[karl t pfister]

George, perhaps another solution might be another mower . I have one in the bottom of my barn , it did work 20 years ago . It is a 4′ maybe 5′, I’d find out which if you were interested in taking it , I ‘m heading in the motorized direction .If it worked out for you I ‘d trade for cheese. Clearing my Clutter Karl 802 824 4663 southern VT

[karl t pfister]

Same great hay making weather here too ! knocked it down monday baled most Tuesday except the outside shaded windrows needed an extra day . All done with 1/st cut now , it has been a few years since I was done in July . Forecast is for 3 more big Florida suns feels strange not to be gearing up again . Mitch , we had some of the biggest hay devils I ever saw both baling days , they make me laugh , though it makes the rows look like a drunkand man raked them. 1/st day the wind was from the north 2/nd day it was from the south and a little lite rain last nite to keep the 2/nd cut growing ,thanks be

[karl t pfister]

I pastured horses aggressively for years and have a now decided that the mostly hay diet is best for me and them . They get a little grass , basically feeding enough hay so they don’t rip all the grass out by the roots . It is almost the same amount of hay summer and winter . THe pasturing deal was great for mares and foals yearlings etc . but we stopped the breeding so I miss the fertility on the hay fields as well . I do feel the horses are better off now but they thought they were happier on the sea of grass , not to mention the worm load .

[karl t pfister]

Hay Donn sounds like good news . I guess the angels were watching after you , I hate those times when stuff happens to things we are dragging , almost seems like the horses are thinking the faster I go, the faster the Devil goes trying to catch me . I recently got an I & J pto cart , the ring and pinion gears do make a hell of a racket and create that chasing syndrome .I had decided to introduce it slowly (not typical ) .2 horses were no big deal ,but the 3/rd thought that contraption was manufactioned in Hell , took her a while to accept it . once again the slow way turns out to be the fast way or , if it were easy everybody’d be still doing it ? none of this really addresses your situation just my thoughts and glad you’re safe . which is the mule in that photo ?

[karl t pfister]

Around here the saying is” rain in May is a barn full of hay”, , heard that from a neighbor of mind who died 5 years ago at 97. The saying was probably from the same era as this story, again a local legend , the father farmer was sick in bed and all the neighbors were helping turn the windrows over by pitch fork . The leading neighbor called to the son who was a little “slow “and says take this sample in to your father and see if he thinks it is ok to be put in the barn . The son goes and and the father twists it around for a while and tells his son to ask them to turn it over one more time . The son dutifully reports this back to the leading neighbor whose response is “well I got that sample outa the barn and I think this field is ready to go in the barn too “Awkward , Glad I wasn’t there ,to be the son or the neighbor , but I am quite sure it weren’t May hay neither . Donn, I would be real surprized if anyone could confuse your’s for year old!!

[karl t pfister]

Well you know, it sort of like tedding , it’s the accuracy thing.,except with the spreading there’s a rhythm to it ,with stopping to reload ,while the horses blow a bit and off again. I think I’m enjoying it especially since I am using 3 across for the i/st time in quite a while .

[karl t pfister]

If you keep them buckled together you always have both even if you fall off the rig , i agree too with the extra looped into my left hand , never have regreted having them,but feel funny without them,thank you Ken Demers ! Karl

[karl t pfister]

Well not to turn this thread to serious , but here in southern vermont it is 4 degrees and sleigh rides are starting, 5 today .I used to stop at zero but when a when a mare got frozen lungs ( we think ) we raised the limit to 10 , the mare’s teammate didn’t seem afflicted . the old timers said they worked to 20 below , what does anyone living think ?Karl

[karl t pfister]

Hello minicyde , If it were me I ‘d go with my best hand 1/st meaning that ,if training to ride is your thing, get him SOLID there then you’ll know him much better before attempting something that’s new to you and him ,don’t think of how others do it .Every possible combination has been tried, and I have never seen it written in stone “The best Way”. You’ll fine any lose screws , peculiarities as you get to know him better ,just keep in mind what driving entails ,being behind the horse a lot ,it’s handy if they stand STILL for strange things happening in their blind zone . any way have fun keep wondering if he is having fun ,ditto what everyone else said , Karl

[karl t pfister]

Hay Jean thanks for that link it had a couple good tidbits of advice good luck with your ordeal karl

[karl t pfister]

Hay Jean how are things going with K , I want to publically applaude you for airing on the forum and hope a good resolution has been found . I too now have similar decisions to make . one is a 20 yo riding horse that is sore in all legs but gets around to eat enough grass to make a living .the winters are getting harder for her ,when is the question .The other is a 13 yo work horse mare that worked great for 5 years then developed a shortness of breath that seems to be caused by working to hard in cold temps ,her teammate never was affected . The mare now gets really anxious with any work and I have decided not to work . she also is the worsst horse with both the vet and farrier, probably as a asmantic I have known says when you get short of breath the adrenalin flows and nothing is right . She also is the worst alpha mare I have ,she is ready to put both boots to any horse for any infraction ,dangerous around gates and while catching other horses. Can not sell , can not let her go on being a terrorist can not give her a suite at the Ritz hotel ? thanks karl

[karl t pfister]

The mowers in the video are jacobsen worthington golf course rough and fairway mowers, they are ground drive simple to operate and work on,they were considered the Cadillac till the hydraulic era , but there are lots still in use . For sharpening golf courses have a turning grinder , that requires the reel to be broken down and mounted in the machine , that’s what course workers do in winter . The video used a 3 gang with 2 horses and that is what I did ,but the make 5 and 7 gangs as well . If I was looking to get the grass cut to 3″ to less than 1″ I would go that way or motorize and go disc mower, or a horse drawn sickle bar works too .I am done reinventing the wheel so to speak , the technolgy is out there . A fellow in Belgium who got some park land converted to hay land ,best of both worlds ,good luck Karl

[karl t pfister]

Looks like a great start to me, the part you can’t see maybe the bugabu, the wheel bearings are sometimes tough to match up if where they came from was a million miles away and no grease, before it even thought it was a forecart .
That sloted wheel looks fairly outa date perhaps VW Good Luck Karl

[karl t pfister]

Hay Donn good answer to Larry’s good question , a lot of people will say the relation begins on the ground with no ropes or halters just you body language talking to the horse . All these guys have books and dvds and say it way better than I can but Lynn Miller .Doc Hammil [spelling ]?, Buck Brannaman , Who is a rider but what he says about relating to the horse while on foot is amazing . What Donn was saying about no horse turns and says ” I ‘m not interseted in what the best horse in the herd is saying , cause they all relate to him , That is Us , We have to be the best leader,the one who knows what is going on ,lets them feel safe ,appreciated, etc . This is what these natural horseman are saying as I understand them . An other is Chris Irwin and he drives also , you have to be the horse the others want to be with . If , when one gets a horse following you around no halter everywhere , anywhere its amazing what you can get them to do when you have a telephone line {rein, rope & halter }attached to them . my 2 cents worth goes to encouraging us to go these master horseman . thanks karl

[karl t pfister]

donn do you think you might find that photo of the wheel , I have a motor forecart that could use a little support ? Thanks for your effort and help Karl

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