This is an interesting little piece from The Belgian Draft Horse Corp. of America--Reasons for the Draft Horse Renaissance. I think I own a draft horse for reasons #3 and #4. My Percheron is definitely a crowd please. People oooooh and aaaaaaaaah at the handsome ebony fellow. Visitors to my little ranch, especially of the non-horse variety, find such a gentle nature on such a big, powerful looking jet-black horse to be almost incongruent. They look at me askance when I tell them that his nickname is "The Big Boo" or just "Boo Boo". I gues he doesn't look like much of a Boo Boo at first glance. But after you get to know the big lug, you would agree that the nickname is completely appropriate.

1. A growing ecological awareness that some of the tools and methods of modern agriculture is destructive, causing many to seek alternatives, among which is the draft horse as a source of power

2. An economic crunch that makes home grown power, that runs on home grown fuel, which in turn enriches the soil in the form of manure, reproduces itself plus providing surplus for sale, and appreciates rather than depreciates for the first half of its life, look better and better.

3. Their beauty. The draft horse at his best is a spectacular beast. Once booted out at some fairs for being behind the times, they are now welcomed back as crowd pleasers. More increasingly big commercial firms are also looking to the Belgian hitch as an advertising vehicle.

4. Nostalgia plays a role, albeit a minor one. Increasing numbers of horse-minded people are finding their pleasure horse in the form of a team of Belgians. Their good disposition and willingness to work make them great favorites on some of the small part-time "sundowner and weekender" type farms that continue to increase in number.