Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Horse pull

We went to the Tulsa fair this weekend. While were walking through the horse barn, some folks were unloading the big horses. We stopped and talked to one of the owners and he told us about the horse pull later in the evening. We stuck around for the whole thing. The winning team weighed in at 4500lbs. They pulled over 11,500 lbs. Talk about some high strung animals. The closer they got to the sled, the antsier they got. When they got them hooked, they took off like a bolt of lightening.

Pretty amazing what two horsepower can do.

They liked doing that, and knew it was coming when they hooked up.

I had a horse that loved to race. Entered him in several cowboy horse races. Very calm horse until you started getting him close to the starting line, then he would be a bundle of nerves ready to spring.

You watch the handlers. They are pretty adept about dropping that pin in the double tree quick and getting out of the way.

rockinbar.My wife had barrel horse like that. It would be asleep outside the gate waiting, fire up for the run and then go backto sleep once outside the arena

When they started out, they were just pulling the team weight, A couple of the guys handling the double tree just about got run over by the sled. 3800 lbs to a team of 3800 lb horses didn't appear to be much work. They walked off with that sled like it was nothing.

I always like to watch mule pulls.They divide the teams into weight brackets.The smaller the team the more percentage of their weights they can pull.Those little 12 hd mules can sure dig in , get down to their bellies and pull.

With the popularity of big hitches and tall horses, those older shorter legged type heavy horses can out pull those long legged ones. I sure like to watch those 8 up hitches though .The whole arena shakes when they come in

Back in my younger days, I had little horse that I did everything with.....roped, trail rode, barrels, poles, speed race, and my daughter even showed her in 4-H pleasure classes. Anytime she thought she was going to run, she'd get all antsy and cranked up. Best horse I ever had.

Those Horse Pulls are great to watch. They really get down and pull. It must take, a lot of working them, to get them in shape to pull those loads. Sure is amazing what 2 horse power can pull.

Takes a big horse to weigh a ton.

I remember as a kid visiting my uncle in CT and going to the Harwinton County fair.

I was fascinated by the pulling contests. They had draft horse class and ox class. Just incredible what those animals can do. And just like sled dogs, really enjoy their work.

Yes, it takes a big horse to weigh a ton.

Draft horses tend to be big. Google it. 1.5 tons has been known to happen.

Until this past year my hometown held an annual mule/horse pull for 30 years in a row. People brought horses and mule in from all over the country. When I was a young the high school football team would load the weights so I got to be part of it for several years. Later they started using inmates from the county jail to load. Amazing thing to watch those horses and mules as well as the folks working them. Being used to nothing but riding horses it still amazes me to see it.

They are friggin huge. To the withers I am guessing 61/2 ft ? They are wide also. My wife ask the owner if they could be rode. he said they could if you could spread your legs wide enough. Hell, I wouldn't want to lug a saddle that would fit them.

Dated a girl whose dad had Clydesdales. Gentle and beautiful creatures they were, except the 3 yr old gelding. Never got up close to him, her dad told me to stay clear as he had not been broke yet, and I was happy to listen.

Largest of the drafts is the Shire. Largest of them was Samson - 3300 lbs 7’ 2” tall.

Of course horses are measured in “hands” which is 4”. Samson was a phenomenal 21.5 hands high!

Typical saddle horse is 5’, or 15 hands high for reference.

Kinda funny thing that the announcer made a comment about how many clydesdales it took to pull a beer wagon. Evidently they don't see the clydesdales as equals.

The two wheelers could pull that wagon,but it wouldn't look as fancy or take as much skill. Probably couldn't pull the originals loaded with beer though. A local guy here use to partner with a local lumber company and they had an eight up hitch of percherons and pulled a similar hitch wagon

There is a fella locally that rides a Clyde cross. He's a big boy at probably 6'4" and I'll bet 400 lbs.

As equal to what?

What were the breeds there? I'm guessing Belgians.

One reason some of those teams hit the harness so hard when the pin drops, some have trained them with prods. When they drop the pin they hit them with the prod to get that jump to break the sled loose and started moving. Now, not saying all do, but I do know it is a practice in some areas with some trainers.

I can't remember if Belgians were in the conversation but I do remember Percherons were. My take was they seen the Clydesdales as hollywood and their horses were the real working types.