Horse Power

Going to the heritage park is like going back in time. Sandy is amazed at how primitive some things were... and how dangerous! Today, he encountered horses... big horses (with hooves the size of Sandy). First he saw one in a paddock and eh was tempted to get close and pet it but... there was a sign that said "Careful... livestock bite". And with his green coat, well, they might think that he was a clump of grass!

The horses are very beautiful though, with long silky eyelashes and beautiful brown eyes (almost as beautiful as bear eyes!). Sandy learned that horses work very hard. When they are working, they live in the livery stable (Sandy's not sure what horses have to do with liver but... ).

Once they are in the stable, they can be dressed up for work... which means getting a bridle and harness put on. The livery stables smells like leather and sweat and straw and... manure!

After the horses are all dressed, they get hitched to a wagon... of which there are many types. Sandy checked out one and figured it would have been a very bumpy ride!

This wagon looks like it might fall apart any minute! Plus, there are no seatbelts... a little bear could easily tumble out the back of the wagon it he's not paying attention. The wheels are very big and rimmed with metal.

Sometimes the horses are used to pull farming equipment to help plough the fields. Obviously the farming equipment is made to be run by humans because while Sandy feels comfortable in the seat, he can't reach the foot levers or the hand lever!

This farm machine is a disc-er... those discs look very sharp! And then... of course... horses also pulled the wagons.

These are very BIG horses! They have huge hooves and Sandy learns they are a type of Draft Horse (or Draught Horse). Mama thinks they are Belgians based on their colouring, although Sandy wonders how that tells her anything about their nationality!?

Now there is one last horse that Sandy saw today... the Iron Horse!

It was big and loud and stinky and the earth shook when it went by! Sandy was a bit frightened and wanted to run for the hills (which are a very long ways away)... but then he learned that the Iron Horse only travels where the rails are... whew!!