[Donn Hewes]

If only I weren’t so busy I would be there! Honestly folks it is not going to get any better than that. D

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Donn Hewes.

[Donn Hewes]

Jay, That is great, you are quicker than me. That price is not cheap. The one thing I was wondering about them is if they can be adjusted to be as drag free as the L600 I am using now. They look like a good idea. I will be interested to see what you find out. Did they say folks were buying them for horse drawn mowers, or were they mostly for haybine costumers?
Talk to you soon, Donn

[Donn Hewes]

For Peachey I have 717-483-6883. For Leon Brubaker I have 212-207-7224

[Donn Hewes]

Three Taps set! Snow shoeing in three feet of snow. We have been breaking a trail to drag fire wood for a week. Pretty rough but we did start to move a little wood. next time the sun comes out I will take a picture of the mares up to thier bellies in snow. I pulled my snow plow into two pieces; (it severed me well, and originally came from all the twisted lumber from a barn project) I believe that indicates the end of winter! The next snow plow is on the drawing board. All wood again, nofore cart this time I hope. With a 60 degree nose I will be able to pull it from different angles to get different widths. Plus one long side, one short side and a built-in wing. All ready by Dec 2015!

[Donn Hewes]

But Mitch that ration you found is close to the 10% that jay found. That is also what I have heard. Anton, I think the benefits of high gear, trailer gear, and regular gear are subtle. They might depend on the length of bar, type of hay, and nature of the animals being worked. I have had success with both #7 and #9, but both need to be built and maintained to do the work I ask of them. Seven foot cutter bars require all the cutting parts, action, traction, drag, timing all be near perfect. Paying someone to tune a mower may be a good first step, but pay close attention to what they are doing because you will likely want to fine tune it your self before long.

In my opinion new cutter bar parts go on almost every mower. Field ready only counts to me if it just left the field last Oct.

There should be good Amish shops down near you but the closest in NY state is probable John Herschberger, no phone but his Address is 348 Parker Road, New Berlin, NY 13411.

I have mower parts and do some repairs here (Donn’s Mower Shop) but I have been recommending John to folks looking for more of a rebuild. Let me know if I can help.

[Donn Hewes]

That is great to hear. I know of lots of folks hoping to follow in your foot steps this year. You have a lot to offer them, so I hope we will be hearing from you regularly! All of our friends are starting the seeds that will end up outside, but your sure would guess it by looking out there now!

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Tom, I know you started this thread about the chewing, but I hope it is alright if I throw in a few thoughts about the horses other behaviors. Chewing might be related anyway. Many teamsters (maybe all of us) have at one time or another worked with two animals that don’t want to be side by side. I think this usually reflects on the relationship between the two horses. The one in front is being dominant and the the one behind is being submissive. Chewing is sometimes a submissive behavior. These can be hard teams to balance out. Folks often ask the horse behind to keep up with the other horse and what I try to do is create space that the submissive horse to work in. Turning is a great example of this. I never let the pushy horse rush us through a corner. I slow a little if necessary and make the horses maintain the space between them as they turn. This will usually move the behind horse up into the turn.

Is the front horse also “up on the bit”? Adjusting the bit pressure is another way of creating space for the submissive horse to move up into. This can be as simple as biting down a liverpool more on the front horse than the rear horse. Another way to accomplish a similar effect that I have used is to use a couple drop rings for the submissive horse. By running the lines through a drop ring (a ring added to the hames ring to lower it a little) you can lengthen the lines to the submissive horse. If this horse only needs a lighter touch on the bit it may well move up where it belongs.

Finally I don’t encourage dominate behavior between horses in a hitch. I don’t hold with a dominate horse dishing out the training for me. I try to keep them in their place and I will do the training. This can be a huge challenge. I know.

The chewing may well require a little of all these things. The minerals is a good idea, and just trying to correct the behavior will be time consuming and frustrating but will start to have some effect. Finally making the horse feel more calm and comfortable (less submissive) could help too. Good Luck. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

In Talking to my friend Ashlee Kleinhammer from North Country Creamery; this is where she got the “in can Cooler” Levi M. Shetler, 5344 County Route 10, Heuvelton, NY 13654.

I believe this is an Amish business as no phone, or email. I believe they sell cans as well. She said the cooler worked great and she would recommend them. Couldn’t remember the price.

[Donn Hewes]

I am working on it. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Jared, My Amish Nnighbors are using an agitator / cooler that fits in the can. It is run off well water (no power). It is pretty slick and would be a great way to cool the milk before the can cooler. I will try to find more on these. D

[Donn Hewes]

Carl, you are right about the stub lines being a fixed length. I hope that isn’t too confusing. I just think in terms of making them longer or shorter in relation to the outside or continuous line.

Years ago I experimented with drop rings ( a ring on a strap, or chain of rings, like spreaders) as a way to lower the hames rings on the harness and allow the lines to follow a more direct path from me to the horses head. The funny thing about this was that it showed me why the hames rings where high in the first place. With the hames ring above the withers of the horses you notice less variation as you move from the ground to a cart or to the other side as the ring remains the high point. With lower rings, or drop rings, or spreaders you will notice a greater difference as you move from the ground to the cart, etc.

Now I use a very short drop ring with just a snap to keep it short. I normally use the hames ring, but I can take a line from the hames ring and place it through the drop ring and effectively make it a little longer. When ever I feel an urge to make a line adjustment, I move a drop ring instead. I can make the same accommodation as if I was lengthening or shortening a line by moving a snap on ring up or down where it is attached to the hames. This is very beneficial to me as I work with several pairs of team lines and different combinations of animals. I try to keep all my lines set up the same, or maybe one pair set up for a wide hitch, but never change the lines them selves. Instead I just move the drop rings up or down.

Usually with in five minutes out of the barn with a team of three or four, sometimes with a pair, I will want to make at least one change to the lines. By mid summer I can remember all the variations while I am hooking up a team with lines. This mule on this side of that horse, lower the drop ring for him. That sort of thing.

[Donn Hewes]

Erika and Mark, great idea about a presentation. I will be sure to add that to our list. Of course you are right about all the varied ways in which these things can come about and manifest them selves. I just touched on a few common ones. It was interesting that you mentioned the horse that shifts it’s head to perhaps relieve some breathing or other issue. I have seen a few horses that for what ever reason shift their head at a certain amount of load. Nothing you could do would straighten them out. I am convinced that if we had taken the lines off and taught that horse to pull on it’s own, when it got that amount of load it’s head would still slant off the same way. Adjust compensate, and move on, right? The horse I am thinking of was over 20!

[Donn Hewes]

I have used these hooks from Meaders (black, painted). I wish there was something better, but will take them over the round inward facing snaps. Mark I don’t think the little keepers do much, but not sure I am ready to take them off with out cause. Some of them don’t even cover the opening. I think customizing the yokes you have will be pretty simple in most cases.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Mark, It looks like the horse will heal well. I think the icicles are the puss! I have frequently put a horse’s hoof in a plastic bucket to soak it. with the unbreakable buckets I think I could still do it even with the shoe. A few days of warm epsom salts can’t hurt. You took great pictures, sometimes it is hard to get a hoof picture to show what you want. D

[Donn Hewes]

Rick and Karl, Thanks a lot. I think one of my problems with the idea of hooking them to a tree or something, was no historical perspective. That helps a lot. When a horse is stand untied; or even tied, which way they face can make a big difference. Hooked to something they should face home. that makes sense.

Me thinking out loud now, obviously you can train a horse to anything, but I would think I would prefer them to be looking in the direction of the work (timber falling) instead of away from it? I am sure in time it wouldn’t make much difference.

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