Rural Heritage June/July 2026

Start with a Good Foundation

by Cameron L. Howard W ho was your kindergarten teacher? Chances are you remember them. Hopefully those are fond memories. Our teachers, our parents and our community have quite an impact on the rest of our lives. In these formative years, our foundation is built. If we’re fortunate enough to have a good foundation, we don’t have to spend as much time later in remediation. With this truth in mind, our farm recently had the pleasure of hosting our first beginner draft horse clinic. Fundamentals of Farming with Horses was the first of its kind. The Sustainable Horticulture Lab at Purdue University partnered with us (Old Capitol Farm of Corydon, Ind.) for this all-day workshop. The cost to participants was kept to a minimum

thanks to a grant through North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCSARE ONC24-141). Participants received hands-on instruction led by Moriah Bilenky (professor and researcher at Purdue University), Ben Burgess (Senior Master Biological Woodsman with the Healing Harvest Forest Foundation) and myself (Master Biological Woodsman also with HHFF). After quick introductions in which participants identified something they could likely teach the rest of the group, we moved right into a subject they had come to learn about: how to employ horses in meaningful work. Instruction was intended to lay a foundation for these students that would help keep them and their horses safe and comfortable while at work.

Participants in the Fundamentals of Farming with Horses ground drove their assigned horses down a field, staying inside two rows of cones simulating plants.

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