Leo

[Donn Hewes]

Leo was given to me on a trial basis from some good friends of mine. He is about five years old and they bought him at an auction as a yearling. They have ground driven him a few times and maybe pulled a tire a little. I think he will be fine. Yesterday I drove him single and double and let him check out the mowing machine while George and Connie were clipping.

[Marshall]

Very nice. I would eventually like to find a pair of Leo’s.

[Hoss]

Donn,
Are you still working Connie in an open bridle? I can’t tell on the picture.

[Does’ Leap]

Donn:

Good luck with him. He looks huge (or maybe just the perspective in the picture?). How tall is he?

George

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Hoss, Yes, Connie has been open faced since I got her; about a year and a half. I like the open faced horse, but she is one of the first horses I have had that never for a moment questioned it. Leo has been started open faced, but in the early stages he seems a little too attentive to what I am doing back there. A little of that is to be expected, but time will tell if he stays with out blinders.

George, he is not really a big horse, probably 16-1 or 2 and 1600#. After only a couple days I am pleased with what he is doing. I will have to control myself to not push him to work too quick.

[Ed Thayer]

Nice looking horse Don.

He does look tall in the pic. Good luck with him. Will you bail the clippings or just do it for pasture management?

Ed

[near horse]

Hi Donn,

So are you keeping Leo or do your friends want him back ….? He looks pretty mellow in the mower picture. AND – please tell me that was taken in May/June not recently. That much green grass this late in the summer just isn’t fair! I guess you all pay for it with humidity but dang, that sure looks nice.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Geoff, yes those were last weeks pictures! Not sure what we will do with Leo. I think I could probably buy him if I wanted to, but they are not really trying to sell him. I think it is just a deal between friends, I will work with him for a while and see what comes of it. I have a few bigger logs for Leo today and I will hook him up with George for a team mate. He was skidding a few logs single yesterday. I think he had that, ” were did this guy come from?” moment yesterday.

I never bale clippings any more. I am a clipping fanatic. No matter how heavy it is good stuff grows up through it. In dry weather it is a mulch that conserves moisture. In rainy weather it protects the soil from erosion and slows the run off. Like mowing a green cover crop in a market garden, it is getting the plant residue down to the soil level were microbes can go to work incorporating it.

[Donn Hewes]

Today was Leo’s first day with a tongue and a wheeled cart. He is pretty mellow, so we just took a couple extra precuations and hooked him up. Used a halter and a lead rope then just had a handler stand by. After a few minutes we hung up the rope and went for a little ride. There are a few pictures here, but the camara went dead half wat through.

[Author]

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