tying a horse in the woods

[mink]

when you guys or gals go into the forest to skid wood do you always tie your horse or team to a tree if you have to let go of the lines to do something else? ive heard some of the ole timers say to never leave them headed for the barn……..mink

[Scott G]

Depends on the horse and their personal ability to whoa (sit stay) and how tired they are.

For throwing brush, rolling a log to limb the ground side, etc. not a big deal if they’re tired and headed away from the landing.

If they’re fresh or young & restless (like my current horse) and/or pointed towards the landing, not so much leeway…

When I’m felling or doing other serious saw work they’re tied to a tree about 1 1/2 tree lengths from where I’m working.

Worst case scenario; that is why they make those hames balls shiny so you can see where your horse ran off to…;)

[Gabe Ayers]

When we have our little private instructional courses here we take lead lines and spell out the word P A R K on the ground and ask the students what it spells? When the say “park” we say that’s right – those lead lines are for parking them in the woods while you are doing things you have to do to get the wood out and you shouldn’t expect them to stand for very long. The lead line is your park brake, so if you want them to be there when you finish your other work – tie them up.

We prefer to tie them to two trees that are far enough apart that they can’t rub against them or go to far forward or backward. Always tie them as high as the eye, so if they move backward it raises their chin which is a signal to move forward and so if they become alarmed by something they don’t jerk their heads up and break the lead rope snap or halter.

It always tickles me that when some equine photographers come to take professional pictures of the horses they always insist we take the halters off. It seems to be a show horse thing, because the halter is a piece of the work horses equipment that keeps them where you put them while you are doing other stuff.

Definitely don’t let them stand around pointing toward the landing or the trailer or the barn or they may decide it is time to quit work and go back to where they came from. Everyone that has had a walk off type of runaway knows they always go back to where they came from. So unless they are very well trained, broke and tired don’t leave them in the skid trail pointed back to the where they came from.

All of our logging horses spend lots of time tied in the woods watching us work before they are taken to work there themselves. In this case use your stout lead ropes and choose something a little bigger than a sapling to tie them too. You’d be amazed what they can run off dragging with their head when they are scared. We often use an inner tube around a limb higher than their eye so there is some give when they respond with their natural fear equals flight response. This saves equipment and the horses some discomfort when this naturally occurs. They will get used to it as long as you don’t hit them with falling trees during their introduction to this work.

So all of that said, we seldom actually tie our broke horses in the woods, but we still have the lead lines on the harness, but not attached to their heads. They come in handy if you need to repair something in the woods.
We don’t ever leave a broke pair pointing back to the landing though, it becomes just a matter of habit and safety to let them rest pointed into the woods.

[Does’ Leap]

Mink:

I primarily use a logging arch when skidding wood. If I am felling, I will back the arch up to a tree and attach the arch to a tree with a choker chain.

When I am skidding logs, I tend to drag tree length until I can’t make a turn. I then hop of my cart and usually measure out two log lengths and make my cut. Although my horses stand flawlessly, I subscribe to the idea of never leaving my lines (within reason). To that end, I purchased a 25′ retractable dog leash rated for large dogs (100+ lbs). It enables me to snake chains around logs, cut logs and the errant limb that I might have missed while having the lines in easy reach. As seen in the picture, the lines rest on the cart and as I move, there is no pressure on the lines. It leaves both hands free for doing the various tasks associated with logging and the lines stay with you off the ground due to the retractable device in the leash. I also use the leash while loading blocked wood on a wagon. As mentioned, my horses stand well. However, they have been known to reach forward for some tasty hemlock boughs while at rest. I quick reminder with the leash and a “heads up!” command are a great training tool.

Some have commented “what if your horses take off with you attached to them?” Although this is possible, I believe it unlikely and the trade-off for me is worthwhile. Another question has been “what if the horses break the leash”. Also unlikely. I don’t know how much force a 100 lb rottweiler puts on a leash, but more than my horses are willing to put on their mouths with a levered bit (I drive both horses one notch below the ring).

George

[Carl Russell]

Tying a horse is definitely preferable to letting them walk off. Before I developed a more comfortable working understanding, I would tie my horses whenever I was using a saw or handling logs. It is definitely a time suck, but in the long run it is better for the horse and the teamster.

That said, now I work my horses exclusively without a halter under the bridle. Whether I am ground skidding or using an arch I will hitch the choker to a tree and have them stand like that. If I feel that I need to tie them, I take off the bridle, put on a halter and tie them.

I really believe that a horse hitched by a evener can get in a lot less trouble than one that is tied by the head while hitched to a cart. In fact I never tie my animals by the head while hitched to any conveyance. I can see such a horrific mess associated with that combination.

It is much better to tie them than to let them walk away, but the truth is that to get actual work completed the time is wasted. Working animals should be able to stand for the teamster to walk around them, run a saw, move brush, roll logs, clean water-bars, load wagons,etc., heading to or from the landing. It takes time, and should be measured (George’s method seems interesting), because a walk-off is not a habit that you want to allow to get started.

I will hitch mine to a tree by the choker when felling, then hitch them to the load and skid it out to the trail in a place out of the felling area(headed toward the landing), go back cut another hitch, skid the one they’re hitched to, stop them at the landing, unhitch, cut the logs to length, ask them to step up, and roll the logs up onto the pile, all without touching the lines or tying them.

If I am skidding to a sled, I expect them to stand while I load the logs onto the sled. There are times when I leave a load at the header so when I come back with the empty sled, they stand while I load those logs, sometimes 20-30minutes. Same goes for wood wagons, and manure spreaders. We are working after all. They understand that their job is to stand because I am busy with something else. The job will be to move when I turn my attention back to them and ask them to move.

I work to get my horses to stand while I am harnessing them, or handling their feet in the pasture, and this translates to working in the woods. I expect them to stand even if I have to run the saw under their noses.

None of this is to dismiss the importance of tying a horse instead of letting it walk off, only to illustrate what I have learned to expect from working animals in the woods.

Carl

[grey]

I sometimes use hobbles as a “parking break”. Depends on the situation. You can’t expect too much out of the hobbles, as a horse can definitely get a move on while wearing them, but they’re better than nothing if you can’t move them to a tree at the moment. I have a young and restless horse whose “sit, stay” isn’t yet as set in concrete as I’d like. But hobble her and she’s a statue.

[jen judkins]

Haha! This is so perfect…the laugh is on me! I’ve been following this thread as a ‘junior teamster’ thinking…I’m good, Reno stands good for me. I can leave him for minutes and come back and find him in the same place. I work at it after all. Like Carl, I don’t have time to tie my horse up everytime I have to go do something! I don’t work in the woods with horse AND chainsaw, so I generally don’t have to think about tying my good boy to anything. I just measure the likelihood he will leave, and wager wisely.

Today, while twitching a log, he walked off. Blew my mind. I caught him…dove to my knees in the mud to catch the lines and stopped him. Too funny! That’s the first time…you guys are a jinx!

[Tim Harrigan]

Yes, they have a way of humbling you just when you think you are getting pretty good.

[jen judkins]

@Tim Harrigan 16581 wrote:

Yes, they have a way of humbling you just when you think you are getting pretty good.

Yeah, thats about the size of it, Tim! Humble pie…all around tonight!

[mink]

no worries jenn at least your using your horse.you wont have many problems with them at the hay stack ,like we see all around….mink

[Jean]

Good catch Jen!

I was helping some friends gather sap this afternoon with their very well trained horses and on the south side of the road the horses were not tied while we gathered and no one got on the wagon to move them, just kissed them forward and said whoa when they were far enough. Then we moved the woods on the north side of the road and they tied them when all 3 of us were gathering. After we were done (would not want to slow the process of work down asking questions) I asked why. In my head there were a couple of reasons it could have been, 1. the other land belonged to them, but not the land they were tied on(I know, so what, but I was thinking). 2. The north side is closer to the road. 3. The trail was wider, so it was a bit easier to move around. None of those reasons were it. He said you need to read them and see that they were getting a bit antsy. Oh, well doesn’t that make sense!

[Theloggerswife]

Jean, my guess would have been from my personal experience….when my team is point in the homeward direction they “suddenly” develop a renewed level of get up and go. :rolleyes:

[Gabe Ayers]

If you don’t believe in reincarnation, just come around the work site at quitting time and watch the dead come back to life!

[mitchmaine]

well said, jason. an absolute truth. we look for patterns in our animals behavior, but they find ours faster.

[Ed Thayer]

This is interesting discussion,

I have been tying my horse in the woods when running the chainsaw or taking a rest break. But he is fine when hitching, unhitching or rolling logs at the landing.

I honestly was doing it for my own piece of mind at first, however I began to think of all the bad things that could happen if he were to run off with the singletree in tow, and began to think tying was for the safety of both of us.

Regarding renewed energy, I was giving sleigh rides last weekend and on the third trip away from the sugar house, the team was dead slow. I was amazed that when we turned around they had so much energy and spunk to get back.

Glad to know they are not the only horses that do that.

[Author]

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