Forum Replies Created
- AuthorPosts
Brad Johnson
ParticipantDonn-
I have one horse in my team, a Suffolk gelding, that is just a headstrong worker. No matter who he is paired with, he always works a bit harder and requires a bit more guidance from me through the lines and my voice commands. His partner is a great puller, but is softer on the bit most times. I have found that using levered bits, with the gelding’s lines set down off the bit ring and his partner’s lines on the ring, allows me to use similar line tension on them both. I am not sure if this is the smartest way to keep their heads together, but it seems to be working. Bob is very compliant, but he does like to take the lead when they pull a load. Other thoughts?
-BradParticipantCarl-
Great to see you working with that mare – she is a super horse and you two look like you belong together! I hope that she continues to be useful to you and vice versa…
-BradParticipantCarl-
I have looked further at the job for this winter, and I need to talk to you by email or phone about the details. The long and short of it is that I do not think this is a good lot for to start on with your mare, as the skids are steep and technical. That is to say, I cannot pay you to work with us. If you are interested in a traditional, unpaid internship, let’s talk. If you are set on generating income this winter with your horse, you may want to consider other options. Let’s talk some more about it – give me a call or email when you can. Thanks.
-BradParticipantEd-
My daughter and I ride both our drafts. She rides comfortably bareback, but I am not a skilled rider so I keep it to a walk. I also have two riding pads with stirrups – essentially a cheap saddle alternative but with a simple bridle makes the ride more comfortable and safer for me. I have ridden them up to scout woodlots and some just for fun as well; I think it helps build relationship and trust.
-BradParticipantDonn-
That is interesting, as I have been using three Husky saws for awhile now and never had those bolts come lose. In fact, I crushed the muffler on my 357 and had to put on a used one – I had a difficult time getting the bolts free to change it out. I have used blue locktite on threaded shoe studs for my horses and it works well. I imagine it would hold well there, and would be worth a try.
-BradParticipantI work in a woodlot in Grand Isle. Vt that has lots and lots of small to mid size hornbeam. That wood makes superior poles. I have made round poles with bark on as well as squared poles with taper cut in. It lasts better than ash or oak and has a good amount of flex. I have never cut it on a mill, but use a chainsaw and hand tools to shape the pole. I have used ash and oak in the past but I like the hornbeam best.
-BradParticipantCarl-
Got your message but can’t retrieve your number on my phone. Please call and leave phone number, as I don’t text. Thanks.
-BradParticipantCarl-
Not sure if we have met officially, but I have been to your parents farm in Dresden many times. I managed the farm at Chewonki for several years and am now in central VT logging and farming with a team of horses. I do take a winter apprentice, and as of now do not anyone lined up for this winter. Currently I have more logging work than I can get done – I am turning work away. I work with Bob Capobianco, who has a team and a 45 hp tractor with winch. We are a mixed power operation, but 90% or more of the work at the stump is done with the horses.If this sounds interesting to you, get back in touch with me. That window of time would be fine for me and I have an extra stall in the barn for an additional horse. Don’t have hay but there is plenty around locally at the moment. We could talk about other details.
-BradParticipantThanks for all the suggestions. Seems as though there are some good markets, but may have to wait for cooler fall weather…
-BradParticipantKevin-
I have absolutely no experience with steers, but I have experienced some of the same long term frustrations with the first team of horses that I called my own. Much of what you describe in the steer that just won’t pull his own weight was also true of a Percheron I had named Pete. I spent nearly three years trying to get him to work efficiently in the woods. His partner, Bob, I still have and was always a rugged puller, to the point to being hard to deal with from time to time (when I first got him he reared up every time I hooked the two of them to a load…). Bob improved as we built a good working relationship over time, but Pete’s issues persisted. Pete was super in the field and on small to medium size loads in the woods, but he balked when the loads got bigger. The issue was not physical, but rather mental. Some days it would take 15 mins of encouragement to get him to take off with a big load, but when he did decide to go he pulled it no problem. I could not solve that issue, and after two years I decided to move Pete on to another farm where he would do mostly field work, rather than being in the woods most of the time. The take away for me was that it is tough to solve some issues – they are what they are to some extent. I spent a lot of time beating myself up; I could have done better with him I thought, and that may be true to some extent, but I also think that there are some issues that I cannot do much about. Pete taught me a great deal about myself and horses in general, and he did a lot of good work while he was hear, and for those things I am thankful!
-BradParticipantI have finally finished the book. It really is an excellent resource for those working with horses , and I really appreciate all the work that Stephen and the the folks at Chelsea put in to make it happen. Nice work!!
-BradParticipantJim-
Nice video and great looking team. I have used a go-devil in the past, both in the winter and summer months. I found that it was useful in the deep snow to get the but end of log up enough to pull it, but it took time and effort to get the log on the rig I had. I tried chaining to the side of log and pulling the log ahead to right the load, but found it was too tippy. I much prefer my arch any time the conditions permit – far easier and quicker to hook on to that size log and you can hitch multiple stems easily. Perhaps I was not using hte go-devil properly…Thoughts?
-BradParticipantThanks for the good word Ed. Hope all goes well with your hay!
-BradParticipantMy garden is suffering as well, with some seedlings rotting in the ground. We just need a stretch of good summer weather, for the fields and the woods. Maybe I should have been an accountant…
-BradParticipantDennis-
We raise about 450 broilers in pasture pens each summer. Our feed is a crumble, 21%, that we feed straight thru for about 9-10 weeks. Our silver barred cockerals also eat plenty of grass, bugs, ticks, etc. The feed jumped this year from about $13/50 lb to more almost $16/50 lb – bad grain growing season out west last year is hurting us here. The key for us is that we don’t feed free choie; limiting the grain forces the birds to hunt for in the grass and reduces grain costs by about 10%, not to mention you get a tastier bird. Also, we opur the feed right on the grass so they eat to it.
-Brad- AuthorPosts