Tractor Ride

[cowboy]

At my nephew Robbie's Birthday Party I was going to have a hay ride Me and Robbie jumped on the tractor to get some brush out of the pasture for a bond fire. I was loading it looked over and all the kids were running across the bridge to help. I do belive they had more fun loading the trailer and riding it back than they would have had with a hay ride







Billy

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

YUP, sometimes the best things are unplanned.

[Bigdog]

Looks like "everybody" had fun Billy!

[cowboy]

Thanks John and Bigdog. We had a lot of plans for games. But the kids were too busy having fun and thats what its all about They were jumping up on the cub prentiening to drive so I pulled off a battery cable so they could not start it. And even though I did not need them I felt a lot safer with working brakes Now that I got new seals in the rear end and new brake bands it will lock the tires up and skid them across the lawn I did not think about it but when I make a hard turn now using the brakes it makes the other tire go a lot faster really opened my eyes the first time

Billy

[KETCHAM]

Tracy and I have had two pig roasts together.The kids love the hay rides.The house next door was vacant this year so we had ten more acres to run on.All the kids still talk about the hay rides when they see me.Some of the older kids got to take their first drive on a tractor.Nothing like teaching a little saftey and a kid how to drive a tractor in a big field.KETCHAM PS Great pictures !!!!!!

[Paul B]

Cowboy
Sometime what adults think will be fun for kid's, and what kid's think is fun, does not always go together, but it looks like the kid's are having a pretty good time to me, even if it wasn't a planned activity. And like you said, the kid's having fun, in a safe way, is what counts.

[cowboy]

Hi Kechem. Mmmmmmm pig roast be right over Its great to have kids out and having fun With all the work you do when you have some land its nice to share and show it off a little. The only bad thing about hosting is you don't have time to sit back and talk always somthing coming up. But its great to show city kids some outta town and teach them a little about tractors, horses and common sence around them:!:


Hi Paul. Now ain't that the truth I was going to use the grain wagon I got from Ron. But as usuall for me I got it 80% done and never finished it. For next year I may make bench seats that will bolt onto the trailer.

Thanks Billy

[Rudi]

Billy:

You really have it good you know. There is nothing better than a pile of happy kids.. .. You and the Cub sure seem to be a real Kid Pleaser very That is one heck of a birthday party for your nephew Robbie

[cowboy]

Thanks Rudi

Kids can have a lot of fun out here. The final event of the day was a ride on my horse Dancer. I setup the pasture behind the house from 20' to 50' from the property corners so I have a riding area around it and can store my junk behind it and not have to oppen the pasture to get it out. With parking out front. The fence is well over 1,200 feet around and I walked every kid that wanted a ride around it. My legs were sore for the next two days. I may have to teach dancer to follow the cub and lead him with putt putt.

[Rudi]

Billy:

For God's sake make sure my daughter Kristina doesn't see the pics of Dancer... She will bug us to death about building a stable.. she has wanted horses all of her life.. but I just cannot afford it, nor am I really healthy enough yet to take care of em either..

But, she comes by the love of horses honestly. Her mom, Emilie absolutely adores em, and has taken the kids riding as often as we can afford it.. at $40.00/hr/horse/kid -- well 5 kids, 1 adult.. that is $250.00/hour. Very, very dear.. maybe I should find a way to build a stable..

[cowboy]

Cool Rudi

Ya know if you and or your family find themselves over this way ya all are warmly invited over. Dancer needs to be ridden more than he is so saddle up You need one to one and a half acers per horse here in lower michigan for them to graze and not have to buy hay in the summer. Dancer eats about 50 bales of hay a winter and $2.00 a bale. I figure it cost about $500 a year to keep him here. I don't have a barn just a shelter that he can go in when he wants.

Horses are like cub's you tend to end up with more than you need. If Kristina makes friends in the area that that have horses. Most are happy to have their extra horses ridden or exersized as we call it. As the more they are ridden the better thay are to handle.

Billy

[Rudi]

Cool Rudi

Ya know if you and or your family find themselves over this way ya all are warmly invited over. Dancer needs to be ridden more than he is so saddle up You need one to one and a half acers per horse here in lower michigan for them to graze and not have to buy hay in the summer. Dancer eats about 50 bales of hay a winter and $2.00 a bale. I figure it cost about $500 a year to keep him here. I don't have a barn just a shelter that he can go in when he wants.

Horses are like cub's you tend to end up with more than you need. If Kristina makes friends in the area that that have horses. Most are happy to have their extra horses ridden or exersized as we call it. As the more they are ridden the better thay are to handle.

Billy

Billy:

Well at least I know what to do with the acreage we have been rebuilding. Time to go get me tons of manure and spread it around..

You are tons of help on this, but if Kristina sees it, I am in big trouble.. she won't let up.. I know that.. course.. knowing now that it takes about 1.5 acres per horse.. then with the 5 or 6 acres I have available plus maybe the 30 or so that I may be able to upkeep for a local guy.. that would provide me with all the hay I would need.. for say 2 or 3 horses. Of course, I would supplement with Co-Op Feed.. but only as required.

Most of the horses around here are trotters.. pull sulky's in racing and are NEVER ridden.. which kind of leave Kristina out due to her SubTaylor problem.. hopefully we will have an idea on the fusing procedure in September... she cannot walk em.. and there is nobody close enough to provide a good excersise program for her either... part of the joys of semi-country life.. on the edge of the city on a farm, but not enough farms left to have all ....

Thanks for the invite.. who knows.. if I have to go home to Timmins, maybe we can run up or run back via Michigan.. go across at the Sault and up via the Lakehead route to North Bay via Massey and on to The Gold Belt... we will see what transpires over the next year.. it sure would be fun...

and yes, I am aware horses are like cubs.. YOU NEVER can have just ONE

[beaconlight]

Looks like a great time was had by Billy, the kids and even the horse looks happy.
Rudy $40 a month would keep the horse. One ride is half a year of keep.

Bill

[Buzzard Wing]

Hard to find a better host than Cowboy!

Rudi, if you have the time you can visit my friends over in NH when you are down this way. Turns out horses are a good reason to do hay which requires tractors.... even though their fleet is mostly green, she has a nice M. But where I come from hay is a lot of work and requires a barn. Their new barn cost more than my house! Better to find someone that doesnt have enough time to spend with their horse and help em out!

[Rudi]

Larry:

I guess you wasn't listening so good last summer... I want a barn/stable/hen house/rabbitry etc.... I likes to watch things grow.. All the hemmin and hawwin is more to impress the women folk dont ya know

Some day.. when I win the lotto

It is gonna be a nice reunion at Cecil's huh????