[Rod44]

And here are two more

[Rod44]

It’s been a busy week driving the horses here and there with company and such. Have put on near 60-70 miles including the Sunday wagon train.

[Rod44]

Many companies have a vit min suppl. The one I use I buy from an Amish friend. It is called Majic. Feed a few ounces a day whenever I put them in the barn. Have a trace mineral salt block out too. Also loose salt in their feed boxes.

[Rod44]

Looks like pretty good working shape to me. If you can get good clean oats try them. I think they are better than sweet feed. Use a good vitamin mineral premix and you should be good to go.

[Rod44]

When I unhitch mine, I always make them stand in place on either side of the pole for awhile (minute or two or three) before I walk them away. I vary the time so they don’t get programed into going. I may leave them tied back to the wagon and walk around a little bit to give them some variety and not expect to go right away.

[Rod44]

A pad is fine to make it fit. That is what they are for.

Bending hames. I had a friend that was good at mechanical stuff (I’ve broke more than I have ever fixed!) bend it on a press. Better have someone that really knows what they are doing do it. You don’t want to twist them.

[Rod44]

They didn’t want to stand at first either. Typical pushy haflingers. I started them out by taking them out of their stall and brushing them. If they moved any foot I would give them a jerk, talk rough and back them up a couple steps. It took 5 or 6 brushings for them to catch on. They were alright when went I bring them into the barn and let them stand harnessed while I put the oats in their boxes. But when I unharnessed one and let her go eat the other one was tempted to go in too. But, she got over it with a couple jerks and backups.

I would think geldings would be easier than mares????

[Rod44]

Something else you might try. Do you have them trained to a “stand” command? I have mine trained to “stand” untied while they are being harnessed and unharnessed. When unharnessing they stand facing the tie stall. I unharness one and hang the harness and then tell her she can go in and eat her oats. The other one stands there untill she is unharnessed and told she can go in too. Therefore, they know what “stand” means and I think helps to reinforce their standing while hitched.

[Rod44]

Interesting pictures!

[Rod44]

For now wash it down with salt water a couple times a day. That is what the some of the old timers around here do to toughen up the skin. Just make sure you collar fits and the hames are adjusted correctly to the line of draft is correct. With the wider necks on my Haflingers, I had to bend more bow into my hames.

From the picture, it looks like the collar is probably too big, but hard to tell. Went the collar and harness is on can you get more that one hand in under the collar at the bottom? If you can it is probably too big.

[Rod44]

I tie the lines back to the wagon. If you pull the pin on the double tree and the neck yoke isn’t bolted to the tongue they can’t take off with the wagon. They may break the lines but won’t take off with the wagon.

The line extenders sound like a good idea. I have buckles on the end of my lines (if you don’t, you should) and thought in the past of just running a single long rope to them. You should be able to at least stop them that way.

[Rod44]

How about putting a hobble on them?

[Rod44]

My haflingers lived at an amish friends place for a few years before I retired and took them home. It took him most of that time to get to stand untied. Takes a lot of sweat under the collar and a good “speaking to” for them to get the idea. I trust them pretty good but if I am going quite a ways away for a while I tie them back to the load and unhook the tugs or pull the pin on the double tree. That way they can’t take off with the whole load. It seems they stand better that way than tied up to something.

[Rod44]

Couple of “hunks” aren’t we Rod. Are you a Rodney or a Roderick. I’m a Roderick.

[Rod44]

Having horses, I would rather have an Amish neighbor than an English neighbor.:)

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