Draft Horses and Mules: Harnessing Equine Power for Farm & Show

by Gail Damerow

Hardworking and intelligent, draft horses and mules provide clean-energy power for an impressive array of tasks. Bringing strength and endurance to every job, from cultivating farmland and hauling logs to giving long quiet rides through the countryside, these animals love to work. In this illustrated guide, Gail Damerow and Anita Rice provide all the information you need in order to select, train, feed, care for, and work with your own team of draft horses or mules. 

Genres: Agriculture, Animals

261 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Gail Damerow and her husband operate a family farm in Tennessee where they keep poultry and dairy goats, tend a sizable garden, and maintain a small orchard. They grow and preserve much of their own food, make their own yogurt and ice cream, and bake their own bread. Gail has written extensively on raising livestock, growing fruits and vegetables, and related rural skills. She shares her experience and knowledge as a regular contributor to Backyard Poultry and Countryside magazines, as an occasional contributor to numerous other periodicals, and as the author or contributor to more than a dozen country skills how-to books.

Reviews

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Draft Horses and Mules: Harnessing Equine Power for Farm & Show  by Gail Damerow (Storey Publishing 2008) (636.1). This is a very thorough book on using harnessed draft horses and draft mules to power farm and logging equipment. It names every part of the horse and every part of the rig. The emphasis is not on the individual breeds, though there is a brief section about the breed characteristics and differences. The art and illustrations contained in the book are mostly black and white sketches rather than photos. This is a must-have book for those interested in draft horses. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 7/25/14.

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[10/30/25 Re-read Draft Horses and Mules: Harnessing Equine Power for Farm & Show by Gail Damerow & Alina Rice (Storey Publishing 2008) (636.15) (4099 - No number assigned when originally read in 2014, so assigned designated today as 4099).]

Upon re-reading, to this non-horse/mule owner, the most interesting part of the book is still the descriptions of the various “heavy horse” and “heavy mule” breeds.

I purchased a used PB copy in like-new condition from Amazon for $3.48 on 12/16/18.

My rating remains 7.5/10, finished 10/30/25 (4099).

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[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic primer overview and how-to on draft horses and mules. Good starting point, though it tends to cover more of the basics of what a person should look for, and is more focused for the beginner. Enjoyable easy read.