I looked out through the storm yesterday, and blinked, I saw a horse-driven carriage trotting by the farmhouse without any cover or roof.
The carriage had special ice and snow wheels and the horse was moving quickly and surely, not bothered by the passing snow plows and trucks and cars, even in the dark.
Wow, I told Maria, these are hardy people.
We have new neighbors, I believe they are an Amish family living down the road and over the hill from us. I noticed traffic signs in the neighborhood warning of horse and carriage, new signs.
I know Amish families have been buying up failed and abandoned farms around here.
Maria said she’s seen the carriage in good weather, it usually has a roof, two women ride in it every and return with bags – shopping trip, perhaps.
They go by us twice a day, once around feeding time, the later in the mid-afternoon. I waved to them this morning, and they waved back.
Judging from the signs, the horse has to pull them over a steep hill and down the other side. The Amish horses are amazing, the animal rights people scream about the carriage horses in New York, but these horses work twice as hard in difficult conditions, they are working in every kind of weather.
This horse looks happy, healthy, well-fed, and extremely grounded. The animal rights people don’t grasp how much these animals need and love to work – like border collies.
They are no looking to stand around in fields doing nothing but dump manure for the rest of their lives.
Maria and I both love the sound of the horse’s hooves on the ground, this is a lovely addition to our world.
I hope I get to meet them soon so I can welcome them properly. I’ll try and get a better photo. Great to see this every morning.
Yes! Wonderful picture. Thank you for the verbal vision! Here in Montana the Amish are our neighbors too. Looking forward to more stories!
What a wonderful photo. If not for the stop sign and tire tracks on the road it could have been taken 100 years ago. I hope this new family is warmly welcomed into the community!
If winds are expected, they are better off without the roof.
I have a Gotland pony, a Swedish breed. She is 4 feet tall at the shoulder and can easily carry a person my size but would rather not. I’ve ridden her. She is not fun to ride. Her carriage, though…. She loves pulling her carriage. She likes half blinkers for better visibility and looks around, happy as can be. Out, seeing the sights with her people. When she doesn’t get to pull her carriage often enough, she gets grumpy, but perks right up when you pull it out of the barn.
How wonderful to see. I love the seeing the Amish. I live in Connecticut so don’t see them but when I was at my granddaughter’s wedding 2 years ago up on Lake Geneva I saw a lot and of course road signs..They live a peaceful life.
I drive thru Amish country daily. Always nice to see the buggies. In the warmer months i see groups of children walking to school, almost always barefoot!
Many Amish horses (and police horses for that matter)come from former lives such as show horses especially American Saddlebreds so they are accustomed to many thing.
That’s lovely news! A very good thing they are rescuing failed & abandoned farms, they know how to successfully manage “small” family-size farms and are all about community and supporting small & local business (vs. corporate chains). Amish farmer & naturalist David Kline is one of my favorite authors, writing about nature on his organic, diversified farm – found out about him through Wendell Berry’s writings. “Scratching the Woodchuck”, “The Round of a Country Year” are very illuminating about his Amish community’s farming and community practices, care for their neighbors (including non-Amish), etc. I hope they can establish a thriving Amish farming community in your area. My brother in rural Colorado speaks glowingly about his Amish neighbors and patronizes their businesses.
Do the Amish like being photographed? The ones near us do not want their pictures taken – so we do not and ask our visitors not to either.
I have no idea. She was happy to be photographed…
We too have many Amish families up here. They are a great source of food, and labor. They are wonderful wood workers and are always on demand. My friends who is Amish is on her late 90’s, and had TEN boys! We still exchange Christmas cards. Some people up here are not happy about the Amish’s treatment of animals. I guess it depends on the people. There could be a view of seeing the animal as an ends to a mean and that’s it. Also there have been a lot of deaths because some Amish don’t use a bright orange triangle on the back of their wagons and they can be hard to see in inclement weather. Up here, some towns had required a light that is on, not sure how, and/ or a triangle. I have known many very nice Amish people. Maria will love their quilts! Have fun getting to know your new Amish neighbors Jon and Maria!
We too have many Amish families up here. They are a great source of food, and labor. They are wonderful wood workers and are always in demand. My friends who is Amish is in her late 90’s, and had TEN boys! We still exchange Christmas cards. Some people up here are not happy about the Amish’s treatment of animals. I guess it depends on the people. There could be a view of seeing the animal as an ends to a mean and that’s it. Also there have been a lot of deaths because some Amish don’t use a bright orange triangle on the back of their wagons and they can be hard to see in inclement weather. Up here, some towns have required a light that is on, not sure how, and/ or a triangle. I have known many very nice Amish people. Maria will love their quilts! Have fun getting to know your new Amish neighbors Jon and Maria!
They don’t want their pictures taken up here! Seriously don’t! I forgot to tell you…
She was happy to have her photo taken, of course I asked her.. I have been around Amish people many times in my life…
I’m amazed she let you! Up here, northern tip of NYS they don’t! Different sects of Amish all over… that really surprised me. Here? Never!
I’ve taken photos of Amish people before, some will do it, others wont’..I should add that anybody can take photos of someone on a public street if they wish I always ask, but it isn’t legally necessary while on a state road.