Rural Heritage June/July 2025

pleasure to work and be around. We always start our horses out doing some basic tasks, but with how quiet-minded they generally are, they progress into doing an actual job fairly quickly. Anyone looking to get into drafts and are looking for a breed that will be an easy user-friendly option, you can’t go wrong with an American Brabant.” In Belington, W.Va., Mike Jordan operates a farm and logging business. “We own 150 acres in Barbour County. And we started out in draft horses mostly just for logging and light duty farm work. And the longer it went, the more we got into it. We weren't able to find the type of draft horses that we we wanted. So, we had

a pair of Belgian mares and a Percheron mare, and I reached out to Jason Julian in 2015, and he put me in contact with a breeder that had a stud colt available. “So we bought that horse, and he came out of Minnesota from Tom Schmidt's breeding program, and we use that horse. We have five daughters of his on the farm now. So we imported a German, Rhenish Coldblood from Germany. He's a 2-year-old now, so we are utilizing him. We have three mares in foal to him now. “So we are second generation into American Brabants, and we're pretty dedicated and set on that breed now with what we're seeing reproductively and the ability to flesh easy. These mares breed back every year, and there's a lot of longevity in those horses. In Mountain View, Wyo., Wes Lupher has always used horses and mules in his ranching operation, only relatively recently folding American Brabants into the the work teams. He explained why he likes using horses in general, as well as what he likes about the American Brabant. “I ranch, raise some beef cattle. It varies from year to year, but 200, 225 cows on a good year. We try and figure 2 tons of hay per cow to get through a winter. And some years I use less, some more, but

that's what I try and shoot for. And I do most of that work with horses. “The horses do quite a little farming,” Wes continued. “That's a mixed power thing, for sure. But the horses are how I can make it all work. I’ve got tractors, they're old but still work. They run fine, but they don't get a lot of hours. Horses work more hours than the tractors. “You know, it's when you get out in the morning, even the cold, cold, frosty mornings, you know, your team's going to start for one thing, but you know, when you're out there, it's quiet. “You see everything going on and that there, there's just a whole lot more peaceful. Just makes you feel good. “You know, the other thing about working the horse is constant interaction. Doesn't matter what

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