Traveler Moments in Ogema Saskatchewan

I had an opportunity to live in small town in southern Saskatchewan for a few years.  It was quite a culture shock since I was a “Big City” gal.  I must say that I met some of the nicest people I ever had the pleasure of knowing while I was living there.

There is a lot of history in Saskatchewan.  The province was settled by immigrants from all over the world.  The ones that survived the harsh prairies during the Great Depression still have descendants farming and ranching in the rural areas. 

The opportunities I had were very different from anything I’d experienced before.  I got an chance to travel around the country and meet some very interesting people.  I remember interviewing a local farmer/ rancher about his hobby.  He was a “teamster” who did heavy horse pulling.

At one time in history, heavy horses were very much a part of farm life.  They were used for plowing and cultivating fields, moving grain and supplies, and transportation.  In modern times they have become, like many of their four legged counterparts, hobby animals.  There are heavy horse clubs all over the prairies.

The teamster I met was from southern Saskatchewan.  He had owned horse teams for many years and gone to a number of meets with the different clubs.  His team looked like Belgians, but only one was a purebred.  They weighed in at less than 3400 lbs. so they were classed middleweight on the heavy horse pull circuit.  The following is a description of a pull at a meet.

The team enters the ring, being driven by the teamster who has spent many hours working with them.  He walks quickly, holding the reins tightly.  The muscles on the horses’ withers ripple as they lean into their collars.   The man gives a command to “step up” and they prance anxiously, showing their excitement.  Another command “okay” is given, and the team moves forward into position.  A second man called a hooker steps up behind the team and gets in position to connect the evener to the sled.  The driver talks to the horses, trying to keep the team quiet and keep them in line. 

The horses strain forward, anxious to begin working, constantly ready to move.  The driver fights to keep them still.  The team is oblivious to the heavy storm clouds rolling out thunder and lightning, and the crowd in the grandstand, so intent are they on their job.

The pin is dropped which ties the team and sled together.  The hooker jumps quickly out of the way to keep from getting caught in between.  The horses respond immediately to the weight behind them and begin their award winning pull.  They plod forward in unison; a finely matched team being encouraged every step of the way.  A few minutes later it is all over.  The driver yells “whoa” and the team immediately stop their pull.  They have hauled 6500 pounds, enough to surpass the closest contender.  The hooker moves in and releases the evener while the driver congratulates the team.  A minute later, their win is announced, and the team is driven off the field.

One of the things that is important to horse pulling clubs is to educate the public.  Pulling is not a cruel sport.  There are strict rules that must be followed.  Only voice command can be used during a meet.  If any teamster is caught abusing his team, he is disqualified immediately.  If there is a serious issue with the way a teamster handles his horses, the other drivers will be talking to him.

More women are becoming involved with the sport, quite often taking the position of hooker for the pull.  They are also driving teams for the wagon pulls, which is common event at many small horse shows now.

Many of the club members run two teams.  “The excitement of pulling gets in your blood,” one teamster remarked.  “It’s easy to imagine what the pioneers went through when you go to a meet and the horses are pulling wagons and plows, as well as weights.”

The oil industry has caused a boom in southern Saskatchewan over the last few years. Even with the changes happening, people still have a desire to hold onto their heritage.  In the small rural community of Ogema on Highway 13 between Weyburn and Assiniboa many changes have occurred.  People had dreams and the dreams became realities. The town has done much to save their heritage.  Deep South Pioneer Museum was started over 25 years ago to preserve the local history.

More recently, the Ogema station house has been resurrected and a heritage train runs on the local track once again.  Starting the Southern Prairie Railway was the dream of a number of people in the community since the late 1990's.  In 2012 they had their inaugural journey.

Now it is something that tourists should experience to really understand the Saskatchewan heritage.