[Donn Hewes]

Hi Dennis, I don’t see why I can’t leave his number here. Same Folks, I visited his shop last year but lost the number; found it at:farmingwithhorses.com – A J+I web site. 212-696-6410. I bought a Percheron mare last week. A real tall drink of water but so far she seems great. Will try a little plowing this week with a hitch of five. Three in front of two. Hope you are having a good summer. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

We really went from pursuing the idea our selves to looking for some one to pursue it around here. The many thing stopping me from doing it myself right now is too many irons in the fire. There is a young couple thinking of moving back to Cortland this fall and they really liked the idea. They thought they could do it in conjunction with a cafe. Sounds like a great idea to me.

[Donn Hewes]

I wanted to comment on Carl’s post about who drives your horses, and to present another perspective. I have great respect for what Carl said, and believe that one teamster / one horse would undoubtedly be the best thing for the horse.

Years ago I would have been much more cavalier about letting some one drive my teams. Now as I have worked harder and harder to learn my craft, and teach my expectations to my animals I have re-thought who should drive them. My motivation to let someone drive them is two fold. First, I want to teach, and second I can use the help when two teamsters are working together.

How to meld these two competing interests? Anyone who drives my animals today is committed to working with me and them. Regardless of their previous experience, they know they will be learning from me. I have walked a few acres behind a mowing machine with the lines in my hand. As Carl points out, there is a risk in doing this. I am very aware of that. When a new intern joins our farm, the first thing I tell them is that they will have a great opportunity to learn to be a teamster. The next thing I tell them is that my farm work is in no way dependant on their ability to work independantly with a team and I can not begin to predict whether they will learn this craft quickly, slowly, or not at all. Then I start teaching.

[Donn Hewes]

yes, this can be a big problem. Most of the time you give it a yank and it comes back through. That makes it too easy to overlook. There have been accidents were this was part of the cause.

Training horses to work together and teamsters to respond when they aren’t is part of the answer. There are other solutions. I have three sets of team lines I use regularly.

The first is a set I had modified so the stub lines are long, (almost 8′). They come together near the horses butts and a horse would need to go along way past the other before the buckle approached the hames. These lines have been great, but I can drop the lines over a mules butt and have to lift it off of there. I have never gotten stuck there.

The next is a set that were given to me. They have a metal ring under the leather at the buckle. Since this ring doesn’t fit through the hames it prevents them getting stuck. This has worked perfectly also.

Finally, and old set of leather lines with no defenses at all. I use them regularly, but I am aware of the risk of getting a buckle stuck. There are a lot of reasons to keep teams working side by side, but with young stock you are teaching them and some line solutions might be useful.

[Donn Hewes]

yes, this can be a big problem. Most of the time you give it a yank and it comes back through. That makes it too easy to overlook. There have been accidents were this was part of the cause.

Training horses to work together and teamsters to respond when they aren’t is part of the answer. There are other solutions. I have three sets of team lines I use regularly.

The first is a set I had modified so the stub lines are long, (almost 8′). They come together near the horses butts and a horse would need to go along way past the other before the buckle approached the hames. These lines have been great, but I can drop the lines over a mules butt and have to lift it off of there. I have never gotten stuck there.

The next is a set that were given to me. They have a metal ring under the leather at the buckle. Since this ring doesn’t fit through the hames it prevents them getting stuck. This has worked perfectly also.

Finally, and old set of leather lines with no defenses at all. I use them regularly, but I am aware of the risk of getting a buckle stuck. There are a lot of reasons to keep them working side by side, but with young stock you are teaching them and some line solutions might be useful.

[Donn Hewes]

For work with a tongue, (teams hooked to a wagon or a forecart, for example) you want room between the horses, and you also want room between the singletrees so they are not rubbing on the tongue. If you look at an evener on the ground you can tell if it belongs on a wagon or not. if the single trees almost touch it was made for work like logging or dragging a harrow, etc. I know I said above that 36″ double trees would be a little tight for a bigger horse, but I just went out and measured several ( all the hay equipment is in the front yard at the moment) and all but one of my double trees is 36″. Most have about 28″ single trees. They would work fine for most big horses and most pieces of equipment (my horses and mules probably range from 1400# to 2000#). Ideally you would have all the doubletrees on the place be the same size as that will reduce messing with the lines for different widths. Most mowing machines came stock around 36″ I believe. This allows the animals to fit infront of the mower without walking in the unmowed grass. Maybe that is why the rest of my eveners are that size? in some cases, like long hours of hot work, more room between the horses (read longer evener and neck yoke) will help big horses stay cool. That is the long answer.

[Donn Hewes]

Like most toe cracks this one had been a long time in the making. It has been there since I bought her and I have been trying to resolve it with constant attention to the trimming. I have tried to score across it to get some good hoof growing. I have tried to file off where her hoof wants to flare out on the side as this is what puts the pressure on the toe to crack in the first place. Anyway, that is how I got here. My new horse, lady, has been here a week and she is hard at work. She just got a brand new collar in the UPS truck today.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Jean, I am very sorry to hear about the events with Kruiser. While I think it is ultimately a very personal decision I really appreciate your opening it here. it is valuable for all of us to be reminded of the responsibility we have and how difficult it can be.

There are always details about what exactly happened that you will wonder about. What if I had done this or that. That is OK. None of us was there so it is impossible to say.

I agree with Carl, in that I wouldn’t try and make a quick decision, but I wouldn’t leave him standing around either. Go out and make him move around, do the things he knows how to do, Then you will find out if you can reconnect with him. I guess it is some what of a personality thing but I am like Carl in that I hate to give up on a horse. I think there are two explanations for that. First is plain hubris – believing I can “fix” what is wrong. The second is that a horse that isn’t doing exactly what I want is so interesting to me and I feel like I can learn from it. None of these motivators may apply to you.

Finally, I will say I have given up on a horse or two. I am always reminded of a horse logger friend who I visited one weekend while he was selling a horse. It looked like a nice horse so I asked why? Well, he was in the business of making money from moving logs with horses and this horse was never going to make any money. Valuable lesson for me because of what I said above about wanting to fix them all. What is it that you want from your time with horses? Do you want to train them?

I hope all the injuries heal, and you find a safe, productive place for Kruiser, either home or else where. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

i use the fly nets all the time. In a rainy summer like this the green heads and other big biting flies are a real pain. In my Midwest leather catolog they are $42. more than I remembered but what isn’t. they are made of nylon string and last for a few years. the daily use and I just throw them over the hames and quickly attaching them on the back is kind of hard on them. I think they help a lot. I got a new horse this week! 7 year old Percheron Mare, two days on the mowing machine this week already. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

A 36″ evener with 26″ single trees will work fine. They will work on a bigger horse but would be a little tight for a 1800# or 2000#. A longer one would would work fine too. Just be sure the neck yoke matches the evener you choose, and adjust your lines if needed to make sure the heads are the same distance apart as the evener and neck yoke. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

I have worked Halflingers, mules, and Percherons together many times. Measure the tugs on one harness and compare it to the harness of the halflinger. Add a few links to make them the same. Then, count from the end to use the same length on each. People all ways ask what if one walks faster than the other, or pulls harder than the other? I say, who decides how fast we go?, or what we pull? It is fun to mix them together.

[Donn Hewes]

Way to go Erik, It is nice to have the problem of plenty. My wife is screaming because the ewes are milking so well, she is working overtime making all the cheese! talk to you soon, Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Geoff, Remember, I lived in Wa State for 17 years before NY. I understand about the weather out there. With the incredible drying that is available to you all summer, it doesn’t make sense to mow more in one day than you want to finish in one day. Depending on all the varables that may often be the next day. Don’t let the 100 ac. guys lead you astray. We do the same here, (only mow what we can put away). It just takes a few extra days sometimes. Also remember, getting rained on won’t ruin hay. It won’t be as good as it was but a shower in a dry climate with quick drying afterward isn’t a big deal. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Rod, My tedder has snow tires or something like that, not lugged tires. Never had a problem with the belts. Stuck a work for two sunny days. Just about kills me.

[Donn Hewes]

hi Ed, I have had pretty good luck with used snow tires from the tire store on my spreader. no ideas on the gear. DH

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