Drove past the old Miller place near Springfield and saw something that got me thinking

Was heading to a job last week and took the back roads. Passed the Miller farm, where old man Miller ran a big draft horse operation for decades. The barn is still there, but the forge chimney is cold. Saw a brand new, shiny aluminum horse trailer parked where the shoeing stocks used to be. Made me remember helping him as a kid, 30 years ago. He'd have six Belgians lined up, all needing work. We'd be there from sunup, using his hand crank forge. Now it's all about the show horses and the fancy trailers. The real workhorse knowledge is just fading away. Anyone else see a shop or a farm from the old days that's just gone now?

3 comments

3 Comments

david_stone2d ago

Amen to that, @amy692. I had pretty much the exact same thought when I saw a picture of my grandpa's old blacksmith shop online last week, all overgrown and the anvil gone. It just hit me how that whole chain of knowledge just stops when the younger generation doesn't pick it up. My uncle could fix damn near anything with a torch and a hammer, but now it's all about buying a new part and throwing the old one in the scrap pile. That lost skill set is something you just can't get back, no matter how nice the new trailers are.

tara_gonzalez202mo ago

Honestly, I get the feeling but is it really that bad? Things change, that's just how it goes. Those fancy trailers are probably way safer and easier on the horses. The old ways were hard work for a reason, because they weren't always the best way. It's okay for stuff to get better and easier.

amy6922mo ago

Yeah but easier isn't always better, @tara_gonzalez20. Those old trailers were built to last and simpler to fix yourself. Newer stuff just feels more disposable and way too expensive when it breaks.