[Gabe Ayers]

Thanks young man, send me a mailing address and I will send you Chronicles of the Biological Woodsmen DVD, belated winter solstice/Christmas gift.

~

[Gabe Ayers]

Happy Holidays to all on DAP.

May your expectations be realistic and your ability to serve them be exceptional.

The daily work goes on, feeding and tending the animals, so a farmer won’t vacate, but still appreciate this special time of year for reflection on the past and future.

Frankly most of us are glad to see 2009 be gone….let’s move on…

~

[Gabe Ayers]

I think the hame covers are definitely to protect the collars from weather. Since they are stuffed with straw it makes sense to preserve them by keeping them dry.

When folks only had horses to work they were forced to work rain or shine and protecting the collars provided a nice place to be decorative too. This would be especially true for freight or stage coach services, which would move on the roads regardless of weather.

A small conflict is the suggestion by some to put a collar in a bath tub with the face down to soften it to fit the horse. I have never done this and figure the horse will shape the collar to fit him with work and they will get tougher all the while.

They have morphed into highly decorative things such as the big ones with swinging dangles on the top like the hitch horses.

On the contrary in warm clear weather I could see it making the horses hotter to have these covers on.

~

[Gabe Ayers]

We are definitely interested in supporting this development.

Our DRAFTWOOD program is a model we wish to share where we can. It is bottom up change that uses the source story to sell the goods. There are benefits that are supported by the current LEEDS green certification system. I look forward to growing this approach to helping us all make a living doing the right things in the forest.

We have a brochure called “What Every Forest Landowner Needs to Know about Modern Horse Logging”. We print them and then give the Biological Woodsmen a rubber stamp to put their contact information on a space on the back. We just had it reworked by our local high school image technology class and will take it to the printers as soon as we get through the year and figure out our budget of lack of for the coming year. We have also supplied the woodsmen with banners to post at their landings advertising their jobs too.

There is another concept we will share is called Consumer Supported Forestry (CSF). This is a take off on the CSA garden deal and will bring the consumer into the forest to see the actual trees their products will be made from. It also allows some money down on a project that lets the ground level worker afford to produce value added products. We have had folks actually furnish most of their home with DRAFTWOOD furniture, flooring, paneling, beams and anything we could make from what we harvest. This can also be a project that works with a landowner that is building on their own property.

Lots of good stuff to share on our marketing strategies.

Hope everyone gets through the holidays with a sense of joy among their families and friends.

~

[Gabe Ayers]

Dear Draft Driver in VA.,

We have done such things as a part of normal forest management. A main skid trail fed by smaller trails are put throughout the woodlot. Often those trails are connected at the far ends for pleasure riding and walking. They are sometimes used by ATV’s, hunters, but always at the control of the landowner.

Getting the landowner’s to be in their woods regularly could be beneficial for them to identify and collect edible gourmet mushrooms. But that takes real landowner education.

This is not something I could reasonably price to come and do by the hour. It is just to far away. We live west of Roanoke, Va. on the edge of Appalachia, so we are probably more than two hundred miles away.

I would suggest being careful to put the trails on the contour or as level as you can to get to point a and b. It is hard dangerous work cutting down trees, so be careful that you know what you are doing there.

Also there is a good case for putting up gates to keep 4 wheelers and rambling kids in 4WD’s out of your trails. You just have to have your horses broke to stand while you open the gate or an assistant to be your gate opener.

~

[Gabe Ayers]

I bet that would work good.

If this snow doesn’t go somewhere down stream soon I would like to get some of those bolt on wheels to runner replacements the Amish make and try them to move some wood. Something will have to happen soon, this snow is not going away.

[Gabe Ayers]

Leon Minckler retired at Va. Tech. He was my forestry mentor, in my mind anyway.

Once many years ago he told me after hearing my little presentation about horse logging, that he would support it – with all his heart ~ but if he ever caught me high grading, that he was going to get me with a high hazard or a falling limb, for taking the best. The implication being that he was going to remain in the forest in a spiritual sense as a ghost/spirit in the woods. We have had several drinks by that time of the evening at a party in his honor.

He loved the woods.

I think he said something like: “If Forester’s would take their job seriously they could be some of the most influential players on the survival of the the planet…. that was about 40 years ago – or something to that effect, I am paraphrasing from an old memory, but the point is that the forest is a critical part of our ecosystem and that it’s life support value alone should guarantee and earn the best care.

Now the challenge is to make the work pay for the services of the folks that actually do it. Do it, meaning provide the best care of the forest.

You definitely have to have a forest management plan to apply for the Federal programs, but I think you can write it yourself. It is a neat to work with the woods outside the Department of Forestry. Call you NRCS guy and asked about getting enrolled on the programs that he thinks can help you achieve you goals as stated in your forest management plan.

This may vary from state to state.

We share no finer teachers than the forest and an animal ~ horse/mule/oxen.

Still in the snow here…with a dam freezing rain ice storm forecast for Christmas eve night….

~

[Gabe Ayers]

I don’t know if that is a general question?

The horses in the photos look sweet on the bit. I think that is a female driver and she looks pretty comfortable having them in hand.

I definitely use a lever bit and have for about twenty five years now. Before that we would have runaways, you can’t hold any scared horse with a snaffle or friction bit.

But that still means you have to have sensitive touch and reward their movement with lighter touch, giving them a little freedom every time they slow down or come back to you, in pace, in response to a reasonable contact in their mouths. If you are able to keep good form while driving you are able to keep the horses sweetly moving at a reasonable rate.

But there is a lot of feel to it and some horses have all sorts of history that any driver or trainer may take a while to get through and have a light touch with them.

Of course the lever bit is adjustable, so you certainly can put less effort into more signal and that softens their pulling on the bit and when adjusted properly won’t callous or scar their mouths, like friction bits.

I suspect some of the other hands on here can speak to this soften their mouths issue.

Good Thread man.

~~~

[Gabe Ayers]

Solar power is best and animal power is that mostly by using the energy collected by plants to power biological creatures that help us met our needs.
Biological power is the original I suppose.

Having just spent the last four days beating the snow back so folks can go to work or not have to walk up long driveways carrying groceries, I am familiar with the “tired” of doing it this way. I love it. The fact that the machines and devices involve my personal presence and participation, even my weight, as well as guidance, steering and leadership with the animals, make this a superior way in my mind and pocket book.

There is something to be said for being in a reality (although self created) that animal power is the only way to get something done. This is where I am and where I want to be. It is a great pleasure and wonderful physical, as well as mental, emotional, and as some would suggest spiritual experience. It is a sweet bodily tiredness at the end of the effort, a pleasure to breath hard every day along with my animals. Some folks enjoy using their bodies (endorphins). Some are renewed, strengthened, gifted as a reward, earned by their own sweat. I think this culture is a blessing and enhances the human spirit to be partnered with other living creatures to survive, in fact – thrive.

I can’t get the attachment feature to work, so I am going to post some in the gallery of the road grader working in the snow…

Regards, DAP

[Gabe Ayers]

Solar power is best and animal power is that somewhat by using the energy collected by plants to power biological creatures that help us met our needs.

Having just spent the last four days beating the snow back so folks can go to work or not have to walk up long drives carrying groceries I am familiar with the “tired” of doing it this way. I love it. The fact that the machines and devices involve my personal presence and participation, even my weight, as well as guidance, steering and leadership with the animals, make this a superior way in my mind and pocket book.

There is something to said for being in a reality (although self created) that animal power is the only way to get something done. This is where I am and where I want to be. It is a great pleasure and wonderful physical, as well as mental, emotional, and as some would suggest spiritual experience. It is a sweet bodily tiredness at the end of the effort, a pleasure to breath hard every day along with my animals. Some folks enjoy using their bodies (endorphins). Some are renewed, strengthened, gifted as a reward, earned by their own sweat. I think this culture is a blessing and enhances the human spirit to be partnered with other living creatures to survive, in fact – thrive.

I get the attachment feature to work so I am going to post some in the gallery of the road grader working in the snow…

Regards, DAP

[Gabe Ayers]

Well having been a horseman for around 40 years now I have heard some anti-animal comments and attitudes. I must say it is a minority of folks overall.

I think the common theme of those that speak negatively toward animal powered culture is about jealousy, a very insidious and evil emotion.

Some of the folks that talk down animal powered culture are resentful that they don’t have the skills to work animals. It seems there is also a frequent resentment over the independence the animal powered culture provides for the practitioner. There is the issue of less investment up front which keeps one from being a slave to debt and in service to paying interest on loans to operate. That reality alone allows one to be more independent in your decisions about what you will do with your animals. You are more likely able to make your own decisions and not just work for the “man”.

Well I would continue on this, but we have a neighbor with animals out on the road in the middle of this terrible snow storm, we have to go help….so I will return to this later….

hope everyone in the mid-Atlantic is hanging on somehow…that’s what we are doing….

Kind Regards,

[Gabe Ayers]

Not too dangerous. I will agree there are some differences, but not enough to push one ahead of the other. Plus, you need horses to make mules. I treat it like another draft breed. If you like Belgians, drive Belgians, if you like mules, drive mules. If you are like me you will drive them all together. Donn Hewes, AKA Mulemandonn

[Gabe Ayers]

Hi Matt and Mark, Donn Hewes here, (not Jason). Only my two cents, but mules and horses are not that different and I don’t treat them differently. Individuals vary more than the breeds (or Species!) vary in my opinion. There are lots of different views on this site about how best to handle these green animals. If you review some old threads you will discover a lot of horse and mule training discussions.

Two basic thoughts come to mind. One is i like to get each individual working single for a while before I put them together. Second, regardless if they are single or a team the first few things you hook to must be chosen carefully. Here are just a few basic considerations. Too light or small is the worst, Too big or heavy is nearly as bad but too heavy is a much less frequent mistake and it is much easier to fix with little damage provide you are paying attention. Light and noisy is worst of all. We want to let them adjust and learn to except noises, we just don’t want to do it all at once! An old rake can be one of the hardest things to hook a green team to – light and noisy. The very best thing for the first pull for a green or untested animal is a short log. Lots of hooking and unhooking and standing.

I would also recommend the three step method of starting an animal or team you are uncertain of. Take three steps and stop. Plan to stop again even if you don’t need too. That preparation to stop will help you a great deal when an animal reacts worse than you expected to a new challenge. A good, safe, method.

Those small escapes are hard on the mule from a training stand point. Other small objects behind the animals have caused some bad accidents. I am glad no one got hurt. Keep us posted on how these mules get going. Donn

[Gabe Ayers]

Whew!!! I thought next years teamsters breakfast was in the wind!

[Gabe Ayers]

Donn Hewes (Jason’s computer) Two work horses are standing near the road (in a fence) eating their morning grain. A truck drives by and a large piece of cardboard flies up in their faces. Untied and unharnessed, their heads fly up and they race away from this obvious danger. It is a few minutes before they are munching grain again, and they still look over the shoulder in the direction the cardboard came from. In a strange way they proved my point. If these horses had been in harness and working we all know that they could have calmly and safely dealt with a simple piece of card board, blinders or no. The difference between the two events is our presence and our preparation. Their ability to adapt and accept our leadership is a constant source of amazement to me.

Tack is important. If I am worthy of their trust I will always try to improve what I do with my hands on the lines, the leadership I provide, and my understanding of the tack they wear and how it affects them.

Mulemandonn hiding out in Southern Virginia.

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