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Does’ Leap
Participant“George, do you feed 2nd cut to your horses or the goats?”
Hi Ed:
We feed all our second cut to the goats. I did buy some second cut last year for the team I log with for some additional protein and energy as we only feed a small amount of beet pulp (mainly a vehicle for a custom mineral mix) and no grain.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantHow is the haying going? We took a gamble and mowed a 5 acre field. It has been cool and partly cloudy, but we managed to bale it on day 3 (Monday). There were some heavy bales on the edge of the field, but the rest was dry. There is a good stretch of weather coming and we plan on mowing another 5 acres.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantHere, here! I was clipping some steep pastures yesterday – areas where I wouldn’t dream of bringing a tractor. Carl, I also had a similar experience this spring putting in a few water bars on some woods roads. I didn’t think twice about bringing a tractor in this area as it is no big deal with the horses. I had a scary experience that involved extricating my tractor very carefully so as not to tip over. This extrication involved a 10 point turn highlighting yet another advantage of horses – zero turn radius.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantWe have had a Central Boiler outdoor furnace for about 15 years and have been very happy with it. We heat our house, all the hot water for our dairy, home, and cheese facility (including pasteurizer), as well as my shop. The advantage of this system is that you can heat multiple zones in different locations. Another bonus is that all the wood mess and fire hazard is outside the home.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantHi Jay:
What kind of urine are you spraying and how do you collect and store it?
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantI started my second cut yesterday. I mowed 4 acres in a flannel shirt – 62 degrees and partly cloudy! Horses got a little sweaty under the collar and that’s it. No bugs either. I could get used to this. Plan on tedding twice today and hope to bale tomorrow. If not, we should have good weather through Saturday.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantHi Bill:
He was going really well until my daughter took him over early this summer. She rides competitively at a local “Pony Club” and tragically lost her Thoroughbred this winter. She has been riding him with growing success which is amazing b/c he demonstrated some the of the same stubborn tendencies (bucking, balking, biting, etc.) under saddle as he did when harnessed. My wife Kristan has asked me to lay off with his training until this fall when Pony Club is over. I deferred. Despite the delay, I am pleased b/c I wanted a dual purpose horse (riding / driving) all along, as this horse will be my on of my “second string” team and not used a frequently as my bay geldings. This also means we will stick with 4 instead of 5 horses. Based on his progress both in harness and under saddle, I am confident I will have him going this fall and mowing hay in 2014! How are your fillies doing? Any pictures?
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantPerhaps an experienced horse trainer will comment, but here are my two cents: I personally do not think that stopping on a verbal command is a pre-requisite for starting to work your horse. Sounds like she is intelligent an level-headed. I have used the round pen to varying degrees with all my horses. Some take to it well. For others, it has not been the best training tool. Be wary of boring your horse. If you are falling short in the round pen, try practicing the “whoa” on a lead rope. For a new horse, use a twitch or a riding crop. Ease her into it by varying your pace. If she surges ahead, a couple of warning swipes are warranted and then a bonk on the nose. Same idea for stopping. They learn pretty quick. If you don’t have a twitch, the end of the lead rope serves as well.
In harness, I have followed Carl Russell’s lead and have trained my horses to stop on a release of pressure. This may take some time with a new horse. I tend to give my new horse a few steps and if he doesn’t stop on the release, he runs into the bit. Consistency is paramount.
Good luck.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantSee if this helps….http://draftanimalpower.com/forums/topic/new-scoot/
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantThanks for the responses. I guess I was getting a little fancy with the sheet bend. I will try the square knot spit in the palm approach next go round.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantGeoff, I searched some images of the Palouse out of curiosity – beautiful. I am big fan of the Cascades and western Washington but have never been to the eastern part of the state. I would be interested to see some of your pictures.
We baled around 400 yesterday. It was very hot and the hay was nice and dry. We have another 100 or so to bale today. The drive chain kept coming off of my hay elevator which necessitated removing the sprocket, resetting, and reassembling. Does anyone have a tensioner for the drive chain on their elevator?
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantI mowed 4 acres on Thursday and it was rough going. It is a fertile field with 5’+ orchard grass along with several patches of lodged hay and areas of of vetch. Under the thicket of hay the second crop was coming in along with some brown, almost rotting, grass due to the heavy moisture and lack of light. I started mowing around 10:45 and the mower clogged frequently enough that I never had to consciously rest my horses. It wasn’t terrible, but I have had better mowing experiences. Luckily, it got progressively better.
Today, I mowed another 3 acres to finish this particular meadow. Same hay, same conditions and I plugged my mower once the whole time. The biggest factor seemed to be the moisture level inside the sward. One good day of sun and things really dried out.
We are going to fit in some more mowing tomorrow in between tedding and will start baling Sunday.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantI am going to start mowing tomorrow as the weather looks good through Tuesday. I hope to finish up first cut this round so I can start the second soon after.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantCarl, sorry the weather hasn’t cooperated.
Geoff, I have had numerous hardware shortfalls like the one you are describing….very frustrating and time consuming. The nearest hardware store is 10 miles from me. Two years ago I spent $350 on a bolt and nut assortment, drawers and all. It has been one of the best investments I have ever made.
Happy mowing. We are still waiting on the weather.
George
Does’ Leap
ParticipantI have salted hay between bales in the past when it was on the green side. I am not sure it helps though.
Carl, how is the hay?
George
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