and the beautiful prairie 
) 2005-10, came home to Europe last year and now in SW France. I brought my rare breed horses with me. Probably not the right time to take such a financial gamble in the middle of a global recession but I couldn’t leave them. My specific interest about the preparation for a different way of life is to reintroduce the horse to our world. I am interested in growing some of my own food and to learn more about using 'living horse power’ on the land. During my time in Alberta food prices rocketed and to keep the livestock fed I had to adapt or starve. The reason for the price hike was/is the cost of fuel – even trucking food from eastern British Columbia into western Alberta could add heavily to the food price once it hit the shelves. Lack of agricultural subsidies such as in the EU meant that cheese, for example, was too expensive to buy. I am eating more cheaply here in France but I can cook and regional produce helps although some food prices are very much higher now. Add in the back door privatization of the Alberta health service and I decided to come back to the EU. There is more going on in North America that (imo) has its roots in the oil age coming to a close. For example, less food crops are being raised having been replaced by bio-fuel crops. Hay this year has rocketed so some livestock will starve this winter.
I have been rationing petrol now for five years because I have to.
So I’m interested in knowing if anyone else is looking at what horses can do for us and growing their own food as well as enabling people who can't cook to do so. Cheaper and healthier.
)
). They are a small horse and easy keepers so cheaper to keep than larger more refined breeds. I can honestly say they are the most intelligent breed of horse I have ever met and able to be trained for all aspects of horse work. They get good health care though like any other horse - worming, vaccinations - and are well-fed but on a mostly hay diet. One is trained to ride but I'm interested in having them trained to pull - carriage, plough. Petrol is expensive here in France as it was in Canada in that it fluctuates inconsistently and I foresee the day when I may only be able to afford to take the car out once a week. So having one rideable horse at least to go into town will be useful. In total for this winter I have five adults and two foals born this summer as I brought two mares over bred. Next year is about finding anyone over here who is already working with horses on the land. I've been lucky with hay so far and booked my winter requirement back in August. I cannot believe the price of hay in the USA and worry that more horses will die this winter.
