2025 August/September
Rural Heritage is a bimonthly journal in support of farming and logging with draft horses, mules, and oxen. The 2025 August/September issue was mailed to subscribers on July 30, 2025. Below is this issue’s annotated Table of Contents, with a link to a full feature article to showcase the good reading delivered to your door every other month when you
Subscribe to Rural Heritage.
If, in your reading, you run across a drafty word you don’t recognize, consult our online Draft Dictionary.
Table of Contents
Departments
Joe Mischka writes about how social media can help people network, find out about animals and equipment for sale and get general questions answered. At the same time, it has always been a source for misinformation and with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, it is getting much worse. He also writes about some of the new equipment shown at Horse Progress Days 2025.
Vintage photos of rural life by renowned photographer JC Allen including photos of from our new book, Farm Kids.
(contacts for breed registries and regional draft clubs)
(frequently updated online)
(please tell ‘em you saw it in Rural Heritage)
Features
What’s more beautiful than a mare and foal in pasture?
Is Foaling for You?
Ralph Rice discusses the pleasures and pitfalls of foaling.
Luxury of Using Oxen…click on title to read entire article.
Rob Collins writes about the some of the benefits of working with oxen and how those blessings are manifested in training.
A Bakers Dozen More Lessons Learned From an Old Timer
Jacqueline Courteau recounts many more of the lessons she learned from her father, Dick Courteau. Illustrations by Maeve Courteau.
Forecart Update
Donn Hewes talks about some of the alterations he has made to an old Pioneer forecast.

Donn raised the pole receivers rather than add a “Z” bracket.
Mud, Mud, Everywhere Mud
Donn Hewes writes about how he deals with wet, muddy periods in his paddocks and pastures.
Horses stand on the concrete in the barnyard.
Tales from Carter County — The Mares Part 2
Royal KC Draft Horse Show
After a 25-year absence, draft horses return to the Kansas City Royal complex.

Doyle Prawl of Hamilton, Missouri, competes at the KC Royal with his mule team in log skidding.
Brush Creek Plow Day

Carrey Burnett plows with his team of American Brabant draft horses.
HPD 2025 – New and Interesting

Ag Vance Systems demonstrated their Comet 2.5 pull-type combine prototype.
Lyndon Farm Team
We feature photos by Fiery Grace Imaging of the 3rd annual Farm Team event held by the Lyndon (Kansas) Saddle Club.

Manning Farm Team Show
Installing an Earthwork

Ruth Burke and her team of oxen use a disc harrow on the ground at the earthwork installation.
The Reading Room is updated with each new issue. If you wish to be notified by email when new contents are posted, please Contact Us. If you wish to receive Rural Heritage in your mailbox every other month, please Subscribe.