[Carl Russell]

I have to disagree about the difficulty of eliminating tongue slap with the D-ring. My extensive experience with several different logging carts with logs hitched high, or long, or however, has been that when adjusted correctly, and hitched tightly, there is little or none.

This is one of the significant indications that the harness is adjusted correctly.

Les Barden actually points this out in his video by driving the cart over bumpy obstacles.

You can’t prevent swaying, but the pole should only sway stiffly, and not cause slapping. Carl

[Carl Russell]

Simon, There is probably more PSI on the portion of the log that touches the ground, but comparatively less overall because weight is also being carried by the wheels. There is much less friction though, making it easier for the animals to pull the load, and causing much less soil disturbance.

Pole slap can be eliminated by correct fitting of the harness, particularly using a D-ring harness where the weight is born on the back pad. When the traces are hitched the tongue weight should be suspended entirely from the back pad, which creates a taught alignment, eliminating slap or sway. Carl

[Carl Russell]

We are working out some details with a neighboring (next to the fairgrounds) farmer to use his corn field for a series of tillage workshops and demonstrations. It is our intention to have opportunities for attendees to be addressed by regional experts about all these details of different equipment, animals, technique, application, and size of hitch etc..

Plow boy, and Rob, I don’t want to make any assumptions because of how far away you are, but you both would add considerable substance to this aspect of the coming field days.

Rather than getting diverted on this thread, anyone with insight, or feedback about this concept, can send e-mail, or Private Message, or throw into one of the other threads that we have been discussing NEAPFD on. I would love for many eyes, and brains, to flesh it out, and possibly make commitments!!!

Thanks Carl

[Carl Russell]

One of the most critical measurements on a D-ring harness is the placement of the D-ring. This is controlled by the jack-saddle straps, the belly band, AND the front trace length.

One of Les’ biggest complaints with harness makers, and my experience backs it up, is they tend to not pay attention to this factor. It is probably because the D-ring is at first glance just a connection point for leather straps.

However, the D-ring needs to be located just behind the front leg where the weight can be born on the withers, not on the back, and the belly band is in front of the barrel, but out of the way of front leg movement. The length of the front trace will govern this, and will allow for the appropriate angle to be maintained off of the collar.

When getting a D-ring harness made, it is imperative that the harness maker understands that, and that the measurement given will facilitate that performance. This may prohibit the refitting of old harness to animals as small as the donkeys in question.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Donn, Great! Hoof care, shoeing, how it gets done, and for what purposes is definitely one of the topics floating near the top, along with grazing systems. We are considering developing “tracks” with successive workshop/presentations fleshing out the topic area. Thanks for your enthusiasm.

Anyone else, we are trying to solidify some of the basics, so if there are particular interests that you are afraid we will overlook, throw them out now.

Also, we dearly need people who will take a ball and run with it, so to speak, as NEAPFD is already too complex for us to micro-manage from inside this log cabin. This is a regional event for all of us, and we want you to feel a sense of ownership, so feel free to pitch in, with ideas, time, presentations, etc.

We will have our sponsorship/exhibitor letters and forms ready soon, so if you know of people , businesses, or organizations who we should contact please pass their contact info along.

For any of the above, please e-mail info@animalpowerfielddays.org , or feel free to call us 802-234-5524

Thank you. Carl

[Carl Russell]

Welcome JonnyB..
Looking forward to your participation!! Hopefully we can find that point where old power and effective power meet! Carl

[Carl Russell]

George, I have one of the hedgerow rescues. An Oliver two-way sulky that I have used for 20 years. It was (is) a little banged up like Erik suggested, but for the plowing I do, which is yearly for gardening, it works fine. I have straightened a few things, and even bent a piece of plywood to fill in a portion of a broken moldboard. However if I were going to plow like Erik is, I would seriously consider newer. It is extremely important that the equipment can survive the season, and provide safety, and as Erik points out, it gives you one less thing to pay attention to.

I have not found trouble with the horses, or steers, when using both bottoms and expecting a different one to be in the furrow each turn. I have found that the animal generally catches on pretty quick to the furrow thing. The disadvantage to switching bottoms is that the tongue angle has to be switched back and forth, and the evener also has to slide over to the other beam. These are not huge problems, but I have found that the fewer readjustments, the better I can maintain consistency, so I just use one bottom now, and plow from the center out.

Walking plows are a bit trickier, but before I broke the wooden beam on my old reversible plow I found it to be workable. When it comes together, there is something empowering about working a walking plow. I actually put in time plowing in a neighbors corn field, to get some long consistent furrows before taking on this stony hillside. I would definitely take Erik up on his offer, not knowing what you are working with at home.

I find plowing with animals to be one of the most intimate experiences on the farm. I can feel, and smell, and hear the Earth as we peel open her outer layer, such an invasive procedure, but done with the best of intentions, and in this manner, fully awake, and aware of the impact, taking responsibility by participating physically.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Greetings Fred,
I’m just trying to get the season to change by thinking of places I’ld like to go!! I will get in touch with you about HPD. I was thinking there might be a few who’ld like to carpool or something. We hope to have some promotional material ready by then for NEAPFD, so at very least I may send some with you. How’s chores down your way? Carl

[Carl Russell]

Les Barden lives in Farminton, NH 603-332-0082. He can answer many questions about the D-ring harness. He has helped several people find a harness maker to make harnesses for animals as small as haflingers. It is probably likely that you will have to buy custom made harness, because your donks are pretty small. Les will help you figure out some of the dimensions ie. trace lengths, britchen size, etc.

He has copies of his video for sale, but you can also probably get one from http://www.newenglandoxsupply.com or http://www.berrybrookoxsupply.com both of whom are strong supporters, friends, and neighbors of his.

Carl

[Carl Russell]

Neal, All of the treatments above have their supporters, and anecdotal evidence. I guess the basis for your question is treatment with purpose. The microscopic evaluation is not rocket science, and for the investment in an used microscope, you may be able to get some training from a vet, or vet tech. I know folks who graduate from VTC have good practice with this. I have a friend in NH who took it upon herself to learn so that she could do her own (horses) fecal exams, and therefore could mount an effective program that eventually eliminated parasites from her herd. This seems like the most effective and least invasive way to manage parasites. I must say that I have never taken that step, and like you, end up trying to remember the last treatment, which even with a light load, really never addresses the potential problem head on. You might check with a local(???) college/HS that has a vet tech program and volunteer your manure for lab work. Good luck, Carl

[Carl Russell]

I like to make the pole with the crotch on the end of the pole to hold the neck yoke in place, but if the length was right, you could use another natural swelling like a limb to keep the pole from going through the ring. Carl

[Carl Russell]

Yeah, I used to drink a lot of Gin….. Oh! Wrong kind of poll…never mind!

Jason,
I think there are probably as many designs for gin poles as there are folks who have used them. I am surprised that engineering students wouldn’t just design their own. Do you want the horses to power the lift? Do you need a swinging boom?

I have built a couple of different styles. One kind was made by attaching a boom to a tree with a long chain at the top, and resting the pointed bottom in a hole at the base of the tree. From the end of the boom I hung a come-along with which I would lift the log off the ground, then swing it manually onto the load. This works good for logs stacked, or decked beside a trail, loading a sled or wagon on the trail. You really only get 90* swing.

For building my log home I built one that resembled a ships mast, with a hand operated windlast to lift the logs suspended from the end of the boom. This one has continuous rotation because of how I built it into the structure of the house, but many of this style were guyed in place, so the boom would have to operate below the guy wires.

One reference on gin poles is a book that I used to build our home, written by B. Allan Mackie, The Owner-Built Log House.

The other style of log loader that gets its lift from a gin pole, or tree, is a frame that has a set of movable arms. The logs are rolled onto the lift, and when the horse pulls the rope or cable through one bloc at the base, and another elevated in the tree, the frame hinges at ground level and the log is lifted to the height that the arms are set to. This device was shown in SFJ about 10-15 years ago, and belongs to John Rhicard of Owl Hoot Farm, Stanbridge East QUE. If this sounds like the deal, I can get his contact info, I am lacking it right this second, and a four year old is bothering me.
Carl

[Carl Russell]

Garry;1166 wrote:

…… pole i try to find ahardwood about four inches under the bunk with a croch or lim for a holdback usualy a ash or hornbeem. …

…I use 1/2 inch plastic for shoes usualy last two or three years …

… cold weather here not much sap made a little maple cream and butter tase good Garry.

Greetings Garry,
Hop Hornbean, or ironwood, or leverwood, is a very good species to use as a pole, as is ash, both being light, straight, and strong. I also like to find the crotched stems to us for hold backs on the end of the pole.

When you say 1/2 ” plastic for shoes, what is it that you use? PVC? Pipe?

Cold here too, but sun is strong, and although we have 2.5′-3′ of snow in places, the surface water, and streams are running like the end of March. I’m afraid it’s gonna warm up all at once!!!

Where is here? What part of Nova Scotia do you live in? I’ve visited the Bridgewater area many times. I love it up there. Take care, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Scott, http://www.newenglandoxsupply.com, is a great resource. Les Barden, of Farmington, NH also has made many, and I know that he would be free with answers to those questions. Another resource in your neck of the woods is a fellow, I believe his last name is Nickerson, whom I met at MOFGA LIF several years ago (Pete Hagerty would know how to contact him). And the Maine Logging Museum has plans for building a scoot, printed within the last year in SFJ.

I bought the sled that I use as a scoot. I actually converted it from a long-bunk sled into a scoot. I made the chains out of some old spread chains and rings that I bought at an auction. The pole on my sled fits into a ring that hangs under the front bunk, from a staple (u-bolt) bolted through the bunk. The end of the pole is fitted with a piece of steel shaped like an U that has the ends bent back so that the U fits into the ring, but the ends can’t. The same thing can be accomplished by tapering the end of the pole. The main thing is that the pole is not attached fast, and can swivel, and can be taken out easily. AND the load is not pulled with the pole. AND the animals need to be hitched in tight to keep the pole tightly seated into the ring.

I used oak for the sides, but ash will also work. In fact I am putting material together right now to build a new one. The sled has steel shoes now, but I will also make wooden shoes for the new one, out of soft maple or beech. The bunks should be rugged, oak, ash, sugar maple, or beech.

Good luck, Carl

[Carl Russell]

Just trying out the sticky.

[Author]

Posts