Moving Heavy Loads With Horses

As a result of the horse pulling thread I thought I would start one talking about how I go about getting my horses, and oxen, to move heavy loads.

I will say up front that I have never been even reasonably successful at competitive pulling, so I am not speaking to the techniques of training for that sport. That being said, a few months after I bought my first horse, in 1986, I had a friend bring his skidder over to help me pull up a large pine tree that had not fallen where I thought I could not get it with my single horse. That was the last tree in over twenty years that I have not been able to move and put right where I wanted it to go, with animals only.

There is a big difference between moving a working load versus a load in the pulling ring. The load in the ring is extremely heavy, but the terrain is level, and typically the pull is for only a short distance, versus the working load needs to be reasonable because of the variable terrain, and the effort of the horses needs to be managed because the distance that the load is moved can be quite far.

I am currently working a team that I started last spring. Due to family, weather, and other work, I was only able to do some basic work with them last summer, like harrowing, dragging pastures, plowing, and some limited logging.

It wasn’t until the fall that I was able to start working them more regularly in the woods, and therefore starting to get them moving heavy loads. I generally go by the adage, go light and go often, even when the animals are in condition, because this helps them to become comfortable and confident with the act of moving weight over the rough terrain in the woods.

I do not strike my horses to encourage them to pull. I will use a “marshmallow” stick to touch them at the tail head, a brief irritation to reinforce my command to “get up”. I will sometime “Bark” at them to get their attention, but yelling and generally being loud only makes them nervous, and does nothing to improve their workability.

As they become more confident, starting the loads together, straining on inclines, I will increase the size of the loads. I generally think that 200-250 BF, or 1/2 cord, or 1800-2200 lbs is a good working load for a team, but depending on the lay of the land, and where the trees are, it may be smaller, or larger.

The real key to getting horses to move really heavy loads in the woods is that I never make them move them very far. To begin with, I may hitch them to a whole tree, pulling it onto a skid trail where I will cut it down to a size that I know they can easily take to the landing. That way they are challenged to move the weight, but not worked to death trying to get it all the way to the landing.

There are lots of techniques like a rolling hitch, or swinging a log to start, or equipment like sleds and carts that lessen the friction, but at some point the strength of the animals has to be a tool that I can call on. With this in mind, I am constantly looking for those opportunities to exceed the last effort, even when it is not needed. Obviously if they only get asked for that effort when it is absolutely required then they will never be ready, and that is a downward spiral of experience.

Often I will fluctuate the size of the hitches, like small and easy to start, moving onto a few big ones, then a few easier, with a really big effort, followed by a couple of light ones to cool down. It really comes down to conditioned strength, and conditioned confidence. If they think I’m going to pin them down with ever hitch, and then drive them into the ground, they will stop pulling for me. But if they get used to being able to move the load, and confident that I will not abuse their effort, they will give all they got when I ask for it.

As I said I started last fall working on firewood, and about 8 weeks ago the weather hit a pretty good stretch so I have been continuing to work this team several days a week, exclusively in the woods. We have been cutting pine for the last 2-3 weeks, in 3 1/2 feet of snow. Because the snow is so deep we have to make main skid trails, and fell everything pretty much so we can get a hold of it from there, because it is too much work to cut saplings and deadfall, and clean up brush to get to each log, or to every stump.

I do use a 15 foot chain that I keep on my cart so we can reach out a little farther, and after we pull a few out of one area, we can stretch the skid trail a little farther, but in a lot of cases I end up pulling these trees full length, by the butt or tip, to get them out of the deep snow, and onto the trail.

These pines are growing in a stand that I started crop tree release in 1980, so there are some pretty good beauties, 4-16’s 600-700 BF. Now you want to see a pair of horses pull their guts out. All with the tension of the lines, and the slightest squeak from my lips. The footing is poor, and these pieces of timber have a mind of their own, so even though I know this is nowhere near the weight of a winning load at a pull, non-the-less it’s pretty impressive. We will lay down saplings across the fall of the tree to give rails so the tree skids easier, also.

When the tree is out at least far enough so we can reach the second half, we cut it in two, and take half to the landing which is about 1000 feet distant. It is mostly down hill the first half, and they can handle the 300 board feet of so pretty easy, except for the mud hole, which I usually rest them before. I don’t rest them for long, but just so I can see that they are breathing easy, and are relaxed, and waiting for me. When I pick up the tension I say ready, and they wait for me to squeak.

The second 500 feet is all uphill, so I have to manage their effort a little differently. I stop them at the bottom, just a few breaths and relaxation, then we head up the slope. I will watch them, how well they work together, how their footing is, and watch their heads to see their attitude. When I see them just starting to tire, I will stop them, regardless of where I am on the hill, with the exception of the second mud hole.

I always stop my horses while pulling uphill, because they need to know I am not going to drive them until they can’t go anymore, and because if they can’t start it, they can’t pull it, so they should be able to start a good working load pretty much anywhere. Also starting a load on a hill is another good test for their stoutness. Sometimes with really big hitches I will only ask twenty feet out of them before I give them a rest. This goes for anytime I have a really big effort from them, recognize the slightest tries, and never take more than you need.

Anyway they can get pretty worked up sometimes from moving a big load, but they still listen, and drive accordingly, and as soon as I unhitch, as they move ahead and feel no load, they walk nice and easy back to get the next hitch.

Carl