[Does’ Leap]

This is a little off topic but a good – I would argue essential – complement to any tool array is an ac/dc arc welder, a set of torches, and a metal chop saw. These tools will give you the ability to modify, repair and even fabricate a lot of your equipment. If you don’t know how to weld, youtube and some practice go along way. I learned to weld through a high school vocational course for adults.

Good luck.

George

[Does’ Leap]

[Does’ Leap]

My feeling is that horses and operator can go relatively comfortably where a tractor cannot. I have disk harrowed some steeper sections without too much trouble. I would be surprised if your harrow slipped down the slope. I suggest dragging across the slope. Start on a section that isn’t too steep and see how you and your horse feel. If things feel good keep hitting steeper sections. Without seeing your set-up, I don’t think extra long driving lines should be necessary. I would drive uphill and to the side the harrow. Do you have a helper who can assist if things go awry?

George

[Does’ Leap]

For some reason the “img” button is freezing/not working. Here are some links to the pictures…

Short Tug Under Load

Short Tug At Rest

[Does’ Leap]

This thread inspired my to look more critically at my harness fit. When I bought these used d-ring harnesses I cut several inches off the short tug on one horse (the smaller of the pair) and left it “as is” for by bigger horse. It seems to me like a could benefit from cutting 2-3 inches off the short tugs on the horse pictured below. Two other things of note: (1) the breeching looks low in the first picture but you can see where the hair is worn above where the breeching normally sits while holding back a load…interesting. (2) Notice the difference between the tug/hame angle between the two pictures. At rest it looks pretty close to 90 degrees while under load the angle looks more acute.

Any thoughts on whether the short tug needs to be shortened? How about the change in hame/tug angle when at rest vs. under load? My thought is to move the hame/tug spacer on top and possibly lengthen my market strap and shorten my girth. Opinions? Any other thoughts on harness fit would be appreciated.

George

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Does' Leap.

[Does’ Leap]

Like Donn, I prefer two short checks from hames to bits for the center horse. I started driving with a set of three abreast lines as pictured in Carl’s attachment. Despite numerous adjustments and fussing, I was never please with the contact I had with all three horses. I started using the hame to bit configuration last year and prefer it. I feel like I have better contact with all three horses and don’t feel like it is hard on the center horse.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi John:

I like your tug carrier – elegant, simple, and light. I have some of those leather monsters with decorative studs and thick leather straps. These are overkill and not very functional. Do you ever find the horses catching their bits on your lazy strap snaps? I think Les Barden might use his lazy straps for check reins when the horses are hitched and lazy straps not needed. Seems like a good idea but I would imagine you would have to attach them higher up on the hames to effective. Anyone else do this?

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hey Carl:

Yes, lots of different approaches to working horses in the woods. That is what makes it interesting! Now with my expanded logging arsenal – arch, bobsled, and scoot – I get to choose which tool best meet my goals and the terrain at hand. Firewood aside, I have shifted from logging mainly hemlock to cutting low grade hardwood which I sell as tie logs. I have found loading gnarly, bowed, twisted hardwood on a sled challenging. I can load large hemlock logs easier than than a bowed stick of firewood that has half the footage. With the hardwood, it works well when I buck out straight sections of 8 or 10′ but then the amount of footage I can put on my sled goes way down. So I started experimenting yarding with my arch. Compared to short logs on the sled, I can haul nearly as much with the arch with much less effort (and time) on my part.

I too have been long chaining trees with my cart, especially in this deep, wind blown snow. Felling toward the skid road, chaining, pulling, bucking off logs, pulling, etc. etc. I wouldn’t call this futzing, just work – necessary work in these conditions. To quote a famous teamster, “It’s a lot of work to work horses” 😉

The “futzing” I am talking about is when the effort of getting the arch to the logs outweighs the effort of detaching and ground skidding. My cart adds 3′ feet of length to the hitch, a lot more weight, more width and less maneuverability. I also don’t like widening skid trails to accommodate the arch unless I have to – that feels like adapting the terrain to suit the tool and not the other way around. If I am hooking on to a bigger logs (250’+), the lift on the arch comes in very handy (especially on up hill skids) and I will do what I have to get get the arch there.

Too bad you are not closer, doubtless I could learn a lot from you. In the meantime, I will just have to settle for video footage (hint).

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Stephen:

I suggest measuring the distance between the hitch point on your team evener and the hitch point on your three abreast evener. This will give you the distance that you have to make up with your pole (or trace chains). I am not sure how the Pioneer is set up, but as you pull that pole out of the forecart to accommodate three horses, you need to make sure you have enough on the back end so as not to compromise the strength of the connection between pole and forecart.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Carl:

It is interesting that you rarely disconnect from your cart. I do quite often. Sometimes I do this out of necessity as the terrain will simply not accommodate my arch due to ledge, hummocks, width of skid trail, trees I don’t want to remove and other factors. Sometimes I disconnect out of choice. Yes, I could get “there” but the amount of futzing around getting my cart turned around in tight terrain leads me to disconnect and ground skid.

I think some of our differences over disconnecting from the cart have to do with the cart itself – the Barden vs. the Forest, the first being smaller and more maneuverable. However, I have used the Barden cart for the past couple of years at a neighbor’s farm with whom I do some cooperative logging. We also find ourselves disconnecting from the Barden as well. I plan on bringing the Barden here next year and giving it a try at my own place with my horses. Looking forward to it.

55 and muddy here today. My logging window is closing rapidly. Bring on the grazing!

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Ed:

I have tried different permutations that would allow me to keep the swivel/grab attached to the evener while on the logging cart. The main problem I had was that I kept bending the hook. The last hook I had on there was 1″ cold rolled round stock and the horses bent that with large hemlock log behind them. Even when that hook was working I didn’t like that it lengthened the hitch. Those extra few inches make a difference when navigating between trees. I have gone back to the 3/4″ hitch pin for durability and so I can keep the hitch as short as possible. As far as time, I would pulling the pin and attaching the swivel might add a minute to the operation – no big deal for me.

If you were set on the hook, I would make it out of 1×2 stock (bent, of course) and use a pulling evener with a large hole to accommodate the the hook (check out Carl R’s evener). I have a large hook like this on my bobsled with a loop of 5/16 chain around it. I attach the swivel to that loop of chain and it works well. However, I am not as concerned with the length of the hitch on the bobsled b/c – unlike the logging cart – I use it almost exclusively for yarding logs.

The “thumb” is a slick tool – great for logs, moving piles of brush, and cleaning out the bedded pack in the barn. Here is a link if you are interested.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hey Carl, that system looks pretty inviting as I head out to do chores at 5 below! In seriousness, I believe that for every person / corporation who envisions this future for agriculture, there are many more who seek out a smaller, simpler model.

Here are a couple of factoids for Vermont agriculture: (1) the value of Vermont ag is up 15% compared to 5 years ago while average farm size is decreasing (90 acres in 2007, 80 acres in 2012). (2) the majority of Vermont’s new farms (354 in total) are between 10 and 50 acres; and (3) there has been a 22% increase in new farmers ages 22-35 – bucking the trend of aging farmers nationwide.

There are many of us (both farmers and consumers) in Vermont and nationwide that are bucking the trend toward highly capitalized, chemical intensive farming. Despite all the dire news, I remain hopeful, passionate, and sometimes pugnacious about the future of small farms.

George, great response. I am not a crop farmer, but my wife and I make our full time living off the farm and employ someone full time May-October and part time in the slower months. We mainly sell goat cheese and farm-made sausage. I am a believer in low debt, low cost, low volumes/high margins, and self-reliance. When we managed to couple this model with high quality, identifiable cheese and sausage, we have done well. It is an ever-evolving process.

There is a great article in the current DAPnet newsletter on a horse-powered CSA in Canada. Perhaps the fellow who sent you that inquiry would be interested in a copy.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Stephen:

I work my horses 4-5 days/week November-February (and part time for a few months on either side) pulling a combination of saw logs and firewood. I have never shod my horses and haven’t felt the need to….most of the time. I have learned to plan ahead and have different sections of my woods set aside if my main roads get iced over. I also diligently place waterbars in key sections of my main skid roads so that they don’t get permanently iced over when things freeze.

This winter was rough one though. I was shut out of the woods for nearly a month because of extreme icy conditions. However, for two of those weeks shoes wouldn’t have made a difference b/c the trees were so iced over it was too hazardous to cut wood (or even be in the woods for that matter!)

I agree with Donn that even if they made boots with caulks, I wouldn’t consider them. I have a pair of EasyBoots that I use on occasion on one of my horses b/c he is prone to sole bruises and abscesses. I generally put on these boots in the fall when the mud freezes up and the ground is very hard and bumpy. I did drill some studs in these boots and even when they are well fitted they are hard to keep on while logging – just not made for those forces.

Good luck and keep us posted on the harvest next year.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Ed,

Thanks for sharing your sugaring details. I really enjoyed the pictures and the fact that you are carrying on a family tradition. I hope it continues to work for you.

George

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Daniel:

I found all my mowers on craigslist. All of them are MD #9. The first I picked up for $500. It was in very good condition. It needed some new seals, timing and register work. I also put in new knives and guards.

I bought my other 2 mowers for $600 – one for parts and the other to make a new mower. They were also in decent shape and I did similar work to them.

If you have a decent place to work on a mower and have the time, I would recommend doing it yourself. However, given the amount of time that goes into getting a mower “right”, Donn and Jay offer some great deals.

Good luck.

George

[Author]

Posts