Team conditioning for plowing

[jac]

I think the original meaning was refering to oxen rather than horses and probly originated in Britain at the time before the enclosures act… tho I could be wrong on that:D…..
John

[mitchmaine]

@blue80 26323 wrote:

I recently read that a furlong is a measurement which originated by the distance a team of horses could plow before needing a break; 660 ft. if I remember correctly…

The furlong (furrow length/long) is an interesting measurement. 660’. Just happens to be 1/8 mile long. Also happens to be 10 chains long.
1 furlong (660’) by 1 chain wide (66’ or 4 rods) is an acre.
If a furlong is the distance a span of cattle will pull a l plow with comfort, then maybe 66 furrows or an acre is the size of a field or a days work with comfort.
It works so well into the math we use every day, like acres, miles, yards and so on, you have to wonder which measurement came first, and my money is on the furlong.

[sickle hocks]

..as well as cardio and muscle conditioning, how much of an issue is getting the shoulders accustomed to the collar again??…some of the old-timers around here talk about soaking shoulders in saltwater for a few days to ‘toughen up the skin’ if the horse hasn’t been worked for a while. Old wive’s tale or sound advice???

[blue80]

The last two weeks, I’ve been rotating 6 horses in a 3 and 4 abreast sodbusting, discing. Have about 60 acres done so far. Green horses or unfit horses get 4 hrs. max a day in cool weather.
One gelding I’ve been working about 4 hrs. a day, 4 days a week for the last couple of months. So I thought he was ready to work. He was a “rank” 13 yr. old when I got him this winter…. As he got in shape, I had to switch his collar, then switch again, and this week it seemed looser and he has a funny neck with steep bony shoulder and I was short a better fitting collar so I ran him an extra day with the best fit collar I had and no pad, and that day, I had a short chain from his hames to a green mare that would lunge once in awhile and he got some soreness in his shoulder, and slight wrinkles in both. I felt pretty bad, but he isn’t holding it against me:o I lucked across some more used collars and pads Friday on a pallet in a guys shed and am going to cut a hole in the back of the pad take out the deer hair where the sore is and keep him going 1/2 days….
My good mare 8yr old who has been solid and worked all winter, after never been harnessed before last fall when I got her has worked each day, about 10 hrs. She is not sore but the skin started to wrinkle a little. Epsom salts and cold water I am told.
Never had a problem before, but never worked horses this hard before. All are white/grey I am told they have thinner skin, also none have worked hard in their life.
Seem collar fit is more and more imperative the more consistent work you do. And you can’t get the proper long term collar on them until they get fit…. So I’ll have collars hanging around like fishermen have poles hanging in their garages….

[Tim Harrigan]

Plowing and spring tillage season is near so if you are thinking of putting your team to work this thread on conditioning draft animals for such work should be helpful. There was some nice discussion here.

[Gulo]

Another technique used to condition horses for plowing is to drag about a very large implement tire. I do this either behind the forecart or just riding on the tire. Aden Freeman of Ontario suggested the pull of the tire is similar in feel to the draft of a plow.

[Author]

Posts