Fair Winds Farm Workshops

Our workshops will be helpful to anyone interested in using horses for farming, logging, pleasure driving, or pulling commercial horse drawn vehicles. They will also be useful for museum and living history farm operators and staff who want to use and understand horses and equipment in a farming context.

The Jay and Janet Bailey family have been farming a 40 acre horse powered, diversified farm using 1,2,3&4 horse hitches for more than 30 years. Located in Southern Vermont, we produce eggs, perennials, free-range pork and chicken and grassfed lamb. We give hay and sleigh rides and teach draft horse workshops with our Suffolk Punch horses. Children Reuben, Rebekah and Erica work with us on the farm, as do Joe, John & Mary Diane. We have all worked with the horses throughout the years and enjoy sharing our experience with others.

Workshop Schedules

• Four-day workshops are Tuesday 2:00pm - Friday 2:00 PM. $495 per person / $940 for two people from the same farm.
• Series workshops start with breakfast at 8:00, include a farm lunch and conclude with a wrapup & hearty snack at 5pm. Rain or shine. $495 for four days, $140 per day for less than 4 days. Days must be completed in the 2010 calendar year. May choose any four of the 8 days offered, as long as they are completed in order (Day 1 is a prerequisite for Day 2, etc.)
• Two-day workshops start the first day at 2pm and run through the following afternoon. Supper, breakfast and lunch provided. $175 per person.
• One-day workshops start with breakfast at 8:00, include a farm lunch and conclude with a wrapup & hearty snack at 5pm. Rain or shine. $125 per person.
• All workshops include meals; camping space & showers for four-day format.
• There are a number of hotels within 5 miles of the farm. We'll send a list with confirmation.
• Dates and topics subject to change according to interest. Let us know what you need!
• Download the registration form here

Workshop Descriptions

Driving Workshops

Draft Horse Workshop - Four-day format
Our workshops focus on building your skills & confidence in harnessing, hitching, driving & horse management. We use a single horse and teams for hands on experience and individual instruction. You will drive from the ground, on a wagon and a forecart. We cover horse management including the basics of safety, handling, foot care, feeding and horse health. We place a lot of emphasis on clear communication through effective use of the drivers hands and voice. Technical driving skill development is achieved with lots of time in the drivers’ seat and one- on- one instruction. Put your hands on the harness to learn about different styles, correct adjustment & fit.

While we used to offer two levels of this workshop, we have been increasingly challenged by fluctuating demand for both levels. We now invite new and returning participants to choose the workshop that best meets their time needs and with multiple instructors and teams, we will challenge you and expand your skills and understanding with each workshop that you take.

Draft Horse Workshop - Series format
Content is the same as the Draft Horse Workshop described above, meets every other Saturday for eight weeks. Spring and fall sessions offered. Come to all four or take some in the spring, some in the fall.

Want to know more? Text and photos describe A Typical Day At A Draft Horse Workshop.

Intensive Workshops

Intensive workshops are designed for working on the driving skills associated with the specific tasks that each one covers. Therefore, there is a prerequisite of one of our driving workshops or instructor permission.

Plowing and Cultivating with Horses
If you want to use your horses to work in your garden or tilled field, this workshop is for you. We will be using a variety of equipment, including walking & sulkey plows and one- & two-horse cultivators. This is not a driving workshop.

Mowing With Horses
Meets 2-5pm on Friday afternoon to discuss and make adjustments, sharpening and mower setup for several kinds of mowers in preparation for a full day of mowing. On Saturday we will cut a field regardless of the weather. Saturday discussions will include technique and theory around opening up the field, preventing and dealing with mechanical issues, topography and various plant species (read milkweed and wiregrass!). Participants will be encouraged to drive the horses/mowers in situations that are appropriate to their experience level. This is not a driving workshop.

Introduction to Horse Logging
Are you dreaming about using your horse(s) to haul firewood and small logs? Learn safe use of chains, peavey & logging arches to maximize your leverage. Use a single horse and team to pull logs to the landing. We will meet at 8am on Saturday to begin discussion over breakfast. Participants will be encouraged to drive the horses in situations that are appropriate to their experience level. This is not a driving workshop, we will demonstrate chainsaw use and encourage those interested in learning to use a saw to attend the "Game of Logging" for professional instruction.

Equipment Workshops

Mower Rebuild Workshop
Do you want to get the very best results from your horsedrawn mower? Bring it along and we'll spend a day discussing adjustments, replacement parts and more that will get you maximum cutting from minimal energy input. Instructors Jay Bailey, Mark Cowdrey and Joe Delaney all have extensive experience with mowers and mowing in a variety of circumstances and situations.

Equipment Repair Workshop
Tired of catching slack from your "other half" about that heap of rust that is sitting out back? Learn the basics of equipment evaluation, maintenance, repair and rebuilding. Maybe (s)he is right, it is just a heap of scrap metal, or maybe it would be a great piece of equpment with a few new parts. We'll talk about how to figure that out and a lot more, from hints on replacing wooden pieces, measuring for custom fabrication, finding and ordering parts... bring your questions and be prepared to roll up your sleeves.

Consultation Service
Would you like an evaluation of where your horse is with his training or some ideas for how to proceed? Feedback on farm layout and barn design? Thinking of purchasing a horse but would like another opinion? Maybe a consultation will help you take that next step or help break through a plateau. We can travel to your location or meet with you at our farm. This service is only available to people who have either taken a workshop or had their horse with us for training. Please call or email us for more information.

Tailored to fit your needs:
We also do on site workshops for staff of living history museums and other organizations. Topics covered can include safety and working with the public, as well as thorough coverage of driving skills. These workshops will be tailored to meet your requirements. Please call for more info.

Photos on this page curtesy of Steven Frischling