Friday, December 9, 2011

Horses From Days Gone By

I'm going to share a few more photo from my collection.  This time the topic is horses.  Here in Canada we owe so much of our heritage to the humble horse, his stamina, strength and heart.  Horses were the main source of transportation.  The logging and farming industries which opened up our fair land, would never have been possible without the strength of the remarkable old work horse and his trusty driver.  And they were oh so much more environmentally-friendly than the machinery that rips and tears our fragile ecosystems today.

"Surrey with a fringe on top...'  My great aunt Jenny and her husband James Digby.


 The above photo shows my father on the right and one of his logging buddies.  Dad was a tiny chap, but a scrappy little guy too.  I have no doubt he probably won the arm wrestling match.

My grandfather Patterson and his team at work.
Uncle Lloyd, one of Dad's older brothers, with his team.
Grandpa Hosick, front and center with his team back at the hunt camp.
Dad with Prince and Paddy. 
I really only remember a few brief snatches of this team.  They were Dad's farm implements before the arrival of the tractor in 1968.  I recall seeing them standing in the barn, and for some reason the day they were shipped to the great horse heaven in the sky sticks in my mind.  I would only have been about 5 or 6 though.


Above is Dad and his team working the farm where I grew up.

The Daily Quest

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Today's Puzzle:
Riddle
 
Every dawn begins with me
At dusk I'll be the first you see
And daybreak couldn't come without
What midday centers all about
Daises grow from me, I'm told
And when I come, I end all cold
But in the sun I won't be found
Yet still, each day I'll be around

Who or what am I?

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And that is about all I have to say for today.

Musings and meanderings from the Musical Gardener.
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6 comments:

  1. MarciaDecember 9, 2011 at 8:39 AM

    I had no idea people used horses for farming into the 60s.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - MaybeDecember 9, 2011 at 8:43 AM

    Some people love dogs, others are more into cats, however, who does not wish they could have owned a horse at one time. Well, maybe there are a few, but not I.

    ReplyDelete
  3. L. D. December 9, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    It is a wonderful heritage. My dad worked horses on his dad's farm but went to a tractor after WW 2. My father in law had horse power for years and eventually switched over to a tractor. He kept horses most of his life even when he didn't farm with them. Great photos to see.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RedDecember 9, 2011 at 1:22 PM

    Excellent shots of the horse age. Somebody must have been a super photographer. I really like the one of the horses coming down the trail directly toward the photographer.I also remember when we sold Queenie and Daisy. Our horse days ended in 1955. My Dad never liked horses.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RaeDecember 9, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    What wonderful old photos. Horses are a big part of history. It was nice to see a glimpse of life from that era in your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Far Side of FiftyDecember 9, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    I like the old photos..the bond between men and their work horses was really something. :)

    ReplyDelete

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