Why not lead a horse pulling logs.

[Rod]

I have read about the dangers of being behind a horse pulling logs out into the open and wondered why not lead the horse instead of driving him (her) from the rear at least until the log is on open or safer pulling ground?

[john plowden]

I will lead my older horse when single sometimes I feel him looking for a team mate –
I’ll keep the lines in hand and walk at his side – There are times when I tie his lines up and start him to the landing where he’ll be met – Leading keeps you away from the log but when a horse is really pulling watch out
John

[Carl Russell]

There are plenty of people who do just that Rod.

My only feed-back is that working with unpredictable loads on uneven ground is dangerous work, no matter how you do it. There is risk of falling and being stepped on, or run over, or at least not having adequate control of the horse if you are leading it.

I find driving the horse with reins that are long enough (20′) for me to be off to the side and behind the evener is the most safe and comfortable place for me. I find the horses to be most responsive this way, and I can see everything that is going on with the horses, and with the log.

The danger really comes when the driver hasn’t got a picture in their mind of how the horses will travel, where the obstacles are, and how to drive the animals to deal with these issues.

Driving while skidding logs should involve stages. Advancing to a point, stopping to avoid an obstacle by changing position, gathering lines, advancing again, stopping, and so on. It should not be one long fluid motion of ducking, jumping, and constantly looking over one’s shoulder.

Carl

[jen judkins]

Rod, one of the teamsters in town here does it that way with his team. Sort of like working with Oxen, right? I’ve asked him why he prefers that method, but I’m not sure I got a straight answer. I’ll try again:rolleyes:.

[john plowden]

Well put Carl – I admire the way you articulate the subtleties –
John

[Scott G]

Rod,

I’ve done it on occassion but it feels awkward, hard to maneuver/control my load when its behind me and out of sight. Oh yeah, the getting run over when things go bad could really ruin your day too…

In short, I just don’t feel like I have total control of the “big picture” when I’m up there.

[Scyther]

Well put Carl. When I had felt the need to do that it made me think that a team of oxen, being driven from the side would work much better. I always had that thought in mind, If the horse or horses need to lunge and I slip, well ouch. If I needed to do that alot I’d consider skidding with cattle.

[drafthossluvr]

we drive from behind our team all the time, never out in front. no matter where you are driving from you need to know “the lay of the land” and know what obstacles you have and know your skid trails. we make our skid trails big, enough room for the horses and for us to have walking room on the side, there isn’t anything worse than going along well with your horses that are hooked to a log and tripping on a piece of brush and breaking a leg and having the horses run off.

[mitchmaine]

carl said it right. i like it back by the wood. but sometimes, molly, my itchin’ twitch hoss, loses her courage if she’s fetched up a little. and you can tell what they can pull or can’t. so i go up then and grab her halter and john, maybe she thinks i’m another horse, i don’t know, but things happen for about 6 feet and she’s fine and we go about our business.

[Tim Harrigan]

I learned early on that driving an ox team from in front or the point of their shoulder was not a good idea when skidding out logs. You can get your feet tangled in the brush, catch your goad or whip in brush or overhead branches, step in a hole or trip over debris, and there are too many pinch points for my comfort. It is not fair to ask a team for a good effort and expect them to watch out for you at the same time. You underestimate a team if you think you need to show them every step of a 50 ft pull to a skid trail. In those situations I point my team in the right direction and drive from behind by voice. Like Carl says, stay behind were you are safe and you can see what is going on, and advance the load in stages. My team, and probably most teams, are very responsive to ‘whoa’ when they are on a load. They are more than happy to stop. That is when you make your adjustments, not on the fly while crashing through the brush. They know when I am helping and when I am a hindrance, and it really annoys them when I am not helping. Up in front or at the point of the shoulder is a scary and dangerous place to be when you are off the skid path.

[Rick Alger]

Another option is to loop the reins on a hame and let the horse go on voice command. My mare has a good “whoa” and a good “walk”, so I do this often when things are tight.

[Carl Russell]

Tim reminded me that one of the reasons I really enjoy working cattle in the woods is because I can stand off to the side and out of the way. Often times I will hitch them and walk out a head of them, and call them to me. Or stand off to the side and watch them go by, then walk behind the log.

Horses are certainly very maneuverable in the woods with lines, but not having lines on the cattle is a distinct advantage.

Carl

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