Horsin' Around

We spent July 3rd and 4th at Horse Progress Days in Arcola, Illinois, a gathering of horse enthusiasts hosted by the Amish and Mennonite communities. The show was open to all, so we attended for both days of the event, strolling through vendor tents with supplies for the farm and home; learning from presentations on grazing; and watching demonstrations featuring horses, dogs, and livestock.

To travel from one end of the show grounds to the other, Jeff and I rode a wagon pulled by two Percherons from Michigan, where our Draft Horse Basics class had been in May. We chatted with the driver about our plans to include our family Clydesdales in our Christmas tree operation and watched as other wagons pulled by Brabants and Haflingers shuttled attendees past the food tents.

After we’d disembarked, we stood with hundreds of other spectators outside a large arena created by netting (what we use to fence in our sheep, goats, and llamas) for a sheep herding demonstration. The star of the show, a border collie named Ky, was only a year-and-a-half old.

To start the demonstration, the trainer released ducks for Ky to guide through the pasture. The dog rushed up to them, then quickly lay down when the trainer shouted, “Drop!” Then, Ky would eye the ducks and walk carefully toward them. The ducks waddled toward sheep flocked near a handling system in the middle of the paddock.

The ducks and the sheep eyed each other, then made an agreement that the ducks would go one way, and the sheep would go the other, and there would be no trouble.

After the demonstration, we walked across a hay field to watch wheat harvest. Eight Belgians—four in front and four in back—maneuvered modified combines through a wheat field for harvest. The cutter bar and reel were connected to a forecart, which was directly connected to the horses. The motor roared as the combine cut the wheat.

Then, when the wheat harvest had finished, the operator shut the motor off, and there was only the quiet of the horses’ hooves thudding against the ground and the jangle of the harness. Jeff and I walked alongside the horses, along with several Amish onlookers, as we headed back to the main tents.

My parents attended on July 4th, and we sat together during the Parade of Breeds, when every horse breed present at Horse Progress Days had its time to shine in the arena. We reveled in the beautiful Clydesdale six-horse hitch demonstration, where the horses trotted around the arena with the announcer describing their origins.

Attending the event encouraged us as we continued toward our plans for agritourism with horses.

Thanks for Reading!

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This Week on the Farm

Out of respect for the Amish and Mennonite attendees for Horse Progress Days, we didn’t take photos of the horses we saw during the event. It was difficult to take pictures of the horses without getting pictures of the people. Hence, sheep and ducks appearing in a story about a horse-focused event.

Before Horse Progress Days, the heat indices rose to 105 degrees. The animals of Sylvanmore kept to the shade under the trees the first week of July.

On our way home from Horse Progress Days on the 4th, a thunderstorm rolled through, and the temperature dropped to the 70s.

Farm Shop

We have several lambs available for your flock, including the ram lamb shown below with his mum, Sprite. Reply to this email or contact us via Facebook or Instagram for more information on our sheep!