[Donn Hewes]

George, I am just going to guess it makes a huge difference. Most of the weight is centered around the axle except the cutter bar, and they are surprisingly heavy.

Andy, I remember those figures from when they came out. Tim came down a little hard on the sickle bar mower as a hard pulling machine. That has certainly not been my experience. I have seen many mowers that horses pulled while poorly adjusted steel parts slowly rubbed themselves off. That would be a hard pulling machine. A mower is basically 20 to 28 pairs of scissors. If they are all sharp and work right, no problem. I am a little under the weather with a cold. A little hard to imagine measuring that right now but you never know. I have been welding new lugs on a broken wheel with some success, but it is a big commitment to start on good wheels.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Andy, I truly believe these weights change when the machine is pulled. Mark, You probably said it before, but that is a good idea. I haven’t found anything getting easier to remember as I get older! Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Carl, I couldn’t agree more with what you said right above. One question though; What in the quote about “horsemanship” didn’t fit with your thoughts? My simple definition of horsemanship would be taking the time to understand what a horse truly is. I started the other day with a young women that will be here for a couple months. I suggested the two things you need to know about horses is how they related to one and other, how they think, feel, and act as equines; and second how and why they relate to people and the work we do.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Andy, you bring up some interesting points. I was afraid that no one was watching this interesting thread, (because we are down here in the buy and sell) until yesterday I noticed it had some 800 views or something! First, people always say that the #9 was better than the #7 because the gear box was moved back and made for less tongue weight. I think these mowers were better designed than we might give them credit for. Check the tongue weight while someone is in the seat. It is already greatly improved over what you had to lift to hook up the animals. Second, with the hitch adjustable and mounted some few inches below the tongue, this is providing considerable lift as well while moving. For most good sized horses I would never really worry about the tongue weight. These machines to a varying degree also have a great deal of vibration, and I think this is a bigger concern for the horses than the tongue weight. In many cases, this vibration is not so much by design, as by the 70 – 80 years of wear. In either case the dolly wheel or D ring harness will take the problem away from the collar. With a dolly wheel some of the vibration that doesn’t go up the pole goes back to the seat. I have dolly wheels on three mowers that I own. I put them on before I had D ring harnesses, but I wouldn’t take them off. It makes it so much easier to pick up the tongue for hitching! Dolly wheels also serve a valuable purpose for small horses or ponies in holding the tongue at the right height. there is no tongue weight, either on back or neck.

As for slipping that is an interesting question, and one I have been thinking a lot about. I work two mowers regularly. Both have 7′ bars with a variety of guards and knifes. One is a number 7 with slightly worn wheels that are the more narrow type (4.25′). the other is a #9 with 7″ after market steel wheels that replace rubber tires. These are lugged with small pieces of 1/2′ rebar. In most conditions I like the #7 better as I think it is the smoother cutting, easier pulling machine. But under the worst conditions; heavy mowing and dry conditions, (really thick second cutting) the #7 has started to slip a little. Noticing a mower slipping can be a little tricky because they only slip for a second before they plug. You can feel the hesitation, but then you are plugged which is just like any other plug you every had. The number nine keeps jugging a long, no slipping here.

I never really attributed the slipping to the dolly wheel, but it is an interesting thought. I have been planning to change these wheels, or better yet learn how to recondition the lugs. That is something I have been working on this winter, and explains this long and detailed post. If I understand you correctly I could put the end of a tongue on a regular mower up in the air and use a jack to lift an axle; and it should take more effort than if the mower had a dolly wheel. Interesting.

[Donn Hewes]

That is a great looking pony. I am no pony man, but as a mule man I can appreciate them as different from horses. You can make a home made dolly wheel (they bolt on the tongue, and the tongue is cut and bolted in). I always recommend buying one however. The amish use them and sell them for between $170 and $200. I know that is not cheap, but these dolly wheels where made for mowers and they really figured out where to put two springs, grease fittings, and the draft rod that help pull the mower square. I have never seen a home made one as good. If you flip through my photo album (above) you will find some close up of dolly wheels and lots of animals pulling them. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

I tried to find cutter bar parts for english mower a couple years ago with no luck. The cutter bar was mounted to the mower at a different angle than the most common mowers here. That made it so none of our guards would work. The knife sections would work if the spacing matched. There are two different spacings that matter the width of the section (most common is three inches), and the location of the two rivet holes on the section. There are at least two different spacings here; JD and MC D. Those knife sections are slightly different. the ball at the head of the knife may also be set forward or back differently than ours. I think it would be unlikely to find one of our knives to fit right in a mower form out of the states. More likely that a knife section would fit, but even that would be luck. Just my two cents. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hey Mitch, How is everything up in Maine? You are sly. I think you have learned more about horsemanship than you like to let on!

“I have never had a horse ask me for anything, but I continually ask my horse(s) for something so” That is a great example of leadership.

[Donn Hewes]

I have spent some time working Haflingers and Percherons together. There are some adjustments we can talk about, but first is the general misconception that they “walk at different speeds” or “one pulls harder than the other”. When my wife and I lift something, We usually both take an end. I might be stronger than her (might be !) but we both carry half the load for two reasons. First, it is the simplest set up, each take a half. The second reason is because the work required is with in the ability of the smaller animal. Not to say it won’t tire a little faster than the other, But you will have still cut way more hay easier than with the one horse mower. Has far as how fast they walk, that is really pretty simple. A horse of any size or shape should be going exactly as fast as we ask it to. That sounds great but it can be hard to achieve sometimes.

One thing I like to adjust for is the height disparity. A lower hames ring on the tall horse will make the two hames rings about level and this will keep the heads point forward. Some times you may do something similar for a team with one horse with a high head carriage and one low. or a wide horse and a skinny one. Make sure both horses have harnesses with tugs the same length. Certainly a lot of Haflinger harness is made with shorter tugs than the bigger horses.

I have done a fair bit of mowing with a pair of haflingers And with a five foot bar they could mow a couple acres on a hot day That might take a little over two hours. Your pony might not be as big as they were. The standard evener on a two horse mower is 36 inches. One option if the horse seems stronger than the pony would be to take a 38″ evener and drill a new hole in it about 2″ off center. the 38″ would mean they still had room from the tongue. Put the short end of the evener on the mower side and put the horse on the short end of the evener. Put the pony on the longer side. He will be laughing all the way. For smaller animals I really like a dolly wheel on the mower. It ensures that the front of the mower is up at the right height, no matter where the tongue is. Also easier on the animals, and easier to hook up. Remember to get them working well before they tackle the mower. It is a fun machine to work, but not so good for horses that are not ready for it.
Take a look at these pictures and you will see horses, mules, and ponies working together. Donn

https://picasaweb.google.com/mulemandonn/HorsesAndMules02

[Donn Hewes]

The one really big advantage of a number 7 or number 9over most any other mower is this. They made lots and lots of them and they were making lots of them right up until they stopped in the 1940’s. They have the used and new and remanufactured parts because of all these mowers in use. They have this advantage even over the JD in my opinion. Many folks like their JD mower (or other more rare make) but try and replace an axle seal in a JD. I don’t think you can find them. The one horse mowers I have seen and worked on fit into this general pattern. Even the McCormack Deering which was a more common model was rare compared to the standard two horse model. The ones I have worked on were probably made between 1910 and 1915 perhaps. Their open gear technology was similar to a number 6. They were built light to improve the performance of one horse, but the wheels were narrow and for a wheel with much ware this would lead to a loose of traction sooner than a wider, heavier wheel. They were lighter where the cutter bar is attached to the head. This is a real stress point and as a result it was difficult to recover lead on these mowers.

Mowing an acre at time is within the range of possibility. Have you ever considered working the two horses together? This would give you more mower options and more success. Do they both drive? Driving these different horses together is one of my favorite subjects, so if you have questions let me know. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

How much money do you want to spend? How much mowing do you plan to do? How big is your horse? Depending on your answers to those questions, I would make a couple of suggestions for your consideration. One is use a number seven or number nine mower built up with shafts. These are well built machines that can be used and maintained. The bar length will be the most important factor in your horses success in working with it. I have seen these with and with out dolly wheels. Another possibility would be a brand new I & J mower, ground driven or motorized. I have successfully rebuilt a couple of “one horse” mowers that are mowing today. Based on that experience I am not a big fan. Lighter, narrower machines that are a little harder to setup and maintain. My two cents. Donn

Where are you located?

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Carl, I think you are 100 percent right. My ideas for training a teamster are coming together around this. If you want to be a teamster you must also want to learn to understand horses. You must also except the challenge of becoming their leader, and their teacher. A simple example may help. How many times have we heard my horse won’t stand (ie. what is wrong with my horse; or I just need some one to train my horse). In reality, the horse will stand, and there is nothing wrong with it. It is awaiting leadership, and we can and should be trying to teach that. not to the horse, but the budding teamster. As much as I enjoy training a young draft animal, I find the beginning teamster much more interesting, and fun.

[Donn Hewes]

That does look like nice set up. How do you dump it? What did it cost? Could some one make there own? More Pictures?!

[Donn Hewes]

I think you are right about the learning opportunity. A difficult learning opportunity for beginning teamsters, I am afraid. It is difficult to teach until someone has experienced it. I actually had a young woman with me and it was her first time on a fore cart. I just told her to hold on. The difficulty for the beginning teamster is that with out a quick, calm, and strong response from the teamster; we are down the drive way in a flash. Banging plow the whole way.

Recently, I have been experimenting with saying less and less to my animals, and in this case I think I said “it’s alright” or something equally meaning less when I saw the dogs coming. After that I don’t think I said a word until they decided to stop. I am beginning to rely on this less verbal communication. These animals were both open face and can see me.

Another thing I could have mentioned in the original post was I saw it coming. I had already predicted that the plow might make a little noise and the animals might react to it. I was on the look out for these dogs and saw one in the road and one in the field and could tell they where about to pounce. Seeing what is coming and being aware of all the things that your animals will react to is an important teamster skill to develop.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Jared, I think George is right about the hills, but even more important perhaps, is how much hay you want to make. There is a strong movement a foot right now to discover how much can be done with a single horse. I applaud that idea for the ingenuity, and creativity that is being brought to the question. New and redeveloped equipment is being made, and processes examined. The only small warning I like to offer folks is be ware of the sour horse. I think it is possible to develop every step on our farm to use our single (or team ) to the maximum of their strength, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I worked with a nice older pair of Haflingers a few years ago and one of them was basically sour. I personally think that every spreader load, every mower trip was set to their limit and I think I soured them a little.

In the woods we teach folks to mix it up; after a big load give your team an easier one. In the field I like to work animals that are working easily and therefore are fresher. As I said earlier, I think the single horse has a ton to offer in the way of innovation for hay making and working in the market garden.

[Donn Hewes]

It is almost embarrassing to admit how much pleasure I get from an online forum. It is a good reminder to us that most anything can be picked up and put to good use if someone wants to. Thanks, Carl and Lisa.

[Author]

Posts