[J-L]

Thanks for the pictures. I’ve only plowed a little but enjoyed it almost as much as mowing. You do have beautiful gound there and looks to me like you’re doing a great job.
Take advantage of the old timers (I’m sure you already do) and pick their brains for everything you can get. No substitute in the world for all their experience.

[J-L]

I like watching it too Jason, but haven’t watched much this year. Turned the T.V. off a month or two ago to encourage my kids (and myself) to read more and concentrate on their homework.
Always liked to watch the bull riding and I think it’s a remarkable job that the breeders have done breeding so many great bucking bulls. Unbelievable. Not so long ago you’d see a few good bulls and then some just average and then a definite bottom end. Not as much of a drawing contest anymore.
A very good friend of mine (grew up with me and actually lived with me on the ranch for a few years) is married to a gal who works for the PBR. I believe she’s Randy Stephens assistant. Andy Lamoreaux is her name. Great gal. Her husband and my close friend, Richard, just won the Old Timers and Canadian old timers world championship in Saddle Bronc.

[J-L]

Those look like a good idea. I’ve been barefooting it because of the snowball issue. Both with teams and saddle horses. Get snowballs on a saddle horse and try to cut cows on a frozen feedground and you’ll have some serious pucker factor.
I might have to try these on the front end of my feed teams. I had same problems with pads as far as keeping the thrush out. My solution was to melt the hooflex and pour some in every now and then.

[J-L]

From one ranch kid to another, welcome. Similar background here, but it only took me six years to land back on the ranch and I’m still here trying not to starve and living off the wife.
I too worked as a wrangler/packer/guide for some years. Loved doing it too. It’s good to know someone who will know what I’m talking about when I mention a diamond hitch.
Raking hay is a good and productive job for teams on ranches. I don’t think people realize how much you can get done with a fit team and a side delivery or even a dump rake. They can accomplish enough to make you forget about the tractor.
Glad to have you here.

[J-L]

What are you doing with your Fjords Joel? I have a neighbor who wants a pair but doesn’t think they’re big enough to get anything done. I’ve told him of people using them for just about everything you’d use a big horse for. Also told him to get 3 head if he needed another he could just throw it on for more horsepower.
Good point made by Joel with regards to the farrier. You have to go quite a ways around here to find a farrier to work on draft horses. Not a problem for me because I do my own but it’s a considerable problem for others.
Simon, I went back and studied the picture of the bay horse and you are right. I don’t like the looks of his hocks and that much feather is going to spell trouble some time. He is very overweight. I really like your roan horses as far as conformation. Color means little to me but those are beautiful horses and built for work.
A question I had for you guys who own and work Ardennes, how are their feet and legs? I ask this because they look so much like the Brabant and we hear of problems with the Brabant horses with capped hocks and bone splints as well as cracked feet.

[J-L]

Now those look like draft horses to me. We’ve continued to breed tall, thin horses out of Belgians and Percherons. Too bad that we seem to be in the minority, those of us that would like some nice sized using type horses. I really hope that the Suffolk breeders don’t go on a long leg binge.
I would love to have a few of those Ardennes horses. Expensive, rare horses aren’t in my budget so I went with 1400 lb mules.

[J-L]

I understand where Bumpus is coming from, being a simple rancher (some would say very simple!) I read some of Jason and Carl’s posts and scratch my head and reread parts. Generally I can muddle through it though.
What I have done in the past when we were onto something I couldn’t dig out of my thesaurus, was send a message to whoever made the posts to get some clarifications. Everyone has been very patient with me there.
Being a small rancher in Wyoming, I’m far removed from most of you folks and your hardwoods. So it’s all new to me anyway. Also very little actual farming here. Pretty much grow grass and run it through a cow.
In the long run, I have to say I really do enjoy reading these guys even when they get a little ‘wordy’. I like to exercise my brain a little and maybe expand my vocabulary.
Another aspect that has surprised me was the horsemen (and mulemen) that we have on this board. Watching and listening to some of these guys has been an eyeopener for this cowboy. There’s some good ‘cowboys’ all over the place. By cowboys I mean people who use and ‘savvy’ horses (or mules).

[J-L]

Looks like a nice horse for sure. Looks like you both were enjoying that kind of work.

[J-L]

My home range of mountains (Uintas) is just about totally brown now from all the beetle kill. I was pleasantly surprised when I went up toward Jackson in the Hoback region elk hunting. Not much dead timber up that way yet. Lot’s of big healthy trees.
It’s sad to see things going this way. VERY worried about a wildfire.

[J-L]

I like your tool box Aaron. Might have to copy that design. I shoe some horses and mules too. Used to do some dude ranches and forest service horses along with some bigger ranches and sheep outfits. I can relate to your comment about the hard work.
I hunt elk both north and sout of Jackson. Awesome country but steep.

[J-L]

I have always just bolted a lodgepole under my tractor tongue and cut holes where I need them for 2 bolt holes and evener pin. I made a hammer strap out of scrap on one wagon. For the other I took the existing tractor hammerstrap and fitted it with a spacer so it’d be big enough for my evener to fit under.
This is how we’ve always done it since I can remember and it works well enough. I have a picture somewhere in the photo gallery that kind of shows it.

[J-L]

According to Sam Moore (I think ?) the GD cart’s were hooked to both sickle mowers and a 9′ haybine and displayed this year at HPD. I never heard how they worked but apparently good enough to show. That shows some promise for ground driven, new manufacture mowers after a fashion.
My #9 mower has adequate lead so I haven’t messed with it. I did have to adjust my #4 JD. It adjusted just fine by moving the washers from one end to the other on the same bar. It did have to be re-timed however as it was bad out of register.
I can see where this won’t work forever and am glad there is a solution with the new pushbar.
Not everything Mr. Miller says is gospel, but usually it’s the best place to start that I know of.

[J-L]

Lancek, just how old do you gotta be to be an ‘old fart’ officially? I’m 43 and my kids call me that. Am hoping they are premature in doing so.

[J-L]

My mentor was my Dad. He never was one for really putting words to teaching and I guess I thought he never taught me much. I was wrong. He showed me a great deal even though he is a man of few words. I think what he did was get me going well enough to not kill myself and turn me loose basically.
Another guy who’s brain I pick from time to time is my uncle. He still works a team at age 80 or 82. He spent quite a little time logging up around the Pinedale area as a young man. He gave me some really good pointers throughout my life.
Like my dad he grew up using horses prior to tractors. Daily routine was to get a team caught and harnessed, milk cows and chore, eat breakfast. That’s how it is at my house still most of the time.
Lot’s of Jerry Jeff fans around the country. I saw him put a show on by himself at a little bar one time. Great show. I still like his version of Navajo Rug best of any I’ve heard. Can’t forget about Mr. Bojangles either.

[J-L]

Like Scott mentioned the pole and post is what’s keeping our local mill going. They are sawing quite a little lumber still, but not what they were. They have a green treat plant that they sell quite a little product out of that really helps along with the pole and post.
A friend of mine is supplying the poles for them and is very busy. It’s getting a lot tougher to find a good stand of poles though. Especially that he can get his truck to.
Lodgepole is just hammered here with beetle kill too Scott, and as you said now the bigger trees are going fast. The whole forest is nearly brown. Looks real bad.

[Author]

Posts