[Donn Hewes]

Hi Ed, Couple of thoughts I had. First, if not steel, you could build a 24 truss. 2 x 6 bolted together, etc. Also 2′ of pitch is shallow, why not let the snow slide off? One more thougth. if I had one I would keep my saw dust out of the weather. Much easier to sell it, load it or move it. Perhaps 24 x 24 with slab on one half. 24′ trusses with the gable end facing the side you want to load logs from. I built a 24 x 24 pole building and it is a drive trough so I can park PTO cart, baler etc. Don’t think I have any pictures of it. I made home made trusses, but often you can buy the 24’s trusses for not too much.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Eli, Your questions are tricky as there are many variables and unknowns. In my limited experience, drafts are different than saddle horses and generally easier to put to work, but I also agree with what Andy said that there are more variations with in each breed than there are between. So really I think it comes down to two things. How do YOU assess the temperament of your own horses; and what temperament would you like in a driving animal. To me there is nothing more important than the temperament of the animals that I am working with. Too flighty or uptight, there out of here. Mean or sour, or lazy, I don’t want them. There is a wide degree of conformation and sizes I can make work, but I want the best temperaments I can find.

“One more question when she stops should I get after her with the buggy whip I haven’t but see others use them? Thank you and any pointers are welcome”

I think this quote speaks to what I am saying. If I had just hooked a single horse to shafts and skis I would be more worried about the moment when she runs than when she stops. She runs because she is frightened or nervous. I certainly would not be letting her run unless she was calm and relaxed and ready for this next step. She stops because you asked her to? or because she is nervous and unsure what is expected. In either case, say “whoa” take it as a good thing. When she is calm and relaxed (or as calm and relaxed as she will be given the current situation) ask her to go again. At a walk! You won’t need a buggy whip. A buggy whip is neither good or bad and is just another tool that we can use; however because it is a tool that extends our ability to apply pressure it also demands more skill and precision in order to send the desired message. In the case of an animal that we want to relax we need to utilize as little pressure as we can for each thing we ask for. Patience is the name of the game.

[Donn Hewes]

Billy, does the dump work on that trailer also? donn

[Donn Hewes]

Just out of curiosity, how does a donkey teach a bull to be lead?

[Donn Hewes]

is there any chance that she is not breed? Just wondering.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi George, I wiish I was on their mailing list, but an Amish friend of mine recently passed me one of I & J ‘s flyers. I have seen some of these parts (the double motion knife etc. But never the complete, all new, horse drawn, mower.) This is the first company I know of to make an all new GD mower. There is an outfit making the all new center cut mower but that is different. From their flyer They will sell this mower in many combinations. Motorized, PTO, or ground drive. Trailered or three point hitch, and 5 1/2, 7, and 9 feet. It would seem any combination of the above. Again really nice looking machines, How much more efficient? What do they cost? I have to run now but I bet you can find them on line. Check out: farmingwithhorses.com

[Donn Hewes]

welding, like carpentry, is one of those skills that will help almost no matter what you eventually persue. take it from a hack welder, it is a great fit with farming or logging with horses. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Tim, Along with slipping; I think side draft is a good indication of how well your mower is running. Of course there is side draft by design, but how much? I can say this, I use two seven foot bars regularly. When the mowers are working well and moving ahead without plugging, the side draft is not evident. Not to say it isn’t there, but you don’t notice it in your tongue or yokes. When you have a mower that is misbehaving, you can immediately see and feel the side draft. Almost like a sag and bounce, sag and bounce. So I think the longer bars in and of themselves won’t be a problem for side draft, provided they are cutting as advertised. It would be fun to try one.

[Donn Hewes]

i think there are two different factors at work here George. One is I will bet those mowers are more efficient and easier to pull than ours. They also sell a standard model 9′ for two horses. Second, the single horse movement as I call it is real and growing. It is not necessarily how I would choose to do things, but lots of people want to, and are doing some amazing stuff with one horse. So what will happen when you hook a single horse to this mower. If he is not mentally and physically prepared, it wont go well. if they are a good stout horse they will make the more go just fine, but you will need to stop and rest before two horses would, (and maybe for longer) The best people to ask would be I&J. 717-442-9451. Call between 8 and 9 am

One thing I didn’t understand at first was that hobnob was talking about hillier ground. Yes that would make a big difference, and I might not be as eager to try it in that situation. Also, what do they cost?

[Donn Hewes]

I don’t know of any other companies making new HD mowers. I have one of their brochures on my table and it looks like a nice machine. I wouldn’t hesitate to hook a horse over 1500# to the 5 1/2 bar. You will have to wait and see when the right time to rest is or how many acres per day it will do, but that is the nature of the one horse operations, right?

[Donn Hewes]

If it was me I would assume that I was replacing all the cutter parts. This can run about 60 to 70 per foot of bar. (that is parts only) Having said that rebuilt mowers can be hard to find and cost 1K to 2K. depending on how well and how complete the job was. After I inspected all the wear and moving parts; got the bar down, put it in and out of gear; etc I would offer between $300 and 500 , but that is just a guess It might be less if I found anything wrong or missing. But I am not looking buy either. I have a slight preference for the McD and IH over the JD, but that is just me.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Eli, You might check out the thread “wanted – one horse mower” as there is some discussion of putting unmatched animals together. I am a big proponent of it as to me it means using what we have. Regardless of whether they match or not; figuring out when they / you are ready is the key.

[Donn Hewes]

I gotta make some of those! d

[Donn Hewes]

You don’t really replace the steel with rubber. Some folks have replaced the rubber with steel; either because the rubber tire were hard to find, or expensive,or if they were Amish. I have friends that say the rubber pulls easier and I suppose it does. I have never tried it so I wouldn’t know. I am happy with my steel wheels. If I had hay fields a couple miles down the road, I probably would like some rubber tires. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

“I just wanted to point out that while we can be humble about the vagueries of our craft, I believe we can be direct, and, as I alluded to, we actually owe it it some way of respect to our animals, about how one addresses the process of communicating with a working animal.” CR

What could be more fun than that. I think some of the great teamsters of the past took to heart what they had learned from communicating with horses and naturally applied it to people. They were direct, but understated, always sincere, and calm. They were natually quite because horses responded to that. To learn from them required you and I to recognize the thing we wanted was right in front of us and seek it through work. In the past, the young horse farmer would have been guided in this search by culture, family, history and tradition. ie. “If I watch grampa, I might learn something, If I imitate him I might be able to learn more.”

Today, when a farmer like me wants to pass this information on to some one else; neither of us started with that culture, history, or family. To teach the young teamsters of today, we have to find words to explain the value of being quiet. We have to demonstrate how we move to make something else stay still. This is the most fun and challenging work I have found. i find teach the horse easy by comparison. Talk to you soon, Donn

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