My name is Nattie Book and I am the owner/trainer. I started training horses professionally in 2004 and then began giving lessons in 2006. I grew up on the Book Family Farm in Durham, CA and as the eldest of 11 grandchildren (8 of which are girls) I had the opportunity to follow my father around everywhere I could. I got my love and passion for draft horses from my father and have had a set of lines in my hands from before the age of 5 years old.
I have had the unique ability to be able to experience driving draft horses in almost every fashion you can imagine. We've done everything from wagon and carriage rides in downtown Chico; parades all over the North Valley; small and large venue Draft Horse Shows; harvest festivals; wagon trains and all kinds of farming for over 20 years. I feel amazingly fortunate to be able to have had the life that I've experienced so far and look forward to the future.
Following is an excerpt from my families website:
Photo courtesy of Crosley Photography
"The Book Family has owned, breed & trained Draft Horses for over 30 years. This tradition started back in the early 80's when Bruce worked on a ranch in Utah. He bought his first team of Belgian Draft Horses to feed cattle on the ranch and discovered that they were more economical than tractors, as well as much easier to "start" in the winter. Having been a true horse lover all his life there was an instant love between Bruce & the draft horses. They are now a large part of our family and a tradition that is passing down through the generations.
Over the years, we have gained a tremendous amount of experience in breeding & handling these gentle giants. A large percentage of the horses we own have been born, raised & trained on the farm. Having learned what we believe to be a large part of our history as well as how this country was originally farmed we enjoy sharing that information. We enjoy talking about and teaching people the history and capabilities of the draft horse."
Southbound (from Chico):
From Highway 99 take the Durham/Butte College exit and turn right. Go 1/2 mile and turn left onto Book Farm Road (directly across from Oro-Chico Highway). Go 1.5 miles and turn right onto Heavy Horse Lane.
Northbound (from Gridley):
From Highway 99 take the Durham/Butte College exit and turn left. Go over the overpass continuing towards Durham. Go 1/2 mile and turn left onto Book Farm Road (directly across from Oro-Chico Highway). Go 1.5 miles and turn right onto Heavy Horse Lane.
Website Suggestions:
www.belgiancorp.com - Belgian Draft Horse Corporation
www.cdhma.org - California Draft Horse & Mule Association
www.drafthorsejournal.com - Draft Horse Journal
www.nevadacountyfair.com/dhc - Draft Horse Classic at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, CA
www.pioneerfarmequipment.com - Pioneer Farm Equipment, Amish made horse-drawn harness & machinery
www.smallfarmersjournal.com - Small Farmer's Journal, an international agrarian quarterly magazine
Contact Information:
Nattie Book 175 Heavy Horse Lane
(530) 680-7974 Durham, CA 95938
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