[Jonathan Shively]

Near Horse, great video! Love the roller. Beautiful Fjords harnessed as well as standing in the background. The old dog knows the easiest trail is behind the roller. Great fun, thanks for sharing it!

[Jonathan Shively]

Sounds good. Seriously, if his kids crawl and are around without him being nervous, it isn’t the first time the kids have been in the barn. His horses sound like they are handled and handled well, no reason to think yours won’t be either. He sounds willing and if he doesn’t mind you stopping in whenever you are in the neighborhood, sounds like he has nothing to hide so you have found a great place for your horse.

[Jonathan Shively]

Eli, you keep mentioning you are going to stop in before you drop her off. I also meant you need to drop in often while she is there.

[Jonathan Shively]

I think like us “English” there are good and bad Amish. I currently have a pony on loan to an Amish family, the dad was looking for a project with his son, I had a QH/Belgian/Haflinger 4 year old mare doing nothing. I taught her to lead, tie and consequently she was line driving real well when I took her to him. About a week he and his son were driving her with their standardbred. Their first four trips were 20 miles each way to his brother’s farm and then she stood tied while they helped with a building project. So her first two weeks on the road she logged over 500 miles. Before this severe cold they were using her single on a small wagon (like with wheelbarrow tires) and she of course has been shod. They love her as she never had any kick or bite in her. They keep her in a lot by the backyard by herself with access to a stall. The kids can pet and catch her and it is a good situation all around. If they ever tire of her, she comes back here. If she dies of old age there or of an accident, well, at least she has done honest work and has been loved instead of being a pasture ornament. So I suggest just dropping in from time to time if it concerns you and see how things are going. Get a ride behind your horse, you’ll get to see how he handles her and give you an idea on how she is progressing.

[Jonathan Shively]

Saw Blue80’s video’s on another forum and was going to bring them over here. I am intrigued by this idea and have read a lot on hydroponics and aquaponics as I was directly involved in it for a few years at my school farm. Now the combination, aquaponics has come up and here is a great source of information, http://portablefarm.com/farm/
Interesting and viable, just have to get out of my comfort zone and get busy I guess.

[Jonathan Shively]

I just rebuilt one of my mudboats for my Fjord team. I used 4×6’s treated for my runners and deck screwed my 2×6’s across. I didn’t mortise anything as I wanted to keep my ground clearance. Also I have a metal bar that bolts to each runner using three bolts that my evener hooks to. So the runners are pulled from that and that metal bar keeps the pull straight instead of trying to pull the skis together. Clear as mud? Will try to get some pictures of it and post so that might help. Don’t forget to put a hitch point at the rear, that is very handy especially in the woods where you can get hung up and find you need to unhook and pull back to get out of a bind. Long skis provide more surface tension resulting in harder pull, so wide with shorter runners is easier on your horse or team, but then depends on your trails.

[Jonathan Shively]

I could be wrong, typing from the tips of my fingers and not double checking anything, but if I remember correctly, charring the area hardens it for an axle assembly. Does that ring a bell to anyone?

[Jonathan Shively]

Not interested, but always look at good horses. Very nice looking, fit and trim team. Barn is very neat also. Good luck on selling them.

[Jonathan Shively]

Man that is cool. Heck with making it a yard ornament, get a team and pack a cross country trail with it! That is neat.

[Jonathan Shively]

Mine is offset, also mine has rods that act like fingers past the plow or on top of the moldboard (don’t know if that is what you call that digging part of the plow) anyway the potatoes and dirt get separated more at the fingers.

[Jonathan Shively]

All of my brand new collars have come from Coblentz. One time I really wasn’t sure, the lady I talked with said no problem, if it doesn’t fit, ship it back and we’ll send another.

[Jonathan Shively]

Here in Indiana my grandfather said they waited for the marshes to freeze over then cut the marsh hay. Guess it was freeze dried. Reed canary grass, Grandpa said it would stick up 4-5′ over the top of the ice, set the bar higher so the hay laid on the stubble and then gathered at the ends and fed to stock.

[Jonathan Shively]

I can’t think of any solution. Whatever the dog can go under or over or around the goats will learn to do that as quick. Agile and nimble, a goat is like trying to keep in water without a gate for a dog!

[Jonathan Shively]

Oats as a cover crop for a new hayfield/pasture here on my farm. Oats grow faster and shade the weeds, gives the hay a chance. Like others said, cut when green and heads are filling, be careful and let it dry, make sure your cats are hungry. I think mice are baled up and brought in, but you’ll have mice. I like to keep my oats hay for Jan/Feb feeding, but the mice enjoy it up til then. If you try to keep it over summer they will have the strings chewed in two. If his horses don’t like it, wonder if he has some mold on it. All of my stock eat it like cotton candy.

[Jonathan Shively]

Why is he wanting to sell? Home to big and costly to heat? Doesn’t want the work of 80 acres? Is your home newer, smaller, one level/floor with an attached garage? Maybe a home swap with you paying the difference?

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