American Agriculture History Minute: Draft Horses Imported for Farm Work

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute.

Horses and oxen provided a lot of the power on American farms until the mid -1800s. Oxen were too slow to pull some of the new machinery. Producers were using in the 1850s and 1860s. Most of the horses were fast enough, but they tired quickly.

Powerful animals like the draft horse used in Europe were needed, and they were quickly imported. Belgians, Clydesdales, and others. And Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois became a leader in breeding draft horses.

That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute. I’m Mark Oppold. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next time.