Gathering wood with the team

[Ed Thayer]

We have been working in the woods for the last couple of weeks getting next years fire wood for the sugar house and farmhouse. This is the first year using two horses for the whole operation and it has it benefits for sure. We can pull larger logs and twitch them a little further.

But most of the haul roads we have made are a little narrow. So we need to work on that. And the team is not as maneuverable as a single horse so I find myself thinking ahead a little more so I don’t get myself jammed up.

This is a learning experience for us but very enjoyable. Today we plan to hook the log scoot and haul the logs back to the house.

[Does’ Leap]

Hi Ed:

Thanks for the video. I assume you have two horses now or is that your neighbor’s horse? A Canadian? He looks and moves just like my Canadian or should I say my daughter’s (another story). How are they working together? Two horses definitely have their advantages in the woods although I do like working a single for simplicity and maneuverability.

George

[Jeroen]

Hi Ed,

Nice pictures of a winter wonderland!

I consider you to have a look at your bits or harness, because the horses are not cool with it. The belgian has his tongue outside his mouth all the time. He is clearly not enjoying himself.

[Ed Thayer]

George,

This is the neighbors horse we have for the winter. They have worked single for the most part for the last 6 or so years. So it is a challenge to get them to work at the same pace. They are getting better with regular work but still have their issues. The belgian ( OZ ) is up and ready to go and the Canadian is a little more laid back because he is an older horse. I am going to give the buck back strap a try this week to try and get Oz to slow down and pace himself better with Balzac.

You may have noticed the jockey stick I use on Balzac to keep him from mouthing the other horse. If I don’t use this and let them sit while hooking logs, he will have himself all tandgled up in the lines or have the other horses blinders in his mouth.

Jeroen,

Ozzie, the Belgian,has done that since I got him. We have a couple of different harnesses I use with him and neither seems to make a difference. What are you suggesting might be wrong?

Ed

[KMichelle]

Ed, have you tried different bits? It doesn’t seem too distracting, I have a saddle horse that would constantly lick and wiggle her lips. I did experiment with a lot of bits in my time (ultimately settled on a super mild snaffle, but you won’t catch me driving heavy loads without a curb…), but ultimately she never stopped, she’s 23 and still wiggles her lips.

And I am super jealous of your sled. I have to move a cord of firewood up to my house by the end of the month(no car access) and would die for one like that.

[Carl Russell]

Michelle, he is the guy to build you one….

Carl

[carl ny]

Is that a broken snaffle you are using? Try a straight bar leverage bit.Usually they have 3 positions for the lines so you can adjust as needed.I don’t use the leverage unless I need it. A bit with a slight curb might help Oz, or you could try adjusting his lines a little shorter. I’ve seen horses that have got the habit so bad that nothing helps. JMHO

carl ny

[Ed Thayer]

When sizing a straight bar bit, do you measure between the rings for size? Or would I take the existing snaffle with me and match it up for width at the tack store?

Ed

[carl ny]

I’m not sure which way is correct,just do it the same way on both bits or take yours with you. First make sure that your old bit is the correct size. When you use a leverage bit you need a curb chain for it to work correctly. Also, with a leverage bit you have a lot of power in your hands, be gentle, use your fingers and hands, not your arms..

carl ny

[Jeroen]

Hi Ed,

I showed your video to others and did some research. It appears your horse has what the french call “the serpentine tongue”. (Google for “langue serpentine” and translate) Cause is almost allways a wrong bit. Even if you take away the cause they often keep this bad habit. So it could have got it from a bit of his former owner.
I would also try a straight bit with leverage. Also more comfortable for your horse. You measure by putting a twitch in his mouth on the place of the bit, measure the length that was inside and add 0.4 of an inch. The closest size available is the one you want. Better a little too small than too large, but not smaller than your measure.

Hope this helped!

Jeroen

[dominiquer60]

Ed,

Here is a PDF from a riding horse catalog, but some good info on figuring out the right size of bit that you need. http://www.doversaddlery.com/images/art/Equine%20Library%2030%20Measure%20Bits.pdf.

I noticed a while back that some of our horses were not thrilled about the bits we were using. Even with light or no contact at rest they were not content with the standard liverpool that we had on the bridles.

I will try to post here, but if not catch me on facebook and I can show you a picture or two that shows there discontent. Thankfully they have been perfectly willing to work in the liverpools, but now with better fitting bits they seem much more comfortable, fuss less and keep focus on us better. Why were they fussing? My assumption is that even with a reward of released pressure from the lines, the bits that we were using were still putting pressure where they they shouldn’t on the bars of their mouth or on the tongue.

We borrowed a bucket of bits from some friends and ended up getting a pair of these http://www.shipshewanaharness.com/ecommerce/EM32HP-Myler-Mullen-Barrel-.cfm?item_id=1098&parent=506&navPanel=8. The curves in the mouth piece may seem anything but mild, but after much research and experimenting on their own horses, the Myler Brothers have developed an extensive line of bits that make a big difference to some horses. These bits do a better job of conforming to the horses mouth and at the very least reduces the pressure on the bars and with the slight port of the 32HP mouthpiece there is more room for the tongue to move for better ease of swallowing and breathing.

Yes they are pricy, but they are built very well (stainless shanks with sweet iron and copper mouth to promote salivation and therefore lubrication) and will last the rest of your life as a teamster with proper care. When we thought about the amount of money that we spend annually on good comfortable work boots that only last a year for us, these seemed like a good buy in terms of animal comfort and durability.

We still have one horse that is similar to Ozzie in the sense that he is very forward and doesn’t seem to want to conform to the pace that we set. While he is not dangerous, he is hard on himself trying to pull the whole load and gets behind the bit, cutting his wind off some. He seems a little better with our new myler bits, but not as much of an improvement as the others. We are going to try him next in a rubber straight bar to see if he like that any better.

Anyway think about what kind of mouthpiece may be best for him. I agree with Jeroen, this could be a habit that is not fixable so use your best judgement to figure out what is comfortable for him.

Erika

[Ed Thayer]

Thanks for the info Erika, very helpful. I did pick up a straight bar liverpool and tried it on Oz this weekend. It did seem to work well and he did not appear so up on the bit. I only had it in the ring position not the lower levers.

Jeroen, His tongue continued to flap around and I suspect it will continue as a habit. It never bothered me much anyway. Thanks for the link. I am always impressed with the willingness to share information here.

Thanks again,

Ed

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