[Plowboy]

Differing opinions and beliefs bring out good discussions that may help all parties learn something. Extremism no matter what your cause is never good. Very extreme views lead others who otherwise might be interested to see you as a freak instead of a knowledgeable person. I’m sure others will respectfully disagree as this forum continues but respect goes along way. Politics are a subject I tend to avoid. I don’t agree with the government but it is above me to change it. I sign petitions and remain aware of policies that might affect me but choose not to let it consume my life and make me walk on eggshells. I will continue to do as I do until they show up on my doorstep and make me stop. Government is stressfull and I have enough with all the irons I have in the fire so I choose to not worry about it constantly.
Anyway the local finish lumber mill is closing up for a month until they sell off some of their product. The Amish can’t move rough cut right now either. Until construction or loose change is loosened up I’m afraid the market is going to remain as it is. Most loggers around here right now are hanging up their gear and looking for wage jobs.

[Plowboy]

Heard both of those stories seperately. My Grandfather sold his cheap uncle a big blue roan that “didn’t look so good”. Dropped him off at night. The next morning his uncle led him to the water tub and he ran into it and smashed it because he didn’t see it. Boy was he mad but went on to use that horse for years. The raffle story I heard was a dead mule and he gave the winner back his ticket money. Funny how these stories evolve isn’t it?

[Plowboy]

An Amish friend of ours runs an equipment sales and repair shop. He sells both Pioneer and White Horse one way sulky plows. With a standard radex bottom they are $1275. For years before steel went so high they used to be $775. The Kverneland bottom is almost $500 extra. He had a new foot lift Pioneer for $2675. None of the new production models are cheap but they do do a nice job if you have alot of plowing to do. If you are just looking for something to play around with you may find decent used stuff if you get in the right place. Good luck in your search.

[Plowboy]

We use both steel and wood. Steel is OK if it is the right gauge, tough enough not to bend but not too heavy that it creates unnecessary tongue weight. I doubt that hollow tubing is that much heavier than a good white oak or ash tongue. I’m not crazy about a fixed neck yoke but thats your decision. I have a friend who is constantly complaining about his horses snagging a line on the end of the tongue but I haven’t had that happen since I was 14 with someone elses team. In the last 17 years it hasn’t been an issue for us but I guess it could also happen tomorrow. You also may want several of these arrangements so you aren’t constantly changing the tongue to go do something else.

[Plowboy]

We had a Moritz and it was a rugged well built trailer. The paint job sucked and we had holes rotted in it before it was 5 years old. We kept it clean and it didn’t get used only occasionally in the winter. Maybe we just got a bad one but it turned us off. By the time it was seven years old we sold it and got a new EBY. A good friend of ours hauls livestock for hire and has an EBY 7x8x24′. He figured it out by the mileage of all his trucks he had underneath it that the trailer lasted over 1,200,000 miles on it and still looks pretty good. He had to have hinges and bushings replaced in the doors and a few cracked welds but thats not bad for 20+ yrs of service. Initial cost is more but longevity far outweighs the price difference.

[Plowboy]

We have a 7x7x20′ Eby aluminum stock trailer with a center gate. It hauls 4 draft horses comfortably and is a great trailer. It is 11 yrs old and the price has increased dramatically over that time period but it is worth it. 8ft wide trailers allow you to tie horses sideways and get more in if thats important. In New York road salt is terrible on everything so aluminum trailers last far longer than steel. We have some friends with steel corn pro trailers and they work well and the paint jobs are pretty good. The prices on those are reasonable so that may be an option. There may also be local companies that have quality trailers in your area. Look them over good and make sure they are rugged and well made enough for your needs so you can justify the price tag.

[Plowboy]

Just hired a logger to work with me at my day job. Good man, hard working,lots of skills and a great personality. I know of at least 6 or 8 more looking for steady work right now. Many guys are cutting more firewood than sawlogs this year. Can’t blame the landowners for clamming up and not wanting to give their timber away. The mills that are still open are full of finished lumber they can’t sell and a yard full of logs. People are worried about keeping their job’s, houses and putting food on the table. Hard to justify new hardwood floors and fancy cabinetry. The carpenters aren’t far behind the loggers as far as throwing in the towel. The mortgage market is shot and new home building is stagnant. People aren’t doing any remodeling or repairs unless they absolutely have to. Hope things start to go the other way soon!

[Plowboy]

Horsepower, We had an important parts list for the binder when we went to Rudy’s And had to do some scrounging in the parts room to get everything in one trip. Our rebuild is coming along good. Most of the new wood is on and all the mechanical parts are loosened up. I tried the knotter tonight but I think surface rust is giving us a problem with the knot. A little more work and we will have a good serviceable unit. I forgot to ask about his source for wood parts until I was almost home, sorry. We will go back again soon but since I was on B.W. Macknair’s website and he does rebuilds so may be able to help you. He does alot of shipping so might be a good source. Give him a call he’s a good knowledgeable guy. If not let me know and I’ll get info from Rudy the next trip.

[Plowboy]

Carl, Agreed I know how to fix the horse but it’s definately hard to put into words how to help the person and the horse. I often get frustrated with folks in my area that ask for advice and help but then won’t put in the time with the horse. I work two jobs and still get some farm work done and horses trained so it has been hard for me to buy their “no time” excuse. I think Jean is commited to making this horse work out. Donn gives good advice about improving the relationship with the horse but along with that he still needs a job to do to become a good respectable work animal.

[Plowboy]

We, like Carl switch ours up all the time. None of them seem to care where they work but we start switching them as soon as they are comfortable working in a team situation. When we hitch tandem work hitches we put the faster more upheaded horses up front to keep things tight. I’ve heard different stories about hitching the bigger horse on the right. I think as far as show hitches go Erika hit the nail on the head.

[Plowboy]

J-L I guess Wyoming would be a ways to travel from but if your ever out this way you’ll be welcome here.

[Plowboy]

Glad everyone liked the photos. I have alot more of us doing alot of different things that I will work on posting.

[Plowboy]

Just a little update on our training projects. There were alot of negative comments made about how my friend was training his horses. I was there again Sunday and they are shaping up real well. As I was driving them up the road I analized each one’s attitude as we went. They all walked off ears upright and forward pulling steadily with there experienced team mate very light on the lines just like I like them. None of them appeared stressed or scared just willing and increasingly able to start doing some real work. Maybe we really aren’t Barbarians after all. All I saw was some relaxed horses learning the ropes. No rodeos, no runaways,no fighting the bit so I guess they weren’t terrified too much. Most of them are even starting to stand well for rest breaks. Maybe the Old School that I refer to ain’t so bad after all.

[Plowboy]

I have worked with some horses that were very eager to please until they feel they’ve had enough. They throw a little fit when they want to quit like pawing or rammy starts or starting up before they are asked. More work usually smooths things out. If you have a forecart get a small tractor tire and drag behind it. A little resistance works wonders for a horse with an attitude problem. When he decides he’s had enough he may not have the extra energy to bolt on you. If he does at least if you have to go a ways again he is working and just not pulling a light forecart with no resistance. If you have a week off drive him every day with some sort of resistance and you might see an attitude change. Don’t be afraid to work him until he’s tired, in the long run it will do you both good. Working on your relationship and comfort level in the round pen definately won’t hurt but work will bring your horse around to your way of thinking. You might not want to hook him to that manure spreader too soon unless he’s used to the noise it makes. Good Luck you sound like you are gritty enough to hang in there and get the best of your horse.

[Plowboy]

I’m not able to get to photo page or main DAP page. I bring it up on my favorites on the new posts page. I am able to view the new posts but none of the one’s on the DAP page. Thanks

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