< PreviousHORSE PROGRESS DAYS 202338 LHYDRAULICS 322 East Main St. Leola, PA 17540 717-656-4878 fax: 717-656-4682 www.beilerhydraulics.com Innovation That Moves Your Business Forward Pump and Cylinder Repair | Outside Service | Truck Shop WIRELESS IT’S WHAT WE DO. Wireless Radio Systems ■ Retrofit to existing system ■ Proportional ■ CanBus ■ Operator Safety ■ Ag, Mobile, Industrial ApplicationsHORSE PROGRESS DAYS 2023 39 Rthere are the seconds that haunt all produce growers; the stuff with spots or holes or deformity, but otherwise perfectly good and nutritious. The solution to this problem on the Yoder farm is to have a small space in the corner of the packing shed where the seconds accumulate to benefit local housewives who wish to can or freeze them. About 200 five-gallon pails of tomatoes are sold annually in this way for $10 each. There are about 30-35 growers supporting the auction these days with 15-20 of them being highly committed volume growers. The growers represent some 250 acres of land. A very important ingredient to the success of the auction as a good place to buy is the constant communication that goes on between the growers, including the periodic meetings and field walks, as well as the packaging among large and small growers that provides consistency for the buyers. Using the land There is so much bound up in the workings of a farm such as this. There is first and foremost the economic viability of the family itself: is there enough money to buy shoes for the kids, to splurge just a bit now and then, to buy groceries and to make investments in land and buildings, and so on? And it is, of course, and always has been, hard work. But what is there to take the place of the marvelous workings in the earth and from the sky that bring forth that first glimpse of life peeking out of the dirt, coming from a dead, dry-looking seed that had been buried and covered up some days prior? And then after days and weeks of waiting there is the incredible harvest from that one tiny seed that yields 10, 20, 50, 100 and more times its weight. This is the life of the farmer who can very easily, but must never, take this phenomenon for granted. And then again, what can replace the value of a set of committed and faithful parents working alongside their children to accomplish goals that need their help to be undertaken, but that ultimately adhere to the processes put in place by the Creator of the Universe, which are by and large beyond the purview of those laboring under those processes. It is only the top 6-12 inches of soil covering our world that keep us alive, feed us. It is with reverence then that we need to approach it, and it is with a sense of awe that we admire it. ✸ The Land (continued from page 37)HORSE PROGRESS DAYS 202340 L2 ROW CULTIVATORS • EVENERS & NECK YOKES FARM WAGONS • FORECARTS We Repair All Farm Machinery IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, CALL 260-499-3318 EXT. 1 FAX: (260) 499-3344 • 2945 S. 050 W. • LAGRANGE, IN 46761 Forecarts • Hand and Foot Steering • Mechanical and Hydraulic Breaks • Steel and Air Tire Wheels • Steel Extendable Tongue • Hitch on Bottom of Tongue for Weight Adjustment • Options for: Brakes, Shafts, & Tires Tine Weeder • Controls Weeds in Corn Row • Use 2 Horses and Covers 4 Rows in 1 Pass • Plenty of Adjustments for Teeth and Also Level the Sections MSR – 2-Row CultivatorHORSE PROGRESS DAYS 2023 41 RIn the Round Pen Equine Salt Therapy Marcus Schlabach of Millersburg, Indiana is a horseman. He mostly leaves the training and shoeing of horses to others, but what he has to offer is quite unique. It’s called salt therapy. On his farm he has two rooms: one to tie in two horses at a time, and one to house the equipment that turns the 99.9% pharmaceutical salt into an aerosol that the horses breathe into their lungs to help clear their respiratory systems. Heavy breathers, coughers, bleeders, all of these can benefit from salt therapy. It might take five 20-minute sessions, or it might take up to 20 sessions. Or some horse owners may want to approach this kind of therapy for their horses like they do shoeing. It needs to be done every six weeks or so, depending on the horse. Marcus has been doing this kind of work for about two years now. Sometimes he is able to help his customers by scheduling appointments with equine dentists or chiropractors when the horses are at his place. He also has a walker he can use to evaluate the horse’s breathing before and/or after the therapy sessions. Those who are interested in peak performance from their horses will want to hear what this seminar presenter has to say. Equine Dentistry MDM Equine Dentistry is the name of the company under which Myron Miller does business. Caring for those all-important food mashers is an art he learned at a dental school in Michigan. Wolf teeth in young horses often interfere with the bit. Caps that are lost by young horses as permanent teeth replace them can be intrusive and make it hard for a horse to properly chew its food. And teeth with sharp edges in older horses can make mouths sore where they rub against a cheek. So you see, there is no age when a horse owner should completely ignore a horse’s teeth. That once-a-year visit can add years to the life of a horse and can lead to that sleek, healthy look that all conscientious horse owners take much joy from. On the Miller farm there are Morgan horses; mares with babies, and a stallion to breed them. Come and learn from this full-time equine dentist who now has four years of experience in his chosen field. Shoeing/Farrier Work First Choice Farrier Services is the name LaVerne Mast has given to his horse business. He will be doing a seminar supported by a video presentation of his work. (continued on page 43)HORSE PROGRESS DAYS 202342 LRay’s Repair, LLC JCB Skid Steers & Loadall Sales Lavon, Wayne, & Jr. Yoder 5885 S. 675 W. • Topeka, IN 46571 Ph. (260) 593-2869 • Fax. (260) 593-0019 Mon.-Fri. 7:00 - 4:00 by appt. Only “Financing Available” • Farm Equipment Repairs & Sales • • Tractor Sales • EHE Tedder Sales • • Claas Net Wrap • Claas Round Baler Sales • 231-734-2466 Fax: 231-734-5967 5882 7 Mile Rd. • Evart, MI 49631 MANUFACTURER OF QUALITY WOOD FENCE POSTS Call Today for Wholesale Pricing! 19871987 20172017 CE LEB RATIN G CE LEB RATIN G 30 years A NN IVERSAR Y Your All Day Energy Can’t CONCENTRATE? Try This Approach! PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ELECTRO-RADIATION STOP YOUR PAIN NOW! Feet Hurt? Back Ache? PLACE AN ORDER TODAYPh 260-593-0493 This will balance your carbs & sugar Great for toddlers!HORSE PROGRESS DAYS 2023 43 RMost of his work is with buggy horses who run on hard surfaces with anti-skid things like drill tek applied to their shoes. He will be drawing on his 17 years of experience to show and talk about the effects of foot and leg confirmation, most notably deviation from sound confirmation, on a horse’s comfort and ability to stay sound. All horses, he says, do have confirmation problems. It is part of the farrier’s job to see them and understand them and then to trim the foot and apply the shoe in such a way that there is as much correction as possible. The ultimate goal is to have all four of the feet land squarely on the surface each time. Take this seminar to learn what to look for in a basic shoeing job and what a good foot looks like on a horse. Horse Chiropractic Lonnie Yoder is our chiropractic treatment presenter for 2022. He spent about 12 years doing the work part-time, first by going around with his uncle, and then working on horses without charging. Then he got to the place where he had something to offer that customers were and are willing to pay for. This has now been his full-time work for two years. The most common ailments on the mostly buggy horses he treats are shoulder, spine, and sometimes back end. He has learned that feeding programs make a difference in how easy a horse is to treat for a good outcome. A well-balanced diet leads to good muscle tone rather than a skinny and boney horse whose tendons and muscles have little to offer. A good and nutritional feeding program, and especially good hay, make a big difference. Different natured horses with different confirmation and a variety of feeding programs keep the job interesting, or challenging, or both. And then there are limits to what chiropractic can accomplish. EPM for example, is not generally helped with chiropractic treatments. Sit with Lonnie to learn more about this method of horse care. Horse Training Ray Yoder has been messing with horses since age four, some 56 years. After a significant time spent in the RV factory, he came home to work with horses fulltime. Training, standing stallions to breed his own and other people’s mares, preparing problem mares for breeding, foaling out mares of his own and others, and making stallion breeding recommendations is what his customers value from him. Making sure that horses are properly cared for is an important part of the Yoder program. Putting a good mouth on a horse is something his training program takes very seriously. Ray always tries to use methods that are at once disciplinary, as well as good give and take methods between horse and handler. Consider the challenges of (continued on page 45) In the Round Pen (continued from page 41)HORSE PROGRESS DAYS 202344 LHORSE PROGRESS DAYS 2023 45 Rworking with fully developed horses as a 13 or 14 year old boy and use some of the same methods as a fully grown man, is a type of barometer that promotes the proper relationship between a horse and a handler. Another good discipline is providing work for the several youngsters that work at the Yoder farm every summer. Seeing young people take an interest in horses as they develop into adults results in feelings of satisfaction akin to seeing a young horse develop into a steady and dependable partner. Join Ray in the round pen to learn more. ✸ In the Round Pen (continued from page 43) Food at Horse Progress Days It takes quite a crew to order and prepare enough food for the thousands of people who show up for Horse Progress Days, but the folks of Northern Indiana are up to it. As has now become the practice in many of the places where HPD is held, the food people are all made up of volun- teers. It has also become a tradition in many communities to donate profits from the sale of food to their special needs educational programs. This is the plan for Northern Indiana. It will be a community effort for the sake of the little ones. There’s an outfit called Woodside Barbeque that has extensive experience grilling chicken legs and thighs and pork burgers that will be diligently grilling. There will be homemade ice cream and French fries and there will be a variety of sandwiches. And Blue Ribbon popcorn will be there making their popular kettle corn. There will be fry pies with a variety of fillings and this is exciting! Look for the homemade donut stand. That’s right, homemade donuts and for those who wish to eat healthy, there might be a fresh salad bar. Bring your appetite with you! ✸HORSE PROGRESS DAYS 202346 LHORSE PROGRESS DAYS 2023 47 RHORSE PROGRESS DAYS 2023 47 (continued on page 49) Seminars Why Use Horses? Robert Yoder, from Morrisville New York, our presenter for this seminar, retired from actively working his own organic dairy farm a few years ago. His subject will be on the use of horses in Amish communities. Where is agriculture taking us? Where and how does it make sense to continue to use horses in these times? From his own personal experience, he will talk about what using horses has done for Amish people. Using horses when others have turned unapologetically to tractors and automobiles has been a defining characteristic for non-Amish people with regard to the Amish. But what has it meant to the Amish community and what does the future hold? This presentation will be an apology (argument) for horses. Robert has been a long-time supporter of Horse Progress Days, lending his voice in support of the equipment in the fields as it is demonstrated and as he explains what it is meant for. He also had a major role in producing the enduring and long-standing Horse Progress Days Mission Statement found on page 11 of this publication. Adding Dollars to the Small Farm Bottom Line Larry and Ruth Weaver own an 80-acre farm that has helped them to raise six boys, now aged 16-28 years old. Five of the boys are currently helping with the farm business that includes a company called Sunrise Seeds Plus. This company has a focus on providing practical products for the farm and on sharing information with farm Next >