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Rod:

I know the fertilizer spreader is not available, but I was wondering who made it and how you liked it? Did you pull it with a team? I have to spread a lot of lime on woodland that I have converted to pasture.

George

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Maxwell:

Have you used/heard of boots for drafts (I assumed you were talking about a riding horse in the previous post)? If so,what is your experience and where do you get them?

George

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Mink:

I primarily use a logging arch when skidding wood. If I am felling, I will back the arch up to a tree and attach the arch to a tree with a choker chain.

When I am skidding logs, I tend to drag tree length until I can’t make a turn. I then hop of my cart and usually measure out two log lengths and make my cut. Although my horses stand flawlessly, I subscribe to the idea of never leaving my lines (within reason). To that end, I purchased a 25′ retractable dog leash rated for large dogs (100+ lbs). It enables me to snake chains around logs, cut logs and the errant limb that I might have missed while having the lines in easy reach. As seen in the picture, the lines rest on the cart and as I move, there is no pressure on the lines. It leaves both hands free for doing the various tasks associated with logging and the lines stay with you off the ground due to the retractable device in the leash. I also use the leash while loading blocked wood on a wagon. As mentioned, my horses stand well. However, they have been known to reach forward for some tasty hemlock boughs while at rest. I quick reminder with the leash and a “heads up!” command are a great training tool.

Some have commented “what if your horses take off with you attached to them?” Although this is possible, I believe it unlikely and the trade-off for me is worthwhile. Another question has been “what if the horses break the leash”. Also unlikely. I don’t know how much force a 100 lb rottweiler puts on a leash, but more than my horses are willing to put on their mouths with a levered bit (I drive both horses one notch below the ring).

George

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Dave:

There are a lot of folks tapping soft maple in Vermont. There was an interesting article in Northern Woodlands magazine purporting the value of tapping soft maple. Here’s the summary:

• soft maple makes good tasting syrup;
• the sap does not necessarily get more “buddy” than hard maple sap; and
• the sugar content only runs a few 10ths of a percent lower than hard maple on average.

The last point can make a difference in boiling time if you have an inefficient rig and boiling a lot of sap at a time (many have RO machines here so the sap goes in the rig at 8% regardless). On a small scale, you should be fine.

George

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Looking good Ed. Way to go. Keep us posted on how things go. Any work planned for the future (spreading manure etc.)?

George

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I use a halflinger single for twitching firewood and use my full sized team for pulling saw logs. Halflinger is great, but I would feel limited in pulling larger wood with a halflinger team. Farmwork is one thing, but I think they would lack the requisite power for commercial logging.

George

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I second Grey’s suggestion on making a rope halter. Here is a link for that: http://www.naturalhorsesupply.com/tiehalter.shtml I also suggest putting up a round pen and checking out some basic round pen training from one of the many practitioners (Clinton Anderson, Doc Hammill, etc.). Being new to horses several years back it enabled me to: (1) read my horses better; and (2) establish my leadership effectively in a controlled environment. I set my round pen up with 2 strands of electrified polywire.

If you want to stick with a halter and lead rope, Pat Perelli has a lot of good exercises. I acquired a halflinger last summer who was terrible on a lead – mostly lagged behind so you would have to pull on her and then she would surge forward (rope halter and all!). I cut an 8′ sapling and with her rope in my right and sapling in my left I would swing the sapling behind me tap her on the but when she lagged behind. She would also get a bump in the nose when she went too far forward. 2 or 3 sessions of this and those antics stopped for good.

Good luck.

George

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We don’t boil, only sell sap. My wife put out 40 buckets today while I was cutting next year’s firewood. We’ll put out the rest of the 250-300 in the next few days. Sap was running with some exposed trees.

George

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Mark:

Did you ever make the yoke? If so, how is it working for you?

George

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I’m still waiting. Sugarmakers who hang buckets around here seem to holding off. I have a friend who hung a few test buckets and hasn’t had much. John, I don’t make syrup, just sell sap to a neighbor. So I am not the guy to sell you syrup.

George

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I can only comment on beta lines. Per some others’ suggestion from this site (Carl included?) I bought a set of 3/4″ x 20′ logging lines and haven’t used my leather lines since. It is light, flexible material with great feel. I especially appreciate the beta lines in the winter as they are much easier to buckle in the bridle compared with leather lines that tend to get hard and inflexible in the cold. I think I will stick with leather harnesses though.

George

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I’ve got 4 chords of wood down and limbed, but buried nonetheless. I spent the day before the storm drawing wood, but didn’t get it all. Melting fast now, but more is on the way.

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Geoff:

Carl mentioned taking a welding class. I didn’t mention it before, but I highly recommend it if you are decide to stay with stick welding (or any other welding for that matter). I took a welding class at the local high school and burned up 100s of rods. This in combination with the instructor looking at my welds was invaluable. Auto darkening helmets also help.

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Geoff:

I have an old AC welder that I picked up for free that works great. I have a set of cutting torches and a metal chop saw and can do a lot with these tools with minimal investment. I only feel limited by the stick welder when doing thin steel (e.g. <1/8). I use 6013 for clean steel and 6011 for not so clean.

George

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Carl:

Thanks for your more in-depth comments. Oddly, I regularly have them trot down the well established portion of my logging road part way back to the next hitch. This when they have good energy and usually earlier in the day. I just like trotting. I like how the horses move, the speed, and the cardio training it gives them. I have been working on a collected, even trot with minimal line pressure. Trotting in this case is not to dissipate energy as the horses are calm and collected, more just cause I like it and the horses do well. What do you all think?

George

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