National I Love Horses Day - July 15th

Where would we be without them.

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I had horses for many years, while I miss seeing them running out in the pastures I sure don't miss all the work and expenses. When you have horses at home it is not a hobby, the horse world becomes your lifestyle.

So I will celebrate I LOVED horses day. lol
 
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Dying In Harness​


ONLY a fallen horse, stretched out there on the road.
Stretched in the broken shafts, and crushed by the heavy load;
Only a fallen horse, and a circle of wondering eyes
Watching the 'frighted teamster goading the beast to rise.

Hold! for his toil is over—no more labor for him;
See the poor neck outstretched, and the patient eyes grow dim;
See on the friendly stones how peacefully rests the head
Thinking, if dumb beasts think, how good it is to be dead;
After the weary journey, how restful it is to lie
With the broken shafts and the cruel load—waiting only to die.

Watchers, he died in harness—died in the shafts and straps—
Fell, and the burden killed him: one of the day's mishaps—
One of the passing wonders marking the city road—
A toiler dying in harness, heedless of call or goad.

Passers, crowding the pathway, staying your steps awhile,
What is the symbol ? Only death—why should we cease to smile
At death for a beast of burden? On, through the busy street
That is ever and ever echoing the tread of the hurrying feet.

What was the sign? A symbol to touch the tireless will?
Does He who taught in parables speak in parables still?
The seed on the rock is wasted—on heedless hearts of men,
That gather and sow and grasp and lose—labor and sleep— and then—
Then for the prize!—A crowd in the street of ever-echoing tread—
The toiler, crushed by the heavy load, is there in his harness—dead!
 
C50 said:
I had horses for many years, while I miss seeing them running out in the pastures I sure don't miss all the work and expenses. When you have horses at home it is not a hobby, the horse world becomes your lifestyle.

So I will celebrate I LOVED horses day. lol
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I still miss the WORK as well. Always a labor of love. And unlike a lot of people, horses are honest, and always seem to appreciate the care.
 
I ain't got no use for horses.

When I was a young cityfied kid of about ten we went to my uncles farm in Kaintuck and my cousins ask me if I wanted to ride their shetland pony and of course I said yes.

Just as I was about to get on his back he turned his head around and bit me real hard on the thigh......I screamed like a banchee and while my cousins were laughing their heads off my uncle came running out and got all over my cousins because they knew darn good and well that the pony didn't like to be rode and was prone to biting.

Other than Trigger in front of the five & dime store (which I still enjoy riding once in awhile) I haven't come anywhere near either end of a horse in over sixty years.

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oldaunt said:
I still miss the WORK as well. Always a labor of love. And unlike a lot of people, horses are honest, and always seem to appreciate the care.
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Yea I'll give you that, in truth farm chores were something I always enjoyed, even that barn smell! It was a great experience for my kids also, I grew up working farms and having livestock so having horses gave them some of that. We also birthed and raised some foals and that's something most people never get to experience.
 
C50 said:
Yea I'll give you that, in truth farm chores were something I always enjoyed, even that barn smell! It was a great experience for my kids also, I grew up working farms and having livestock so having horses gave them some of that. We also birthed and raised some foals and that's something most people never get to experience.
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I kept 3 stallions and had an average of 5 foals a year for the last 25 years before I sold out. ALWAYS had a foal or 2 now and then before that. All Arabian, with a few TB.
 
HoneyNut said:
Some of the horse chores I didn't mind but I don't miss breaking ice in water troughs (or scrubbing them out) (same with chickens now that I think of it, hated scrubbing chicken feeders & waterers).
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Oh man when I was a kid carrying water and breaking ice was a chore I hated! As an adult I bought heated water buckets and tank warmers, that's the only way to go.
 
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