Mini Eight-Horse Hitch

Mini Eight-Horse Hitch AG WORLD Ag World 19-1-22 "They draw a lot of attention in parades," say Mery and Claudia Giles, Cochrane, Alberta, about their 8-horse hitch of Black Miniature Geldings. The entire hitch is about 30 ft. long and weighs a total of about 3,200 lbs. The eight horses pull an 8-ft. long home-built wagon that weighs about 700 lbs. The Giles, who are sponsored by United Farmers Cooperative of Alberta, spend their summers traveling throughout Alberta appearing at fairs and parades and competing in contests. They won the American Miniature Horse Association Nationals in 1993. "As far as I know it's the only 8-horse hitch in Canada designed specifically for miniature horses," says Merv. "The leather harness each horse wears is the same in every detail as the harnesses worn by large draft horses but weighs only 22 lbs. "The Black Miniature Geldings we use are 32 to 34 in. tall and weigh about 270 lbs. each. For competition, Black Miniature Geldings can't be over 34 in. high. There's no weight restriction. It takes a while to put together eight matching black horses of this breed. They go back to the 1700's when miniature horses were used in coal mines and also by royalty. They have an easy going disposition compared to Shetland ponies and are easy to train." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mery Giles, Rt. 2, Cochrane, Alberta, Canada TOL OWO (ph 403 932-3535).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.