has dairy potential Good guardian animal potential
Miniature Donkey Common in the US but becoming rare in their native Mediterranean region Excellent with children Good for small jobs around the farm Good guardian with smaller predators such as hawks but not with coyotes or dogs
Poitou One of the rarest donkeys Developed in France Jacks sire finest draft mules in the world Have a unique coat Very calm disposition Not as long-lived as other donkeys Not a beginner s donkey
Domesticated around 5500+ years ago and thought to descend from the now extinct Tarpan Valued for riding, draft, and milk production
Life expectancy 25+ years tend to spook a bit easier than donkeys Has a gestation of 11 months Considered more easily trainable than donkeys Are largely adaptable to any climate or habitat Wide diversity of choice in breeds
Choctaw horses Colonial Spanish Horses Spanish origin going back 400 years Wide range of strains throughout the US Generally easy keepers People oriented & often easily trained Good for riding, driving, and light draft
Colonial Spanish Horse Strains Pryor Mountain, MT Santa Cruz, CA Cerbat, AZ Sulphur, UT Mt. Taylor & Bacca, NM Wilbur-Cruce, AZ Choctaw, OK Pine Tacky, MS Banker horses Marsh Tacky, SC Florida Cracker, FL
Belgian Draft Large Draft Breeds The heavy machinery of the horse world Populations dropping due to economy Considered gentle giants In the right situation, more efficient than tractor Great for sustainable ag
Clydesdale Shire Both genetically similar, Shire typically heavier with more feathering
Suffolk Punch Percheron Suffolk favored for traditional farming, Percheron one of the most popular draft breeds in the world
American Cream Draft Only draft breed developed in America Mid-sized draft breed Has done well in competitive driving Great for smaller farms needing draft power
Hackney horse Light Draft and Harness Breeds Not as massive as the heavy drafts Can be more versatile in tight areas Harness horses good for carriages but not most farm implements
Canadian Friesian Canadian an excellent do-it-all horse, while Friesians are selected more for pulling carriages
Irish Draft Cleveland Bay Irish Draft is a good all-around breed, the Cleveland Bay is renown for making excellent sport horse crosses
Akhal-Teke This ancient breed is among the finest equine athletes in the world and is not a beginner s horse. Pleasure and Sport horses Can be versatile breeds Not as large as light draft and carriage horses Not every breed is for the novice rider In the right hands some can be outstanding athletes
Lipizzan Rocky Mountain Lipizzan stallions world famous for athleticism and the Rocky Mountain for its gentle nature and smooth gait
Caspian Ponies and Small horses Smaller horses with big hearts Many are long-lived breeds Great choice for small acreage Many are easy keepers with good dispositions Considered one of the oldest breeds in the world, these gentle horses were thought extinct until rediscovered in the 1960 s in the mountains of Iran.
Fell Dales British breeds from the opposite sides of the same mountain. Both used for draft in mining operations.
Dartmoor Exmoor Both of these hardy breeds are used in conservation grazing programs to protect wildlife habitat
Gotland Native to Sweden this breed dates back to use by the Goths (circa 1800 BCE) who used them for draft, driving, and transport.
Ask yourself hard questions before delving into equines: Why do I want them? How will I use them? Do I have the room and infrastructure for them? Can I afford them?
Thank you!