Doing well so far! (I think)

[Y 4 Ranch]

I’ve been trying to post a couple of pictures to the gallery but I’ve terrible luck, so I’ll try this.
This is a picture my wife took last fall, I’m at the lines pulling a disc.

I asked a while back about making it a go with only horses, I kept a tractor and loader but thinned out the rest.

So far so good.
Mike

[Y 4 Ranch]

I’ll add one more since this works.
This is a 16 ft JD press drill pulled by 12 again with a power cart. My son is behind me getting ready to start his turn

[Y 4 Ranch]

I, very much, dislike computers. It didn’t upload the other picture, sorry.

[Gabe Ayers]

Y4,

I totally agree about the computers. These things/machines are just the most up to date version of designed obsolescence, they are always not as good as advertised and are consistently disappointing in doing what you think they should. There are always restrictions, you can’t post a photo over this or that size, you can’t send but so many attachments and you constantly need an upgrade or new virus protection or more memory…… computers suck…

Now that big hitch of horses working the ground is a beautiful site and you seem to be doing pretty good for a start up or for making a transition.

Get a kid to help you post those photos, we’d like to see them despite all the honest complaints about computers.

~

[jen judkins]

Holy Crap, Mike! Did you say you were new to farming with draft horses?! That’s quite a hitch! Nice job…

A question…which horses are you actually driving? Looks like you have contact with at least the outside of the front horses. Are their lines on the wheel horses?

[Y 4 Ranch]

I’m not new to this, just till this past year hadn’t really monkeyed with anything larger than 3. This past spring I hosted a workshop at our farm and our focus was on larger hitches. Randy Denton came over from Barnum, MN and along with Doug Ohrlein we put on an interesting program. We plowed, disced and planted ( with a 16 ft drill ), with every combination up to the 12. Doug brought over 8 and I had 4, along about Sunday mid-day I suggested we hook up the big drill. Doug commented he didn’t think his 8 could do her very long, I stated “Who said anything about 8.”
We discussed the situation and Doug said he didn’t have a 6 abreast, I smiled and said ” OooH! But I do.” Long story short, we did it, not once but several times now and we’ve had several drivers to include my then 16, now 17 year old son, Matt. We’ve been invited to other events and we go, I think it’s only because I have the evener.
I wish I could get the pictures uploaded, I tease Doug all the time about the need of having the Blondes to make sure the work gets done. This picture that’s up shows 5 of mine and 7 of his. This spring we’ll have 6 & 6 and have another workshop the first weekend of May, maybe focus on something else. Our last workshop had 9 teamsters and over 30 horses.
Mike

[Y 4 Ranch]

Sorry Jennifer,
I hold 4 lines, wheel and lead outsides. Doug had a set of lines made up with an additional cross check, works great.
Mike

[J-L]

Gees! Like the old saying, go big or stay home! Looks good. I sure like to see some good, useful work being done with animals. I sure wish you were closer so I could join in. I’ve worked 4 abreast in the field and really liked doing it. It never ceased to amaze me how much more you can get done by adding more horses (or mules).
I put 4 head on my meadow drags and will do some discing this spring with a bigger hitch. I also put 4 head on my grain drill and will do it again this spring. I have more animals now and can hook six head if I need to and probably will to do the discing. Thanks for putting the picture up and try and get some more. Do like Jason said and hijack a kid to figure it out.

[Y 4 Ranch]

J-L
Thanks, as soon as I get my Daughter home from college I’ll attempt it again. I have only 6 Belgians and they’ll be all together this spring, the rest of my 21 hd of horse power is connected to the saddles, ranch and pack.
Too bad we don’t live closer to you, we’d enjoy the company. Unfortunately, my wife thinks that the closer I get to Dad in Miles City the more trouble she’ll have, Ha Ha ! she might be right. I can’t get her out of Cass County MN, I about as far west as I’ll be allowed on any permanent basis.
Mike

[J-L]

I have a few extra head of animals as well, but not that many (14 horses and mules). All of them drive, pack, or ride. Some of them do all of them. I can’t have a hayburner on the ranch.
I have been surprised at how many people do some packing in Minnesota. I had it in mind that was more of a western endeavor. Don’t know a great deal about that state though.
I take it you run some cows? What breed or breeds are you using?

[Robernson]

@Biological Woodsman 14433 wrote:

Y4,

I totally agree about the computers. These things/machines are just the most up to date version of designed obsolescence, they are always not as good as advertised and are consistently disappointing in doing what you think they should. There are always restrictions, you can’t post a photo over this or that size, you can’t send but so many attachments and you constantly need an upgrade or new virus protection or more memory…… computers suck…

Now that big hitch of horses working the ground is a beautiful site and you seem to be doing pretty good for a start up or for making a transition.

Get a kid to help you post those photos, we’d like to see them despite all the honest complaints about computers.

~

Ditto. I have ALOT of “issues” with technology. But anyway nice hitch of horses!
~~R

[Scyther]

Nice picture and good for you, using a bigger hitch I mean. I have never used larger than four. You are showing people that a good sized farm can be worked with horses. Just takes some experience, the horses and ambition. Again, good for you. Stay warm.

[Y 4 Ranch]

J-L
We run Angus X Hereford, about 1200 pounders, they wean off a calf 1 Nov weighing 536 H and 550 S, born in April. We breed to Reg. Angus bulls with birth EPD’s of +1.5 or as close to it as possible; I don’t like to worry more than needed at calving time. The same buyer every year takes them the West Point NE and they do well enough that he keeps coming back except when I was over seas.
We still use a wood fire inthe spring with rope and horse, cold beer and plenty of food follows the work. No less than 30 outfits of various sizes doing it that way around here.
Mike

[J-L]

Crazy!! That sounds a lot like Wyoming. Many of us still rope and drag to the fire at branding. The cows are similar to a lot of range cattle in this neck of the woods. Many people still use that cow model and cross breed like that too. I’ve been using more Simmental x Angus and cutting back on the exotic club calf type stuff. I really have to watch what Angus I use, the altitude gets many of them with PAP. Our calves ship mid October and usually will weigh 580 to 610 on the steers but I have excellent pasture.
Interestingly, I was in West Point, NE this fall at a female sale. I have a friend who is a Simmental breeder near there and they held there sale at the West Point Auction (nice place), and their bull sale is coming up shortly at the same place. That’s kind of neat country to see, although chopped up and crowded compared to Wyoming. It amazes me how productive that farm ground is.
Enjoyed hearing about your operation.

[Y 4 Ranch]

My Dad is in Miles City and works for the Cross 4, might have something to do with influencing our operation. The rest of the outfits, one I know of worked on the Padlock, another rode in the high desert country of Oregon and Idaho. Yet another worked for the Haythorn, 4 , although I don’t know how long.
Western is a way of life and many of us find a few more drops of rain here makes the difference. Others, myself included, have married and can’t get back out there, so we make do with what we have here and make bring the west here. It works but I miss the hills and mountains so every 2 years we travel out that direction and hit a rodeo or two, the last was Cheyenne in 08.
Mike

[Author]

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