[Scott G]

First off, welcome Dobbin. Kind of neat to hear that term from someone from the NE. Dobbin is a very common term for horse out here. One of my old mentors in the backcountry packing biz was named Dobbin. Anyway…

Just so it is in one place, here are the links for known horse-drawn forwarders.

Majaco – North America

http://www.newcosales.com/Anderson.htm

Payeur – North America

http://www.payeur.com/En/products/Metavic.htm

SJM – Sweden (use Google translator)

http://www.sjm-julsgard.se/Griplastarvagnar.asp

…all of these have brake options, both for the bogie wheels as well as the axle under the “forecart”. I believe most of these manufacturers’ offer a hydraulic draw-assist option as well. It is pretty common.

[Scott G]

So who else on this forum is going to be there other than John P., Jim O., & Carl?

I’d like to meet as many of you as I can while I’m back there.

Need to brush up on my “Maine speak”… ‘Wicked’ ya’ll 😀

[Scott G]

Awesome, Carl! I’ll be flying into Bangor, 11/17 p.m. Looking forward to the prep day on Thursday.

I know what you mean about enjoying one vs running one. I just finished putting on a large forest ops wkshop about a month ago and have a biomass procurement conference I’m presenting with CSU on 11/10.

It will be great to get out of here and spend some high quality time with you folks…

[Scott G]

Peavey = woods, Cant hook = mill

Peavey is as valuable a hand tool in the woods as my axe.

[Scott G]

I’ve seen a double set in a recent pic of a modern forwarder. Scandinavia or Slavic Country maybe?? I’ll see if I can find it again in the next week or so…

[Scott G]

It is prettycommon in some parts of Europe & Scandanavia to hitch a team in double shafts vs a pole. I think Simon L.’s forwarder is set up that way. Not sure of the history, guess that is just the way it developed back in the day when we all were pretty isolated from one another.

[Scott G]

First off, welcome. You have found a great resource to network with.

As has been mentioned, anything new to your animals warrants an investigation on their part to deem it safe. Your obligation is to allow that, let them learn, but ALWAYS maintain the rules with them that you are the one in control of the situation. Some horses are boogered more as individuals than others by certain things and hence need more time to “get over it”, in this case it is your PVC jump standards.

If the scary thing is easily portable and won’t hurt them, put it in the corral with them where they hang out, feed, etc… In a few days they won’t even pay any attention to it, accepting the object as part of their natural environment.

I wouldn’t waste time painting the jump standards/rails a natural color. You are just camoflauging the situation rather than allowing them the chance to accept it. Horses will come to accept almost anything that will not literally eat them. That trait is part of what makes them the incredible universal animals that they are.

As far as the backing, it is exactly as Donn mentioned, pressure and then the release of pressure. An appropriate stick, prod, etc… held out so that when they back they back directly into it with a corresponding “whoa” when they feel the pressure. Allow them to back into it; don’t jab it into their ass. Be ready for a jolt forward the first time or two with another “whoa” with momentary bit pressure to enforce the moment. It is all about pressure and release of pressure. All of this should be followed by a few moments of relaxation with some reassuring tones from you. Remember that you are the one that the horse is looking to for guidance once that level of trust has been established. Take your time…

[Scott G]

Unfortunately not NEAPFD, Jason, but hopefully MOFGA LIF wkshop in November. Trying to see if I can swing an airline ticket on my end…

[Scott G]

Has anybody seen/heard of putting a Farmi 3-point, PTO skidding winch on the back of a 4-wheeled, powered, PTO hitch cart? I know some folks have put a winch on their skidding arch. Not contemplating it for myself, just an idea that came to mind…

[Scott G]

Talk to Jason R. He has a wood splitter hooked up to one.

[Scott G]

@near horse 20332 wrote:

If I remember correctly, a fungal infestation can predispose a tree to subsequent insect attack. Makes them “more vulnerable”. Is that true?

Anything that stresses the tree can make it more susceptible to bark beetles; wpbr, dwarf mistletoe, root compaction, drought, etc., etc….

@near horse 20332 wrote:

Also, in fungal attacks, the problem is more systemic than what we see in the form of defoliated limbs etc. Removal of those parts may slow the demise of the tree but it is likely over for that tree.

WPBR fungi are not systemic. They originate as a focal area of infection that forms a canker. The canker expands annually eventually girdling & killing the portion distal to it. Pruning out infected areas can be beneficial if your dealing with a light infection, but the reality is that other infested areas are developing which you probably don’t notice and you’ll continually prune the tree into oblivion. Definitely worth a try though if you’re dealing with a minmal amount of rust and is something we still recommend to landowners so that they feel like they are “doing something”.

@near horse 20332 wrote:

On a side note – this is the 100 yr anniversary of the great 1910 fire in our region. There are alot of amazing stories regarding this fire, including miners/loggers trying to evacuate on a train that raced into a mile long tunnel and rode out the fire. When they emerged, all RR tressels/bridges were completely gone ….

The wildland refresher this year highlighted the 1910 fires. The entire NW and central Rockies were pretty much on fire due to weather. That fire season triggered the creation/molding of how our current fire suppression crews function and are organized. AKA the “militarization” of the effort.

[Scott G]

@Le Lombric (The Worm) 20277 wrote:

The only thing with US is that it’s complicated to cross the border with a chainsaw and work clothes and saying that you’re there for vacations. I already had troubles intended to do an apprenticeship in Maine and customs now have my picture and digital prints.

The solution is to borrow all work stuff to the gentle people who will welcome me.
That’s why I would preferably stay in Canada, behind the iron curtain. 🙂

Purge/clean your saws fuel tank and ship it/gear to your destination in the States. That would be an easy solution (I think).

[Scott G]

@dlskidmore 20289 wrote:

I’ve wondered how English hedging techniques would work to preserve the genetic pools of species currently being attacked by fungi. I wasn’t clear from my reading about chestnuts if the fungi didn’t really affect young shoots, or if clear cutting and allowing shoots to regrew interrupted the life cycle of the fungi and delayed spread of the disease to the new shoot. If the former you could lay the hedge in a traditional style and grow the old stems on long enough to grow nuts, while continually generating new shoots to replace the old ones as they are infected beyond hope. If the latter, you’d have to clear cut each cycle and use it just as a windbreak or wildlife hedge in the tall side of the cycle. The hedge would still produce a good pole/firewood crop on a short cycle.

You can prune out infected portions but in the end, at least in my region, it really doesn’t accomplish much.

The fungi kill the host tree by developing a canker that spreads incrementally over time, subseqently killing the portion above the canker by girdling. Big trees take longer to kill than small ones due to the circumference. Seedlings are often toast within a couple of years.

The American chestnut stump sprouts are continually knocked back by chestnut blight. That is why very few grow to a size to amount to much.

[Scott G]

Same here, just posted a few weeks ago. I agree it it seems to be a good way to keep in touch with the “circle”. I just haven’t had much time to figure it out and post much of anything. Maybe when the daylight starts to seriously disappear…

[Scott G]

PennState grad from Cornell? I’m so confused…

Talk to Tim K. aka LanceK or Jason R. aka Biological Woodsman. They have both been in black locust lately.

FYI, juniper also makes a pretty good naturally decay-resistant post.

Good luck,
Scott

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