One of the best kept secrets in Alberta is Ray and Anna Stanton's Double Tree Village Museum near Spruce View, Alberta. The town of Double Tree was founded in 1997. This couple began collecting items of the "old way of life" of living off the land since their marriage in the early 60s. The "U-shaped" town of Double Tree, founded in 1997, has grown to feature over 25 businesses and homes. A stopping house, dress-up shop, school, church, general store, bank / post office / library / switchboard operator, dentist / barbershop / laundry, hotel, tool shed, wagon sheds, blacksmith, Thompson House, Northwest Mounted Police, cook car, bunk house, print shop, a teepee are just some of the sights to see and experience!
Our family is fortunate to live so close to this venue where people of all ages can come to appreciate the trials and tribulations of our ancestors in their settlement efforts and the importance of horse power in their day-to-day living. Ray and Anna's love for horses (Ray, driving his Belgians and light horses while Anna enjoys riding sidesaddle) provides a perfect setting for The Wild Rose Draft Horse Association's annual Field Days in June.
On June 7 and 8, 2014, The Wild Rose Draft Horse Field Days
will be held at the Double Tree Village Museum.
The photo above depicts Brian with some
of our draft hitch horses on a single bottom sulky plow a few years ago. The "more sophisticated" sulky plow is simply a riding plow drawn by three horses. The sulky plow got its name from its similarity to a Standardbred racing cart by the same name -- but its similarity ends there. The ingenuity of the mid-19th century farmer led to the addition of wheels and a seat so the plowman could ride the plow. Some viewed this method as the lazy way out; however, when settlers moved west and encountered the vast wild west of unfilled land on the Great Plains, the old single-bottom walking plow was woefully inadequate.
This day, activities also included working the horses in the foreground which were owned by Fred McDiarmid and Tom Wright of Veteran, AB.
Those horses were hooked with 3 others (3+3) to a hitch cart that pulled an 8' double disc. We used the rope and pulley system to equalize them.
Above is a four up of Percherons equalized on the 8' disc. Farming should always be precise!
Below is the same setup with four Belgians.
Come join fellow draft horse enthusiasts at The Wild Rose Draft Horse Field Days Antique Festival. Gates open at 9 a.m. Activities will include seeing horses working in the field, wagon rides, handiwork, pack horse and side saddle demonstrations, and more! Bring your musical instruments, your singing voices, cowboy poetry and dancing shoes as there will be jam sessions both Saturday and Sunday. Cowboy Church at 9:00 a.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 per person, per day or $20/family per day.
Visit Double Tree Village Museum at:
http://www.northernhorse.com/doubletreevillage/index.asp?btype=about and click the flyer below for more information:
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