The worst of days, the best of days…

[Gabe Ayers]

I arrived at the job site early, and the yard was quiet. Kevin, our chopper, was already hard at work up the woods, putting spruce sawlogs on the ground, but his saw was only a distant buzz. The unloading process went much like every other day in the woods – pull in and park, horses off and tied to the trailer one at a time, gear out of the truck, last swig off water before gearing up. Having snapped the end of the pole on my logging arch the day before, I was resigned to hoofing it up in to the woodlot. No worries I thought. Bob and Pete, my geldings, had both carried equipment on their hames before, so I figured I would just load them up and walk in toting only my pack myself. Carl had arrived by now and was making a repair on his bobsled runner.

I put the horses bridles on, adjusted my lines, and hooked up the doubletree and chains. I then made what turned out to be a critical error, a huge mistake. I placed a small cooler full of ice and water along with my water jug over the hames of my near horse, Bob. As I said, both horses had carried all sorts of gear in this manner last winter, so Iwas not worried about any fear from them about their cargo. As I turned back to pick up my saw and the lines, Bob, the more energetic of my two, took a step forward and, I think, heard the ice and drink containers sloshing around inthe cooler. Well, turns out that he did not like that sound one bit. In a fraction of a second, both Bob and Pete were moving, slowly at first but gathering speed. I stepped forward to grab my lines and placed my right foot in front of the evener. Now the horses were moving and my foot was swepted out from under me.I watched them turn down the hill and run, with the evener now clanging off their back legs, all the time gathering momentum – they were on thego at top speed. The boys took two laps around the the neighbors yard, running over two apple trees, a small metalswing, and a stone fire pit. Carl and I tried to get in front of the team, but there was no stopping them now. They chugged down the driveway and out onto the dirt road. Carl yelled that he was going back to get a car from the neighbors, as both our trucks were attached to trailers, and I continued down the road on foot, following the hoof prints in the damp dirt.

I was in panic mode. My horses were on the run without me, dragging an evener and two chains, as well as the sloshing ice in the cooler and jug still attached to Bob’s hames. I was imaging destroyed harness, property damage, injured horses, and worse. I ran on down the road and finally the trail turned off the road into a driveway. I followed on, terrified of what I would find when the tracks stopped. To my enormous relief, I found my boys stopped the that yard in front of a stream. They could not easily have gone further, so they stopped. I walked up and checked both animals, and they seemed alright, though both were clearly winded and still very anxious. Aside from small cuts and bruises on their rear legs, both horses were unhurt. I checked the harness and it all looked good. Carl drove up and asked if I was OK, and I replied that I was and wanted to walk the boys right back down the road back to where we started.

So, we turned around and walked back. Bob and Pete’s flanks were heaving and both had that look of panic, but they were willing to move on the road. We got back to the trailer and I put their rope halters back on and tied them both. Carl returned as well, and he asked me what I wanted to do. I could pack it in and go home for the day, I thought, but I was not sure that would be the best for the confidence of the team (or myself for that matter). I caught my breath and decided to try to make a go of it in the woods. The cooler and water jug still hung from Bob’s hames, as at that point I was not sure what had set them off. I moved the cargo over to Pete’s hames, thinking that he is the cooler of the two horses and less likely to mind the load there. Totally unsure about whether or not I was making a sound decision, we started up the skid road towards where Kevin was felling.

The work day itself went quite well. Both horses calmed down and they worked well. Carl had helped me make some adjustments to my lines the day before, and the changes make a big difference. Bob, in particular, was calmer turning and backing, the result of more guidance from me with the lines better adjusted. The rest of the day was uneventful and seven hours later it was time to pack things up and head for the trailer. Carl left first with his fine team,the final bobsled load of spruce in tow. Kevin took all my gear in his Subaru, leaving me with only the horses to get down the hill. As I stood there and thought about the day, it was clear to me then that I had screwed up and let those horses down. My first responsibility is to make sure that they are safe, and I had failed them today. I wanted Bobin particular to know that I still trusted him. With my heart in my throat, I put the lines up on the hames and climbed up on Bob’s back for a ride down. I had never ridden them before while in harness, and I still don’t know what made me want to try this now. They walked down the road behind Carl’s team and Kevin’s car, calm as can be. Bob seemed to be letting the stress of the morning seep away, and I felt relieved to feel his calm beneath me.

As the drizzle came down, the three of us proceeded down the hill to the yard to pack up and head home. It was a simple pleasure, the feeling of connection with my horses as well as some measure of mended relationship. I was exaused, soaked with sweat and rain, bruised and scraped, and as happy with my team as I can remember.

[Donn Hewes]

Thanks Brad. One thing I like to tell people about our relationship with horses is always be honest with them. We may not be (probably aren’t) perfect, but at least when we miss something we can honestly claim it and move on. They saw that in you and excepted it. Nice job and thanks for sharing it. I hope I will see you in Mass.

[Carl Russell]

Nice job today Brad…..I think more than patience, persistence is one of the most important tenants of the teamster’s art… and you showed yours today.

Carl

[Mark Cowdrey]

Brad,
The horsemanship issues aside, a fine piece of writing. Thanks.

Although I know line adjustment is very situationally specific, if you and Carl could shed any light on your evaluation process and remedy I would be interested to hear.
Thanks,
Mark

[Carl Russell]

@Mark Cowdrey 28380 wrote:

…Although I know line adjustment is very situationally specific, if you and Carl could shed any light on your evaluation process and remedy I would be interested to hear. Thanks, Mark

I’ll offer my observations. As I watched Brad maneuver his animals around the woodlot, It appeared to me that he was having difficulty getting consistent pressure/messages to both horses at the same time.

Without my hands on the lines, all I could see was the outside horse swinging almost uncontrollably toward the other horse, and it seemed obvious that there was too much pressure on the cross lines. Not knowing what method Brad used to set the adjustment, I just suggested he try lengthening them.

I thought I remembered Lynn Miller suggesting in one of his books to start out with the cross lines 2″ longer than the straight lines. We changed his lines from a setting where they were about 4″ shorter to the above stated setting, and things seem to be going better. I can see the outside horse under much more control now, as if Brad is able to keep pressure on and allow the horse to turn at his direction.

Carl

I will just add that when he asked what setting I use, my response is that there is a reason for having holes in the lines…. so that they can be adjusted. I find myself feeling the need to adjust the lines from time to time, based on the piece of equipment I’m using, or perhaps even just the attitude of the horse that day. I couldn’t tell you what the measurements are on my lines…. I just know what I want to feel, and I adjust accordingly. I’ll also add that since I started using a Liverpool style bit, I find that changing pressure setting on them helps immensely in equalizing any temperment related differences that may affect the alignment of reins.

[Gabe Ayers]

Carl is right on there with his observations. Having the cross lines 2″ shorter now allows me to hold Bob, the near horse, to the outside of right turns, coming gee, so that he does not rush and leaves Pete the space he needs. What a huge difference that little adustment has make. It also gives me much finer control when backing, as Bob can’t push Pete over with little line pressure from me. I tried fiddling with the line settings before but did not go far enough to make the needed increase in pressure for Bob. Guess I should have fiddled a little more…
-Brad

[Does’ Leap]

Brad:

Great story. In addition to some of the teamster adjectives used such as patience and persistence, I would like to add humility to the list. I’ve been there. Incidents like the one you described are unfortunate. Its what we make of them that counts and you certainly ended on a good note.

Thanks for sharing that.

George

[CharlyBonifaz]

In addition to some of the teamster adjectives used such as patience and persistence, I would like to add humility to the list.

Very much so, especially when they turn back to you with so much more trust than you ever expected…

[Joshua Kingsley]

Brad,
i can relate to your story tonight. I got a different mare this last week and hitched her with my good mare for the first time tonight. Things started out a bit rocky when we were harnessing but she calmed down some when Casey helped line the mares up to get them hooked. Well then all heck broke loose. This mare that was supposed to be broke broke broke was anything but. Her eyes rolled when the steel evener on the forecart clanked and she took off like a rocket. The other mare in tow along with my forcart clanging behind them.
I went for the lead rope and got dragged a bit as I tried to get some footing on the loose sandy topsoil in the dry lot and then they ran a lap or so and came to a stop. Nothing broken, no real damage to anything, so I finished hooking her and we went for an hour plus ride.
After that we went to unhook and she started again. This time she stopped before things went bad and I hitched again and unhooked about 4 or 5 times before we called it a night.
It really makes you appreciate the horses that you know and it gives you a second thought about bringing in somthing unkown all that often.
All I can say is that it really made me wonder if I really want to buy “pleasure” horses again. I would rather start a colt than try to figure out everything that had happened before. I also know I will really reevealuate how I go about hitching unknown horses into my hitches.
Sorry for the long post.
Joshua

[jen judkins]

Inspiring story, Brad….really. Read like a thriller, I was biting my lip, anxious, reading it. Probably should get that one published;)

As I prepare to give a beginner’s workshop on getting started with draft horses at the field days, I have been working on an outline. One of the points is ‘How are horses different from tractors?’ I believe you have illustrated several of these differences nicely. And not just the obvious difference of being a living, breathing animal with the ability to make decisions and move independantly. Your story highlights the artistry and personal development, horses bring to our work. The partnership and the relationship. I think its important that new or young farmers and loggers looking at draft animals for power understand that it is not JUST about carbon footprint.

[Author]

Posts