Remembering Horse Farming Days

(Here's another Retro-Rambler from September of 1992. Bill Lennan was organizing his third Horse Farming Days event on his farm at Carters Point. He did it for a number of years back in the 90's to introduce people to horse farming and raise some money for the IWK Hospital. They were always enjoyable events, something you could bring the entire family to. I miss them.)



Dot stares at me with her big brown eyes as I rub her nose. Jim snorts to get my attention because he wants his nose rubbed too. Jim and Dot are horses, big muscular work horses, a mixture of Belgium and Percheon. They're the kind of draft horses farmers depended on to get
the work done in days gone by. On the last weekend of September you'll have a chance to see Jim and Dot and over ten other teams of work horses at the 3rd Annual River Valley Horse Farming Days.

"We got some potatoes to dig and plowing to do, oats to thrash and some more to cut." says Bill Lennan with a big grin. He's the organizer of this weekend long demonstration of the way farming with horses used to be. The event takes place on his farm at Carters Point on the Kingston Peninsula. Last year over 300 people showed up to watch the teams plow up four acres of field on a hill overlooking the St. John River. They came from all over southern New Brunswick and even Nova Scotia.

This year in addition to the plowing Bill's going to dig potatoes with some old horse drawn potato diggers. The thrashing machines will be back and the old "Make and Break" engines used to power them. There'll be an old fashioned binder there to cut and wrap the grain. Bill also hopes to have a blacksmith working on site and have a demonstration of an old cider press. "I'd like to get some entertainment, some music this year. Maybe get some square dancers in if I can get a floor built in time. They'd kinda trip on the grass wouldn't they?" Bill asks with a smile. The only thing he knows for sure is the horses will be there. Draft horse owners from all over the area come because it's one of the few opportunities they have to work their animals and show people what horses can do. It's a celebration of simpler times, the way farming was done in the days before tractors.

"The first tractor came to this settlement of Carters Point in 1939 so up until then it was all done by horse. Even in the 40's dad plowed a lot with his horses. The haying was all done with the horses for a long time after that. The first tractor we got here on this place was in 1953." says Bill.

He doesn't work the family farm anymore. But Bill still has his horses Dot and Jim and he still enjoys hitching them up to the plow. He can't explain why he loves it so much or why he goes to all the trouble of holding this event every year. "It is ridiculous when you think about it." says Bill. "Work myself pretty well to death getting ready, worry and fret and you always forget something. But you look forward to it. Each year when it's over you start making plans for the next year."

The 3rd Annual River Valley Horse Farming Days is on Saturday and Sunday from about 10 am to 5 pm both days. Admission is free and there's a canteen and washroom facilities on the site. Bill's farm is just 3.5 miles above the Westfield Ferry, past Crystal Beach. He'll have a sign on the highway pointing out his farm. Just follow the road past the house and down to the river. Jim and Dot will be waiting for you.