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Impressive job backing that wagon into the shed!

George

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I have never done any custom grazing but prices around here (Franklin County, VT) tend to range from $.75-$1/head/day. Have you considered an arrangement where the owner takes back a portion of the herd when the grass slows down in July?

George

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Hi Grey, Donn and others:

Thanks for the information. I will try the epsom salts routine. We have been sponging down shoulders after long, hot days for a couple of years now and I will add that to the routine (before work, of course). This horse’s shoulders are not longer smooth and I am worried we might have built up some scar tissue where the rubbing has occurred.

We do run d-ring harnesses and I have had some wrinkling with that 24″ collar. We bumped him down to that collar after our first day of mowing last year. What I don’t like about the collar is the tightness on the sides. My intuition (read lack of experience) tells me snug, but not too tight. Any thoughts on that?

I do have a shim on my hames and I will check that. I will also check the hame / tug angle. It should be 90 degrees, but it is worth another check with a square. I will try to take some video with the horses under a load to see if this might help. That is if it ever stops raining! We are eager to start our first cut of hay.

George

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Here is the link to the short video on help with collar fit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JZ2dmicR6c

Thanks.

George

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Whoops. It seems I am unable to post a link to the youtube video. I clicked “link” above, copied the youtube url, and nothing seems to happen. Can anyone offer help with this?

George

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Mine are both 16′.

George

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Do you have L Miller’s mower book? The book has a picture of an adjustable wheel that is attached somewhere near the grass board. I loaned out my book so I can’t give you the page number, but it is worth a look. I plan on clipping a rough pasture (lot of stones) this year for the first time and would like to get my cutter bar as far from the debris as possible. Let us know what you come up with.

George

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Hi Ed:

I went with hemlock on both my wagons. The wood came from my property so it cost me pennies on the dollar compared with pt. My wagons are not covered and I expect to get 10-15 years before I have to replace the wood.

It seems to be a trade-off between $ and labor. The pt will cost you a lot more (even if you purchase green hemlock), but will last longer. However, it is nice keeping your money in the local economy by using a locally-produced product. I would save your oak for poles, eveners, scoots, etc.

George

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Are there still hats available? If so, should I send payment to Jean? Someone else?

George

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Ed:

I don’t rake hay away from the edge of my meadows. Side delivery rakes are not set up to rake green hay. If you were able to rake it without plugging up your rake you would have a tangled mess that would be hard to dry. I have left, weather permitting, hay on the edge to bale the next day though.

George

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Hi Ed:

I would love to start haying, but my forecast has rain the next 4 out of 5 days. I don’t know about others, but I have found drying 1st cut in three days challenging unless there are ideal conditions (dry ground, hot, sunny, breezy etc).

Good luck and tell us how it goes.

George

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Carl:

Thanks for posting this link. I think Melissa Pasanen did a good job with the article and, as always, you were eloquent in your promotion of draft animals.

Cheers.

George

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I mostly log alone in the winter but have been trading a day a week with a buddy who also logs with horses just 8 miles from my farm. Although, I too like working alone, I think there is a synergistic effect with two, not to mention the camaraderie. On an average day, I more than double the footage on the landing compared with working alone One of us cuts, the other works the horses and we both load and chain the sled or scoot.

Brad, can you post some pictures of your arch sometime?

George

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Very impressive. Thanks for sharing that.

George

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