Show IU 13 N 1 a. a t p Thurston h Clydesdales Fe Featured J red in Current Utah Faun Farm Magazine Current Issue of the Utah Farmer Farm Farm- armer er cr feat features res a big page front pic- pic l tore lure of ot Fred Pred Thurston and three kiddies S driving a team learn of the famous Thurston Clydesdales An accompanying story atory says says For 32 years now Clydesdale horses have been a chief Center of Interest on the Olen Thurston farm form at at al Morgan Morean In fact the farm was w worked entirely by horses horses from 1929 Until 1918 1916 when the Thurstons Thurston got their first trac trac- tor tar Th The advent of ot mechanization however didn't dampen Thur iton's regard for the Clydesdales In additIon there are plenty of ot people all aU over the country who share share ah r his feeling he has hM been able to sell seU every excess Clydesdale Clydesdale Clydes dale raised on his farm Scotch Heritage The Clydesdales Clydesdale's big feet and I I heavily boned legs are credited to his Scottish environment the environment the I spongy damp and soggy terrain But Dut for centuries he was popular In the city as lIS a n dray horse aswell as U aswell well as on the farm as a draft dratt animal Today he Is seen mainly In the show ring where the oiled case e of his footwork always lm presses the Judges and his big mane mone and ond feathers in his fetlock the he children Idren I Thurston and his two married sons eon Fred and Dale have their hands full tulI In running their 24 2400 acre nere ranch which Is Js devoted to beef beet cattle and a grade A dairy herd sheep hogs turl turkeys ys chicken chickens chickens chick chick- ens en mink and peacocks but they always have time to take a six six- horse team and dray wagon to Utah and Idaho parades fairs and horse shows Surprise Loss Usually they take the big horse honors at the he Utah Ulah State Stale Fair but this year Vernon Bird a Blackfoot Idaho lover of ot Clydes- Clydes in a surprise move competed competed com com- against the Thurstons Thurston with unit of ot matched black Clydesdales and took top honors honora I Next year you can be sure that I the Ule Thurstons Thurston will have a matched match ed six-horse six unit to compete with j i Bird Dire Jf t f he enters the horse show j at Qt the Utah State te Fair I Olen Thurston got cot his ls first Clydesdale horses two horses two mares marcs and a a two old colt colt n In 1929 The advent of at the Clydesdale on the Thurston farm was Interesting for tor previously he had been using j I the cayuse the small hardy horse horse favored by the Indians that had descended from tram stock introduced a century earlier into Into America by the s Spaniards I Needs Handling I The cayuse has hM a lot of wild blood in his veins and when hooked up in the morning he ho has pl plenty of ot fire tire and often the Thur Thur- had trouble in getting their I i work done for tor it took a couple of or hours of driving and handling I before the cayuse calmed down I IThe The big gentle genUe Clydesdale proved proved ed cd he was ideal deal for tor plowing and I other chores and what was more he was safe sate with the kids So he BOOn displaced the cayuse in the Thurston operation In 1946 when Thurston got his first tractor he had 25 head of ot the big horses including stallions I and he still has 13 head five fl for I I which he has standing offers otters from I I Interested people Six years ago he ho imported a year old registered registered registered regis regis- stallion from Scotland I i j from which he has had nad a number of ot outstanding offspring t I I Weigh olgh a Ton Some of ot Thurstons Thurston's horses horse will weigh close to a ton and while they loaf much of the summertime summertime summertime summer summer- I time they go to work In the win winter Winter ter when the snow in Morgan gets d deep p and the head of beef cattle wintering in to the pasture pasture pas- pas ture must be fed ted They have I I proven ideal for foe t this usage and at least during the winter they earn j I their board and keep in hauling I i forage to the cattle feeding grounds The Thurstons Thurston never stable the Clydesdale during She winter winter- they winter wrote them out and they I have no nb difficulty in keeping in I good condition However if u the I season Is unusually tough the big horses 6 get Bet a dally daily grain gain aIn and nd hay supplement Brewery Drewery Wagons Wagon The have haw two wagons wagons wag wag- wagI I ons ens both old type brewery wagons with the fifth wheel which the they use in parades parade and horse shows The fifth wh wheel as timers old know is Js an arran arrangement just JUt under under un i I der the front of the wagon wacon that p permits the team to turn at extremely extremely ex ex- ox- ox sharp angles In other w ro 1 f hM b d 4 nd front wheel wheal unit can be be beIn rung k In a n d 1100 iTe arc which makes for tor easier euler handling In the tha show how ring In the old days daY the fifth wheal 11 also made the brewery blewer wagons easier f for the tho team to I get in and nd out of at tight places JI The me harness room on the Thurston ThurI Thur Thur- ton ston ranch is 18 a real rut sight for th the e i I timer old-timer who remembers when n I I horses dominated the tho scene scene here here e s I I I Is hung 2000 worth of fancy faney I harness It ft makes a strong man ma manI n ij 1 I strain to throw one of these harnesses har bar nesses on I I |