Welcome to the July Newsletter!

Welcome to the newsletter,

It has been a while since we had a proper welcome.

I want to blame it on the crazy year DAPNet had in 2025, but the truth is, there is always something to blame when you want to blame something. Let’s put the blaming aside, as this is a newsletter and not a social media platform.

DAPNet has had a very big year because so many good changes have occurred, and when you have change, you have transition, and transition takes time to adjust.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Daphné Rose Courtès, and I live in Quebec. I was elected as the new president of the Draft Animal Power Network during the December retreat, and I’m so grateful to be part of this team of volunteers.

Talking about transition, this year has been full of changes and challenges for me. From moving twice, trying to finish a master’s degree, heartaches, being far from friends, starting a young horse under harness, having to build a name in a new place for logging jobs, losing my car and my truck in the same week, and trying to keep up with DAPNet’s incredibly active board of volunteers, this year was an odyssey to remember.

I am proud to say I have finally landed on a farm in Newport, Québec. Indeed, through all these adventures, I felt a very strong need to come back closer to my friends in the Sherbrooke region and closer to my people in the United States. Therefore, I contacted an organization called Arterre that helps young farmers find land to farm in Quebec. I also made a post on Facebook and had more than 30 people contact me about opportunities… It turns out that if you want to work your horses on a farm, a lot of people are ready to open their doors to you!

In the end, after five visits and a zillion phone calls, I decided to meet a 59-year-old man in Newport. He has a farm but no barn and no second house for me… An interesting choice, you might say… well, yes and no. From the moment I met him, something clicked in my head. This man has a sensitivity toward his land and the people around him that makes the idea of building a farm with him seem possible and achievable through safe and open communication.

I feel very lucky to be surrounded by mentors (in horse work, sheep farming, and vegetable farming) and by professionals through the organization that made this match happen.

I am now looking for horse-drawn tools to make this dream happen in an affordable way.

Hang on tight for the next episode of how I’m making this horse-powered farm work!

DAPNet has been working immensely hard to prepare for the 2026 Draft Animal Power Network Field Days! Stay tuned for more information and make sure to register right away!!

Enjoy the newsletter,

See you next month,

Sincerely,

Daphné Rose Courtès (and the team of horses and the team of dogs and others)

Internship at Horsetail Herb Farm and Northland Sheep

By: Abby Traywick

Donn Hewes, Maryrose Livingston, Becky Frye, Corey McNaughton, Red, Mary, Rock, Dutchess, Duke, Ruby and Earl; these are the names of my teachers this summer. I just began my internship at Horsetail Herb Farm in Marathon, New York and will be on the farm until November. 

While in school at Warren Wilson College, I discovered a love of draft powered farming that has only grown stronger. Since college I have been able to befriend a few teamsters and keep feeding my love for this work. My fiance graduated this spring from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine (woo!) and we were trying to decide where we might enjoy living for a time. I knew I wanted some more consistent work with draft horses before feeling confident enough to have my own team. Through DAPNet I heard about the internship at Horsetail Herb Farm, was lucky to get it and in May we packed up our things (and our cat) and moved to Central New York!

An average day: Wake up at 5:30… delay getting up until 5:45. Commute down the stairs to the barn. We bring the horses in for the day from their ever rotating pastures and then discuss plans for the day. My time is divided between working with Donn and/or Becky. Jobs with Donn could mean anything from mowing with the horses to helping him build a barn add on. Working with Becky can be transplanting herbs or cultivating with horses. Corey is a firefighter so in his ‘off time’ he’s out working the homestead garden or helping with haymaking. Maryrose is the sheep boss and does all things sheep. There’s a natural intuition for the ebb and flow of work on the farm and it's been fun to see how everyone helps each other out. The horses go back out around 6 and sometimes we hang out and eat a delicious dessert Donn’s created. Pretty ideal days for sure!

Donn has been working horses and mules for a long time and has really honed in on how he likes things set up. I particularly appreciate his open barn and concrete paddock where the horses stay loose during the day. It allows them to move around freely, but also has tie slots when we need the horses out of the way or for harnessing (check out his channel on Rural Heritage!). Some other things that are new to me are his use of open bridles, D-ring harnesses and working a stallion. His stallion ‘Red Oak’ is very handsome and very well trained. I really enjoy working with him and it’s inspiring to see his relationship with Donn. I am also benefitting from there being some young horses here and seeing interactions leading up to being a fully working horse. One thing he emphasizes is fostering calmness at all times in the horse and you can see it in his horses, especially with the 2 year old Duke who is really coming into his own. Watching Donn on any of the implements is helpful and he sure does make it all look easy—tight turns, not plugging the mower, operating a loud brush hog. You can tell he’s got a lot of miles in!

Becky is the herb queen and has been teaching me all the herb names and their benefits when we are working with them. I have pretty much only worked on veggie farms so it’s been exciting to see new plants. There’s added challenges with perennial vs annual plants, harvesting whole plant vs flowers and all the post harvest handling. I am excited to see more of the finished products later in the year and to experiment making some teas or hydrosols with them. I enjoy our conversations in the fields ranging from first concerts, what cocktail would each of the horses be, and her experience starting a small business.

I am not exactly sure what my future draft powered business will look like, but the skills I am learning here are essential. I hope to gain a better sense of confidence with field work, working horses and to also start to think about the type of draft partner I most enjoy working with. Between the specifics of daily living and working with horses and the broader action of continued networking and exposure to different ways of doing things, I feel excited for the future and figuring out my own way! 

To Our DAPNet sponsors:

Thank you to the businesses, organizations, and individuals who have already sponsored the 2026 DAPNet Field Days (October 2nd-4th at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne VT). If you'd still like to sponsor, now is a great time! Visit www.draftanimalpower.org/field-days to sponsor or to find out more!

Welcome to the DAPMap !

Committee Updates

Events

This month we finalized what was needed in order for our incredible team to launch registration.  The schedule of events that we have so far for the weekend was combed through as details were added;  things are coming together very nicely!  We are looking forward to the new intensives (which some have already signed up for, yay!) and all the other wonderful topics that folks have to offer the community.  

For too many years DAPNet’s annual Draft Animal Power Field Days has gone largely undocumented, with the organizing team too occupied with pulling off the event to contemplate writing about it for all our favorite magazines. This year DAPNet is pleased to announce we will be offering Press Passes for Draft Animal Power Field Days. The recipient(s) of the 2026 Press Pass will receive free all-inclusive admission to the three-day event.  For more info, see here.  

Events Calendar

Have a draft animal related event you’d like to see on this calendar? Fill out our Events Submission Form and our volunteers will add your event to our calendar! 

Introduction to Working with Draft Cattle

September 27; 10:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. Lorsch, Germany

Have you always wanted to get a taste of the world of draft cattle training and work? Then this course is perfect for you. The one-day course covers an introduction to cattle behavior, harness knowledge, training options, and finally, suitable fields of work for draft cattle. In addition to theoretical sessions, the course offers the opportunity to gain initial practical experience with various training cattle.

Course fee: €100 per person, including meals and course materials

Registration: c.kropp@kloster-lorsch.de — Registration deadline: March 16 and September 20

Draft Animal Power Field Days 2026

October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 2026 at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne VT.

Visit https://www.draftanimalpower.org/field-days for more information!

Agricultural Work with Draft Cattle

October 11, 10:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. Lorsch, Germany

Draft cattle can be used in a variety of ways in agriculture. Whether in arable farming, grassland management, or fruit growing, cattle can find suitable tasks. This one-day course aims to introduce the specific agricultural training of cattle and, above all, present the different fields of work and provide practical exercises. It will cover machinery and equipment operation, as well as aspects of occupational safety and economic efficiency.

Course fee: €100 per person, including meals and course materials

Registration: c.kropp@kloster-lorsch.de — Registration deadline: October 1

Horses Strong

On August 28th and 29th, 2027 in Dörentrup, Germany, the next big festival of working horses will take place once again on the grounds of Wendlinghausen Castle and Estate in Dörentrup! Thousands of guests from Germany and abroad will gather to celebrate this special event!  Visit here for more information.  

You can now reach the DAPNet team at info@draftanimalpower.org!  Don't worry, we still get the messages from dapnetinfo@gmail.com, but our new email comes with more digital storage and easier communication for our dedicated volunteer crew.  Hope to hear from you soon!