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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Mr Kleb's Avatar
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    International Plowing Match

    Last weekend I went to the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo, the IPM. It’s a big deal in Ontario, held in the eastern pier of the province one year, the western part the next year, and so on. Our Ontario members have probably heard of the IPM. This year it was held in Chatham-Kent.


    Whiles there are many, many exhibitors and a lot of really neat old tech - tractors, threshers, and so on - I went to see horses at work. Here are a few photos.


    One of the few wheeled plows.



    A close-up.



    This team of a bay(?) and a dapple grey fascinated me.



    The working end of a plow.



    A team working its plot.



    At work and coming back.



    Their work looks pretty good to this untrained eye.



    Another handsome pair.



    I wanted to smell horse, to pat and stroke and bury my nose in a horses’ flank. I didn’t because it seemed inappropriate - these horses were here to work.


    Helicopter rides were available.



    A cool old fire truck.



    The hood ornament.



    The Canadian Cowgirls are an equine demonstration team based in C-K that performs across the continent. I got to the arena after they began their routine and had to stand at the back of the crowd, holding my camera as high as possible and shooting blind.



    This was the first IPM I have attended. I was overwhelmed after only few hours. It seems you need two days to take one in so I will likely go again. That would be fine with Faye - I did a poor job of collecting swag this year so she, erm, 'offered' to show me how it's done at a future IPM.
    Andrew, Faye, Fitzi, and Lucy

    Not gone, only gone on ahead - Bruno, Rex, BoJo, Kendal, Kingsley, Moonpie, Avis, Corndog, Stella, and now Achilles

    I invite you to visit my blog, Hidden Content .

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  3. #2
    Best Friend Retriever
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    Very cool! The real old timers knew how to put in a full day's work, & so did their horses. I believe they took very good care of their horses, for the most part, as they WERE the old time tractors.....the horses in your pictures are beautiful!

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    Mr Kleb (10-02-2018)

  5. #3
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Looks like you had nice weather for it. Grandpa worked with horses, never had a tractor. Quebec farmers took longer to adapt to mechanization I guess, as many of his neighbours still used horses too. Hard, hard work for man and horses. Nice photos.
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  7. #4
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    You know, it is such an interesting thing to watch, last year I drove by an Amish farm and one guy driving a team of about 10 of the biggest horses I ever seen, they were plowing as wide if not wider than any tractor. I wonder how an Amish team would do here considering it is still how they work the land.

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  9. #5
    Senior Dog Mr Kleb's Avatar
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    Mollysmomma, thanks. I am pretty sure that almost all of them took good care of their stock - if they didn’t they were out of business and out of food.


    Snowshoe, it was not bad weather, though pretty warm - mid-20s C and windy. And undoubtedly hard work. One could only work so many acres unless they had hired hands and quite a few horses, so farms were a lot smaller than they are now.


    Jeff, it is so interesting! There are a fair number of Amish and Mennonite farmers around where Faye grew up and who still live without electricity, natural gas, and use horsepower to do all their farming and travelling. I suspect they will fare better in a SHTF event . . .
    Andrew, Faye, Fitzi, and Lucy

    Not gone, only gone on ahead - Bruno, Rex, BoJo, Kendal, Kingsley, Moonpie, Avis, Corndog, Stella, and now Achilles

    I invite you to visit my blog, Hidden Content .

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    Jeff (10-03-2018)

  11. #6
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    You know if you look closely, at least around here, Amish are starting to use electricity. Off grid solar power with many panels on barns and houses. I asked about this and the whole reason they never used electricity before was because the coal, gas, etc harmed the planet and also tied them to comunity public power not allowing them to be self reliant. Sunlight and wind power is provided by god and they can still remain off grid. I find that extremely interesting as many modern day home owners strive for the same thing to become energy independent.

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    Mr Kleb (10-03-2018)

 



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