[Lanny Collins]

Andy, keep up the good work. Sometimes it is easy for some to armchair quarterback specific incidents. In general, principles I think most can agree but on specific incidents it is best to follow your instincts. Only you know your animals best.

[Lanny Collins]

Very Very Good. Horse knows routine without hand control.

[Lanny Collins]

If you have a saddle it can be used as a harness. Just put a breast strap on pretty tight and tie off to the horn. You mentioned you tied to a surcingle which is ok for light loads but you still need to use a breast strap with it to keep it in place. You can also take light poles and run thru the stirrups to make a sled like the indians used to use (travois). Go slow when adding the poles thru the stirrups until the horse is acclimated. Maybe want to start off with pvc pipe to keep from getting someone or something hurt.

[Lanny Collins]

I sure don’t want to tempt any of the loggers or forestry horse users to technology but for myself, since I don’t log, I haul my forecart and team in a 24′ stock trailer. I use aluminum ramps (please disregard my use of modern technology. I really should use wood slab that I sawed out) to load my forecart. I usually take a little run at the ramp and have been thinking a winch may help out. since i load the forecart in the front it would be hard to use a horse to drag it in and then get my horse out. Also, it is probably sinful not to back up to every implement to hook up but sometimes it would be nice to drag that piece of equipment over to the forecart and sometimes use a winch to lift it for hook-up. I guess if you are a real teamster you should just quit when you can’t do these things without some foreign assistance.

[Lanny Collins]

for my team of qtr horses my tongue/pole is 9 ft 6 inches from the evener to the neck yoke. You will want the neckyoke right at the end of the pole. If you are using this on a pioneer forecart you can measure the distance from the evener hitch back to where the end of the pole goes and add this to the 9’6″ dimension.

[Lanny Collins]

If you have ash that is probably the best. It is also better if you can just get a pole and peel the bark. A pole that just has the bark peeled is stronger than a sawn out one. Here is a video show how to make the end fit the forecart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZCh4DEUgSA

[Lanny Collins]

ATV winches which are 12 volt would work well. They are fairly light weight and they free spool out to attach. You wouldn’t have to totally depend on your horses holding the load if you would use a scotch behind each wheel and chain the scotch to the forecart, similar to how wreckers work when they are pulling something from afar. To make the winch more lightweight they are now using a fiber instead of metal cable. Have not used one but suspect it is aramid fiber like what is used in bullet proof vests. Pound for pound it is stronger than steel but much more lightweight.

[Lanny Collins]

Mark, here is one that locks. It is a little pricy but it can be mounted anywhere. I did not see it but it mentions a master lock is provided with it on a different site. From the link (go to the bottom of the page) it looks like it tightens against the bar to keep it from slipping out of the scabbard. Product is called “byte tyte”. Looks like a cheaper version would be just to take a slice off a log and cut with the end of the bar inward then drill holes on the outer portion of the slice of wood for mounting. Just google “byte tyte” for more info as well.

http://clearwatersawshop.com/logging_gear.html

[Lanny Collins]

Sorry, forgot the link to the glue on shoes.

http://www.soundhorse.com/index.htm

[Lanny Collins]

For all of you who shoe your own horse. I found this website that has glue on shoes. They show a draft horse being done. If the foot is cleaned very well it looks like it would be a lot less labor intensive as compared to nail on shoes. It shows rim plates as well. I have no experience personally with this process but do know that the adhesives industry has got some incredibly strong glues. They show that these glue on’s are about twice as strong as nailed on shoes. About 8 weeks and nailed on shoes will start to come off.

[Lanny Collins]

I don’t have any experience with this brand/model saw but did find this review site. Apparently some of the year models back in 2007 were hard starting. Maybe they have gotten this fixed in the later model years. The site showed bar lengths from 13 – 24 inches. Like all reviews some hate it and some loved it. Here is the link:

http://www.backyardboss.com/mfg_Husqvarna/359.aspx

[Lanny Collins]

I collect horse manure around the barn and in my pens to keep flies down and to prevent mud and odors. I have 5 horses and a mule and all of them spend the majority of their time in turnout but still collect quite a bit of manure because they come up to get mineral under the barn shed and if they see me out they like to get a scratch. In the winter time I keep hay out under the shed protected from rain/snow so they defecate quite a bit, even with 100% turnout. I don’t like to pile it outside (close to the barn) because it smells, attracts and provides an environment for next years fly population. I pick up manure piles about every day or two and store it inside my barn in half barrels made of plastic like the ones that protein is supplied for cattle. Anyway, I try to mix in an adequate carbon source in order to get the heat cycle started. Once I have enough half barrels collected to fill my 25 bushel fimco spreader I dump the barrels into my spreader and spread it with either my 4-wheeler, zero trun lawn mower, or I can hook it behind my forecart.
I like the tub system because if I really wanted to I could transfer one tub to another to get the second heat cycle. They say the best compost should go through 2 heat cycles and if you have the correct amount of nitogen/carbon/moisture/air you can get compost in several weeks.

[Lanny Collins]

Hi Okiefarmer,

I’m about 200 miles north of you and a tad east (Westville, OK). I come down in your neck of the woods about 2 times a year. First time is fall break in October and trail ride @ Cedar Lake just south of Heavner. Then, I come back in November for deer season. Like to go about 10 miles into the Weyhouser (sp?) timber land on three rivers land just south of Smithville. I like to get back in the wilderness far enough that I only see about 1 vehicle a day come by camp. Real peaceful and relaxing.:)

[Lanny Collins]

@LStone 26782 wrote:

Hi Rick. I had a learning opportunity about this sort of thing last weekend. I remember also that Jason Rutledge described in a thread posting how he did this but haven’t chased down that thread for reference recently. I don’t want to be misleading so anybody please correct me if it is appropriate.

I am familiarizing myself with a unicorn recently and I hitch a chain and single tree to the end of the pole generally. I was talking with someone who is familiar with multiple hitches last weekend and it seems that if you hitch to the end of a team pole your not really pulling, you’re playing; and though this is done, its usually for exibition. If your’e really interested in using the lead team or third horse effectively to move the load I think I remember correctly, that JasonR said he runs a chain from the load hitch point under the forecart up the pole and through the neck yoke ring. to a single/double tree on the lead horse/team. I found a YouTube video of his doing this also but it was a team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRWcJKHOzsI&NR=1

Jason’s Recent “Axeman casting video” didn’t get in close enough for me to see how they rigged those forecarts pulling that monster tree; but maybe he could describe the technique he used for that. That was a work of art and I appreciated watching it.

As far as draft I don’t see any difference from hooking to the end of the pole versus hooking a chain back to the axle. What I think it may be done this way (chain back to axle) is to protect the pole/neck yoke ring. If you had a horse out front that was a real puller there is maybe a possibility they could damage your hitch point and for this reason it may be better to run a chain back to the axle or a more solid point that could not be damaged.:)

[Lanny Collins]

@jac 26264 wrote:

April 10th 2011. We have had a warm dry spell over here in Ayrshire so we got the harrows out. This is the second time we have harrowed this year. The 1st one was realy just to level the mole hils. I will harrow again in a couple of weeks to try and rip the buttercup leaf. It definaitly helps to control this weed. My youngest daughter Caitlyn took the lines for a while. She handles this team well for a 12yo. Its great to pass the skills on to the youngsters…
John

John, I’m wondering who did the braids on the horses mane? I suspect Caitlyn may be the hairdresser. Looks good!:D

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