[Jay]

I hear and acknowledge the pain you speak of. I am more familliar with it than I wish. Try to give yourself some time and don’t be too hard on yourself. I tell myself that this is the other side of the wonderful aspects of working with raw life. We can’t have one with some of the other. I expect there isn’t a one of us reading this that hasn’t been in a similar position. We have you and Lee in our thoughts and prayers. Peace, Jay

[Jay]

George, thanks for sharing this story/warning with us. Glad it ended ok for you. Jay

[Jay]

Thanks for posting this. A pleasure to watch the horses and teamster. Jay

[Jay]

I believe the farmers are Frank Hunter and Kim Peavey. They have been running a horse powered CSA for more than a dozen years. Good folks. Jay

[Jay]

Dara, we use net fencing for goats all the time. 2 milking does. They need to be trained to a HOT fence from the beginning. Don’t be tempted to use fencing that “should be ok” It will teach a goat who would stay in good fence that it can get out and you’ll regret it… Good fence with no brakes is well worth it. They do such a great job of keeping the brush trimmed back. They often like to eat: grass/legume feed, weeds, brush, and “other”, so having a variety of feed in their space is often good (if you have it). good luck. Jay

[Jay]

I echo Jesse’s appreciation of all the comments and descriptions of what each of you do. Even though we may often think we know what others do, it is so helpful to see/read the thinking behind what is done stated- helps with perspective. Thanks to all for writing and also to all who may not have written, but just for being there….. Jay

[Jay]

Again, I ditto Donn. If the knife is plugged (tight with grass and wont move easily) I (as Donn said) back up a step or 2, kick it out of gear, slide off the seat with lines in left hand, and carefully pull the hay off/out of the guards, putting the cut hay BEHIND the cutter bar where it wont plug me up again. I make sure there is NO cut hay in front of the bar. Then I make sure the pitman/knife is free by turning it with my hand or sometimes my foot. Then I’m ready to go again, making sure the knife is moving before it has to start cutting more hay. Take the time it takes, so it takes less time. Jay

[Jay]

I use similar settings to Donn’s for the same reasons. Jay

[Jay]

Ed, it’s not like any cultivator I have seen before. It’s definitely not like any IH or JD I’ve ever seen. Looks like it works though. Jay

[Jay]

Thanks for the description and picture. Good going. Jay

[Jay]

Anthony,
I am just starting mine out on grass – about 1/2 hour AM and PM for four of days now and they seem to be reacting in similar ways to what you are describing- though not running away as I work with them constantly to continue to pay attention to me, to me to, to me, to me,… I do so not by hanging on or even shaking the halter though I sometimes do that, but by slowing my body down and if they don’t slow down as well, they get a quick backwards kick in the shins from me. Their response is instantaneous. It seems to be an instinct to back away from being kicked by another horse. They very quickly back off. When stopped, if I lean backwards, I expect them to back up a step. I am always paying attention to my body language – When I start forward, they see and respond to the slightest movement of my body starting to lean forward (or backward). If they are not paying appropriate attention to my leading, I will often stop and ask them to back as described above, continuing backwards a step or two at a time till I see them chew, often an indication of “Oh, I guess he really does mean business, I guess I’d better really pay attention”.
Your description of the horse looking for the limits is great and what I often find with mine also. They seem to be continually looking for the limits – “are they still there? are they still the same? Oh, good.” 5 seconds later “are they still there? are they still the same? Oh, good.” 5 seconds later…… Horses really are pushers of the limits and seem to need to be assured that the limits are still there and the same many more times than we would think that anyone would need to so be assured. The horses I have who push the limits like that seem to be my best workers. When that drive to push gets harnessed they can be really productive. Jay

[Jay]

Handsome little mule there, nice color. Jay

[Jay]

I ditto John’s comments. So far seems to be working to day. Jay

[Jay]

I just had my lines out using them today spreading manure. Nice to be able to use 3 on the spreader sometimes. The middle horse cross check is 7′ and the cross check to the inside of the outside horse is 10″. These are beta lines about 10 years old – not sure who made them. There are holes over about 12″ to adjust each of the cross-checks. I sometimes run the longer cross-check through rings on the back/rump of the middle horse to keep them from slipping down around that horse. Jay

[Jay]

I agree with many comments above. I have shorteded all my short (front) tugs to 20″ (I have 15-2 to 16-1 Suffolks). As has been said, the 24″ length is far too long for this size horse. Jay

[Author]

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