[Michael Low]

What part of the country are you in?

[Michael Low]

I think as far as the diet goes, body building feed is good – even if the animal is fat. My thinking is that if I need to tone my horse or get him back to a good weight I don’t do it through dieting – I do it through work.

Real work is satisfying and more productive, however I also tone my animals through 15-20 minute workouts with a stoneboat or large tire in the morning. I did that regime with an older (14yrs) team of oxen which kept them healthy. Even though that team did a lot of regular work this was a great maintenance tool. Right now I am doing this routine with my horse every morning and plan to continue for a month or two, as he got fat through the tail end of winter.
Even if I have real work during the day this regiment seems to get the animals in line fast, and if I am working off the place or something stops planned work while I am home, we have still made progress on fitness.

I guess these morning workouts just keep the ball rolling and that feels good.

[Michael Low]

I made my 3-ton gear as follows:

4x 8 runners with 4×4 bunks every 2′ and 1x’s running the length of the wagon on top. This is rugged and uses a little less wood than the 2x’s w/out bunks.

The 4x bunks are set in 4″ from the ends of the runners so that I could bolt the 2×4 uprights for my front and rear ladder racks both into the runners (through the 2″ side) and then through the bunks (through the 4″ side of the 2×4 uprights). This makes for two 1/2 ” bolts holding each of the two uprights up. My racks are ash. The front rack about 6′ and the rear about 4′. I used it with a John Deere loose hay loader and yes you adjust height of the rack to the loader.

My flooring naturally spaces 1/4″ as it dries. In my experience the rotting happens mostly because the chaff collects on your runners and bunks and holds water so maybe 1″ gaps you could clean them easily. Generally speaking more air flow saves wood.

Removable seats sounds do-able and a good idea.

My wagon is 7’x14′. Don’t know height.

The pictures are my siblings and I bringing in a heavy crop of first cutting.

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[Michael Low]

No it was not a bad idea, we also laid down some nylon rope to keep the planking up from the joists.

You can tell the owner of A Black Locust Connection that I referred you all.

Michael Low- biochar maker.

[Michael Low]

A Black Locust Connection

ablacklocustconnection.com

Great source – on the Mass/VT border

I have used them several times for decking and a high drive barn repair project. Those are black locust plates under Tamarack planking. The owner requested I layer water and ice shield on top.

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[Michael Low]

I think two years would be rugged unless you were experienced. I castrate at one year so they thicken up in the neck. Between six months and a year is good. Too early and I believe it can affect their urinary tract.

[Michael Low]

I won’t post other peoples numbers online, but I do have a contact with someone who has great experience with mowing machines and this trailer gear now too.

Give me a call, evenings west coast time, I can pass along the contact.
five 0 nine- 364-three three 3 eight

Michael Low

[Michael Low]

I sometimes have problems with web platforms and will switch to a different internet browser and have no problem. The above picture and this were done on internet explorer.

google chrome works well for me too.

Here’s one of my team getting me out of the ditch.

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[Michael Low]

Training Turk 2015

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[Michael Low]

I think the new made hay loaders are by Ez-trail and Hogback equipment.

[Michael Low]

Yes goats can be trained for draft work, skidding, hauling wagons etc.

Sheep were used to run treadmills. I believe the treadmills were used for butter churning.

[Michael Low]

I have had a single horse for 10 years. He seems to prefer working single and has at times lived as the only equine on our place without misery. I work or ride him almost daily so that helps, also he gets tie-stalled every night so more attention and interaction there too.
MCM- yes having the horse in the heart of the farm helps too, we have always had him stabled or yarded near goats, cows, sheep, chickens and dogs. I think they like that company and activity.

At some point I ran into demands of farming and logging that Brad points out surpass a singles capacity(steep VT). I bought a team of oxen and really enjoy having both the team and the single.

Why I never went for another horse to make a team is another story, and in fact I really like the oxen for the segregated ‘heavy’ work and especially like them in the woods.

Pioneer equipment has a new Summit Series forecart with a great quick exchange for pole or shafts. I retrofitted my wagon, sled and forecart for this style. Now I can switch between team or single in less than five minutes on any piece of equipment. Scoot, Bob and dump cart are team only still.

Here is a picture of abuilding I made last year for my biochar business. The team of oxen yarded the pine for the siding and 2″x12″x18′ planking. As well as the rest of the frame and plates. They also hauled in the 30 tons of rock for the foundation.

The single horse twitched the poles for the rafters 42- 14′ spruce and fir. He also drove me to work and hauled misc. tools and materials to the site.

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[Michael Low]

Hi Ron,
Yes there are shafts on that wagon.

[Michael Low]

Here is a picture of my single on a 15MBF post and beam log job. Spruce and fir for a milk house, and a small side barn.

That is the one ton pioneer wagon gear. Loaded off ramped bunks on the main trail.

That job was at the tail end of mud season.

Nice clean logs.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Michael Low.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Michael Low.

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[Michael Low]

Thanks, It was a fun job for some nice people.

I did consider a go-devil, and would have used something for longer skids, but in the end ground skidding made the most sense with the tree spacing and whole tree extraction.

Skoghasten is a Scandinavian logging company who have a chart with metrics for job cost, including terrain, distance to site, forest type etc. It may be the horse in the forest book that has the chart.

Of course you have to work in an area for a while to determine how to interact with the different variables and establish such a chart.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Michael Low.

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