[Carl Russell]

Tevis, your points are good. I think there is a difference between “roughing” it, and living without for extended periods of time. We live entirely off grid, and even still we use all the power we make. I think that as long as we as a culture have large amounts of power available, we will continue to use it. The “pot-heads” used to say, “have a lot, smoke a lot, have a little, smoke it all”. I think that reflects a pretty common human condition, and until we have to live without, we will use all we can.

I know that even though I know how to feed myself, build a fire in the down-pouring rain, and scrap together shelter, I’m saving those skills like a bank account, even though I know that it would be a lot cheaper, with less environmental impact.

I often relate it to plants in a drought. They will continue to grow with all of their potential regardless of the environmental restrictions. Being biological organisms, I think we are prone to the same preconditioning. When the drought hits, then those of us with advantageous adaptations can implement other methods.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

George, the britchen should be snug even when not on a pole. I think your problem has to do more with the placement. If it’s too low, and snug then it will be too tight as the horse steps. Raise it up and when snug it will not be affected by the stride, and therefore won’t be TOO tight. I like to see some hair worn away, not raw to the skin, but noticeable. As far as the pole, the britchen will be tightened when hitched, but the significance of those photos is the placement.
I’ll attach one ground skidding. The britchen does separate a bit from the rump, but you can see the it is much higher than where yours are.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

A couple of photos, Carl

[Carl Russell]

George,

Front trace, d-ring, jack saddle, and belly band look great. Britchen is too low. In fact the spider on top of the rump should be moved forward.

Side strap shortened to snug the britchen close to the rump, sung enough to feel the snugness when you slip your hand in there. Being that snug, the britchen needs to be above the movement of the hind leg, just below the round part of the rump. Judging from the pics, the britchen should come up to split the distance about halfway from where it is now to the tail, (8″ or so?). The whole britchen assembly should be moved forward so shorten the top straps first.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Welcome Steve. We’ve been finding this site to be a good meeting space for horse-loggers (as well as others). Great to have you on board.
Carl

[Carl Russell]

Good to have you here Wayne. Feel free to chime in, Carl

[Carl Russell]

We’re paying $35/dry round bale organic fist cut, $4.50/ organic second cut square bale, and $3.50/ square bale good quality conventional first cut, in central Vermont. These are good long-time relationships, and even though I know others paying more, we pay what they want, and buy every year.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Two photos showing the team with each type of yoke, Carl

[Carl Russell]

I have used both on the same pair of Holsteins, and I’d say you pretty well laid out the pros and cons.

I liked the head yoke because I could see how the animals could move together, and they seemed to relate to pushing with their foreheads. I never used a cart when I used the head yoke, but I can see how that may cause some discomfort for them. Flies, and standing in the woods in the summer waiting for me to hitch them seemed to cause them a great deal of frustration, due to the lack of free movement.

[IMG]http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/index.php?n=33[/IMG]

As far as the neck yoke, I used it for the most part because I had more access to them because of the regional convention. Although NS isn’t that far away, I had to travel there for guidance, and hardware, so my enthusiasm waned as time went by. I found as my cattle grew and I expected more from them in the woods, I think they traveled more freely in the neck yoke. Also I don’t think the Holsteins long neck was favorable for use with the head yoke, and they seemed to be able to apply more power in the neck yoke.
[IMG]http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/index.php?n=16[/IMG]

Carl

[Carl Russell]

One other solution I have used to advantage is to sharpen the caulks of the pulling shoe. I cut a “v” out of the center of the front bar and sharpen the 2 resulting caulks. The outside heel caulk I sharpen with the bevel on the back side of the caulk, and the inside caulk I sharpen laterally with the bevel on the side facing the other foot. The orientation of the caulks is similar to the way I set up the drive caulks. This works pretty well, and I’ve used them for several winters while I was out of drive caulks.

Yeah, they used to say Vermont has really long winters, followed by 3 months of damn poor sledding. Really, I only use the sharp shoes Dec-Mar,Apr.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

I finally have a minute to expound on the ice shoe thing.

Practical application of animal power depends on giving advantage to the animals when applying their power to a task. Frozen conditions, especially ice, or at least hard packed frozen snow, offer incredible advantage for transporting logs, or any heavy load for that matter.

Borium and drill-tek offer some protection against slipping if you are just traveling on a icy road, or crossing some icy patches on a skid trail, but when you get 600, 800, or 1000 BF on a sled on ice you want to have shoes with fail-safe traction.

I got several pair of these drive caulk shoes about 15 years ago, and found them to be excellent. There are dropped forged steel so they wear very little. The weak link is that they haven’t been made for years, and I eventually ran out of caulks. Last winter I was told of an old-timer who had a bucket of shoes in his barn, including three un-opened boxes of caulks.

I only use these shoes in the winter, to save them explicitly for use on ice. During the 3 other months, I use a store bought pulling shoe, which are virtually useless right now with all the rain and ice we’ve been getting. I plan to put on the drive caulks this weekend, then get the bobsled out and start packing a trail.

They do look dangerous, but I have found that the horses get very few injuries, and it is always winter when I use them, so the cuts are clean, and generally heal quickly. The biggest problem is they cut up the barn floor wicked.

Carl.

[Carl Russell]

No doubt, but when you’re working horses on frozen ground, and icy skid trails, there’s no question about solid footing.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

There you are. Great to have you here Erika.
Putting ice shoes on this weekend, then back to business.
See you soon? Carl

[Carl Russell]

Miles, There is a herd in South Randolph. I’m not sure I’m going to post their contact info here, but if you haven’t found out about them yet, contact me.
Carl

[Carl Russell]

Great!! Good to have you here.

Carl

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