[JaredWoodcock]

I am going to do an electric over hydraulic controller when I start pulling with the truck. I wanted hydraulic discs on the trailer because the electric brakes are not very dependable at the slow speeds in the woods and they are hard to lock out for loading logs.

I just found a hydraulic clutch cylinder and I am going to build a bracket to mount a pedal, that way I can run it inline with the electric over controller similar to the hydraulic handbrakes that are put on rally racing cars.

[JaredWoodcock]

I love working single as well, I had originally been looking for a single when I found my current team. It was too good of a deal to pass up and the work that I can do with 2 logging pays out much better in the end. I justified the cost of hay because I need the manure. I was going to board heifers in the winter to collect the manure, now that I have a team and my house cow I am getting just about the right amount of manure for the garden and half of my pastures.

Hay is pretty cheap in the end if you shop around, I spend about $2000 a year for my team and my house cow. I also got an offer from one of my local hay guys asking to trade log length firewood for hay next year.

Personally I would get another horse started before you actually need it. Your old mare can show them the ropes and you wont have to press them too hard. If you need to generate some income to buy hay on the side, it is pretty easy with a team.

That being said I would love to see your jersey cow yoked up in the garden!

[JaredWoodcock]

For garden scale, a piece of chain on the end of a metal rod spun by an electric drill works well. Put your beans in a bucket with bean sized holes in the bottom and spin away like you were stirring paint. Depending on how many beans you do, a lid with a hole in it for the rod helps too. I have heard flail style chippers work but I have never tried one.

To get your beans to stand up taller, grow them with a small grain crop. I have had good luck getting my peas to stand that way. They seem to put on more growth as well due to the increased vertical growing space. I graze them though, so I am not sure how much of a headache threshing them would be when they are mixed up.

[JaredWoodcock]

Welcome to the network, where do you live in Colorado?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by JaredWoodcock.

[JaredWoodcock]

That is great, I grew up leaning on tailgates with my dad watching “man meetings” like those in the movie. He seems like my kinda guy!!!

[JaredWoodcock]

I settled on 1×1 square tubing with a single link from an old chain welded on each end, an eye bolt is in the middle for a jockey yoke. I got the idea from george’s plug yoke thread.

Barden style neck yoke

I built mine with some stuff I had sitting around. Basically free.

[JaredWoodcock]

Yeah I work alone as well and I was hoping some old timers would chime in with some of the finer details, like chain handling as you mentioned. I am only doing a couple truck loads so it is less of an issue on my current job, the main problem is that it it 26 inch plus red oak and pretty heavy.

[JaredWoodcock]

I am not familiar with the plug you are talking about but for non standard squares that are bigger than 1/2 inch, I have had some success by taking my 1/2 inch breaker bar and shimming two sides of it to fit with flat stock steel.

[JaredWoodcock]

Do you have any pictures of your piling setup?

[JaredWoodcock]

I second the purpose part. You dont need to put it off until everything is perfect. If you have her harnessed and you are driving with no purpose other than to “cure your problems” that is all you are focused on. Horses can basically read your mind. If you drive around and try to work on stopping and standing just for the sake of it you are putting all of your focus and energy on the horse, that will drive her crazy and that kind of focused pressure will push her from you. Go out and do something together as a team. Just make sure you have very realistic goals.

Walk around and figure out what is a nice stick of firewood to get. Find one with easy access where you wont need to do any fancy driving. Then drive the horse out and stop her like you are going to hook up. Dont put too much pressure on her. If she needs to figgit a little to get comfortable and relax then that is ok as long as neither of you are putting each other in an situations that can escalate. Dont hitch to the log.

Reward her by turning your mind bullets off. Shoot them at the breeze, or the nice cool air, or anything that will relax you. While you are standing and relaxing and just enjoying being in the woods with a great horse she will do the same. Once you have cocked your back leg for long enough, take a slow breathe and start to wake back up, then both of you can drive back to where that stick will be dropped. Do a similar routine at the log landing site. You can do a couple of these trips or if you are both feeling like moving some wood then bring it home.

I dont know much about this horse’s history, but if this isn’t her first rodeo give her some room to teach you a few things.

That is my attempt at not being too “get her done” from an advice perspective. Take it as a grain of salt.

[JaredWoodcock]

I was thinking the same thing about the lack of rot resistance because of my experience with the dead trees around. It is all I have dry for now so I will give it a try and oil it up.

Thanks

[JaredWoodcock]

Sounds pretty good to me, but I have a more of a “get er done” attitude. I know you have worked my current team, Belle and Bright, Very occasionally I work Bright single and she throws a huge fit, you would think she was never broke. I just ignore it and keep on working. She always gets over it and things get done just fine. Keep at it as often as you can and you will be in good shape. I used to have a wicked barn sour pony when I was a kid because I thought it was fun to gallop home at night, once my dad found out he made me switch up my routine and take the pony home on different routes. He also made me get off and walk the pony before I got too close to home.
If she keeps fussing at a certain spot try to switch up the routine.

Sounds like you are on the right track, keep us posted.

[JaredWoodcock]

I was going to use plates in the center and through bolts on the ends to reduce splitting, Basically I am pulling the hardware off of my “store bought” evener and putting it on a homemade wider version.

[JaredWoodcock]

Bump, to get this to show up on home page.

[JaredWoodcock]

Seems like a good idea, what are the downsides?

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