The purpose of the study reported here was to determine and understand the variables responsible for the revival of the draft horse industry in East Texas. The draft horse industry can provide viable employment for rural entrepreneurs. The authors suggest universities and Extension rethink their traditional roles of supporting and providing resources for rural entrepreneurs engaged in agricultural enterprises that utilize relic technologies

Hynes, James W

Lindner, James R

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

The Journal of Extension Volume 44 Number 2 Article 14 4-1-2006 Lessons from the Draft Horse Industry in East Texas James W. Hynes Sam Houston State University, james_w_hynes@hotmail.com James R. Lindner Texas A&M University, J-Lindner@tamu.edu This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Hynes, J. W., & Lindner, J. R. (2006). Lessons from the Draft Horse Industry in East Texas. The Journal of Extension, 44(2), Article 14. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol44/iss2/14 This Research in Brief is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. 	 JOEHOME JOURNAL GUIDELINES ABOUT	JOE CONTACT NATIONAL	JOB	BANKCurrent	Issues Back	IssuesApril	2006	//	Volume	44	//	Number	2	//	Research	in	Brief	//	2RIB3Lessons	from	the	Draft	Horse	Industry	in	East	TexasAbstractThe	purpose	of	the	study	reported	here	was	to	determine	and	understand	the	variablesresponsible	for	the	revival	of	the	draft	horse	industry	in	East	Texas.	The	draft	horse	industry	canprovide	viable	employment	for	rural	entrepreneurs.	The	authors	suggest	universities	andExtension	rethink	their	traditional	roles	of	supporting	and	providing	resources	for	ruralentrepreneurs	engaged	in	agricultural	enterprises	that	utilize	relic	technologies.	IntroductionAmong	its	various	strategic	objectives,	Agricultural	Extension	seeks	to	understand,	enable,	andhelp	sustain	rural	entrepreneurship	(Scorsone,	2003).	Traditional	paradigms	in	financialagricultural	education	need	to	be	reviewed	in	order	to	address	this	strategic	objective	(Gustafson,2002).	Entrepreneurship	should	be	encouraged	when	traditional	methods	are	no	longer	successful.Part	of	the	process	in	encouraging	entrepreneurial	thinking	is	to	broadcast	that	which	alreadyexists	in	the	rural	community.The	purpose	of	the	study	reported	here	was	to	determine	and	describe	the	variables	responsiblefor	the	revival	of	the	draft	horse	industry	in	East	Texas--a	successful	sustainable	ruralentrepreneurial	industry.	A	qualitative	study	was	conducted	using	14	purposively	(Lincoln	&	Guba,1985)	selected	draft	horse	industry	participants	in	East	Texas.	Structured	and	semi-structuredinterviews	were	used.	This	research	showed	that	the	culture	of	practicality,	inventiveness,	and	risktaking	has	allowed	individuals	in	the	draft	horse	industry	to	achieve	financial	success,	whereothers	have	been	forced	to	abandon	their	businesses	and	seek	other	sources	of	livelihood.Page	(1996)	suggests	that	a	gulf	separates	agriculture	and	industry	driven	by	capitalistic	theorydevelopment	favoring	industry	over	agriculture.	That	is,	the	draft	horse	industry	promotesenterprenuer	manufacturing	in	rural	communities.	Page	further	postulates	the	importance	oflocality	and	regional	development.	Conroy	(2000)	suggests	the	primary	goal	for	the	educationcommunity	should	be	supplying	a	well-trained	work	force,	whether	they	are	interested	intraditional	agriculture	or	not.	The	draft	horse	industry	and	its	ancillary	businesses	can	provide	afoundation	for	this	growth.The	theoretical	underpinnings	of	the	study	are	based	on	Jack	and	Anderson's	(2002)	construct	ofstructuration.	Structuration,	or	recurring	patterns	of	thought,	states	that	the	future	is	anchored	inthe	past.	This	theory	applies	as	well	to	education,	though	in	the	contextual	areas	of	Extension	andorganization	and	community	the	current	paradigms	do	not	take	into	account	the	changemanagement	possibilities	of	looking	to	technology	of	the	past	for	solutions	to	current	problems.The	theory	of	Jack	and	Anderson	(2002)	affirms	Rindos'	(1980)	observation	that	a	positive	selectionJames	W.	HynesLecturer,	Department	of	Curriculum	and	InstructionSam	Houston	State	UniversityHuntsville,	Texasjames_w_hynes@hotmail.comJames	R.	LindnerAssociate	Professor,	Department	of	Agricultural	EducationTexas	A&M	UniversityCollege	Station,	Texasj-lindner@tamu.edufor	instability	has	characterized	agriculture	from	the	beginning.	The	historical	use	of	draft	animalswas	on	the	mind	of	the	subjects	of	this	study	when	they	first	started	to	acquire	and	use	them.	Jackand	Anderson	(2002)	suggest	that	embedding,	or	the	depth	of	one's	ties	to	his	environment,	playsa	key	role	in	his	success.Educators	need	to	encourage	entrepreneurship	when	traditional	methods	of	earning	a	living	inrural	communities	are	no	longer	successful.	Part	of	the	process	of	encouragement	ofentrepreneurial	thinking	is	to	broadcast	information	which	already	exists	in	the	rural	community.There	is	evidence	of	entrepreneurial	efforts	in	the	U.S.	draft	horse	industry	(Telleen,	1979).Thisstudy	delineates	the	contextual	applications	in	agricultural	education	used	for	acquiring	theknowledge	and	skills	necessary	for	the	operation	of	contemporary	businesses	supporting	the	useof	draft	animal	power.	The	study	demonstrates	that	selected	agricultural	educational	contexts	andtheir	applications	in	economic	pursuits	work	in	nontraditional	ways.	These	applications	should	beused	as	potential	sources	of	solutions	in	the	economic	revival	of	contemporary	rural	societies.MethodsThe	study	was	a	qualitative	study	of	14	conveniently	selected	respondents	(non-Amish)	drawnfrom	draft	animal	users	in	East	Texas.	In	particular,	the	researcher	used	unstructured	and	semi-structured	interviews	while	making	the	necessary	adjustments	to	the	questions	as	the	interviewsproceeded.	The	interviewer	did	not	pass	judgment	on	the	answers	to	his	questions,	and	therespondents	were	expected	to	answer	with	thought	and	veracity.	Document	analysis	and	longterm	observation	were	also	employed.The	qualitative	study	followed	acceptable	procedures	and	applied	trustworthiness	quality	criteriaset	forth	by	Lincoln	and	Guba	(1985),	Erlandson,	Harris,	Skipper,	and	Allen	(1993),	and	Merriam(1998).	The	field	notes	were	organized	and	transcribed	using	the	procedures	outlined	by	Lincolnand	Guba	(1985).	Both	formal	and	informal	member	checks	were	used.	Trustworthiness	wasassured	by	credibility,	transferability,	dependability,	and	confirmability	(Lincoln	&	Guba,	1985).	Anaudit	trail	was	maintained	(Strauss	&	Corbin,	1998).	Internal	validity	was	addressed	usingMerriam's	(1998)	six	strategies	for	enhancing	validity.In	order	to	determine	where	and	from	whom	the	data	would	be	collected,	the	inquiry's	focus	wasprovisionally	defined	(Lincoln	&	Guba,	1985).	The	focus	of	the	study	required	using	participantswho	were	successful	in	their	business	enterprises,	which	required	purposive	sampling.	Thus	theresearcher	would	ask	people	who	were	interviewed	to	whom	else	he	should	be	talking--snowballsampling.In	qualitative	research,	the	researcher	and	the	respondents	contribute	together	to	the	studythrough	their	interaction	with	one	another	during	the	interview	process.	The	truth	and	applicabilityof	the	study	are	dependent	upon	the	accuracy	of	both	the	subjects	and	the	researcher	in	reportingthe	answers	and	the	questions.Participation	by	the	respondents	in	this	study	was	voluntary.	The	answers	from	the	interviews	werecoded	and	kept	confidential.	Throughout	the	study,	the	answers	were	written	down	during	theinterviews.	There	was	a	set	of	questions	the	interviewer	had	prepared,	and	he	would	refer	to	themthroughout	the	interview.	With	the	semi-structured	interviews,	the	interviewer	was	prepared	todelve	deeply	into	the	respondent's	answers	to	gain	further	information.On	several	occasions,	the	participants	would	be	asked	an	opening	question;	they	would	starttalking	and	would	basically	continue	to	talk	without	any	prompting	or	questions	for	the	rest	of	theinterview.	These	interviews	became	unstructured	interviews.	The	researcher	would	simply	writedown	their	thoughts.	Unstructured	interviews	do	not	have	a	set	schedule	of	questions.	Theinterviewer	asks	questions	and,	as	the	answers	flow,	adjusts	his	questions	and	focuses	on	theresponses	received	to	tweak	out	the	most	information	he	can	from	his	subject.FindingsThe	ParticipantsMost	of	the	men	and	women	interviewed	were	middle	aged.	The	work	they	were	doing	in	the	drafthorse	industry	was	a	second,	third,	or	fourth	career.	Almost	all	of	the	facilities	visited	were	locatedon	non-tillable	soil.	This	demonstrates	sustainable	economic	use	of	rural	locations	that	otherwisewould	generate	little	traditional	agricultural	income.	The	men	and	women	interviewed	were	livingand	working	in	a	rural	environment	in	an	agriculturally	related	field	in	a	nontraditional	agriculturaloccupation.	They	were	doing	so	in	an	environmentally	friendly	way	on	soil	that	would	not	supporttraditional	agriculture.Geographical	UnderpinningsThe	northern	or	northeastern	link	to	draft	horses	and	draft	equipment	in	Texas	was	a	compellingreminder	of	the	history	of	the	draft	horse	industry	in	the	United	States.	The	horses	and	equipmentbought	by	the	draft	horsemen	of	Texas	almost	uniformly	came	from	the	collar	states	or	provincesaround	the	Great	Lakes.	This	region	of	the	country	is	the	Diaspora	of	the	draft	horse	industry(United	States	Census	Report	1900).The	MarketAll	of	the	interviewees	noted	Texas	residents	as	their	primary	market	for	horse	sales.	Many	of	thesubjects	noted	that	their	clients	were	people	who	had	ridden	quarter	horses	all	of	their	lives	butwere	now	getting	older,	may	have	a	touch	of	arthritis	in	their	knees,	and	wanted	a	safer	way	toown	and	use	horses.	These	people	would	buy	one	or	two	draft	horses	and	pull	a	wagon	or	a	cart.	Acouple	of	the	interviewees	noted	they	sold	draft	horses	to	be	ridden.	With	that	in	mind,	they	broketheir	young	horses	to	ride	and	drive.	In	a	recent	article	in	the	Draft	Horse	Journal,	there	was	a	storyabout	a	man	in	Montana	who	specialized	in	half	draft/half	riding	horses	for	use	by	overweightriders.As	Armstrong	and	Levesque	(2002)	proposed,	entrepreneurs	set	a	target	quality	level	to	maximizeprofitability.	The	subjects	of	the	study	were	very	clear	about	what	segment	of	the	draft	horsemarket	they	served.	The	men	and	women	interviewed	clearly	identified	their	target	markets	andsold	horses	in	the	continuum	from	the	high-quality	show	horse	customers	to	the	lower	quality	petdraft	horses.The	people	interviewed	for	the	study	all	participated	in	service	businesses	using	their	horses.	Theyhired	out	their	horses	and	carriages	for	any	number	and	type	of	events.	The	subjects	not	onlybreak	and	train	horses	for	their	own	uses	but	also	break	and	train	horses	for	their	customers.	Ifthey	have	someone	come	to	them	requesting	lessons	on	care/management	of	draft	horses	orwishing	to	learn	how	to	drive	horses,	the	interviewees	provide	such	service.Horses	and	carriages	are	available	for	hire	for	corporate	parties	as	well	as	private	parties.	Most	ofthe	subjects	were	willing	to	drive	people	in	weddings	and	funerals.	Some	of	the	participants	madethe	military	funeral	a	specialty,	because	national	cemeteries	are	few	in	number	and	require	strictadherence	to	protocols.	Draft	horse	shows	were	used	to	promote	those	herds	that	have	breedingstock.	Several	interviewees	stood	stallions	for	public	service.	A	farrier	interviewed	promoted	hisblacksmithing	work	through	his	work	in	the	show	ring.	Several	of	the	participants	hired	themselvesout	to	show	horses	on	behalf	of	those	who	want	their	animals	shown	but	can	not	do	the	showingthemselves.Self-Directed	LearningThe	men	and	women	interviewed	were	all	self-directed	learners	who	learnt	best	with	andragogicalmethods	of	instruction.	They	had	a	need,	and	each	went	about	filling	it,	usually	in	some	fashionsimilar	to	everyone	else	interviewed.	To	stay	current	and	to	learn	new	markets	and	what	wasgoing	on,	all	but	two	of	the	subjects	subscribed	to	and	read	the	Draft	Horse	Journal,	used	theInternet	for	learning	and	communication,	and	read	the	publications	from	the	state	associations	andnational	breed	associations.	Everyone	interviewed	noted	working	with	subject	matter	experts.	Tomost	of	the	participants,	these	experts	are	found	in	the	Amish	community.	They	either	worked	atthe	present	time	with	the	Amish	to	find	horses	and	equipment	or	worked	with	them	in	the	past,when	they	got	started	using	draft	horses.Charity	WorkThere	was	a	definite	conscious	effort	made	by	many	of	these	horsemen	to	engage	in	charity	work.They	were	serious	about	it	and	seemed	to	relish	their	role	in	bringing	happiness	to	people,	ofteninstitutionalized,	who	need	it.	Several	horsemen	noted	that	they	would	not	sell	horses	to	peoplewho	they	thought	could	not	or	would	not	care/handle	them	correctly.	Some	of	this	thinking	has	itsroots	in	the	care	lavished	on	the	horses	and	mules	seen	during	this	study.Seeking	BusinessEntrepreneurs	must	fulfill	a	need	in	society	to	be	successful.	They	accomplish	this	by	maintainingbusiness	and	personal	networks,	ties,	and	relationships	across	wide	geographical	distances."Traveling	as	far	as	the	money	goes"	is	the	motto	of	most	of	the	people	visited.	They	charged	50cents	a	loaded	mile,	$700	per	wedding/funeral,	or	up	to	$750/month	to	train	a	horse.	Board	was	anadditional	fee.	Stud	fees	for	the	stallions	ran	to	$500,	while	jack	fees	were	$100.	Only	one	of	thefourteen	interviewed	indicated	a	limit	on	how	far	he	would	travel	to	find	horse	business	or	work.Conclusions	and	ImplicationsBased	on	the	findings	of	the	study,	andragogy	and	self-directed	learning	have	been	shown	to	workas	educational	foundations	for	economic	sustainability,	even	when	utilizing	relic	technology,	by	theparticipants	of	the	study.	The	reacquisition	of	knowledge	and	skills	utilized	by	the	participants	wasin	part	historically,	culturally,	or	geographically	driven.	The	methods	used	by	the	study'sparticipants	in	their	acquisition	of	the	knowledge	and	skills	necessary	for	success	should	be	usedas	a	role	model	for	how	other	rural	industries	can	start	and	flourish.	The	methods	used	by	theparticipants	for	their	successful	non-traditional	environmentally	friendly	work	in	rural	arenasshould	be	learned	and	taught	by	Extension	and	university	personnel	alike.The	results	of	the	research	have	implications	for	higher	education	and	for	Extension.	The	subjectsof	the	study	uniformly	tapped	informal	sources	of	information--family	and	friends,	personalcontacts	with	subject	matter	experts,	books	and	magazines,	interest	groups	and	associations,	theInternet--rather	than	formal	institutions	of	learning.	Not	one	of	the	subjects	interviewed	evenmentioned	Extension	or	higher	education	institutions	as	a	resource.	Apparently,	the	draft	horseindustry	in	Texas	has	taken	root	without	the	assistance	of	formal	educational	institutions.The	authors	propose	that	Extension	along	with	agricultural	education	departments	in	universitiesand	colleges	rethink	their	traditional	role	of	supporting	and	providing	resources	for	agriculturalenterprises.	Rather	than	expecting	entrepreneurs	to	approach	for	assistance,	Extension	shouldapproach	new	entrepreneurs	such	as	the	draft	horse	professionals.	We	have	much	to	learn	fromthese	self-directed	adult	learners	about	developing	an	economically	successful	agriculture-basedindustry.	Then,	perhaps	most	important,	Extension	educators	can	analyze	the	model	anddisseminate	it	to	others	who	seek	a	way	to	sustain	themselves	in	today's	agricultural	environment.A	core	group	of	motivated	adult	learners	was	investigated	and	found	to	be	hungry	for	informationabout	ways	to	make	their	agricultural	environments	economically	sustainable.	These	learners	donot	turn	to	Extension	in	their	search	for	knowledge	and	skill	building.	Understanding	why	they	donot	seek	out	Extension	is	beyond	the	scope	of	this	study.	Clearly	there	is	an	opportunity	forExtension	to	carry	its	success	story	outward.	If	Extension	reaches	out	to	them,	this	group	willrespond.	After	all,	they	are	lifelong	learners,	and	Extension	is	a	lifelong	provider	of	learning.ReferencesArmstrong,	M.	J.,	&	Levesque,	M.	(2002).	Timing	and	quality	decisions	for	entrepreneurial	productdevelopment.	European	Journal	of	Operational	Research,	141,	88-106.Conroy,	C.	A.	(2000).	Reinventing	career	education	and	recruitment	in	agricultural	education	forthe	21st	century.	Journal	of	Agricultural	Education,	41,	73-85.Erlandson,	D.	A.,	Harris,	E.	L.,	Skipper,	B.	L.,	&	Allen,	D.	(1993).	Doing	naturalistic	inquiry.	London:Sage	PublicationsGustafson,	C.	(2002).	Transforming	extension	as	the	agricultural	sector	changes.	Journal	ofExtension	[On-line],	40(1).	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/2002february/tt3.htmlJack,	S.	L.,	&	Anderson,	A.	R.	(2002).	The	effects	of	embeddedness	on	the	entrepreneurial	process.Journal	of	Business	Venturing,	17,	467-487.Lincoln,	Y.	S.,	&	Guba,	E.	G.	(1985).	Naturalistic	inquiry.	London:	Sage	Publications.Merriam,	S.	B.	(1998).	Qualitative	research	and	case	study	applications	in	education.	SanFrancisco,	CA:	Jossey-Bass.Page,	B.	(1996).	Across	the	great	divide:	Agricultural	and	industrial	geography.	EconomicGeography,	72,	376-397.Rindos,	D.	(1980).	Symbiosis,	instability,	and	the	origins	and	spread	of	agriculture:	a	new	model.Current	Anthropology,	21(6),	751-772.Scorsone,	E.	(2003).	Encouraging	entrepreneurship	in	rural	communities:	The	University	ofKentucky	entrepreneurship	initiative	program.	Journal	of	Extension	[On-line],	41(6).	Available	at:http://www.joe.org/joe/2003december/iw5.shtmlTelleen,	M.	(1979).	The	draft	horse	primer.	Emmaus,	PA:	Rodale	Press.U.S.	Census	Reports.	(1900a).	Agriculture,	(V).	Washington,	DC.Copyright	©	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Articles	appearing	in	the	Journal	become	the	property	of	theJournal.	 Single	 copies	 of	 articles	 may	 be	 reproduced	 in	 electronic	 or	 print	 form	 for	 use	 in	 educational	 or	 trainingactivities.	Inclusion	of	articles	in	other	publications,	electronic	sources,	or	systematic	large-scale	distribution	may	bedone	only	with	prior	electronic	or	written	permission	of	the	Journal	Editorial	Office,	joe-ed@joe.org.If	you	have	difficulties	viewing	or	printing	this	page,	please	contact	JOE	Technical	Support©	Copyright	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Copyright	Policy

Lessons from the Draft Horse Industry in East Texas

https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4418&context=joe

Lessons from the Draft Horse Industry in East Texas

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Clemson University: TigerPrints