LIVING OFF GRID

This blog is about our travels in our solar powered "Airstream" and living off grid, in our passive solar home, near Bancroft, Ontario, Canada.

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Monday 3 September 2012

KINMOUNT FAIR - HORSE SHOW

There is something very majestic and personal about horses. They come in different sizes and colours. Some are for riding, some are for pulling some are jumpers. My favourite are the big work horses with their huge feet. 

At the Kinmount fair you see them all and Valery would have been in her glory.



In this competition, the rider had to maneuver her horse around the field, changing directions according to the announcer, while holding an egg on a spoon without any body parts touching the egg.



Look at the focused concentration. If determination alone was all that was necessary this rider should have won.




OOPS! Dropped it. Even the horse seems to be looking at the egg on the ground.



This was the eventual winner, but it seems to me the egg is resting against her thumb. Maybe it's just my poor eyesight.






Then the big teams came into the ring to show their driving finesse.



Around they went at full gallop, turning left and right ..............



hooves kicking up dust as they shook the ground going by.



There were several classes and this was the winner of the 6 horse team.



So majestic.


After supper the boys brought the pullers into the field for a walk past and a chance for the horses to get a sense of the field and crowd.




This was the light horse draft competition and look at the shoes they were wearing. Can you see the cleats on each shoe? When they dig in to pull they want traction.




Once more around the field then it's time to start to work. You could tell the horses knew why they were there and what they had to do.




Wow! This team started pulling before the draw bar dropped into the sled. They were anxious to get to work.



And work they did.




No problem pulling this sled. Time to add some more weight.




Next team in and you can tell they are ready to show their power. Look at the driver struggling to keep them under control and they're not even hooked up yet.




As soon as the horses hear the metal hook fall into place they jump into action. The two outside men lift the tow bar on and off and run to keep up with the team.

It was beautiful to watch but getting late so I left before the large draft horses took over. That would have been impressive. Maybe next year.

The Kinmount Fair was just excellent and I'm sure we will be back. 

Tomorrow a few pictures from behind the scenes.

3 comments:

  1. I'd love to make sure I come for a visit next year for the fair! I've been to a couple small town fairs with Jason. I love them!

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  2. I would have loved to be there, those draft horses are so big and yet move around to get hitched so easily, I can really appreciate the training that goes into these beautiful animals, great photo of the hoves.

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  3. A small town fair offers an excellent blend of Calgary Stampede and Toronto's Royal Winter Fair, close up.
    GREAT photos!!
    I too liked how you captured the horse's hoofs. Most of us just see a horse and miss how it moves.

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