September 27th and 28th, 2008
Does Old Dobbin Have a Place on the Farm?
Who is Ol’ Dobbin? Let me introduce him; he has pulled freight across this great land, turned the soil, put seed in the ground, brought in the harvest, provided farm income by way of a crop of youngsters each fall, plowed and graded our rural highways, took buggies to church, and won ribbons at the fair. Most of all, the look Ol’ Dobbin gave each morning at feed time was one that poets and scholars have been writing about since Caesar’s time. I am talking about the mighty draft horse!
The mighty draft horse has provided me with a living and a purpose; they are deep in my blood. That is why I want you to attend this workshop. I want to pass on my knowledge and respect of the mighty draft horse.
I am looking for young people who want to learn the timeless art of driving a team of one-ton Belgian Draft Horses in a farm operation. So if you are willing to learn and participate, fill out the application. If selected, plan on immersing yourself in a different time and way of doing things. By Sunday afternoon you will be able to drive a team of Belgians in a farm situation.
-- Dris Abraham
| The workshop will be conducted at Historic Prophetstown in Battle Ground, IN. We are a 1920s fully working farm with Belgian Drafts, Milking Shorthorn cattle, Berkshire hogs, Romney sheep, and chickens. |
| All meals on Saturday, September 29th will be provided, as well as breakfast and lunch on Sunday, September 30th. Saturday evening will be spent in our 1918 Sears House with dinner and a discussion. Bring your mats, sleeping bags, and pillows for a sleepover. Showers are provided in the house. Don’t forget your towels. |
| Dris Abraham, the COO at Historic Prophetstown and owner of the mares, will be teaching the class. He has been breeding, raising, and training his own Belgians for over a decade and has worked and farmed with horses most of his life. Also helping to teach will be Melissa Brown, the Agricultural Manager at Historic Prophetstown. She has been working for HP for 3 years and is also the Breeding Manager for RX Acres. The third instructor will be Greg Schneider. He is the Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor at Southwestern High School in Hanover, IN. |
| Parents are invited to join their child for the weekend. Be a part of the discussions and observe the students as they learn to drive. |
| The class size is limited! To apply, fill out the following application and submit it by the due date. |
Specific topics include:
Equine Care and Farm Management·
* Safety that goes beyond common sense
* In-depth first aid and preventative health care
* Nutrition and feed sources
* Stable and pasture management
* Horse selection and behavior
* Reproduction
Harness, Hitch and Drive
* Proper harness fitting and procedures
* Safe hitching and unhitching procedures
* Ground driving; driving the green horse
* Driving various pieces of equipment
* Hauling people safely
* Driving on the road, in traffic, in crowd
Horse Drawn Farming
* How to farm without the use of modern equipment
* Sustainable farming practices
* Horse-drawn equipment source, selection, use, and maintenance
* Crop selection and consumptio
Itinerary
| Day 1 - Saturday, September 27th |
| 8 am |
Introduction and Breakfast |
| 12:00 pm |
Lunch |
| 12:30 pm |
Discussion |
| 1:00 pm |
Back to the Barn |
|
Harness and Hitch |
| 5:00 pm |
Break |
| 6:00 pm |
Meal |
| 7:00 pm |
Tour Breeding Farm and Discussion |
| 9:00 pm |
Day One Concludes |
| Day 2 – Sunday, September 28th |
|
8 am
|
Breakfast and Discussion |
| 9 am |
To The Barn |
|
Harness, Hitch, and Drive |
| 12:00 pm |
Lunch |
|
1:00 pm
|
To the Field |
|
Hitch, Drive, and Farm |
|
4:30 pm
|
Day 2 concludes
|
Students will learn fundamental skills such as basic forging, drawing out, twisting, and hammer techniques. Participants can expect to go home with an assortment of creations such as "S" hooks, "J" hooks, and nails. The class will progress at will of the student. The instructor will cover metal, tools, coal, blacking, and shop setup, in addition to making the pieces. Each student is required to wear long pants, closed toe shoes, and bring a pair of leather gloves. All tools and materials will be supplied by the instructor. Each student will also be given a notebook and the book, Blacksmithing for Beginners by D. James Morre.
About the Instructor:
