[Carl Russell]

George,
If you haven’t already, try to find someone in your area who is, or has been, logging with horses so that you can get a close-up on processes, equipment, and job layout.

It will be important to have a good idea of production rates, costs, and markets. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take it on like any other part of your business, and make plan with financial parameters and goals.

Take on jobs that are small, and easily conducted, with products that you know can be marketed easily. It will also be important to have some flexibility built in to allow for education.

I don’t mean to make this sound elementary, but from your post it is hard to tell how much previous experience you have.

If you give us more to go on we may have better advice.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I have found many on old harness, and have just kept a supply of them on hand. Being drop forged they are pretty hard and last a long time. Meader Supply does have them cut from 3/8″ flat stock. C1-499 N.E. Sidebacker, Black Steel SB 2” $9.00 pg. 66 of their Tack Catalog. I have used them before and they are OK, but just not as good as the old style.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

In fact Near Horse (Geoff from Idaho) is driving out to pick up the tedder in October…

I’ll have a few smaller items for sale in the NEAPFD Swap Meet.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I have not found it difficult to find this style of hook.

[Carl Russell]

Here are a few pics of the drop ring set-up I use.

The rings hang down a good 8 inches below the rings on the hames. This puts the lines at an angle that pulls back on the jaw as opposed to upward at the corners of the mouth.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

[FONT=&quot]I left the house at 3 am on May 21, 2010, in a rental car headed for Ohio. Running a small farm, logging, being a dad, managing an Internet discussion forum, and basically keeping busy otherwise, I just don’t get away that often. I was on a pilgrimage of sorts, to visit Amish equipment manufacturers, and several horse farmers, networking, as part of my role as an organizer for Northeast Animal-Power Field Days.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Friday was a long day behind the wheel, as I had arranged to meet with the Wengerds at Pioneer Equipment in Dalton, Ohio, early in the afternoon. After 11 hours of virtually uneventful travel, I found myself cruising down a small country road lined with farms of lush green and gently rolling hills.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]My eyes were aching after hours of taillights and road signs, and I felt them drinking in the landscape. The farms seemed to creep right up to the edge of the street. I noticed right away the marked difference in growing season. At home we had just planted our corn, yet here it was nearly knee high. Hay crops were already being harvested in some fields. It was fantastical to be driving through this farmland. In one day I had driven halfway through a season.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Pioneer Equipment is housed in a large steel building, and as I turned into the driveway I saw horse-drawn implements around the parking area. Wagon bodies, walking and sulky plows, and harrows were lined up across the lot. I was honored to meet with Wayne Wengerd and four of his sons who work in the business with him. We had a great conversation about bringing people to public draft animal events, and about NEAPFD.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Before I left, Joe Wengerd gave me a tour of their facility, including a peek at some innovative cultivating equipment they are working on. Having limited exposure to Amish businesses I was surprised by the level of mechanization in the building. Arc welders blazing away, drill presses, benders, and paint sprayers are all run off large gas-powered generators. Pioneer Equipment takes flat and round stock steel in one end of the building, and they completely build plows, wagons, forecarts, and steel wheels, that are ready for delivery out of the other end of the building.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It was still mid afternoon when I left Pioneer Equipment, and in a half an hour I was touring along a grid of back roads looking for David and Elsie Kline’s Farm. As I approached their farm, I saw an Amish man pulling four abreast Belgians out of the end of a cornfield and preparing to turn in again for another pass. I recognized David, so I parked nearby and climbed on the forecart for a few rounds. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Riding back and forth planting in the rolling hillside cornfield that David has worked since he was a boy, we could see four other farmers with teams doing the same thing. Two hours later we had pretty much covered every topic from the BP oil spill, to ways of living that allow us to make generous contributions to our communities. I bid farewell to David and Elsie at about 6pm, and continued on the road into western PA.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Saturday morning I arrived in Punxatawney, where I ate breakfast at a restaurant with a statue of a woodchuck on the counter. Approaching my next destination, I saw an Amish carriage turning into traffic, indicating the proximity to the community I was looking for. Forest Manufacturing is housed in another large steel building where David Miller and his sons build logging equipment from scratch, as well as beautifully detailed ornate steel lattice-work, gates, and railings for stairs.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I had arranged with Andy Carson, a regular contributor to DAP (draftanimalpower.com), to meet me at Forest Manufacturing so that he could pass along his prototype draft buffer. It was great to finally get a close-up look at how he has combined a leaf spring into an single-tree, in order to buffer spikes in draft during work. David was also quite interested in the device, and the three of us had an enthusiastic discussion about the concept. Before we left, those two had agreed to travel together to NEAPFD in the fall.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]From there I drove half the day to Lancaster County. I & J Manufacturing is another shop with a full line of brand new HD farming equipment in their yard. They are located in a community surrounded by neat little farms nestled in the bottoms around creeks and across gently rolling hills. There were girls in the fields hoeing corn, teams cultivating, kids walking along back-road lanes barefoot with fishing poles, and horse-drawn buggies. In the same town I visited White Horse Machine, and was happy to find good interest in our event from both businesses.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I traveled back to central PA for the evening to stayed with Kevin Cook, a young man who is going to do an apprenticeship on our farm. I found myself driving up winding mountain roads in the dark, under heavy rain, and finally beginning to feel road weary. After much needed sleep and a great breakfast, Kevin took me to meet some young farmers who live nearby. Micah and Bethany Spicher Schonberg run Plowshare Produce, a horse-powered CSA in McAlevy’sFort, PA. After years of work on other farms, Micah and Bethany are growing vegetables on Bethany’s parents’ land in Stone Valley, where her great-grandfather farmed with horses in the 1940’s.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Significant components of this trip were the long stretches of endless highway, traffic, and urban landscapes. Driving through these areas, both the car and I were on “cruise control”. At each stop on the itinerary I would slow down into little islands of greenery and earthy activity. It felt a lot like time travel. The freeways were a blur, while the farm communities brought me into the present, and back to the ground. At Plowshare, Micah gave me a tour of their 2 acres of vegetables, and brought out his team of Haflingers. It was just what I needed to prepare for my 10 hour drive back to Vermont.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I headed northerly through the mountains of central PA, to the Beech Grove Farm of Eric and Anne Nordell. I have read their articles in Small Farmers Journal for years, but nothing compares to a first-hand tour of the gardens, green houses, and spectacular surroundings. This iconic horse-powered couple is so open and generous, it was a shame I didn’t leave time to make my visit more constructive. They shared a wonderful afternoon meal with me, and I was on the trail again.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Next on my list was a stop at Northalnd Sheep Dairy in Cortland, NY, to meet Donn Hewes. Due to conflicts in schedule I was forced to bypass, as Donn and Maryrose were off the farm.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In three days I traveled 2100 miles. In some obvious ways it was exhausting, but in many other ways this trip was truly inspiring. I was blessed to have visited with more than a dozen wonderful people, all involved in real ways with farming, and with the use of draft animals. I also feel as though it was successful for NEAPFD, as three out of the four machinery manufacturers will be attending the event in person.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]After my return, the Nordells wrote me a quick note to touch base on some unfinished conversations. We had shared some enthusiastic comments about the substance of my trip, and we agreed that there would probably be some interest among the broad draft animal power community. In their note they tossed out one last thought. Perhaps there would be some interest in organizing a bus tour to follow the route that I traveled. They even offered to host an afternoon farm tour at their place as part of it.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Find me at the 2010 Northeast Animal Power Field Days, and let’s talk about that.[/FONT]

[Carl Russell]

Countymouse;20375 wrote:

….. I read it can do that and that it is sometimes too vigerous in the spring… …..

I have heard that too, but it hasn’t seemed to affect our crops. What I heard was that planting while the Rye was still green could be a problem. I usually, just by coincidence, incorporate the Rye one day, and then plant a few days later.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Mylaine, you should contact John Rhicard in Stanbridge East, Quebec. He is probably not that far away from you, and you will find very few people on the planet that know more about logging with horses than John. Even if you can’t work with him, he will be a great contact for you, and should be able to put you in touch with someone with whom you might be able to work.

450-248-3616

Good luck, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Tim Harrigan;20372 wrote:

What crops are you planning for next year?

Who? Me?

Andy I won’t steal the thread…..

If you meant me, we are planting a perennial food garden. Horseradish, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Jerusalem Artichokes, etc.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Two things I will contribute.

The pigs are a good idea. We are using them now on a forest to pasture conversion. Single strand poly wire with good voltage. We have 2 sows and 7 offspring, and we expect to cover 5 acres this season. I have found that I need to limit feed to keep them curious, which is probably one answer to the difference in the number quoted earlier. I have also used them in our gardens and they are a great “permaculture” tool.

As far as fallow, I have found that trying to get ahead of weeds in a dirt fallow is very hard. I think you would have much better luck to get the cover crop on right away and let the crop do some of your work for you by out competing the weeds and other grasses. Then if you have to work that into the soil several times with subsequent cover crops, broad leaf combos like buckwheat, or clover, oats, fields peas, rye…..

On another note, and this is just a very small plot, we are sheet composting on an old garden that is completely overgrown with grass. I lay down a layer of 4+ sheets of newspaper, then cover it with stable waste from having the horses in the barn before and after work this summer. I also cover that with mulch hay. It seems to be doing a good job of killing the sod, and providing a reservoir of future organic material. Some grass seed is sprouting from the manure though……

Not an expert, just attempting to survive.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Bradbury Johnson;20336 wrote:

Larry-
Your best bet for the type of snaps Carl and I use is old harness. I got my hands on a bunch of old, abandoned harness and there were a number of old forged snaps on it. Otherwise, they are hard to find and the Meaders types don’t work well and are not durable at all…
-Brad

I’ll second that, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Replied in Bold

mitchmaine;20319 wrote:

hey carl, now isn’t it because of the pole and pole strap keeping the tug at that angle and letting the rear tug pivot to the load? if so, without a pole then its your girth and saddle trying to keep the ring in position.
No. It is the Belly Band that holds that angle, regardless of the work.

i love that harness in the woods. my problem with it is out in a hot august feild. it has to be snug to work like it should and then your horse is prone to sores under the girt,saddle, britchin, and collar because you have to fit it so hard. just seems like to much harness for the light work (i’m not saying haying and plowing are light work, just not woods work). Never had those problems.

larry. we need a new buckle or snap. i wanted to try a lead snap that turns out to open, but thought it might be too weak or brittle. or open too easily. any ideas????
best wishes, mitch

[Carl Russell]

Larry I have had a horse get its bridle stuck in the hold back hook about twice in 24 years. It may be because of the type of hooks I use. They don’t hook in, or out, but down away from the horse’s mouth.

Here are a couple of pics. They also show how there is no weight hanging on the collar.

You can also see how the trace angle changes at the D-ring…… not to usurp the point of your thread.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

As many of you know, I am an advocate for the D-ring harness. I have never know any other. I find it to be very simple and straight forward, and not really that heavy.

Les Barden (603-332-0082) has put together an instructional video that is by far the best authority on the subject.

There are a lot of misconceptions, mostly based on familiarity with other harness systems.

1. The belly band and back pad should be adjusted so that the angle of the front trace in fact never moves. It may require the horse to endure upward pressure on the belly if the angle of draft is too high, but that is better that the collar changing angles with every step.

2. IF adjusted correctly there is NEVER any weight on the horses neck. If the trace lengths are correct for the horse, and the angle of the front trace is correct, then a full grown adult should be able to sit on the end of the pole by the neck yoke, and the market straps(from hames to neck yoke) will remain slack. If they do carry weight as the author suggests, then the harness is not adjusted correctly.

3. The britchen must be snug, and up near the point of the rump where leg movement won’t be affected. If the britchen is not snug then the animals won’t be able to effectively back, or hold back, a load.

There is no comparison in my mind, but then again I have never tried any other to truly know.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Here are a couple of photos of WPBR.

[Author]

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