Thoughts on draft horse auctions. 

Good thinking

Great advice!

Truth. Say it loud say it proud. Also watch for the guys that bid but never win. Plants to drive up prices.

We’re a long way from big money stuff out here. Beautiful area in the eastern part of this state.

I enjoyed it.

Glad I could help

It’s been great to have a fresh set of genetics in the Belgian breed. Some of the bloodlines always have produced great work and pulling stock; such as Orndorff’s, Sparrows and Nesbit’s (also Canadian) The pulling bred gets watered down with stock that isn’t truly pulling bred. If a horse doesn’t have a title, I don’t believe it when I’m told the bloodiness. That said, I prefer a good stud, with CD Rock, or Foss families lines crossed a good mare without pulling blood. They are good crosses. Many true pulling lines are lazy, and too front wide and rear narrow, and to short and steep in the pasterns. I feel a horse bred like we prefer tempers the extremes. Just my opinions, others have different thoughts. All that said, I’ll take a couple Barney x blondie crosses if someone wanted to drop them off here at the farm.

​@@BrandtAinsworth-ik5fmThe Fosses are friends of ours. My favorite horse of theirs was Chester. Leonard Tostenson pulled him for years with a lot of success.

Leonard used to pull and breed spotted horses?

Not sure what’s going on there. Definitely have made changes.

To some degree, I think pricey horses are used as status symbols.

Scotch shoes are a show type shoe that have become a way to increase a horse’s action and size of foot. Many folks mail a size ten shoe on a size eight hoof. A bigger problem is the pads and double pads and wedge pads. I don’t have a problem with scotch shoes on a mature hitch horse who is competing; I have a problem with oversized shoes and pads on foals and yearlings.

I love friendly horses. Who wants to spend that kind of money on a horse that doesn’t love you back.

Glad it was helpful!