[cousin jack]

@Joshua Kingsley 19523 wrote:

That is great news. I am glad that you have continued to be sucessful on working through the issues with him. best of luck. Joshua

Thank you Joshua, hope you are on the mend 🙂

[cousin jack]

The EU
The Germans make the rules, the British obey the rules, the French ignore the rules, the Spanish, Italians and everyone else say “what rules”!

[cousin jack]

Touch wood, everything is still going well, hav’nt done too much in the last week, but had him in fixed shafts this morning, no problems.

[cousin jack]

Some of you may have seen Hermes in some photos on here, today we were pulling out some lengthy poles on a slope, on one occasion, driving her up the slope she stepped over a log and I asked her to turn to come back to the butt, normally she steps over the log and comes back right along side, on this occasion she took a wide turn and stopped about a yard away from the log, with me mumbling and grumbling about her being deaf and awkward, I reached across to grab the chain. The first hot stinging stab came on my forearm as I reached across,:eek: ,WASP NEST. Having been in this situation before, I shouted, “hup, up, up,” and threw the reins at her, she did’nt hang about and shot off to the right, I was even quicker and shot off left, down the bank, by this time having collected another sting on my hand and one on the head. It must have been quite funny for anyone who had seen it, a 49 year old man, high hurdling piles of brash and frantically clawing at what little hair he has left, all the time picking up speed and trying his hardest not to fall over whilst hurtling down the hill!
Anyway, collected Hermes, who did’nt have any wasps on her and thought how lucky I was to have got away with it, when I realised I had to go back and get the chain which I had dropped, damn it. Got the chain and saw the nest about a yard away, hanging from some low branches, it occured to me that she had seen or sensed those wasps and had tried to tell me by detouring around it, only I was’nt clever enough to pick up on it. 😮

[cousin jack]

@lancek 19217 wrote:

Hey I dont think this logging thing is working out ! Think I have a chance in the swim suit contest????

Tim, I actually think you’ve got more chance of getting rich with the day job, lol

[cousin jack]

Apollo is still in the good books, and even though he was working well I have still gone back to the round pen on a daily basis, the emphasis being on Whoa! I am asking him to understand that if he stops, whatever it is that is happening, that he dos’nt like, will stop too!

First of all I do it with him harnessed and loose, then with the reins, I make all sorts of things happen, from gunshots to air horns, we have all sorts of obstacles from tyres to plastic drums, he is coping with them all, he does not like things hitting him from behind but he stops on my asking and I remove the offending article.We have taken some good steps forward.
We have had him in loose shafts out of the pen and up the road, not had a wheeled vehicle behind him yet, but should be soon, anyway I’ll keep you posted, CJ

[cousin jack]

Carl, thanks for those, CJ

[cousin jack]

@Biological Woodsman 19091 wrote:

Just wondered how many folks on DAP have a Facebook Page. Sure is easy to use and can post lots of photos and keep up with folks you connect with.
I know Carl, Taylor and Plowden horse logging have pages.

Here is our DRAFTWOOD Forest Products, Ridgewind Suffolks and Private Instruction.

Let us know what you think!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Plenty/214364991104?v=wall#!/pages/DRAFTWOOD-Forest-Products-Ridgewind-Suffolk-Horses-Private-Instruction/175693628452?ref=ts

~

I have recently put one up, Horse Force Logging
This was after seeing Travelling Woodsman’s page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Horse-Force-Logging/109882569056800

[cousin jack]

Looks good, horses look well too.

[cousin jack]

Carl, do you have any close up pics of the bob, unladen?

[cousin jack]

@mitchmaine 18880 wrote:

andy, you can walk that perimeter and leave your own mark, too. deer don’t like people anymore than they like dogs.

mitch

Don’t try this if the fence is electrified 😮

[cousin jack]

A week has gone by, I can tell you that I still have him, and everything is still “intact”.
When I look back over some of my posts, I talk about winning, I now realise how foolish I was to write that, and I also realise that I can never win, what I am looking for is a honourable draw or tie. Something like the hardest game of rugby/football you have ever played, at the end of the game the scores are even but you shake hands with your opponents, having the utmost respect for them, and they for you.
This last week, I have worked Apollo hard, he AND I have lost a fair amount of sweat over the last few days, I am happy to report that we have had no further incidents, there have been moments when the opportunity was there, but being tired as he was, he declined the opportunities to dance.
I am sure that many of you were saying silently to your pc’s more work boy, give him more work, well work is THE key to this lad and probably just about every horse out there, will let you no more in the future.
One thing he does do now, he stands really well, he has learnt that it means a rest, and he is ready to take it when it comes.

[cousin jack]

Donn, thank you for that.

[cousin jack]

Thanks for all of the replies above. I cut my teeth as it were, on riding hard pulling horses who were fed up to the eyeballs and would run away with you at the drop of hat, I know how to drop my hands. And I do not put pressure on horses when it is not needed. Yesterdays incident came when we could not have been more relaxed.
I think Joshua has hit the nail on the head, a stallion, a smart one, one that is getting stronger by the day, one that is not getting enough work, one that has learnt that he can get the top side of me simply by running off.
Work is good at the moment and I do not have the time to give him other than in short periods, and yes all of these incidents have happened with light loads, (yesterdays, none at all), and I also think he has been waiting for an excuse to bolt rather than it being fear alone. I have not given up yet, I do have a plan, I have given you this, “warts and all” and I will let you know how I get on in the future. All the best CJ

[cousin jack]

We took him up to the wood this afternoon, just the swingletree and chain. Very strong to start with, but then settled and relaxed, he was then exemplary, he stood, he backed up, I hitched up, he stood, he pulled when I asked him to, he pulled down hung up trees, BUT then just as we were about to finish, in fact I was walking him out of the wood he suddenly took off, I did’nt even see what caused it, my wife says it was a branch caught him in the belly, now bearing in mind he had been walking through brash and over saplings which had sprung up underneath him in the previous 2 hours, I couldnot and cannot understand his reaction, I hung on for a good way but was just about pulled off my feet, at which he then repeated the same procedure as last time, galloping off with the swingletree flying about, I am beginning to ask God what I have done to deserve this. I am now going to get him castrated, I need a stronger bit, and will try a curb chain, something that will actually make him think of stopping, I will try again but if the same thing continues to happen I will have to give up trying to make a logging horse out of him.

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