New neighbours moved in a few days ago, and they have 8 ENORMOUS draft horses!! I haven't met the people yet, but today the horses came to the fence line and said hi (and immediately lost interest when it was clear I had no treats for them).
Look how big they are!! My hand is tiny compared to this horse's nose!!! I hope I can be friends with these new neighbours and learn more about draft horses...may need to make some cookies tomorrow.
@sundogplanets Wow. Wise to be friends with horses that big!
I didn't know draft horses ate cookies.
@sundogplanets Moving from "draft" to "final" form...
(I'll see myself out ๐ )
@Firesphere HA nice! Sorry I missed that on the first read through.
@shapr I don't know horse breeds at all. Anybody here know the breed?
@sundogplanets Are there practical uses for draft horses these days, apart from pulling beer wagons?
@sundogplanets draft horses are so cool. They sound hilarious eating apples. Just watch your fingers.
@sundogplanets @shapr Time to boost! Horse nerds where are you :) :)
@sundogplanets This is so cool. Do they work the team? I had an uncle who is in the Iowa draft horsemen's hall of fame and always thought he had the best farm when I was a kid. Because of the horses of course.
Cookies (for the human neighbors) are a great idea. And while visiting, ask if it's okay to give the horses carrots or apples occasionally. The old handful-of-grass trick probably won't charm them much in your surroundings!
They are beautiful critters, indeed!
p.s. Found some nice photos of several breeds at
https://equinehelper.com/types-of-draft-horses/
@sundogplanets are those ardennes horses? they look so lovely, and so huge!
@sundogplanets Iโm not into horses really but it must be cool to have furry visitors who have interests and can be social.
@sundogplanets Gentle giants. Don't feed them cookies or other treats before clearing it with their people. Some horses are on restricted diets.
Looks like Clydesdale. Big crew. They probably work as a team too.
Great horses. Cool and calm. ๐
@sundogplanets The wide and over-the-knee white markings are typical of Clydesdales, but possibly other breeds too! They look huge and lovely.
@sundogplanets Saying this just in case - please consult the humans before giving the horses anything. They may be on a diet - or allergic to some stuff. I've once heard of a horse who was allergic to carrots, and known a horse who was allergic to sugar. She needed special feed, and one treat of the wrong kind would have meant a trip to the VetMed.
@sundogplanets Fire mares!! https://youtu.be/nHWpi-5TjFQ
@sundogplanets @shapr I'm definitely no expert but they might be Shire horses? One of the very few horse breeds I'm capable of recognising.
@sundogplanets
Good morning, thanks for sharing these pictures, what gorgeous new neighbours, I guess you'll have to ingratiate yourself with the people ๐
Have a fantastic day ๐๐
@sundogplanets What wonderful neighbours to have, I hope the human neighbours are just as lovely!
@sundogplanets @shapr Clydesdales maybe. A friend has one. She says itโs like riding a sofa (couch). Her dog would sit up with her. Maybe the goats would like a ride?!
@sundogplanets
I didn't know it when I woke up this morning, but draft horse nose crinkles were what I needed to see today
@ppatel @sundogplanets i love draftys. good freinds and jentle animals
@VerenaRupp Yes, yes, absolutely. I never feed other peoples' animals without asking! (Cookies are for the people, not for the horses)
@AverageJoe Yes, I never feed other people's animals without asking first
@sundogplanets Ah ^^ I have made treats for my cats myself, so I didn't rule out the possibility you might be baking for the horses. Making cookies for humans is fine. They can tell you about their diets and allergies themselves ^^
Just adding here, because lots of people are concerned: I never feed other people's animals without asking first, and neither should anybody else! (Only exception is if you're feeding them handfuls of grass and they are in a pasture full of grass - sometimes hand-picked grass is way tastier than the stuff growing in the ground. Something something grass is always greener...)
Good point! And the grass is automatically tastier if some nice person is interested enough in you to hand it to you! (Same goes for a cup of tea or a cookie from the supermarket, no?)
@sundogplanets they are so beautiful, these big heavy horses! It will be fun for you to watch them. I wonder what they'll make of the goats.
@sundogplanets I don't know much about horses -- but somehow, to me, those look like low temperature horses. Their feeties are super hairy.
@sundogplanets I don't think it should be an exception. Unless you have permission leave them be. Especially horses and ponies who oftentimes will deliberately be in a certain field with short grass begging for food because they are greedy, overweight pigs but we do not want them getting colic or laminitis. Many city people have no idea what grass is, could be handing them anything. The only exception should be you have a genuine, knowledge-based welfare concern then call a local vet.
@sundogplanets The other thing being that most people have no idea whether it is safe. You could EASILY lose a finger or a nose if you are not accustomed to horses and cannot read them. These mares might be fine but they are probably unbroken and a bit excitable or just decide they want to nom your thumb off. Some rambling fools will mistake their curiosity for friendliness and ๐
@nf3xn Yes, all true. I was thinking of farm-savvy people...
@sundogplanets @lisamelton From horses' POV, horsie cinnamon cookie treats are to DIE for.
Commercially made; and ONLY if the owner OKs it.
If the owners don't OK it...don't. But just having the smell on your hands will make you horsie friends for life.
I finally got brave enough to go meet the new neighbour (the human, already met the horses). These are all Clydesdales! He breeds and shows them. He apparently has several babies in the barn, who he will show us sometime soon!!
@sundogplanets Draftie foals are one of the world's most adorable things.
@sundogplanets A few years back my family visited the Anheuser-Busch facility in Merrimack, NH, one of the places around the US they stable their Clydesdales. They're beautiful horses. You're so lucky to have them as neighbors.
@sundogplanets are you sure he's a human, and not 3 baby Clydesdales in a human suit? ๐
@sundogplanets Please let him know that there is a home for him (well, his horses, anyway) here on Mastodon.
@sundogplanets Growing up in Suffolk, a local stately home bred Suffolk Punch horses. Iโd seen them in the show ring, or pulling the Adnams (local brewery) drey in Southwold. But seeing them at all ages in the fields, especially the mares and foals together was truly memorable. ๐
@sundogplanets OMG jealous.
I've yet to properly "meet" a horse. I've seen wild ones up close now, but I still haven't met one. (Domesticated or not)
@sundogplanets
I'm lucky to have a Clydesdale stud near here and as often as possible I'll take a detour to see them. You're right, when I see them in a paddock they don't look too large, but up close you realise just how BIG they are. Gorgeous animals!! ๐
We mostly had draft horses, but not Clydesdales, and the ones that weren't were just very large. I didn't grow up with horses so that's all I know. So when I see like Arabians it takes me a minute to realize they're fully grown.