[mcm]

Also, I’m wondering if larger diameter wheels would make it roll more easily. But, that has its drawbacks when pulling downhill. When I’m pulling by hand on a really steep grade, sometimes the coop will move a little too much, a little too fast, and I’m afraid if it rolls too easily it’s going to knock me down.

[mcm]

This photo shows the back. This coop has extended arms for the wheels and rolls better than the ones with shorter arms.

In general, it seems like it would be easier to manage if the connection to the tower (i.e., whatever is towing it – hopefully horses soon) were rigid, rather than pulling by the cable which allows the coop more freedom of movement than is good.

The coops work really well, and allows for pasture fertilization without the use of fossil fuels, except when I’m towing uphill.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by mcm.

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[mcm]

That is the front of one of the coops with one of my assistants, Leia, demonstrating her typical job activity. In the front you can see a cable with part of a hose on there. When the coop is going downhill, I pull it by hand one length as needed by season and amount of “fertilizer”. When it gets to the bottom of the hill, I lift the front with my boom pole and tow it to the top with my tractor.

It is a pretty clumsy process and I have to make really wide turns. When being towed, the coop lags behind and then will sometimes lurch foreword. I have to go really slowly. When lifting or dropping, you have to go inch by inch, because the coop wants to move of its own accord and can slam into the boom pole.

[mcm]

To MuleManDonn,

I would really like to see a picture of the lift that you are talking about. I am going to try to find a picture of one of my coops to show you.

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[mcm]

Oh wow. It’s been a few days since I checked in. Mark, thank you, but I am in west Georgia and New Hampshire is a long way away. One of my biggest challenges is that I feel very far away from most draft horse activity. I know of no one in my vicinity who uses horses to farm, and I have looked high and low.

I mean, the steely eyed stare is pretty enticing, but after about 28 hours of driving, I think I’d have a much different kind of stare.

[mcm]

I found a Pioneer heavy duty slightly used forecart with mechanical breaks on Craig’s list for $1200. Just not sure “heavy” is a good fir for me or my haflingers.

How hard is it to have brakes put on a cart that you have fabricated?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by mcm.

[mcm]

Lightweight and low entry sounds very good to me. I’d like to find some drawings for the Barden cart and get it fabricated out of aluminum if possible. I don’t know how much that costs.

I’ve thought more about my coops based on yalls comments. The lifting of the pole caused by the offset of the boom pole makes sense, and should probably be avoided. I think it will probably be better for the horses, the chickens, and me if I make some sort of two wheeled frame with a trailer tongue on the front that will carry the weight of the front of the coop. Something like that could be lifted and hooked directly to a draw bar and would be high enough to clear rough ground. I just have to figure out how to lift it high enough by myself. I can lift it now using a shovel as a lever, but only a few inches.

This is gonna take some head scratching.

[mcm]

Oh wow. I just thought of something. I won’t have a hydraulic lift anymore. How do I raise the boom pole. Yikes!

[mcm]

I really appreciate y’all’s comments. They are very helpful as I’m continuing to work on this. I just watched Les Barden’s DVD on the d ring harness and that clarified a lot for me. Also, a harness maker is sending a DVD to me about measuring and fitting, so I’m pretty excited about that. There are so many variables in this process, so I’m trying to be thorough.

[mcm]

I’m trying to measure my team for a d ring harness. Since the front tug dimension seems to be critical, I put their collars on them to try to get an accurate dimension. In the photos you can see the twine that I put on to get some idea of where the belly band, etc. will sit.
When looking at the collars, though, they seem to be sitting too far forward, and I’m wondering if they’re too narrow. I put a string around Leo’s neck that seems like it’s where the collar should sit, but the collar won’t go back that far.
The former owner did not work them for a long time, and they are overweight. When I read in Lynn Miller’s Draft Horse Handbook it says two things that I think are relevant. 1. “The collar should sit flatly against the shoulder and not rock on a wide spot on the neck.” I wouldn’t say that it rocks, but it’s awfully tight and doesn’t get to the shoulder.
He also says “when fitting an overweight horse, keep in mind the neck will lose size as the horse is worked.”

Does it appear to y’all that the collar is too tight? Should I buy new collars, but retain these to account for neck size reduction as the horses get worked?

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[mcm]

Thanks, Carl, but on my hilly farm I think the d ring makes a lot of sense.

I put post on the Facebook page and trying to figure out how to put it over here.

[mcm]

Thank you so much!

I found an article in the 2016 Winter SFJ about doing a market garden with a single.

[mcm]

I am definitely interested in seeing the single horse article.

I have a little update on my progress. After getting my well running again, there was time to do a little more exploring and found someone close to me who raises and drives miniature horses. I realize that’s a long way from a draft horse, but she does drive them, and she said she would be happy to teach me how to drive. Since I’ve never driven, it seems like a step forward and will allow me to learn about harnesses and hitching to a cart.

Anyway, I’m pretty excited about this development. I need to get my planting in and then I can start with her.

[mcm]

I can’t remember how to start a new thread 🙁

Does anyone here know where the link is to a video that shows a man logging with a dark percheron team? I think there was a bluegrass soundtrack, no dialogue. I think it was someone from here on the forum. I’ve looked all over for it and can’t find it.

The team does this incredible set of turns in a tight place between some trees – I mean they do a full 180. With a log.

[mcm]

I’m back! Wanted to thank everyone for their comments. I lost water off and on through the month of March and that took a toll.

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