Talk about some nice horses

[HoustonFarrier]

Brabant (bra-BANT) Belgians....the "original" Belgian. I've trained a few of these for folks here in Texas. Really nice horses, even temper....and thick, wide beasts !

http://stalgroenenbroek.be/userfiles/image/10-juni/GA2_6511_l-c.jpg

http://stalgroenenbroek.be/userfiles/image/10-juni/GA2_6557_groep.jpg

Steve

[CaddoCinnamon]

Sweet I love their colors and man oh man what a chest.

[palomino]

OMG. I LOVE them!!!
This is such a dumb question, but I know nothing about drafts except their feet SUCK to trim LOL. Whats with the tails? Why are they little nubbins?

[dame_wolf]

They get docked. That's why they are short like that.

[HoustonFarrier]

OMG. I LOVE them!!!
This is such a dumb question, but I know nothing about drafts except their feet SUCK to trim LOL. Whats with the tails? Why are they little nubbins?

Allot of breeder still dock the tails when the are born. They take a castration band and use it to kill the tail. It used to be to practical when they were in use everyday for work, but it is a tradition that needs to die (IMHO). I NEVER dock any of my foals.

Steve

[dame_wolf]

Good for you Steve!

[WashingtonBay]

OMG. I LOVE them!!!
This is such a dumb question, but I know nothing about drafts except their feet SUCK to trim LOL. Whats with the tails? Why are they little nubbins?

Originally because the tail would get caught in harness rigging? Is that why?

[palomino]

Allot of breeder still dock the tails when the are born. They take a castration band and use it to kill the tail. It used to be to practical when they were in use everyday for work, but it is a tradition that needs to die (IMHO). I NEVER dock any of my foals.

Steve

OH MY GOD!!! Thats barbaric! Sounds really painful. Poor babies!:eek:

[HoustonFarrier]

Originally because the tail would get caught in harness rigging? Is that why?

Ya know...I have my doubts about that. In over 15 years of harnessing, I've NEVER had a long tail caught. I had one horse that would use his long tail and swing it around and grab the lines. I really think it had more to do with tradition and just not wanting to deal with the HUGE tails that drafts can grow. Imagine having 25 horses that you had to get out the corn rolls and burrs from their tails.

A few years ago at the OK State Fair, we were getting ready for the Draft Horse Working Equipment class, where most of the "old-timers" would bring their horses in pulling various pieces of farming equipment......every single horse there had a long tail !!!!

Steve

[WashingtonBay]

Well, my little Arab never got his long tail caught either driving, and they certainly never dock them. Ease and convenience of upkeep is probably the answer then. If yours aren't docked, do you just trim and braid them up in themselves for show? I admit to not remembering noticing in your pics. Or would you ever see a draft showing in long tail at halter?

[CaddoCinnamon]

I know where I am at there is a belgian with a short tail. I feel sorry for it because of the flies this year.

[HoustonFarrier]

Well, my little Arab never got his long tail caught either driving, and they certainly never dock them. Ease and convenience of upkeep is probably the answer then. If yours aren't docked, do you just trim and braid them up in themselves for show? Or would you ever see a draft showing in long tail at halter?

Short (docked) tail show.....
http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/34710/2474473770053248425S425x425Q85.jpg

Long tail for show....
http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=54&pictureid=19229

Sometimes she'll put more bows in the tail if it's a mare.

Steve

[HoustonFarrier]

Long tail mare braid....

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=54&pictureid=19230

Steve

[WashingtonBay]

Very tidy :) And is that braided tail just as acceptable or is there any bias?

[HoustonFarrier]

Very tidy :) And is that braided tail just as acceptable or is there any bias?

Some judges are biased...some aren't.....just depends.

Steve

[Remali]

Brabants are so cool, and I love the roan colors! Would love to see them with their tails long tho.

[lovesfortune]

Wow - that is ALOT of horse!

[Tiz]

I've never seen tails docked so short in my life. Too much. They can't even keep flies off their poopers.

[JackieB]

They're beautlful. Bless you for not docking tails. You can be as far off base on some political issues as you wish (and you are!) and you'll still always be my hero for the way you treat the animals. :p:hysterical:

They don't look very tall (Brabants). Like 15hh or so. Are they? What awesome horses. Too cool!!!

[Stalknndashadows]

And another option for a long tail is to shave the lower half while leaving hair at the top for braiding.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Stalknndashadows/tail5.jpg

[Vegashorselady]

Those horses are so wide...like the bulldog of the horse world!

I agree that tail docking is a stupid tradition that needs to die...on horses and dogs.

[Tiz]

I like docked tails, and I don't see anything cruel about it. It makes fly control more important, but other than that?

[livaward]

I want one.....it'll be years down the road but I still want one

[3equines]

They all have tails like my poor Sweet P ! ! !

[palomino]

I dont like the idea of using a glorified rubber band to kill off the tail until it dies and falls off. THAT is the cruelty IMHO. Im sure it would hurt like crazy to wrap a rubber band around a finger and leave it on for weeks at a time until our finger fell off. I could only imagine the pain.

[Tiz]

I don't think fingers and tails are comparable. If temporary pain were a deterrent, then wouldn't you have to avoid castrating animals too? I'll bet that hurts more then a tail.

Is Sweet P getting any tail hair, 3?

[Stalknndashadows]

Well if you wrapped a rubber band around your finger and it took weeks to fall off you did it wrong. ;)

The area quickly goes numb from lack of blood flow(VERY tight constriction) and within a few days falls off. Same way you castrate cattle just on a tail. Go watch a foal with its tail banded after birth, doesn't bother them. Hell...banding 6 month old bull calves didn't bother them either and it's their testicles for crying out loud.

[Tiz]

"Hell...banding 6 month old bull calves didn't bother them either and it's their testicles for crying out loud."

Easy for you to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:p

[vicklynn]

Very nice looking! I can see why you'd want one.
Besides the fact that they are BIG.

[3equines]

I don't think fingers and tails are comparable. If temporary pain were a deterrent, then wouldn't you have to avoid castrating animals too? I'll bet that hurts more then a tail.

Is Sweet P getting any tail hair, 3?

Lots of hair growing in but the wound re-opened during the trailer ride down to Oregon. Two steps forward, one step back. At least there is clean, healthy tissue to jumpstart the healing process this time. No horse trailer rides for Sweet P until at least a year has gone by after the wound closes again.

[TheBadLands]

ooohhhhhh I want one

[HoustonFarrier]

Well if you wrapped a rubber band around your finger and it took weeks to fall off you did it wrong. ;)

The area quickly goes numb from lack of blood flow(VERY tight constriction) and within a few days falls off. Same way you castrate cattle just on a tail. Go watch a foal with its tail banded after birth, doesn't bother them. Hell...banding 6 month old bull calves didn't bother them either and it's their testicles for crying out loud.

It's still an idiotic thing to do, because there is no logical reason to do it. It's a tradition that needs to die.

And, BTW, you should see it when it goes wrong, and infection sets in. Foal gets septic, joint ill, and dies with 48 hours.....all for nothing.

Steve

[Stalknndashadows]

It's still an idiotic thing to do, because there is no logical reason to do it. It's a tradition that needs to die.

And, BTW, you should see it when it goes wrong, and infection sets in. Foal gets septic, joint ill, and dies with 48 hours.....all for nothing.

Steve

I never said it had a logical reason or that it wasn't idiotic..or at least I don't think so.

[Tiz]

It's style. It looks good. Anything can go wrong with any procedure, even the simplest of procedures, like docking a tail. I don't think that any problem, however manageable, automatically means your foal will get septic, joint ill, and die within 48 hours.

[vicklynn]

Steve, those braids look good. Very nicely done!!