Keeping Going Mowing

[mitchmaine]

i don’t want to barge in either, but oldkat’s right. we had a field on this farm i used to work on when i was a kid. it was called the finger field. cause the man i worked for got down off his mower to clean off the bar and forgot to take it out of gear. the horses stepped ahead to take a bite of grass and snip. off went his middle finger. he never let us forget it. you couldn’t get off a tractor with it running. he had lots of rules. more than he had fingers. but you can’t be too careful anytime can you? stay safe.

mitch

[Howling Farmer]

Thank you for your concerns. I did have that same concern. I would not have gotten off if I wasn’t extremely confident that he was going anywhere in this situation. Of course, I know, any horse can take off at any time without any notice.

The problem was, he really needed a swat, not a tickle. I had tried a longer buggy whip, but I couldn’t find one where the “solid” part went long enough. I tried to makeshift a solid part, but it just wasn’t solid enough and kept flopping around. Getting someone else to persuade is an idea, but it seems like the timing really needs to be just right, and I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel having someone else walking on the ground with the mower engaged. Maybe that would have been a better idea though. I think I would have a concern about someone else mowing while I persuaded. Just my thought, but I don’t really have anyone around with any driving experience, and, to me, it would seem more likely for an inexperienced person to lose control driving, especially on that tractor seat, than a more experienced person on the ground. Also more likely for the horse to act up, I would think. Milt always tries to get away with things if someone else is driving.

Fortunately, the persuasion seems to have done it’s trick, so I’m back to my “never get off the mower with the blade engaged” rule.

While we’re talking about mowing safety — does anyone have a recommendation as to the safest place to put the lines if I’m cleaning out a plug? Normally, I hold onto them, but sometimes I need two hands to pull the bar up out of the grass if it’s really stuck. If I drape them over the mower, it seems like they could get caught in the wheel if Milt started to walk off. Maybe in front of the bar on the ground? Milt stands well, but of course I still want them handy.

Leslie

[blue80]

sit on the lines while mowing. If you are worried about him taking off while working on the mower, then the mower is the wrong implement to be using. they call em maneaters….good exercise is to sit on the seat, play with the lines, sing a song; never should he commence until you give your preferred command. He’ll get it.

Sometimes a solid pole/stick like a broomstick is nicer than a whip. Kindof hold it a few inches directly behind his rump as you are working, as he slows down, move the stick forward to solidly jab him in the rump; not viscious, just to dimple the skin. Milt will think that when he slows, he is actually causing the jab himself. As he moves back up to pace, the pressure goes away and he is comfortable again. He also won’t see it coming, and won’t become sensitized to a whip.

Keep him going when he wants to stop on his own, but Stop him to let him rest when he is goiing good. keep him from playing while stopped, if he is restless, go again.
And if he does something you don’t want him to, give him a verbal command. Like if Milt stops on his own, give him a stern “whoa!” tell him, don’t ask him; reason being, he will actually think you told him to do it!

[Howling Farmer]

blue80 — No, I’m not worried he’s going to take off with the mower. It was more the opposite problem of him refusing to budge with the mower. My question about the lines was — when you need two hands to pull out a plug, where’s the safest place to put the lines so they’re accessible but won’t get caught up in the wheel if the horse starts to walk off? Milt actually stands really well, but I still don’t want the lines to be in a place where they might get caught in the wheel if he did walk off.

Good idea with the pole (although it might take a bit of coordination on my part.) As much as possible, I want Milt to feel he is source of his own consequences. Your suggestion of telling him “whoa” when he stopped reminded me of a friend of mine who was having trouble with her teenage son. Her counselor advised her that as he was storming out of the house, she should be telling him to take a walk!
Leslie

[near horse]

Good tips from blue80. I do also have a problem trying to figure out where to put the stick/whip on the mower – accessible but won’t fall off into the grass when things are going well.

The stick is also good for when/if your horse/team starts to step back on their own – poke ’em in the butt. This might get a lot of grief but I wrap my lines around one of the levers for tilting the cutter bar if I have to get off for some reason. They are accessible, not loose and free up my hands to do whatever.

[LStone]

The method I use (I don’t think I am alone) when i need to use two hands say for instance choking a log is to put the lines horizontally across my body close in around belt level and bend over. Lines are held up in the fold between belly and legs. Remaining close at hand if needed.

[Howling Farmer]

Here are some photos of Milt mowing. We were clipping a pasture, but then the cuttings were so nice, I ended up baling it since I still need hay. Sorry the quality of the pictures isn’t so great. It started raining as soon as we got out there, and then my daughter left for two weeks to California, so no opportunity for re-takes.

blue80 — the pole idea works great!! I use two bamboo stakes overlapped with the small ends duct taped together to make it long enough. Does take a bit of coordination, and I have accidentally goosed Milt a couple of times! But he’s going great. Today we mowed second cutting with no plugs due to too-slow horse speed (of course there were plugs due to my steering of the cutter bar into the already-mowed hay…) Thanks for the suggestion.

Leslie

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