[Donn Hewes]

Great answers from Will. Let’s just say for example you decide you want to be farmer. In the past I would have said no doubt the a college education will assist you on pursuing that goal, but with the debt involved today I am not so sure. Folks used to feel that you could figure out what you wanted to do after you got to college I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone accruing debt. While there is much to be said for a college education, we (and especially those in high school) are led to believe it is the only good option. I believe there an almost limitless supply of interesting, profitable tasks that can add a great deal to society or a community. Without knowing exactly why one is going to college, they may end up finding the debt is actually a limiting factor that prevents them from following their true calling.

[Donn Hewes]

Bits are tricky. Of course we can’t say exactly what the horse feels. I look for a quite mouth. many trainers look for chewing as a good sign that the animal is thinking, but at work a relaxed animal should have a comfortable relaxed mouth. Of course I have had mules with tongues flying every which way.

I have used many straight and a few mullen mouthed (curved) bits. Lots of liverpools, but not all. I use the leverage much as others have described. To help balance out different horses with different responses to the same pressure. I would prefer to train horses without the leverage if I can. When I add leverage to a trained horses I get an immediate response.

Are you dealing with horses that are young? or green? or are you just trying to improve the communication? The difference to me is a green or young horse is both up on the bit, but also not very responsive overall. A mature horse that is well trained can be a little more “forward” or “up on the bit” than other horses it is working with, but will be super responsive to lines or commands at the same time. With a young or green animal I treat them very differently than an animal that I feel is very responsive.

I case you are looking at bits, you can find a mullen mouthed Liverpool. Also I recently bought a couple of mullen mouth, eggbut snaffles for the young mules. I like those bits so far.

As with everything, lots of great work horses work with a jointed snaffle. For me it is a problem with how I perceive the bit. If I can’t rap my head around the pinching, then it isn’t going to work that well for me; regardless of what the horse actually feels. I have been working with two green Fiords and one of them is wearing a jointed snaffle. The horse is only doing “ok” and I keep meaning to change the bit. I want to put blinders on it too.

[Donn Hewes]

I also wouldn’t use a neck yoke in that situation, but I know many folks would. The idea is to help hold your team together. That is the point of hitching them together at the britchen as well. I also don’t hook horses together there, but I know many do. Without these added conditions a teamster is relying on their own ability to judge how well a team is staying together. The secret to putting a team together (if they seem to be spreading apart) is to ask them to move forward. Sometimes the beginning teamster and the green team get into trouble when the team needs to be moving forward and the teamster would prefer them to stand still. This is where these tools can be an aid.

[Donn Hewes]

From the horses perspective working in a team is easier than working single. You can probably put them together when ever you want. I like to start horses single so they connect with me and not take directions from the team mate. But it doesn’t take very long before they are ready. I like to see them calm and relaxed, before I move on to each new thing.

She looks very calm in these pictures. I am wondering if she has sort of a check rein as part of the bridle? I wasn’t sure from the photo, but if that was a check I would loosen it so the horse can let her head down as she works.

I always figure logs are a pretty good bet. They work well for hooking a team. All you need is a doubletree with a hook and a chain. I agree with Bob about the importance of starting with lines set up right. Just let us know if you aren’t sure. Good Luck, Donn

[Donn Hewes]

I would look for a small metal plate on the lower left frame. It may have come off or been painted over. A user’s manual would be a good idea, but they are pretty simple to use with or with out one. Let us know if you have questions about how it works. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

It must be my New York accent. I would never think of you as defensive. Interesting how there are two good discussions going on; one here and one on FB. I must say for those of us here at the Northland Sheep Dairy the itch to drive horses at work is getting pretty great! D

Well, I woke up to find I never hit send, which is good because I have given some thought to why I work without blinders. First, I don’t do it for the horse’s benefit. Horses can be scared by a dog with them or without them and we take responsibility for that both before it happens and when it happens (blinders or no).

I am constantly telling folks, “steer their head”. By this I mean watch their head like a hawk while moving. It tells you everything. of course you look everywhere and see everything, like seeing cars backing out of driveways while you are driving a car, but again focus on the animals or the teams heads. There are some great old photos of pulling contests or Carl pulling a big butt log up a slippery trail that illustrate this point for me. If you are a beginning teamster don’t just “look” at the head but learn to “focus” on it and what it is telling you. Are you having problems with horses that stop before you wanted them to or started before you wanted them to? Watch the head to see these things before they happen.

Their heads tell me where they are going next. What they are listening to, what they are looking at, what they are thinking, how hard they are trying, how comfortable or relaxed they are with what we are doing. I want to see mouth, eye, ear, nose, angle of the head and neck, muscles of the head and neck.

But again, this is for me; this is what I want to see. If you gave me the lines of a team of horses with blinders on I would take them were ever you want.

Another thing Neal and Beka mentioned that is worth repeating is using great care in taking of blinders from animals that have been wearing them. I have done it successfully and I have seen some older horses that just didn’t really come around to it. Give any of us a certain hat long enough and we will get used to it. The easiest way I know to tell how well the animal is accepting this change is “what are they looking at”. Working well without blinders an animal should be looking in front of them at the same things they would be looking at with blinders. If they are now watching you, or behind them, use caution as they are not really working the way you want them to.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Carl, I didn’t mean to suggest that you had recommended blinders to contribute to straightness. Neal suggested that they might. I just felt that you introduced the concept of working the animal laterally while maintaining straightness, and it took a while for me to grasp what that meant. Recently, straightness, both as we direct animals and also as they carry themselves has been reintroduced to me by two very different sources and means. It gave me a good chance to think further on what it was and what it might contribute to my work; blinders or not. One of the things I have gained is another view of how a horse relaxes at work. Straightness can be another body indicator of what is going on for them.

I think your views on blinders are interesting and very clearly connected to your over all approach to this craft. I don’t have nearly as formed a reason why I prefer to work without blinders, but after about 10 years I know that I do. I wouldn’t hesitate to put blinders on a horse tomorrow if I felt it might add something to their training or our relationship.

[Donn Hewes]

Brad, Glad you like it. I agree it looks nice, and i think all the replaceable parts and no welding improve it. That handle is a little sharp, I meant to rasp it but didn’t get to it! You migth hit it while you are sharpening a saw. Talk to you soon, Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Dylan, great question, many folks try to answer a question like that with economics alone; or with the economics as the primary consideration. I am not suggesting that economics need not be considered. Unless someone doesn’t want to go on living they better consider their local, and immediate economic situation at some point!

I start with what I most want to do. For me how I do something is as important and maybe more important than what I am doing. Then I would consider how what I want to do would effect my community (my community includes the soil of our farm, the air, water in the soils, and water in the streams, family, neighbors, friends and the wider world.

After all that I probably have a pretty good idea of what I want to do, and then I consider the economics. Or how I can do what I want to do in this silly global, corporate dominated world we live in. What do I need; and what can I live without? How can I support the people and things that are depending on me?

That is a long winded answer to say; by all means, ponies on a hill side in Mass, and what ever you have to do to make it work. Keep in good with the neighbors and borrow their tractor, or buy a junker that just runs enough to do a few chores around the barn. I keep a real junker tractor that I hope / believe will die just about when I no longer need it! You might be able to find a neighbor to make hay with? Help with raking and tedding (ponies!) and moving and stacking (humans, ugh) might get your hay for free.

Also I hope you will make plans to join us for the Draft Animal Power Field Days, in Cummington, Mass, Sept 24 to 27th. Your back yard. Good luck with decision making and don’t hesitate to keep us up dated on your thinking. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

For me scratches is a mixed bag with multiple causes. Usually I have had to deal with mites as part of it. Finding drying housing and bedding, cutting the hair, treating with almost anything anti fungle or sometimes antibotic is where I start. For mites, oils or creams just prevent respiration of the mites. also worming can help. I have had good luck treating them when I stay on top of it, but I have also had animals that seemed prone to recurring. Not usually a deal breaker for me. When caught early mites seem a little more scabby and less open sores.

[Donn Hewes]

I just started in front of her as a starting point. I think if it was something I really wanted to pursue I would gradually move to different angles, front, side and behind, while asking her to do different things. It is one of those things I have always thought would be fun to play with but never take the time. She did pull a log out of deep snow with me about 20′ in front of her. The secret was positioning myself close to where she wanted to go anyway and in the one place that prevented her from short cutting my plan. It was just few minutes and just for fun. I think I will keep doing it just like that. If nothing else it is a good chance to reinforce your verbal whoa.

[Donn Hewes]

Yes, brakes are funny thing. I bring hay wagons down a short hill like that. The brakes would work well if they were on the back of the train instead of the front. They also would work better if they were on the heaviest part of the train instead of the lightest. Interestingly I think the horses have a better chance to hold the load without jackknifing everything. I guess the tires are easier to skid side ways after the brakes have broken their traction?

[Donn Hewes]

I know I will sound a little on the conservative side when I say this, but I like a two wheeled spreader with a forecart. There is a simple reason and I will explain. Obviously I have implements on my farm (several in fact) that it would be better not to have a team try and run away with. Each piece of farm equipment is unique when it comes to this particular misfortune. The question becomes, what are the good opportunities to train animals? For my purposes spreading over 100 loads a year and training young animals and beginning teamsters; spreading becomes a good task to teach with.

I my opinion the two wheeled spreader with a good forecart is just a little more beginner friendly than the four wheeled spreader with seat on the front. I know we have all had our different mishaps, but i just have had a few with manure spreaders and as such will continue to use the two wheeled spreaders. As far as function, you might spread a little more with the four wheeled version, but I have never had a problem with mine. I think the David Brown and New idea, were all pretty similar.

[Donn Hewes]

Brad, I have just the one, but I will send it to you this week. Glad to have you put it through it paces.

Just a thought about using two chains with the DAPNet hook. Like Carl, I think 9 out of 10 times it is simple and easy to use one chain. Through a half hitch on a log or small bunch is easier than keeping an eye on the second chain in most cases. The nice thing about the hook is that the second chain is an option.

I have found that in a few cases with slightly bigger logs that might be 10 or 50′ from each other, putting chains on as I come into the area, and then picking them up as I go has worked well. In working the second chain without dropping the first out of the hook I think there will be some tricks to learn. Normally when placing a single chain I cross my hands and pick up the hook with one hand while the other stretches the chain and slots it. For the second chain I pick up the loose end of the first chain and use that to lift the hook while the other hand slots home the second chain. If you lift the hook by the handle you tend to drop the first chain while setting the other. This seems to keep both in the hook as I put it down.

I also had the hook on the ski arch with a tongue and it worked great with horses well hitched, unfortunately I lost the photos of that.

[Donn Hewes]

Carl, I real don’t think it will be any louder than the old ones but I will look into that. D

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