What Is This?

@TBigLug 11921 wrote:

Check out the diamond piece on the back of his eveners in this video about 5:35 into it. Is it just a hook welded to a piece of flat steel or is there more to it?

That is what it looks like to me.
As if he has an extra way of hooking multiple logs.
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I looked and he is the same man … just email him and ask.
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That’s a skidding plate, designed by Glenn French if I’m not mistaken. I’ve used several like that, and I’ve made my own variation. It has two grab hooks on each side, for either pulling multiple logs, or if you do a cradle type hitch. There is a slip hook in the center for holding the plate, or for hooking tongs to. My impression of it is that it was longer than it needed to be, thinking about keeping the horses as close to the load as possible. So I made my own version, which isn’t actually a plate, but a a piece of 1″ round stock bent into a big hook (for holding and to attach tongs to) with 2 grab hooks welded on the outside of the big hook. Everything is on a swivel. It is several inches shorter than any skidding plate I’ve seen, and there are times when a few inches can mean the difference between moving a log or not, although they are admittedly few. My personal take is that I want to give the horses every chance that I can give them, and if I can make them a little less tired at the end of each day because they had better lift, I will do it. But I don’t imagine it is the kind of thing that will make or break you. Would be interested to know if there are reasons to have a big wide plate that I haven’t thought of.