Trade your Car for a Horse?

[Tango]

It might sound crazy, the idea of selling off one's car and replacing it with a good sound horse. I've been thinking about this for a long, long time. Since I was in my other place raising the Belgian fillies, I've thought about it. The Amish around here have trained drivers to look for slower-moving buggies. I am only 9 miles from a mid-sized town where hardware, feed, and groceries can all be had. I don't need to travel anywhere else. I plan on selling produce and eggs and eventually raw milk for pets off my tiny farm. There is a large flea market about 7-8 miles away and another town beside it. It is much more realistic here than when I was 30 miles away from the same town.

Granted a car is very convenient. It goes long distances quickly. Its more comfortable in inclement weather. It hauls more, holds more and provides greater protection.

But what about a horse and buggy? Slower, maybe less capacity, limits the hours one can go to town (not in the burning sun, not in a thunderstorm, not at night...) and what else? Have you given up your car? Or think about it? What are the serious drawbacks you see? What, if any, are the advantages? Thanks

[arabian knight]

I want to kick myself every time I remember one day I was riding my horse, a purebred Arabian along side of the road and someone stopped and asked me if I wanted to trade my horse for a car~!
I said NO.
Turned out that the car I would have traded for would have been a 1957 Corvette~! That will never happen again in my life time.
So THAT person WAS wanting to trade a car for a horse, this happen many years ago, but still is fresh in my memory of when two fools met, and did not make a deal.

[7thswan]

One of my best memories, -rideing to the store to get what Mom needed after snow storms. Our drive was very long and the roads never plowed-except up to the Farmers so that the milk truck could get in. Snow drifts could be quite fun.
So sure, try it,you can always buy another car if you don't like it.

[littlebitfarm]

Nice thing about a car is it has brakes and you can turn it off.

I was exercising a well trained colt and we headed down the same street we had been traveling for 6 weeks. A bag of trash by the side of the road upset him. He chose to swerve across the road in front of a motorcycle. There was no stopping him. We all made it home that night. The motorcycle rider and his passenger stopped by the hospital on the way home. The horse needed a couple stitches from where the broken shaft hit him. I had huge bruises where the cycle hit the cart and me. Went back later with my truck and brought the cart pieces home.

[SFM in KY]

We did have a car when I was a child at the ranch, but it was used only for going to town, usually once a month during good weather (60 miles of gravel road) and occasionally to other ranchers' homes that were more than 5 or 10 miles from us.

Otherwise, we rode horseback or had a team ... and in the winter we rarely went anywhere except in 'horse distance' because it was difficult to get out the 3 miles of unplowed private road in the days before 4 x 4s or snowmachines.

I'm guessing you would be about 2 hours from town, so that's 2 hours to and 2 hours home, plus whatever time it takes you in town. If that time frame is practical for you, it may work.

The other thing to consider is upkeep/ health care for the horse and a backup plan if the horse is sick or lame ... that can take your transportation out of service for longer than a breakdown with a motor vehicle.

[TxMex]

The traffic between me and anything I'd want to get to is too dangerous to consider a horse and buggy. Heck I don't really like driving a vehicle in it! I wish they'd make it so that phones would lock up and drivers would be unable to text when the vehicle is moving. One morning I saw a woman putting on makeup, texting and driving with her elbow

Have you considered pack animals? Depending on what you would need to transport, you might be better off riding a horse and having another horse or two to haul your goods. That way you could travel along the far shoulder or in the ditch.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by Tango

It might sound crazy, the idea of selling off one's car and replacing it with a good sound horse. I've been thinking about this for a long, long time. Since I was in my other place raising the Belgian fillies, I've thought about it. The Amish around here have trained drivers to look for slower-moving buggies. I am only 9 miles from a mid-sized town where hardware, feed, and groceries can all be had. I don't need to travel anywhere else. I plan on selling produce and eggs and eventually raw milk for pets off my tiny farm. There is a large flea market about 7-8 miles away and another town beside it. It is much more realistic here than when I was 30 miles away from the same town.

Granted a car is very convenient. It goes long distances quickly. Its more comfortable in inclement weather. It hauls more, holds more and provides greater protection.

But what about a horse and buggy? Slower, maybe less capacity, limits the hours one can go to town (not in the burning sun, not in a thunderstorm, not at night...) and what else? Have you given up your car? Or think about it? What are the serious drawbacks you see? What, if any, are the advantages? Thanks

..................Keep The Jeep ! You could trade your home for a tent to , if you really got radical and gnarly , but I don't think you'd be happy . , fordy

[itsb]

trade for a smaller tractor with frount end loader,fit a cab (homemade) so it can work on farm also,dont eat when not workin,got brakes,easy to catch,dont have another animal to keep up with,more dependable,, just my thoughs

[itsb]

O-ya that one face on the smillies scares me (momie-momie IM scrared)

[Tango]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your experiences Occasionally I see a team of horses or mules well broke to work and wagon offered for about $3k including wagon. They are truly well broke and sold by people who use them for "Sunday" rides and group outings. My place can't feed two big horses or mules- its only 10.3 acres and most of that is wooded. Worth considering....

[Horseyrider]

I love my horses; they're all individuals and so very dear to me. But if I was forced to choose between having a horse and having a car, I'd *so* have to go with a car! Given all the expenses of insurance, gas, tires, oil changes, etc it's still cheaper than the hay, the vet, the farrier, and the feed store. I've had some extraordinarily Brave, broke horses, but none of them is braver than an oncoming semi in a snowstorm. None of them can get me and mine to the emergency room faster than a car, haul feed, get me to doctor's appointments, meetings, or church. I can't imagine leaving a horse I hold dear tied outside any of these places while I attend to the business that brought me there.

I'd trade a car I don't need for a horse of equal or greater value, but I'd still need transportation that isn't equine. Being without a motorized vehicle leaves me way too open to harm.

[fatrat]

I've thought a mule would be nice but in today's world I guess it's just not practical. Tractors only eat when working. Tractors can be repaired easily. Tractors don't get frightened by traffic. Tractors don't have to be trained. Tractors do whatever I tell them. Tractors don't kick. Tractors don't wander off if the fence is left open. Tractors are predictable. Even a small farm tractor can out plow any mule or horse because tractors don't need to stop and rest. Horses and mules are nice and I would like to have one but for today they just aren't practical. I think the biggest two things for me though about not having a horse or mule is the traffic and the feed. You got to have an awful lot of open land to feed the things and little traffic to go anywhere off the farm. Even on country roads traffic can be horrible. The cars come up over the hills so fast and anything in the road is dead meat. It just amazes me that more kids and animals are not hit on these country roads. The people just drive like there is never going to be something over hill or around the bend. Riding a horse on these country roads would be suicide.

[Raymond James]

I have thought about getting a team of halflingers and a wagon , farm implements when I moved here but I knew I would not have time to manage horses and went with a tractor for working on the farm. Truck and trailers for hauling.

When I am no longer working off farm I think I may go ahead and do this if nothing else just because I want to. I would still need to keep a vehicle for longer trips. My feed store, hardware, grocery is 7 miles one way.

I noticed a few years ago a lot of people and not just Amish using there horses, electric golf carts , ATV a lot to go to town ( Windsor MO ) and get around. Lots of motor cycles and bicycles but that is mainly visitors passing thru in summer. The Katy trail goes thru town so lots of horse back riders and bikes on the trail. This town has several hitching post and has water troughs set up as well.

Holden MO has passed a rule allowing electric and gas vehicles , gators, ATV, golf carts on city streets. They get some horses but it is mainly kids on horse back.

A buggy and a standard bred horse trained to pull it is pretty easy to get around here.
The trained young fast horse will cost you 7 to 9 hundred to buy. Getting an older mare ( 5 hundred) might be the way to get started she knows what she is doing so is pretty easy to drive, may not go fast but stops pretty easy, have her give you a colt to train and you can keep your self in cart horses maybe get a side business started selling a broke cart horse every year. Another way to stay on your place and make a little .

If you get a buggy try and get one with fiber wheels and shafts. I do not know how much the new carts weigh but was very surprise the last one I hauled I was able to pick it up with one other person and put it in the stock trailer with ease. I had to take the wheels off as it was too wide to roll into the trailer.

For a wagon I like Pioneer brand running gear.

[Molly Mckee]

The biggest problem with using horses for transportation IMO is the fools on the road. If you live in an Amish area people might be used to them, here they aren't. Between the fools on the roads and the mountains I wouldn't want to do it around here! I don't think with the cost of supporting horses it would be very cost effective either.

[jwal10]

BTDT. Ah no. When I started at 12 I had a small team and a small Farmall B. When I didn't have money or a way to town to get gas for the tractor I used the horses to farm and do chores. A lot of work to get harnessed and ready. I loved the horses and cart, so peaceful and quiet but 1 person could not keep up with it all. Making the hay, growing the grain, keeping the horses fit, keeping up the equipment.

If you really wanted to and had the money you could try it and see if it would work for you but I think you would find it does not work so well as a single person....James

[Tango]

Very good points, thanks ONe of the reasons this spot is so good for a market garden and off farm sales is becuase the road is a through road that connects towns, along the Tennessee River in parts. Not a lot of traffic but a little and some is very fast. Night and early morning rides would be out of the question: suicide. Drives in fog, rain, busy holidays periods so very, very limiting and more dangerous than a car.
Then again I'm on a scenic bicycle trail so maybe drivers are more careful than I am speculating.
There was a story in Waynesboro a few years ago where a young teen reaching down for his cell phone which had fallen at his feet, took his eyes off the road as he was coming up a hill and didn't see the horse and buggy with a father and daughter taking a "Sunday" ride. The father was killed instantly the horse had to be put down on site The two teens probably went to school together- just one high school for the county.

[Tango]

I was hugely taken by the longriders guild when i stumbled across it last year. the only thing that swayed me toward a tiny farm was the safety issue of being on the road alone on my horse (which I didn't have at the time anyway) and i'm super shy so asking anyone to spend the night in their field would have been mortifying... just to say this idea of a working relationship with a horse has been persistent.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by Molly Mckee

The biggest problem with using horses for transportation IMO is the fools on the road. If you live in an Amish area people might be used to them, here they aren't.

This, exactly. Since I've lived here in KY I have heard of at least three accidents in our area involving vehicles and horseback riders and/or team and wagon. All three were riding club accidents with flaggers out. The roads here are narrow, twisty and have limited range of vision in many places.

There are areas where there are Amish communities and in those areas people are more careful. We get our hay in one and nearly always meet or pass at least one, sometimes several, horse drawn vehicles. Everyone in those areas are very careful and aware they may be there. If I lived in/near one of those communities, I'd consider a horse/buggy ... where I live now, absolutely not.

[Kansas2014]

Originally Posted by itsb

trade for a smaller tractor with frount end loader,fit a cab (homemade) so it can work on farm also,dont eat when not workin,got brakes,easy to catch,dont have an animal to keep up with,more dependable,, just my thoughs

I couldn't agree more! As a matter of fact, just two days ago I ran an ad on Craigslist on the 'Wanted' board. I asked to buy/trade/barter various items needed out here to finish off a couple of projects, plus an offer to trade a running, good condition later model 4wd SUV for an older, smaller tractor w bucket scoop and fork. And I would totally do it too. If someone showed up today wanting to trade I would be out there this evening, moving compost and hay.

As a side note, what I got for my efforts was a scathing, profanity laced tirade from someone calling me a "freeloader, a mooch, and several other not so nice things. He told me "we" arent going to pay for your stupid farm, whoever "we" is. I must admit it rattled me. I wasnt asking for a handout and i was totally within the terms of service. He said he would flag my post every day until it was removed so i saved him the trouble and took it down myself.

I guess you have to be careful where you go to barter. *shrug*

[fordy]

Originally Posted by Kansas2014

I couldn't agree more! As a matter of fact, just two days ago I ran an ad on Craigslist on the 'Wanted' board. I asked to buy/trade/barter various items needed out here to finish off a couple of projects, plus an offer to trade a running, good condition later model 4wd SUV for an older, smaller tractor w bucket scoop and fork. And I would totally do it too. If someone showed up today wanting to trade I would be out there this evening, moving compost and hay.

As a side note, what I got for my efforts was a scathing, profanity laced tirade from someone calling me a "freeloader, a mooch, and several other not so nice things. He told me "we" arent going to pay for your stupid farm, whoever "we" is. I must admit it rattled me. I wasnt asking for a handout and i was totally within the terms of service. He said he would flag my post every day until it was removed so i saved him the trouble and took it down myself.

I guess you have to be careful where you go to barter. *shrug*

...............Whoever 'He' is , He needs his butt kicked and his nose reconfigured ! He is a bully , sooner or later someone will spin his head around like a weather vane and give him an attitude adjustment ! , fordy