[Rod]

Hi Jay

You have a PM!

[Rod]

Hi jay

Thursday is fine depending on the time. I have a late afternoon appointment. Give me a call 802-376-5474

[Rod]

Hi Mink

I haven’t used it a lot and only use it on drag type implements where a fixed pole would not work.

[Rod]

Hi Ed

Thanks, I will be using it with my oxen and possibly with the donkey team as well. I do still have the single horse arch with forwarder. and am trying to sell it.

[Rod]

If you can’t find local wood to bend as solid stock you can always laminate thinner strips together.

[Rod]

If its a pole building and you are asking about the poles, which it sounds like, I would use 6×6 for the posts. If it’s rafters you are asking about it depends on the span and loading (snow load etc). On a structure that small with just a few posts the difference in cost would be slight and the larger posts will add a lot of strength and stability.

[Rod]

I think whether or not the sheep will bond to the cattle depends on the sheep breed. I know my Katahdins will run to my donkey when they are threatened but have not tried them with my cows.

[Rod]

A good guard donkey is another option if you can find one. They will kill coyotes and can be very protective. They are fast smart and most hate canines. Again no intact males, a female is best over 4 years old.

[Rod]

These photos show the ball on my sled, the adapter I use for my multi-purpose pole and the the pole itself. The pole has a 2″ tube at the end that is drilled to fit a standard trailer receiver pin and I setup my things with either a 2″ receiver or the ball as shown depending on the equipment piece. Then I just move the pole from piece to piece for what ever I am doing using the ball adapter when the equipment has a ball mounted to it. I also have other connecting pieces I made up so I can tow all my equipment with my tractor, truck or UTV.

The ball coupler could be just as easily be bolted direct to the pole. I am going to add chains to my sled and an eye bolt to the pole as suggested by Mark to add stability.

[Rod]

Good story with lots of quality themes, value of good neighbors, faithfulness to our animals, sticking it out when the going gets rough and resourcefulness in getting that horse back up. Thanks for sharing it.

[Rod]

@Mark Cowdrey 31336 wrote:

Rod,
Interesting point about the possibility of the back “sagging” on a cross slope drag. I was thinking about coming more or less straight down hill in slippery going and the ass end trying to catch up to the front around the side when the team is holding back the load. If that was an issue, my thought would be stay chains from pole to sides of boat nose to allow a little sideways play but not too much, similar to the amount you might have on a scoot rig.
I’ve never done it, I’m just thinking.

Mark

HI Mark, that is good thinking and sound like an excellent idea, worth a try.

[Rod]

Hi Mark

I have drag chains on my sled but have not used them.

I have not used my stone boats with the pole setup because I have not used them in winter but set them up in case. The sled has steel over wood runners which bite pretty good and I have used it but not very much in the winter either as I do not do much winter work with my steers. I assume the jackknife issue would vary with the conditions, ie: worse on ice than deeper snow etc and the terrain like a cross slope drag. The main hill I use in winter is straight up and down and not that long or steep. I think a fixed rigid pole on these vehicles could be a problem turning and possibly tipping them over in deeper snow and if they wanted to slid sideways the stiff pole would not prevent it that much.

[Rod]

What I do on my stone boats and sleds is weld or mount a trailer ball on the fronts and make up a pole with a trailer hitch coupler on the end. I use one pole interchangeably for them all.

[Rod]

Oh boy, I missed that, so sorry.

[Rod]

Hi Tim

Is Abe ok?

[Author]

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