As a kid we used to grow tomatoes for the markets on stakes, the only way to work the soil was with a Clydesdale pulling the plough with my father reining him while i sat on the plough to give it some bite, he'd do it all day and get lathered in sweat. At the end of the day we'd let him cool down before riding into the river, all six kids. We'd use him as a diving platform and he'd just stand there while we scrbbed him. Then after he dried we'd take turns in brushing him out while he enjoyed a nose bag of chaff. I was 8 and he'd just stand completely still while i brushed out his feet and painted hoof polish on him, i could walk under, around and between his legs without fear. The whole family loved Big Red.
@@victoriahudson1277 Really watch these videos, the horses LOVE what they are doing. This is what they were bred to do. They can't wait to hear the "CLUNK" of the hook on that sled to GO.
@@susanmaclean2313 Honestly. I see the comment is deleted, but I would tell that person to go look up some horses or even dogs that are deprived of their love to work. Totally depressed.
Such amazing creatures. It will be a shame to see the day they go extinct. A lot of PETA commentators forget that not only are these draft horses bred to work, but they are not used for anything else nowadays. Many draft breeds are critically endangered, some with numbers lower than 200 individuals left, because they are no longer deemed useful and so they are not being bred. These are not pleasure horses, they do not do well in equine sports like rodeo, dressage, or jumping, and so they are not a popular breed to buy or sell. And you can't just let them sit in a pasture all day, bored out of their minds. That's like locking a husky in a studio apartment and expecting them to behave. These horses are strong and intelligent, they cannot simply be allowed to go to waste. If they are not working, if they are not allowed to be physically active, they can and WILL go into depression.
In kentucky we have alot of draft horse's..some just for pulling and alot for farming..the Amish country have draft horse's working in the fields every day... Don't believe they'll be extinct very soon
PETA people forget that without the horse drawn carriage they wouldn’t be alive, let alone standing where they are holding their stupid signs. Focus on real animal abuse. These horses love to work.
I am all for animal rights and welfare. But people need to understand that this is NOT abuse.... these drafts are WIRED to do this. They are bred to do this and they love it!!! Its clear just by how they (adorably) pace with excitement right before pulling!
Alyssa Hansen are you stupid the horses do that to get ready to pull heavy weight CLEARLY you have no experience with horses oh god you’re the kind of person that thinks the rodeo is not abusive
Depends on what you categorize as abuse. Most people who would categorize this as abuse really aren't qualified to say it is. If you don't have knowledge in the area don't say anything.
Feather Song They are prancing around with their ears cocked back because, they are used to getting zapped with a cattle prod the moment they are hooked on. I’ve watched a few very successful teams train nearly every day for the past 15 years. Their owner, trainers and handlers all do it. They dance around and pull as hard as they can the moment they are hooked on...only they aren’t just trying to pull as hard as they can, they are trying to avoid the sting of the cattle prod!
@@Twojoes9 And how do you know how any of these horses were trained? Do you personally know their owners? No? Dont assume someone is abusive without just cause. Go get educated.
@@missanna208802 Because that's how people got the first trains onto the tracks dummy. The trains don't just teleport themselves from the factory to the tracks. The first steam engines had to be moved with teams of draft horses.
It's almost cruel to watch the look in the horses eye when they can't pull the weight. They love to pull so much they look dejected when they can't pull. This was the year of the middleweights, strong team in that bracket. I thought the heavyweights would do better but really beautiful.
Lmao they are literally working horses. i was waiting for a dumbass like you to stumble into the comments. i guess riding a horse is cruel too. and dogs running? thats must be so bad
makenzie gandy yooo u dumbasss horses don’t love it they do it because they will get punished if not they are work horse but they don’t enjoy it educate ur self nigga
@@livvy4953 Please educate yourself on draft horses and what they were bred for. Just like some dogs were bred for hunting and LOVE it, these horses were bred for work and pulling.
Drafts are one mighty breed of horse. Not to say the weight pulled here is by any means insignificant - but I just watched a video of a guy in Essex County New York USA who entered his two Draft horses (Lady and Bill) in the 2021 Fair, they and other double teams of Draft's pulled 16,000lbs of weight (similar to what we see here on a sled, pulled over dirt), and then they did single pulls where the competing Drafts pulled 9,800 lbs EACH! All of it very impressive.
If the horses are trained properly to only start pulling when given the command it isn't dangerous at all. But yes, you are right, they are brave as some of the horses are far to agitated to behave.
They could pull more if their heads weren't tied high with the bearing rein. It puts strain on the loins because they can't pull properly with the shoulders and forequarters
Very dangerous in so many ways. I think is more a sport than a hobby tradition. Is incredible the strong will of the horses to pull without any punish just to please their Master and to feel the adrenaline. Congratulations, I see you really love and respect your horses as good friends
well for one horse pulling is a sport and a tradition in my family and just so you know incase you think that this hurts the horses it does not hurt the horses these horses are trained and breed to do this and any horse puller can tell you that they would do anything to keep their horses safe just saying im not trying to say that you think this but just to inform anyone who reads this also have a good day 😊😊
These horses are in immaculate condition they respond well to their owners and they love what they do how can people call this abuse when these beauties are literally prancing on the spot ready for their next pull these owners clearly love their horses it clear to see that they give their heart and soul for their owners
Not sure how I ended up here, I think some of the horses enjoy it it gives them something to do and they have been doing it all their life. There are a few that are less than enthusiastic about it lol I can’t help but worry about their health and safety, pulling heavy weights is impressive but when the horses slip and end up pulling from their pastern or knee that can’t be good for them.
Man that second team was ready to work. They knew what they were doing and ready to go! You gotta love a good working animal. They know their job and they want to do it. Why are the humans wasting time? It was work time!
Mark Williamson isn’t that just so they know when the horses are unclipped and they’re allowed to clap? Like, if they clapped while they were attached they could get spooked and run off with 4000lbs swinging wildly behind them
@@machineofvirtue14 I'm sure it is, but he sounds ridiculous like a broken record, can't he find something else to say other than "they can hear you now" ?
Seargent Major you can see the strain it’s putting these horses through. Scientists have stated that a horse, no matter the breed, shouldn’t pull anything over %20 of their body weight, that includes tack and everything else. Not only does it kill their back but it kills their legs. You try strapping 500 to 1000 pounds on yourself and try pulling it.
@@leviward2286 I think the research states long term that it would be an issue, and that makes sense. These animals are 1.) Bred to do heavy lifting and pulling, which their respective weight has been adjusted to accordingly, and 2.) This is for a short duration. I see where they're coming from, if a horse was doing this type of weight for miles every day on asphalt, it would cause some damage, but for a competition like this it's nothing big. Like how a human probably couldn't carry a similar sized human for more than 2 or 3 feet before giving out. Good t to show off, bit not as a regular thing.
@TobyTheGreat you mean carry right? They shouldn't CARRY anything over 20%-25% of their body weight. Pulling is fine if they didn’t want to do it then they wouldn’t.
I can't agree with you more!! in my opinion the horses should be under vets' controll afterwards in order to find out whether they are injured. But I am afraid that these cruel "horsemen" want to continue their fun that means that they reject any controll or restrictions.
Are there competitions like this for mix breeds? I have 2 half draft, half brother colts I want to train to drive. Also, do they always have to have bits and metal shoes?
You can drive with them, but I'm not sure about pulling. If you're wondering about driving, a bit and metal shoes are highly recommended. The bit helps to guide and control the bit.
@canuck cowboy you can believe what you want, but recent scientific studies show the damage bits cause, and that there are actually a lot of nerves in the gums. So, believe what you want, but I'll stick to research and my beliefs, too. I'm not here to argue, so don't reply. We are all entitled to our beliefs.
Can someone please tell me what's happening when they stop and the guy seems to be tapping something into the ground? Why do they stop in the middle and what is the tapping for?
It's a stake, if you look closely behind the sled, you'll see there's a rope running from the stake to the sled. It's the length they have to pull to move on to the next round, when the stake gets pulled out, they've made the distance (14ft here), hence they made a "full pull". I know there's better terminology, but that's the easiest way I can explain it. Hope that clears it up for you!
also the second stake is to mark how far they went in the first try. If while waiting to be sent the horses "chuck" the boat (move it 6 in) that is considered the second attempt.
Logging industry, for one. Unlike the really large machines, they can move through the trees and up and down mountainous terrain without taking everything down around them. Honestly don't know if they're still used that much, but I think they are in some places.
the horses are in their own element when they are pulling, these are draft horses that are spesifically bred for this. Its good exercisd for them and a lot of these horses looooove to pull. You can see how most these horses start to step when they are eager to go infront of the weight. But mostly their work is not needed in work because of machines but pulling is enjoyable for them.
We used mine for lifting and farming (turning the dirt and a replacement for the tractor) we also used him to pull cars out of Ditches along where we lived, He was also a tornment horse for my re-enactments.
Before there were machines and motors this is how the work of heavy equipment was done. By heavy horses pulling heavy things. It's still common pratice to see logging horses in many parts of Europe and Asia
The problem is getting them to stop. They hear the connection being made ( hooked to the sleigh) behind them and they are so driven with excitement to pull most take of without command. No they dont whip them. Most are verbally controlled and the lines or reigns are used to steer them.
They only have to pull so far for full pull. Some horses love to pull more than other and are hard stop. The light, medium and heavy i am not sure unless they add wieght to the horses to make them heavier is my guess.
Some pulling into collars better than others - in my opinion. Howere interesting to watch are they used specificaly for these competition only - obviously raring to go.
actually....they ARE used on the ranch as a hard working horse...how else do u think they get all that muscle....they must keep them fit n muscles out....
