12
March 29, 2013
The Agri Post
The Hobby that Grew By Les Kletke Kevin Lipsett says that what began as a hobby for his parents has grown into a business for the family, a business that takes him off the road as a truck driver to spend a week in Brandon with the family’s Percherons. The family farm at Schomberg, Ontario has 40 horses, 300 head of beef cattle and 3,000 acres of land in feed production. “We grow corn, beans and alfalfa,” said Cal Jr. who manages the farm full time. “We have 37 cows that we calf out and the rest we buy feeders. We grow our own feed and sell the excess grain but everything has to pay its way.” While the cattle are commercial, the horses are purebred Percherons that the farm buys and prepares as their own or other hitches. “We try to add value to a horse when we buy it,” added Lipsett. “We also have some breeding lines that are very well respected and we work with horses from those lines to make horses that will fit in the top hitches in North America.” He says that much of the character of a horse is in the breeding and while you can train them somewhat, the high stepping showy character is born into them. While most people can tell you of the Budweiser hitch being the ultimate for Clydesdale breeders, Percherons have their own great hitches that are only slightly less recognized. “Disney uses Percherons, as well as Heinz Foods,” said Kevin. “Those are the high profile in our breed and we have sold horses into the Disney hitch.” He said that while the high profile companies
will pay top dollar for the horse they want the price does not exceed the market by great amounts. “They only have to out bid the highest local buyer so it doesn’t mean a windfall. But selling into a hitch like that is great for the profile of the farms breeding program.” He added. “The horse community is pretty small and talk gets around at shows so if someone has a really good horse, buyers
find out about it and they are at a farm to look at it or watch for it at a show.” The Glencal farm has also sold a top wheel into the Ames Construction hitch, which is one of the highest profiles for Percheron hitches in North America. Kevin says a top gelding will bring as much as $30,000 from someone who needs him in the hitch while a good mare could bring as much as $50,000 because she could give you 15 or so colts over her life.”
Kevin Lipsett takes a week of from his regular job to help his brother with the family horses at the Royal Winter Fair, he says the horses started as a hobby for his dad and have grow to a business part of the farm. Photo by Les Kletke