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Jim Ostergard
ParticipantI just put my tie stalls in the new horse supplied timber frame barn Jason Glick and myself built. The main stall is 10′ by 12′ deep. The ties come off the hay manger I built across the front. It starts chest high and slopes inward toward the floor. Feed boxes on each out edge. The ties come off the top of the hay manger and are just long enough so the snaps will lay flat on the floor. I once had a horse with a tie that was too long get it caught around his rear foot when he lifted it to scratch it with his teeth. A mess and cut into his leg before I cut it.
I have butt chains back about 9′ or a little more. Just enough room for me to get behind them to muck out. I built the 10′ stall to convert into a box stall for Rusty as he may need it with his age a factor. A third stall would then be just a 5′ by 10′ tie stall for Zeb. So far it seems to be working really well. I hang water buckets just below the feed boxes.
Jim OParticipantThe wind screeched up here on Appleton Ridge. Blew my plastic storage shed with its attached 10′ 6×6’s over into the horse paddock. Thought I had a small sacrificial paddock but now with 3 plus inches of rain the whole place looks like a swamp. Seems to me the last three years we have had to shut down operations in the fall for a second mud season. Sure hope it doesn’t snow until we get some frost into the ground. Could be fun up in Unity next week.
Jim OParticipantI use them all the time now. Gave up the pulp hook. I have a short one that is great for reaching the end of a 4′ stick without bending down. A longer one I use on 8′ wood as it gives me the leverage to pick up the end and balance it with the other end in my left hand. Also just for rolling small logs around when the peavy is not handy.
jimbojimParticipantThe LIF workshop at Unity is held each year and we may expand some of the horse logging stuff to another date as well. Stay tuned.
No work in the woods today with the SEaster which blew in last night with rain and not 58 degrees out. Hope all are having a good day.
JimbojimParticipantScott,
Great that it worked out for you to join us. And, for Carl to bring some horsepower over! I will be bringing my new guy, Zeb up. Also will pack a small single horse scoot and maybe my walking beam arch so other folks can try it if they want. Look forward to seeing all you folks from away.
Jimbojim
PS: anybody need a nice no choke collar, 25″?ParticipantI agree with Rick, a well spoken interview. Wish I had faster internet so I could get it without the interruptions. This should be shared around as much as possible.
jimbojimParticipantI have use poor quality trees on the corners to pivot long stems on a trail. Let the land owner know they will be used for that and hopefully they will agree. I cut them off about 3-4′ afterward (sometime during the job also) so it is obvious what the use is. I you remove them then the next harvest will make a deeper turn so I try and get the land owner to agree to leave my bumper trees. Good luck, sounds like a nice job and a possible nice future job.
Jim O.ParticipantIf road caution cones are used put some great large apples on top.
JimParticipantRod,
I use a single horse on the small scoot. Built it just for that. An old adage for working in the woods, “go light, go often.” So I don’t feel compelled to set any records for load.
JimParticipantRod,
I have a small scoot (a little over 8′) On my bunks I have stake holders and I use it for four foot wood. Have had a half cord on it but usually go a bit lighter if the wood is heavy. I also cut a piece of plywood to lay well over the bunks, fore and aft and a bit over the stake holders on the sides. Built stake body sides and ends for it and have used it to haul numerous saws, peaveys, chains and all manner of gear into the woods. Nice warm up for the horse if its a half mile or so. All pretty much made from scrap.
I think there is a picture of me throwing junked up wood into it the the photo gallery. I use so little wood to heat the house that I fit it in my woods and they haul it with the sided scoot and chuck in into the wood shed. Saves a step or so.
Good luck. JimParticipantTim,
I think Lynn Miller’s books would be a good place to start. The Work Horse Handbook has lots of good illustrations and discussion on the subject. Training Workhorses, Training Teamsters is good also. Hope this helps.
JimParticipantThe Maine Draft Horse, Mules and Pony folks do a log scooting contest at a number of fairs and on club week-ends. You back the horse into six cones (with apples on top) which are only about 2-3″ wider than the single trees, hook up and go. Lots of right angles, often a big mud hole or wet spot then through a large door frame with old shirts hanging off it and flapping in the breeze. Lots of fun and it takes some real handling to get through it with out a hitch. Points off (or added) when you topple an apple then when you upset a cone or miss any area.
ParticipantHowdy Mitch,
He is we (Jason Irish & Richard Beal) some Perch, maybe a bit Morgen and perhaps a bit of standardbred. Who knows? Come into Litchfield on a traders truck and he was passed around mostly for riding. Never flinched the first time we know of that he had a harness on in two years and has been willing to go ever since. Lowers his head for the collar as well as the bit. Now just need some steady work for him. Thanks for your support as always. i will bring him to the MOFGA, LIF workshop in the fall.
JimParticipantErik,
Was struck about your comment about photos of cows taken back. I sent a picture to Simon in the UK a few years ago of me and Rusty and I apoligized for how thin I thought he looked. Simon’s comment was he looked fine and most Europeans thought we overfed our horses.
JimParticipantRichard,
I’m cutting wood in Edgecomb right now, on a skidder crew. Will start a small job on red pine in Hope within the next couple of weeks. Also starting a small timber frame barn (all the wood, or most of it taken using Jason G.’s Duke and Carl and my Rusty and Zeb) so I should be around maybe we can catch up.
Go to MOFGA.org and you will get the LIF info. Also, join up on MOFGA.net which will I think build into a mini version of parts of this super site.
Jimbojim- AuthorPosts