[wally b]

I think you might have had a better chance at maintaining control/leadership/influence if you had lead one horse at a time. You cant predict a horses action but at least with one it is much easier to react to. I mostly lead horses single for this reason.

wally

[wally b]

I am working on a tool carrier based on several designs. I am in the final stages of the prototype and will be able to post pictures. It is a tool carrier with quick attach tool bars in both front and rear locations (two at one pass) and is fully adjustable width and height and steerable. It should be able to do row work and over bed cultivation as well. I should have it ready to use in about two weeks.

It basically is a cross between an AC G cultivating tractor, a beet cultivator, a pioneer homesteader, and the german tool carrier univecus.

Walt
walt@workhorseworkshops.com
oregon usa

[wally b]

What are you using the horse on? If forecart or tongue then your traces or hold back can be too long, causing the neck drop to move forward enough to pull the neck yoke forward and pull off. If these things are properly adjusted, when the horse stops and drops it’s hind end onto the brichen the force of the tongue on the neck drop pulls down, more than forward on the hames. If too long as I said it will pull forward and can pull off. If your collar is too big or hames too big for the collar the whole thing can come loose as well.

Your collar looks too big for the horse and the hames is too big for the collar that the horse needs. The lower hames strap could be too wide to fit into the grove in the collar as well.

I bet it’s a combination of all three of these things. Once you have the right collar size and hames for collar, adjust your hold back to keep the neck drop hook from moving too forward of a line along the axis of the hames. Then you should be fine.

Wally

[wally b]

Hi Steve

You should put your faster horse in the middle. If not your hitch won’t fan out properly if you have a laggard in the middle; it will crowd in and be more difficult to drive. With stub lines off the center horse The center horse must be more in front and responsive to help drive the hitch.

I like to hook directly to heavy implements like discs as there is loss of efficiency and side draft when using a forecart. If you use a pioneer forecart and your hitch pin is moved to the side to accommodate the three, then you need to hitch to the offset clevis hitch hole on the hitch of the forecart to compensate for side draft. In other words if you are facing forward and your three abreast evener is set to the left, then your disc needs to be hitched in the left hole on the drawbar of the forecart.

Over the years I have evolved away from forecarts for heavier work when I can easily make it work, like my disc. I will send a couple of pics.

Wally

[wally b]

I don’t think it’s a good idea to disc with you horse(s) with the lines tied up where you can’t get to them. That’s what it looks like in the video–if I am wrong then I stand corrected. I have had my ‘bomb proof’ horses spook when bit by hornets while plowing/discing–with lines in hand I was able to rapidly calm them and prevent a worse senario, possibly. Also, it’s really hard to replace a well trained horse such as that one, due to a situation like that which resulted in an injured horse. Lastly, it gives the wrong impression to those less experienced that this is the general way it is done.

Just my opinion.

Wally b

[wally b]

Hi

I would like source/contact info on the Melotte cultivator and the other one that daniel grover mentions that was displayed at the DAPFD.

Thanks

Wally b
Oregon

[wally b]

Hi Don

I really like the underserrated fine tooth sections for these conditions and I will put on entirely new sections for real heavy lodged grasses because, in my experience, I cannot get the sections as sharp as when new.

Hope this helps

Wally

[wally b]

I like the set up. Who makes it and what was the price and contact info? Where did you get the tine weeders and what is their make?

wally

[wally b]

If she worked fine before I would look for problems like collar sore, nail or sharp nail etc, in the harness, collar or rigging.  Another time I had a mare who had a small, barely noticable, cut in her mouth near where the bit lay.

Check for these kind of mechanical problems.

 

wally

[wally b]

That horse will be hard to retrain, especially if you are a beginner or can’t work with the animal every day for a while.  I would look for another teammate.

 

wally

[wally b]

That is a one horse power and the tounge fits on the bull wheel and is about 14 ft long.  The tounge has a draft rod that attaches to the threaded rod to form a triangle to handle the stress on the tounge.  One horse makes about 2-3 revolutions per minute and most powers put out about 80 on the output shaft.  If there are two ends to the output shaft it can be used to turn clockwise at  one end or counter at the other.  The best articles about powers are by robert Lamm (now deceased I believe) in the SFJ and other journals.  I coresponded with him when he was in his ninties and got alot of advice on my 8 horse or single horse powers.  Any babbit blocks on the shaft will be marked with either punch marks (or other) to keep similiar halves together– if you decide to take them apart make sure and keep the hlves together or your shaft will wear improperly, and you may need to remake the babbits.  There may be a timing mark on the bull wheel to set the gears properly–look for an arrow or other mark.

 

email me if you need help getting it going.

 

wally b

walt@workhorseworkshops.com

[wally b]

heavy animal carcasses are harder to skid efficiently than you may initially think–thats why they call it ‘dead weight’–plus it damages the hide and carcass.

wally b

[wally b]

There is a guy I know out here that used a ‘fid hook’ to grab his chains under and between logs. It is a light peice of flat steel with a ‘grab style’ hook cut into the flat bar at the end. It was originallly designed to get under the bigger diameter timbers like redwood we have out here, but I imagine it would be good for retrieving chains anywhere you didin’t want to put your hand.

Gregg Caudell is the guy and has a picture of them in his book.

wally

[wally b]

Nobody has responded yet so I add my cents. I like horses that drive both no pressure and with pressure release driving. The more control I need I will use mor pressure release driving. So Mowing or Plowing where the horses really know where to walk, after learning (like the furrow hores)–they need is a little help, then I let them just do their job. If I’m cultivating or doing some precise work then I use the pressure release, like drilling grain without a marking disc, or dragging a harrow over a pasture. It is truely amazing how small a ‘mark’ a team can pick up on to guide the way. This works for me.

wally

[wally b]

From your pictures that looks like a JD disc. It could have a tounge on it or tounge truck, either would be fine. It is a two horse disc and the discs are totally work. The center lever is to keep the disc gangs running level; they tend to ride up in the center with out down pressure.

wally b

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