Powell resident Allen Hatch has two new draft horses he’s been training for several months. What better way to motivate everyone than a quick visit to McDonald’s?
When Hatch drove into Powell this week, he decided a cheeseburger and fries would hit the spot. The difference was he was riding a wagon pulled by his draft horses in training.
“I needed some parts from Ace Hardware and feed at Murdoch's, and the horses needed some miles,” Hatch told Cowboy State Daily. “No better way to go get horse feed than take them to get it themselves.”
Hatch wasn’t so hungry he could eat a horse, but he thought that he might as well grab some grub while he was in town. In a “spur of the moment” decision, Hatch drove his horses through the McDonald’s drive-thru.
“There were several different reactions,” he said. “The young lady at the first window was very excited to see horses in the drive thru. The young lady that was handing me my food at the second window thought it was great.”
The manager of Powell’s McDonald’s was not so enthused. She couldn’t get off her high horse, informing Hatch that livestock are prohibited in the drive thru (unless they’re already butchered into bite-size portions handed through the window).
“There's a company policy precluding having livestock in the drive through for purposes of liability,” Hatch said. “The one thing that she did was very clear about is what happens if they ‘shit in my drive through, and there's no one to clean it up.’”
Hatch enjoyed the journey and the meal, but he got the message loud and clear.
“We've been 86ed from McDonald's,” he said.
The manager was not available for comment by publication time and an email sent to McDonald's corporate offices were not immediately returned on Thursday.
Coal And Onyx
Hatch grew up around draft horses, but these two are the first team he’s ever owned. He picked Coal and Onyx up from a farm near Chattanooga, Tennessee last year.
“They’re 12 and 13, respectively,” he said. “This particular pair are trained but they’re new to me, and they speak a little bit of a different language than most of the local teamsters. It’s a matter of me getting used to them, and them used to me.”
Hatch already had a “people hauler” wagon, capable of carrying up to 18 people. He acquired Coal and Onyx with the intent that they’d be pulling that wagon.
Since the wagon is road legal, with a “Slow Moving Vehicle” sign on the back, Hatch can hitch Coal and Onyx up and take them into town. He’s taken multiple opportunities to do just that, giving the horses an opportunity to acclimate.
“It’s about making sure they’re traffic safe,” he said. “The McDonald’s trip was ancillary to wondering how they’d do, and they did really well.”
Working Mules, No Horseplay
Coal and Onyx were acquired for more than pets and publicity. They’ll be busy doing good, honest work and mentoring future farm animals in Powell.
Hatch said the primary reason he acquired the horses was to train mule colts. Think of it as a “Big Brother” program.
“I can tie the little mule colts behind the wagon and take them with me,” he said. “They're going to learn what moving wagons are and the noises that are associated with them. They’re not going to be working, just tagging along.”
When they’re a year old, the colts will move from the back to the front of the wagon. They’ll be tied alongside Coal and Onyx as they pull the wagon, learning the various commands they’ll be expected to know.
Hopefully, learning alongside Coal and Onyx will make it so the colts aren’t as stubborn as mules once they start doing their own hauling and pulling. By then, they’ll have good horse sense.
“They'll be exposed to a lot of things before they ever actually get used,” Hatch said.
When they’re not training mules, Hatch said his draft horses will be working like mules. They’ll be doing farm work with various pieces of equipment, which will be a whole different experience for Hatch and his horses to bond over.
Hobby Horses
When Coal and Onyx aren’t working on the farm, Hatch hopes they’ll be happy hitched to his people hauler for summer trail rides. That was another reason why he acquired the draft horse duo.
“It can haul up to 18 people, but I haven’t had that many on it,” he said. “There’s a teamster group in the Bighorn Basin that takes people on trail rides, and that’s all on wagons, so they’ll be doing that, too.”
Hatch doesn’t think Coal and Onyx are ready for that, yet. He’s had a few people ride on the wagon while they’re pulling, but it’s only been a few close friends since the horses are still getting comfortable moving through the community.
When they are ready, Hatch said the wagon rides will only be open to family and friends.
“I'm definitely not in the outfitting business, and I have no intention to be,” he said. “I'm certainly not going to be out for hire. This is family and friends only.”
Once summer comes around, Coal and Onyx will be enjoying excursions all over the Bighorn Basin. The only trail they won’t trod again is the McDonald’s drive thru.
“After that experience, I won't be blessing them with my presence again,” Hatch said.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
