[Donn Hewes]

Hi Erika, You beat me to it! This crowd sourcing is an interesting development. I will add another link that Erika Frenay sent me. Indiegogo

Probably the same as yours, Erika. Also please spread the link, if you can think of any good web sites for this outreach.

[Donn Hewes]

I find all the different names interesting as the same (or similar) tool found it self useful in different places and times. Local conditions and users would also naturally modify the tool to their uses. Hoedads was also the name of a large group that planted many millions of trees in the Northwest clear cuts. They planted the young evergreens with one swing. Swing the hoedad with one hand (seedling in the other), rock back the tool, plant and pull the tool, step it in, and go to the next. All while hiking across steep slash with hip bags full of seedlings. I believe the maddocks where widely used in forest fire fighting and might have originated there. It seems I have seen the same type of tool in different African and European nations as well.

Always gave me a sore back though!

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Bill, I am thinking that something about your computer, the program running or something is making the difficulties for you. Unfortunately I am not a very good tech person. We are trying to get a tech person on the site regularly that can answer these questions. George, I am not home yet today, but when I want to share more than two or three photos it is easier for me to make a link. I will check today on loading a photo directly to the post when I get home.

The short punch in the photo is just one that was bent or broken. They are better for starting a rivet that doesn’t want to move as you will bend or break a lot of those smaller punches. Yes, that plate is not serrated. Since this plate is not mowing most of the time I haven’t noticed a difference. I should request the serrated ones but usually take what they send me.

[Donn Hewes]

Doing both together, the work and the training; eventually seamlessly. As a teamster developing this natural attentiveness to detail, leads to good working relationships. When it appears the animals need no training the attentiveness to their behavior / responsiveness is still present and part of how we work at our tasks. For true teamsters it becomes a permanent part of their way of working; becoming seamlessly blended in their style, attitude and demeanor.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi All, Jean, where you able to figure out why Bill was having trouble posting those photos? I know so little about computers, but yet I want everyone to have success here. Even now I only know what half the buttons up top do. I will have to find out and make a post. perhaps Eli can email you or me; tripletree@frontiernet.net and we can help him figure out how to up load photos. or call me at 607-849-4442. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

I find the little intersections were horses and oxen will do similar things interesting. The horses don’t get much chance to speed up, but you can feel them knowing they are approaching the end of the furrow or row. They will often turn a step to the left or right before you want if you don’t anticipate it. Makes an ugly end to a nice furrow.

[Donn Hewes]

Without shoes I am very careful not to overly thin the hoof wall. I work the lower 1/3 of the wall with every trimming to set the toe back, and remove flares from the sides. Along with a good round over this maintains a tight compact shape, and helps the bare foot horse with the same break over Carl describes for the shod horse. In most cases I revisit the hoof wall, flaring, and round over; once between regular trimming. Donn

[Donn Hewes]

Home, safe and sound, now just trying to help out Maryrose for being gone! My first observations from the weekend is that the balance of draft animal practitioners to serious green teamsters to the interested and curious was fantastic. That made workshops and presentations great because the questions and info sharing where spot on. The young farmers (anyone under 50!) and the old teamsters (some as young as 40!) were the two power houses of the Field Days Two groups I can not get enough of. Thanks to everyone that came, presented, volunteered, and supported this great event. Donn

Someone in the NE Kingdom please extend my thanks to the whole local community that helped us hold our event in their midst. They were great.

[Donn Hewes]

Thanks Cesar, Nice to feel as though I got out and traveled a bit on this foggy morning. It looks like with that design you could make different attachments for different purposes. The garlic looks to be about 24″ apart – it can be hard to work in spaces that tight.

[Donn Hewes]

Erika and Carl, Thanks for saving the Les Barden Doc. At first glance it seems simple, Just a few words. But look a little deeper and there is a challenge their for all of us. Partly it is about how we are trained as teamsters, partly it is about how we train our animals, and finally it is about a high standard that says we respect our selves and our animals enough to expect excellence.

I wasn’t taught some of these methods, and some I have picked up over time as I saw how they effected communication, some I have never picked up. fortunately for me, I am still curious enough as a teamster to continue to learn.

The limited words give a sharp image of a horseman, and a team that are at once relaxed and precise.

[Donn Hewes]

Those letters really are markers of turning points in my life. Carl’s letter describes much of how I feel today with an ever deepening relationship with these animals. Thanks Carl, See you soon, Donn

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[Donn Hewes]

One of the things a grain binder is designed to do is work with a plant of relatively uniform length and stalk. Even weeds can mess up the binder. A horse drawn grain binder is a pretty big and unwieldy contraption. It certainly wouldn’t take to hills that couldn’t be hayed in a more conventional way. In general a clean grain crop will shed rain better than a hay crop; as the green hay will be trying to absorb moisture with each opportunity. Just my two cents.

[Donn Hewes]

I still maintain that he doesn’t trust you. Now I have hit a few animals in the butt that were ignoring me, I am not going to lie to you, but I don’t think with the mule that doesn’t know you it is helping build the trust you want. Patience, patience, patience. Find something light that you can get him to pull (a single pole is a safe easy thing). When he stops say whoa like it was your idea. When ever you can’t prevent him from stopping, always say whoa. Now wait until he gets bored of standing (for this mule it might take a while), then ask him to go again. Just my two sense, but you are still in the position of training the animal. Just out of curiosity, what kind of bit are you using?

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Brad and Carl, I meant to mention using bit adjustments also accomplishes some of the same adjustment to the different attitudes of our “un” matched teams. I use “biting down” often with the black mare in the middle. She plowed great for two days; a little up, but definitely keeping everyone motivated. I drove her with out biting her down. I have been plowing almost a mile from home. Each time I unhooked to walk home I had to bit her down, as I will be danged if she is going to tow me all the way home. Brad, you might want to look at the head carriage while pulling and see if there is a big difference between the two – Just curious.

Carl, in the original post I mentioned the possibility of training them to work better, but you are right that this is an ongoing process. I all ways think of it in terms of calm, relaxed and alert. How will my actions; first with my hands and head, maybe with lines or bit adjustments, build, develop, and maintain this state?

Another way of saying this is the example of pointing out to a new teamster that one horse is in front of the other. My response to this is a little more subtle than might be expected. First of all, as a teamster are you aware of one horse in front of the other? By a lot or a little? Is it because of where we are sitting or walking? Do you see how this will effect that? What is the attitude that accompanies the horses in front / behind? Now, what skill with the hands can effect one horses desire to work in front of the other? Finally, this is just one measure of how well my team is working; is it worth upsetting two calm and relaxed animals by focusing on this too the much?

One thing folks often say about these “forward” horses, is that they do more than their share of the work. Some folks say they “want” to do it all. Others say the other horse is shirking. While I have seen one or two shirks, most of the time I don’t believe this is what is going on at all. They are just working were they feel comfortable with the bit pressure. Also as Carl points out; were they feel comfortable with the other horse and person leader. Finding a comfortable way to move them up will often change the whole dynamic of the team. I like these little clips with rings as I can easily move them up down, or use them to lengthen a check strap.

[Donn Hewes]

I had a horse a few years ago that had some issues. I sold her for a variety of reasons, but one of the things she did was stop on a dime. She was really clued into the teamster, almost to a fault. When you said whoa, she stopped like a boat anchor had been dropped. It was very distracting to the other horses to have partner that could shake the whole rig just by stopping. She was a hard horse to work in a team. Unfortunately she wasn’t much easier to work single. Just a little crazy.

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