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Jim Ostergard
ParticipantPeach Lane Harness Shop, Ronks, PA. 717.687.5122. When you call and leave a message Abner Esh will call you back. I really liked doing business with them as I would send a sketch and measurements and they made what I needed. I will use them again when I reig my second harness.
ParticipantI think George is pretty much right on. Perhaps John Plowden will come on and give some insight as he has done it more than anybody on this side. I just changed over my scandinavian harness from the Fjord (who is giving me some problems) to the Haflinger who is a bit smaller. I rigged with the hames and collar rather than the wooden padded hames I use on the Fjord. I have a friend who uses the harness this way in the woods and claims most of his friends do it also. The pictures show everything a bit loose and out of adjustment but will work on that this afternoon. It would be neat if you are building a harness from the ground up to use chains as were shown on Doug’s website so you could put the collar on independently. Would make it a bit easier I think. I will rig my shaves with a old wooden whiffletree which will carry the grab hook. This will go to the go-devil just as I would with the steel whiffletree. I have seen this used with a sled in Sweden. Also I will leave a bit of pipe extending past the wood and when using it on steep ground when something runs up the pipe will be pushed into the ground hopefully preventing hitting the horse. Simon Lenihan put me on to that almost a decade ago and it is in common use in the woods in Europe. Good luck and keep us posted on your harness and rigging.
ParticipantEli,
Good information on leaks and something to always be aware of for sure. My water heater is way away from the fence but maybe Jen needs to look into it. Here is the link to Mother Earth article on building a solar tank. For me at this point just a bucket heater should do it. Maybe I get one of the ones from the link Jen put up above.
Link: http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/solar-stock-tank-z10m0gri.aspxParticipantI have a 110 heater in my field tank and it must have a voltage leak. If it is on during the day the horses will not go near it. When I figured this out it took a few days before they knew it was alright. So I only use it at night now. Sam Stanley has a large insulated box (probably an old wharf box) with a solar panel above it and it does a great job on I would guess about 150 gallons of water.
ParticipantJen,
A good question as I didn’t mention I only have a solar charger in the barn which charges an old skidder battery. I run my lights and the radio on that. So to keep the water from freezing overnight would be helpful. I have some ideas about a large storage tank of water in the barn that I could keep from freezing. I now haul water from the cellar about 125′ to the barn.ParticipantBilly,
I understand your quandary. I have always bought horses that had worked in some capacity and when I decided to downsize from large drafts to draft ponies I started with a green 3 year old who had just been gelded and never even tied up. Well, today as he is ging on five I twitch my firewood with him. I only do a bit at a time as I have a 200′ steep hill he has to get up and he will run out of leg after and hour or so. I have him on the go-devil for the heavier stuff and that really helps. So I felt with the smaller guys I would want a team and picked up a 6 year old Fjord. It seemed he would be ready to go right to work but alas not so. He has some real issues around trust so I am presently down to one small youngster. Now I guess the point for me is, I am not a trainer but it has been rewarding to bring a green one along. In a perfect world and if I had a lot of work lined up I might look for a well broke and trained mate and move the Fjord on. I probably will not go that route for two reasons; I am wicked attached to the Fjord and the process is pretty rewarding. I am hoping that as the younger one comes along and can hook them together and the Fjord will follow the more grounded horse. Guess this is not much of an answer just a perspective.
Keep in touch with us here and good luck.
JimParticipantWow, this is an intriguing thread! It is wonderful, all the thought that you all have put out when making such a major decision. Carl and George, can you elaborate on holistic planning a bit? When I was at sea we had a saying, “my bag is on a swivel.” It was not unusual to jump from one boat or ship to another at the end of the first voyage. So for me either it was all intuitive or some divine guidance maybe. Thus my company name Peregrinator the old meaning of which is, “one who wanders from place to place,” or perhaps a gypsy. I really think that the discussion you all have put forward here is one of the gems of this website and a great service to all who are fortunate enough to come across it.
Cheers…jimbojimParticipantKevin,
I really don’t have the words for this. Rest assured I am thinking of you all and will continue to hold you in my prayers. Please stay in touch with us all.
JimParticipantIf you have stone available to build on the center chimney concept, build a “Russian Firestove.” I built one about 30 years ago to heat a 24 x 20 knee wall cape. You can burn softwood as well and the mass of stone in mine would keep the house warm for 3 days in the winter. I loved it and would consider even doing on our current very, very old house, especially if I had stone available. Good luck.
ParticipantI have always fed my dogs eggs on and off. The wolfhound loved eat the entire thing shells and all. I worked for a breeder at one time and she fed a raw diet of meat, vegetables, pasta, peanut butter and such daily.
ParticipantI second that Bill. Nice to see a different discussion about logging, I thought John’s and Jim’s comments were right on, realistic and gave folks something to chew on.
JimParticipantI have one but I don’t think I’ve used in in five years. I see it in the barn and think maybe I should throw it in the truck. Mostly for me its wedges. If I am away from a staging area they are easy to keep in a pouch and to carry the axe with the saw is easy. There are times when it would maybe be nice to have that little extra leverage but again too much to carry for me.
JimParticipantSimon,
Sent out some inquiries to Newfoundland so maybe we can track a family member and find some pictures. Sunnyside is not to far from where my house was so maybe some of the ex’s relatives know somebody. Looks like those shafts on the sledge are pulled at the ring as in the scandinavian harness. Do yo think so.?
JimParticipantWell said Carl, I remember those early days and some of the attitude displayed in those early posts. They sure were a turn off and having worked through that it has always been easy for me when I meet someone who really wants to learn or to share honestly i send them here.
jimParticipantWell, there are some plusses and some minuses. The ride is great, no stiff axle ride pounding ones knees. Jumping a log seems to me it works a bit better than a single which may deflect and just skid along side. It is more difficult to turn as two wheels drag a bit. My old Rusty though could get into the thickest stuff and back and fill in order to get lined up and back over a but. I came to using one as I found it for sale before I found anything else. I was really tongue heavy when I got it but I have cut it back a lot. It fits in the back on the pick-up, just but this is a plus for me.
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