Bridle Chains

[Baystatetom]

Had a scary moment today when my go-devil and the 1000 pound log on it almost passed me and my steers. Everything was fine with the first two hitches but then I guess the trail got packed a little to well. Somehow my off steer was able to get over the chain so the load came up beside him without wiping out his legs.
The next hitch I wrapped a chain around both runners and they had to work fairly hard to pull it down the hill. One chain on one runner seams to be the happy medium.
Nothing can make you run like hearing your load chain jingling and feeling the hot breath of a 1400 pound steer on the back of your neck!

[Baystatetom]

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4049666203092.2139544.1325088378&type=1
Here is some pics
~Tom

[Carl Russell]

@Baystatetom 38814 wrote:

…..Nothing can make you run like hearing your load chain jingling and feeling the hot breath of a 1400 pound steer on the back of your neck!

Tom, back in the 90’s I worked Holsteins in the woods. I was pulling WHP down a long grade late in the season, so the trail was getting icy. I was using the bobsled, so it had a pole that they could hold back on, and due to conditions I was using bridle chains.

In this place the steep slope ended in a sharp turn, so I was just using a bridle on the inside runner. I had cut a tree into the trail earlier in the winter, and as I came down that time a limb, about 3″ in diameter and about 2 feet long, lodged itself into one of the links on the bridle chain. It effectively created a lifted runner, and completely disabled the the chain.

My cattle were about a ton each at the time, and I was walking quickly in front of them, mostly looking where I was putting my feet, while driving by leading. I heard a sort of grunt, and literally felt a warm rush of air on the back of my neck. I turned to see both steers back-peddling, eyes-wide, with the yoke pressed up against their horns.

I said “Come on boys”, and turned to run ahead while they struggled for just enough footing to keep on the trail. We came to a stop basically where we wanted to be, took a rest, undid the bridle chain, and then continued to the landing…… needless to say I didn’t need my cup of coffee at noon that day…..:rolleyes:

Have fun out there, Carl

[Andy Carson]

When I first started using bridle chains on my sled, I had one pull loose due to the way I attached it when I was headed down a hill that was moderately steep, but quite long. I have since fixed the way I attach the chains, but that’s another story. Instead of asking for a faster pace, I turned sharp to the right and kept going along the elevation contour. There was at least 100 yards leaft to the hill and it would have turned into a death gallop. This action put me and my horse off the trail into a brushy patch that was essentially a dead end, but it stopped the momentum of the load and gave me time to fix the chain. It was an adventure getting out of that spot, but at least no one was hurt. I suppose it was the better of “dead end,” if you know what I mean. 🙂

[back-forty]

What size of link is typically used in the bridle chains? I was hauling appoximately #1500 roundbales recently with my team and on the downslope used a chain on each runner of the slid. With a chain on each runner the team actually had to pull the load downhill so on the next load I used only one chain and it worked better but with only one chain there is no redundancy if something happens to that chain. I am thinking about making up another set of chains with smaller links to get the same braking from 2 smaller chains that I get from one.

[Andy Carson]

This is interesting, back-forty, and useful. Let us know what you figure out. With the setup I use, I simply lay the chains out in front of the runners and run over them to set the chains. I suppose you could simply do that twice, but one of the chains might get kinda long (if you want them at different locations). Not sure if this matters… What are you planning?

[Carl Russell]

@back-forty 38872 wrote:

What size of link is typically used in the bridle chains? …..

…the team actually had to pull the load downhill …….

Very large links, like 3/4 chain with 3″ long links. Smaller chain will become useless in deep snow.

The team should have to pull the load down the hill.

If folks are trying to use bridle chains instead of using a pole, then that is different. With a pole a team should be able to hokd back a pretty good load. I have used a bridle chain on a scoot with no pole when it was empty going downhill and it was intermittently effective because there was very little weigh to set the chains into the frozen ground. Other than that I haven’t any experience.

Carl

[back-forty]

I was hauling the roundbales along the shoulder of a snow packed township road so did not have deep snow conditions like you might have logging. When I used a heavy bridle chain on both runners on the skid they bit thru the snow pack to the grravel and the team ended up pulling harder on the downhill with chains than on the level without the chains. I was using a 6 foot long skid frame hooked the behind the forecart so bale could run up on cart without the use of the chains. I may simply make up some form of rigid hitch between cart and skid to utilize braking with the pole rather than have different bridle chains dependant on the conditions. I find that the connector links for rear tractor tire chains that I can buy at the local farm supply store work well for the bridle chains as they can be released with the chain still under tension and only cost about $7 each.

[Carl Russell]

That sounds like a good idea.

Carl

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