Equiculture: Anam Cara Farm

12/23/2024

12/23/2024

Marguerite Henry was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, as the youngest of five children. Her family encouraged her love for storytelling and animals. She suffered from rheumatic fever as a child, which kept her bedridden for years and nurtured her passion for reading and writing. In 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry and dedicated her life to writing.

Famous Works:
Marguerite Henry is widely known for her children's books about animals, such as Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, and Brighty of the Grand Canyon. These stories often blended fictional narratives with historical accuracy and were inspired by real animals.

Writing Style and Themes:
Her writing combined a love for animals with historical settings, making her books both educational and engaging. She excelled at crafting relatable stories centered on perseverance, the bond between humans and animals, and the importance of nature and heritage.

Impact on Literature and Society:
Her books inspired generations of readers to appreciate animals and history. By bringing attention to unique stories like that of the Chincoteague ponies, she helped shape animal literature for children.

Legacy and Recognition:
She received several awards, including the Newbery Medal for King of the Wind and Newbery Honors for other works. Misty of Chincoteague became a cultural icon, inspiring a film adaptation and promoting tourism to Chincoteague Island.

Additional Details:
Marguerite Henry was meticulous in her research. She visited Chincoteague Island and worked closely with the Beebe family, who were central to the story of Misty of Chincoteague. This dedication to authenticity made her books beloved by readers and educators.

12/16/2024

12 Days of Drafts! Day 7: Spotted Draft Horse
In the excellent book Gail Damerow and Alina Rice wrote about draft horses, "Draft Horses and Mules - Harnessing Equine Power for Farm & Show," there is an informative and succinct paragraph describing the North American Spotted Draft Horse breed that I cannot improve upon:
"Heavy horses with splashy pinto coloring have been documented for centuries, but it was only in 1995 that the North American Spotted Draft Horse Association (NASDHA) was formed to preserve and promote colored draft horses and establish standards for breeding. Spotted Drafts, also known as Spots, are a color breed, meaning that they are registered primarily on color rather than conformation or bloodline. A flashy Pinto horse is often used as one of the parents. The other is usually a Percheron, since Percherons throw colored foals more frequently than do other draft horse breeds."
In the photo here, Jeff Davis drives his team of Spotted Drafts put to a spring tooth harrow at the fall 2024 Antique Steam & Gas Show held at Thresherman's Park in Boonville, Indiana.
A hitch of Spots, whether in a show ring, parade or farm field is a spectacular sight. And they can perform. When Daryl and Ruth Woolstenhulme bought an acreage in southeastern Idaho more than two decades ago, they picked Spotted Drafts to handle the work there and have not looked back. In the Dec 2021/Jan 2022 issue of Rural Heritage magazine, Jenifer Morrissey quoted Daryl in her article about the Woolstenhulmes. Daryl said: "For me, modern draft horses have gone too much toward show. I want my horses middle of the road. Their purpose is to run our farm; showing is a sideline. Spotted Drafts are draft horses; they look like drafts. A lot of times, our Spotted Drafts are smaller than the other breeds. On the other hand, a draft horse doesn't have to be a ton to be able to work. Sometimes our Spotted drafts will out-mow the bigger horses. If I was logging all the time, I might want bigger. But for what I'm doing, 1,600 to 1,700 pounds works just fine.”
Having watched Daryl and Ruth with their Spotted Drafts, I can testify they get the job done.

12/14/2024

The Horses help us strengthen the qualities of the heart, anchoring them in our cells. Joy, compassion, love, ease, kindness are the natural result of simply caring for them. This Holiday help us carry on giving our herd everything they need in order to give us the opportunity of learning lead with....

12/12/2024

12/11/2024

As you reflect on the year this holiday season, take a moment to watch this heartwarming video showcasing the life-changing work GallopNYC does year-round. 🎥✨

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This video was generously donated and produced by Cam Willis Productions. More info: camwillis.com

12/11/2024

My neighbor Jessica Ross left this present on the table in front of the house in the early hours yesterday. You may remember she did the magnificent horse head last year that Frankie took apart during one of her escapes… looking for Christmas mash. It wasn’t her fault because it was George who broke the fence because he really believes Christmas mash is worth risking life and limb for. Not Frankie, she loves George but she has a mind all her own and noticed something particularly interesting … a horse head… whether she thought it was edible or thought hmmmmm here’s what o think about horse heads… is debatable. One thing is for sure she doesn’t like the horses, she thinks they’re mean and selfish and spoiled. She’s not wrong.

Anyway thank you Jess you always leave the best, professionally styled crafted pieces along with all the scented plants I can dry and enjoy and we appreciate it and YOU and Randy and of course Randy Jr who we watched deliver and split open so many pumpkins for the cows that it took him nearly 40 minutes to do it. I’m so glad the cows have friends like you guys, I know they appreciate it too, especially Frankie who is the smartest cow we have ever known!

12/09/2024

I say it a lot..

I don’t usually come across the old pictures that demonstrate it but heres a good one!

Many don’t know that asphalt was created for horses too! It was made so horses could pull their loads easier! The first application of asphalt paving took place in Newark, New Jersey in 1870. A product of Belgian chemist Edmund J. de Smedt, this modern equivalent of the asphalt paving we use today was put down in front of City Hall on William Street. Here is some history of why and how we started using it http://www.tatumasphalt.com/history-of-asphalt.html