[Carl Russell]

Mark Cowdrey;24978 wrote:

It looks like the britchen on this harness is what I know as a “basket britchen” as opposed to a “hip drop”. ….

I believe Les uses the “Hip Drop” Britchen. From the angle of that pic it is hard to tell.

This is a “Basket Britchen”

Carl

[Carl Russell]

goodcompanion;24974 wrote:

I usually use a deferred collateralized security tranche of each horse in an amortized hay annuity-based debt retained revenue expenditure obligation, plus a 15% accrued capital income dividend allowance for each hoof I haven’t trimmed since I’m busy filing taxes.

Plus if the barnyard is wet in April I consider the assets to be offshore.

:eek::eek::D

Carl

[Carl Russell]

The way I am looking at this, we should have a statement that can describe what and why we are an organization, clearly, and generally enough to include as many people as possible, but not so clear that it takes 100 words to explain, and not so general that it is left up to individual interpretations.

There are a few key elements that we intent to accomplish.

DAPNet is:

1) Connecting, networking, informing, linking, enhancing, building
2) Community, people, network, associations
3) horses, mules, oxen, draft animals
3) Farming, forestry,renewable land-uses
4) Newsletter, educational events, websites, resource list.

Building a network of, and for, people using draft animals in renewable land-use practices.

Providing resources through websites, newsletter, educational events, and association with regional organizations, institutions, and individuals.

I know that the part about the way the animals are used is somewhat restrictive, but it has always been our intent to broaden our focus beyond hooves and harnesses to encourage a raising of the bar in terms of land stewardship. It may turn some away, but I also believe we should be pushing the envelope as well.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I don’t depreciate them, they are a one time purchase and I completely expense them in the year they are purchased. That is why I itemize the draft animal expense separately, so that it shows how the animal expense is different than other “equipment”.

I file Schedule F, and two schedule C’s for each of my other non-farm businesses. These days I expense the draft animals from the farm because they are used for more income generation from our own land as opposed to commercial logging.

Geoff, I did think about this some a few years ago though when I bought a 3 month old stallion for $500. That was the only expense I claimed for him, but within a year he was worth $1000, and by the time he was working at 4 years old he was probably worth $2000. I just figured that was value IRS didn’t need to know about.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I claim those expenses as Working Animal Expenses, and write them in additional expenses on the back of my schedule C, along with other expenses specific to my business, like chainsaw and equipment exp, or forestry supplies.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Yes Geoff, it’s definitely in there somewhere. I think that people need to weigh in on attempts to consolidate and simplify this statement. I will copy and paste a few more bits from our SFC letter too.

We need the Mission Statement to not only capture our philosophy, but to describe our function.

Carl

Quote:

The Draft Animal Power Network (DAPNet) grew from the informal associations between attendees of the Northeast Animal-power Field Days (NEAPFD) ( http://animalpowerfielddays.org), a regional event dedicated to working horses, mules, and oxen, and promoting conservation, stewardship, and sustainable land-use.
By encouraging diversified farming, low-impact logging, and the use of draft animals, small acreage can be effectively managed for valuable farm and forest products, expanding opportunities for families to enjoy good land-based livelihoods where they live. As we all work to improve our skills in the arts of farming, forestry, and animal husbandry, we depend on a wide network of mentors, equipment suppliers, and resource people.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Ronnie Tucker;24880 wrote:

i know nothing about logging in snow. but you try to use a low place to place your scoot in for loading yes. you use some skids that help you load the log is this right. it is not that hard to roll it on byhand using a peavy. if it is big cross haul it or whatever you all call pulling on with your horse.this sounds simple to me. i understand trying to making the work less taxing if it was so easy they would not call it work and women and children would do it .carl you have photos show me how it is done.i may have failed to see something. hope your weather improves ronnie tucker tn logger

I completely agree Ronnie. I think the beauty of the scoot is the simplicity. I have never found it difficult to find a good loading area.

This is just a demonstration of rolling on some big pine logs. The slope and the skids were sufficient to allow hand loading pretty easily.

It really doesn’t take that much to put on a preety good jag without much effort.

Many folks find the peavey to be a time consuming and physically difficult tool to use. I find it extremely effective, and much less expensive and time consuming than mechanisms.

I just share Mitch’s thoughts about designing some devise. It’s mostly a mental exercise.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Oh no, here goes this thread. Mitch and Tristan have nudged the memory bug in me. I started blocking wood for my dad when I was 11 years old with a Mac 35. It had points and was gear drive, 24 inch bar, and huge teeth that would shake me silly. I could count the teeth at full throttle, but you couldn’t bog it down. Had to push the oiler button with your thumb while cutting. It was all I could do to pick it up and move it to the next cut, then I’d set it on the ground and let the saw dot the work.

Then the old man bought a 10-10. It was light, centrifugal clutch, auto oiler. I cut a lot of wood with that saw. Started logging out of college, 1983, with a few others. We had Husky 162, Jonny 70E, and Stihl ?. One day all the saws were broken or pinched, and I pulled that old saw out of the tool box, fired her up, and cut that Husky out of the bind.

I was just showing my friend the Jonny 70E the other day. I still have it on a shelf in the shop. Hard saw to beat that one. I also have that Mac 35 in the cellar. Haven’t run either one for many years, but I can remember each like it was yesterday.

I remember telling my mother one day in my early twenties, “It’s good I can run a saw, but I don’t plan on making my living doing it”. What the frig was I thinking:eek:. Like Tristan said I grew up watching real men doing real work in the woods, and I have been fascinated by it ever since.

A good saw is like a surgeons knife. When you get the right heft, power, and sharpening, it makes the job. I still have a good 372 that I had to rebuild, and it’s going strong. Bought the Jonny 2071 because it was the red and black version of that saw.

Now I have a 575XP. Very pleased. When sharp it cuts as good or better that any saw I’ve had before. Blocking wood today I was thinking about that old Mac 35. 40 years ago is a long time, and boy have things changed. Those teeth on that chain are just a blur buried in a beech log, no bogging that saw either, but a completely different monster.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Mark Cowdrey;24821 wrote:

Carl,
I would be interested to hear the logic behind this. I assume it has to do with the position of the trace attachment point.
This is the kind of fine tuning discussion/information that is hard to find anywhere. Excellent thread.
Mark

Mark, there is a relationship between the collar and the neck/shoulder, and there is the relationship between the collar and the hames. The collar should fit the horse, and the hames fit the collar. If the hames don’t fit the collar, it doesn’t mean the collar is not right for the horse.

The trace attachment is relative to the overall length of the hame. There is some slight adjustment of the trace within that attachment area using shims or bushings. The adjustments of the hame position relative to the top buckle/strap are pretty significant, an inch at the ratchet, and variable by way of the length of the strap.

At a certain point, usually at the bigger or smaller settings you lose much room for variability. The shape of the hame and the position of the trace attachment don’t match the shape of the collar as well as they did in the middle area.

Sometimes you can fit a collar to a horse, and hames to the collar, and the animal can lose weight as he becomes more fit. The collar size goes down, and then the hames will need to be adjusted. At a certain point the hames will need to be replaced to effectively fit the collar. It is the same animal, same harness, but the animal may be right at that point where the two sizes converge.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Just to point out that there are pro saws in the smaller models as well. I have a Jonny 2151 that cuts like a bear. Very fast and good torque for a small saw. I use it rarely though, as it really needs a 16″ bar and smaller gauge chain.

There is no doubt that the small saws can be powerful enough, just don’t buy the homeowner grade saw. They have more plastic in them, cheaper carbs, and generally are cheaper because they have cheaper parts.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

highway;24805 wrote:

…..
I do have the top strap in the lowest ratchet hook and tried to tighten the lower strap. …

I would reiterate that I think the hames are too big for the collar. I fit the collar to the horse, with or without collar pads…. your choice. Then I fit the hames to the collar. There are three setting for the top strap, but often when set in the lowest setting, larger hames will not fit a small collar effectively, primarily because they are too long between the traces and the hame-strap.

As I said before, looking at the picture it appears that the curve in the hames is too high, and when lowered to fit, they won’t be able to be tightened. I would try the next sized smaller hames. If you take out the pad, you will need to get smaller hames anyway.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Tim Harrigan;24778 wrote:

….

I suspect if you are in the woods everyday and pay 3x the cost for the xp but are able to cut 10x the wood as with a landowner grade saw you will think of that as a pretty good business decision.

On the surface that seems like good sense, but I will say that if the value of the saw is that is will cut, cut what you want and when you want, the lower cost saws are almost disposable in comparison.

It truly comes down to a personal decision. That is fine. It just deserves mention, because many people don’t realize that the professional saws are actually the ones that keep the company in business, reputation etc.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Hard to tel from the photo, but I wonder it the hames are too big? It looks to me that the curve is too high to fit the collar as it is in the pic, and if it was down lower then I imagine there wouldn’t be enough strap to tighten.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Patrick…. Welcome.

How are things going this winter? How’s Bob doing?

Carl

[Carl Russell]

There is no doubt that winter can be exasperating with all the maintenance chores, moving hay, shoveling snow, clearing fence lines, but there is so much to do I rarely feel restless. If one thing is too difficult, there is always something else that needs doing.

I tend to need more sleep in the winter though:D.

Carl

[Author]

Posts