S T E W A R T F O T H E R I N G H A M

N I C O L E B U R K H A R D

Getting Started with Horse Farming

About Us

• Our team: Stormy and Deedee • 2 years of vegetable CSA and market garden •1st season on our own farm in Annapolis Valley

Tractors vs. Horses

Needs repairs/mechanical skills

Turn the key and go

Bucket loader!

Fossil fuel

Depreciates in value (net cost to the farm)

Wheels cause soil compaction

Self-repairing/healing

Have good and bad days

Farm grown fuel

Appreciate in value

Self-replicating (if mares are used)

No soil compaction from digging hoof

Tractors aren’t this entertaining!

So how much can it cost? Item $ Item $

Team $1,200 - $5,000 Horse hoe (hiller) $150

Fencing (6 acres) $700 - $1,000 Springtooth walking cultivator

$100

Hitch gear $1,000-$2,100 Potato plow $200

(harness , collars, doubletree, etc)

Wagon & rack (used)

$400

Plow $50-$1,500 Broadcast seeder $70

Used disc $50-$100 Cultipacker (used) $200

Used springtooth $25-50

Used manure spreader

$50-$1,000 ($300)

Total $5,945-$13,670

Rebuilt hay mower (used)

$1,500 Hay (500 bales @ 2.50)

$1,250

Used rake $100-$300 Oats $200-$400

Used hay loader $150 Vet costs $500

Intensive (Coleman) Extensive (Nordell)

Labour (hand work) Higher-value crops Succession planting Easy to irrigate

Horse-work

Integrates cover crops

Great for root crops, grain, brassicas, animal feed

Our System

Disc Hiller

Horse Hills

Cultivating horse hills

Horse video

Implements

Spring Tooth Harrow Disc Harrow

Sourcing Horse Gear

-Ask everyone!

-Look for:

-Rock walls

-Hedgerows

-Old Barns

-Auctions/Estate sales

-Kijiji

-Classifieds ads (AVR, Rural Delivery)

Kick Tedder

Pioneer Homesteader (2012)

New equipment

Breeds

-Consider your needs.

-Draft horses can pull 10% of their body weight:

-- 1000 lb horse can pull 100 lbs all day. A 2000 lb horse can pull twice that

-Heavy Drafts:

-Suffolk Punch, Percheron, Belgian, Clydesdale

-Light drafts:

-- Haflinger

-Draft ponies: (ideal for homesteading or small csa/market garden)

-- Norwegian Fjord

Grazing/Pasture Management

Making Loose Hay - Mowing

Bringing it in…

Compost Natural hot bed for seedlings

Benefits to the farm

Horse Care

- Ferrier, shoeing

- Salt and mineral supplement (selenium)

- Vet costs (budget for $500/bill

Horse Logging

Mentorship

Seek out older farmers who have horse farming knowledge – some are more willing to share than others

Critical time to learn from experienced teamsters – lots of knowledge out there

Resources

Apprenticeships, workshops, connections, information: Our website: www.whippletreefarm.ca

Facebook page: Whippletree Farm

Orchard Hill Farm (Ontario) – workshops: www.orchardhillfarm.ca

Small Farmer’s Journal Website: http://smallfarmersjournal.com/

Facebook: Small Farmers’ Journal

Rural Heritage: http://www.ruralheritage.com/

Draft Animal Power Network: http://www.draftanimalpower.com/

Doc Hammil horse training videos: http://dochammill.com/

Thank you!