[mitchmaine]

Absolutely andy, its totally about us. animals live in the natural world. People do not. When we enter the natural world, it is to bring back something to prop up our artificial world. Dead animals, wood, minerals, oil etc. all taken usually under conditions of high impact. Corporations, profit driven, don’t seem too concerned with the damage. Smaller groups, we included, who might believe in climate change or global warming seem more sensitive to the issues. Homesteaders, including some of us again, see the problems up closer, and in spite of what we could or are doing to deal with the problems aforementioned, are or seem to be outnumbered by the ones who work and live for money.
Northern new England, or maine for sure, seem to be full of like minded folk who live and teach by example. Much more than fifteen or twenty years ago. Its wonderful to see and hear it, and it gives me some hope for the future.

[mitchmaine]

isn’t it the just the greatest tool robert? can you imagine time before the peavey? the wood was bigger and the tools were who knows what. i have three old timers, none better than the others except the handle lengths. i think i bought one but the others came with family stuff. i love the peavey.

[mitchmaine]

hi jen,
sorry to hear about you bumps and bruises. i seem to remember that the third day out is or seems to be the worst.

thanks for telling your story. i have to go through the same dance here soon. i sold two really good twitch horses this past year, and now have to split up a strong young team of geldings that have teamed together their whole lives. if i want a single that is. i have been putting it off and twitching with them as a team. its overkill for sure, and a little clumsy but they go well together. its easy to forget what can happen when things go different out here, so thanks for the heads up, even if it wasn’t meant that way. hope you are on the mend and feel better soon. mitch

[mitchmaine]

hey robert,
a cant dog has no point in the end of it. its use is in the sawmill rolling cants on the brow and carriage.
a guy drove a pike point in the end of a cant dog and thats became the peavey. and into the woods it went. i think he invented it for the log drive really, cause thats where you see the pikes used. he really just made a pike pole with a cant dog on it. (or is it a cant dog with a pike in it?) hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…………………………

[mitchmaine]

i wouldn’t put it that way, tim. but i know alot of jobs are easier, quicker sometimes if you just get up and go do it your self. i pushed my horses when i shouldn’t have many times, now thats being an a-hole, now i look at it different, wished i’d done somethings different, thats all.

[mitchmaine]

i remember working in the woods with my dad and brother. it was a great time, working talking and laughing. i guess we must have cut some wood too, can’t remember. anyways, when my kids were small, it was alot easier and faster to go in and cut alone. they grew up and are gone and i’m still cutting alone. i have my system and it still seems to work. but i really miss the sound of that laughter sometimes. i’m taking a firm stand on taking the kids in to the woodlot, regardless of how much time you gain or lose. good for them and you too, especially if they end up rolling logs off yor cell phone so you can call out to tell someone your ok

[mitchmaine]

happy that everything worked out for you george. your son was more dependable than your cell phone. chuck the phone and keep your son with you. stay safe.

[mitchmaine]

hey ed,
if you only needed room on your front wall to roll in a 16 footer, you could sheath 3 1/2 feet or so on each side of the front wall, therby needing only an 18 foot header. hemlock 6×8 would carry that alright. you could move the opening anywhere on the wall, for that matter.

[mitchmaine]

thank you charly, i really enjoyed this. the hand tools put a much different pace to the job. the work becomes human again. i noticed the sawyer is missing a finger, they sure do eat alot. thanks again.

[mitchmaine]

if you don’t want the high stumps after logging, you can cut them off at ground level and split them for stove wood

[mitchmaine]

I know (and it was mentioned here) that in the not too distant past, the only method available to would be teamsters was to buy a horse, and mentor or not, hitch up and go, learn as you went , drink heavy and hope for the best. A bunch of us did it and made it through alive to tell, with some great stories to boot.
My ‘ worry’ is that in our digital dvd/computer world, that the very tool, that brings information, might in fact, inhibit some potential teamsters from biting the bullet, stepping up and going for it. Waiting for some moment when the machine or someone tells them that the time is right.
My hope is that carl’s green horse/greenhorn thread could be a great way to “humanize” the process, by watching someone with new and limited skills struggle a little to find their way. The “how to” videos are wonderful, and show all how something should be done, but a good screw-up video, adds some reality to the process, and a little humility, and might help nudge a few wanna-be’s into the game.
Great idea, carl. Can’t wait to see it happen. mitch

[mitchmaine]

Hello Kenneth,
This is a strong assumption on my part, but if your horse hasn’t come at you with her teeth or feet, I might not call her mean or hateful. Again, an assumption, never having seen your horse in action, it seems like she is pitching her fit to keep from expending extra energy (working in harness), and getting rewarded by turning her loose to feed in the pasture or her stall. Sounds like its been going on for a while, but all strong assumptions taken from what I’m hearing. When you bought her did you see that she was dead broke, or did you just hear that? You might have the makings of a good horsethere in disguise.

[mitchmaine]

hi donn,
everytime i have a good day with my horses, i usually walk in the barn, step on a hoe and pop myself in the chops. its a good balance. but i do love an ah-ha moment.
and i always appreciate your remarks on horsemanship. pressure release, line tension and so on.
thanks alot and happy christmas bud, good to hear you. mitch

[mitchmaine]

lynn miller had an old teamster friend way back, who said something like “the longer i do this the less i know and the easier it gets.” hope i got that correct.
happy christmas, tim

[mitchmaine]

Thanks billy and tim, I had been thinking about the subject when it popped up in this thread so I thought I might just add that bit. I have helped out at the lif workshops up in unity. And when you take on the job of teaching someone horsemanship, you darned well better have some. That said, I was wondering what I actually know about the subject, and it is hard to evaluate just what you know. Compared to what? What you don’t know? and then be able to articulate just what it is you think you might know. It gets confusing quickly. That prompted the remark about the experience being yours alone. We can trade anecdotes and stories about runaways, and that is important stuff, but until you have one, or get through one, more importantly, the communication gets foggy. A shared experience creates much better understanding. And I am not saying a runaway is a necessary tool for understanding horsemanship, but it might keep you on your toes and offer some anticipation, or the two seconds you might need to keep the next one from happening. I just don’t believe in bad horses, just poor communication. I have never had a horse ask me for anything, but I continually ask my horse(s) for something so ……..sorry, still thinking about it. mitch

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