Author Topic: Logging with horses (Read 2654 times)

cedarponds · « **on:** February 29, 2008, 03:00:00 pm »

Just spent three days working in my woodlot with a real good Amish logger and a horse team.

We cleaned up all the standing dead and snags of about 8K bf plus cut and skidded one good walnut (a 800+ bd ft, with a good couple of veneer logs) and one 1500bd ft tulip and a 1200 bd ft red oak. Those Belgians worked hard as the skids were about 1/4-3/8 mile each.

Anyway, if anyone needs info on a very good logger and you want it done with horses and are in west michigan, send me a message.

Let's be safe working in the woods.

Cedar Ponds....Phil

Kevin · « **Reply #1 on:** February 29, 2008, 03:18:12 pm »

I just know you took some pictures.

cedarponds · « **Reply #2 on:** February 29, 2008, 03:50:32 pm »

No pictures because I don't own a digital camera. I spent all my money on land and a sawmill. A digital camera is on my shopping list. At 52 years old I do have several fine old 35mm SLR cameras but haven't taken a picture in at least a decade. You can see I don't have kids or grandkids or I would have these DEGs (darn electronic gismos).

Stephen Alford · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2008, 12:42:14 am »

Hey Kevin; hope this will get you by till the others arrive.

Stephen

thecfarm · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2008, 07:00:29 am »

Nice picture,horses right in step,head turned the same way.Keep 'em coming.

rbhunter · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2008, 12:57:02 am »

Pretty team. They look like they are pretty young.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #6 on:** March 03, 2008, 05:45:12 pm »

Canada: Horse Logging Project Underway in Provincial Forests

The Canadian newspaper The Guardian recently featured a story about a horse logging project on Crown land in Dundas, in the province of Prince Edward Island. The province's Department of Environment, Energy, and Forestry is overseeing the project to gauge interest in the practice. Officials hope to expand the project to other properties on Crown land.

For more information, visit The Guardian's website.
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=111564&sc=98

oakiemac · « **Reply #7 on:** March 05, 2008, 05:58:34 pm »

Way to go Cedarponds!
A 1500bf tulip? That is one big tree- do you remember the DBH?

We just took down 3 tulips and got just over 2000bf and I thought they were big. Two of them were in the mid twenty inch dbh range.

johncinquo · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2008, 08:58:01 am »

Where are you at in SW MI? Maybe we can send Furby to take pics next time.

i am sure it would make a fine road trip to kill a few hours and watch the haues do some pullin. I'm always looking for a good reason to skip out of work early. If you do it again say somethig in advance.

ibseeker · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2008, 11:34:55 am »

I've been offered the use of a draft horse for logging. I'm tempted to try it but I don't think I know enough to do it. I don't want to make a mistake and hurt the horse. It sure looks like a fun way to spend the day in the forest.
There was a "Dirty Jobs" segment on logging with mules....looked like you really needed to know the animals and how they worked. It also looked somewhat dangerous.

SeeSaw · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2008, 11:56:38 am »

Not sure exactly what the draw is for me personally but there is indeed something special about logging with horses. Maybe it's that it's low impact on the forest? Maybe it's that it's old fashioned and historic? Maybe it's just the rythm of the animals as they work? Maybe all of those factors combined. Love it. Keep em coming!!

HORSELOGGER · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2008, 01:28:08 pm »

Maybe you just feel the need for a good beat down

SeeSaw · « **Reply #12 on:** March 06, 2008, 02:43:57 pm »

Horselogger,

You may be on to something here. I may feel different after a good beating.

CLL · « **Reply #13 on:** March 06, 2008, 09:49:54 pm »

Ibseeker, just don't forget , gee and haw, and the most important WHOA!!!!

Warren · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2008, 02:00:04 pm »

Ibseeker,

20 years ago, I had a grade belgian for moving round bales and pulling up fire wood before I had a tractor. Had a lot of fun with that old horse. Never got stuck in the snow or ice. Never had a flat tire. Never had to run to town for parts in the middle of something...

Once you get someone to show you how to harness up the horse, I think if you take your time, you could learn as you go. Just make sure you stay on the uphill side, and not in a pinch point between the horse, the harness and the log.

Warren

P.S. Ya ain't never had fun till ya tack up a big horse and he decides to put his hoove down on top of yours and lean....

Kevin · « **Reply #15 on:** March 07, 2008, 07:52:22 pm »

Wow, that's a dandy Stephen .
Thanks for that!

moonhill · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2008, 10:05:50 am »

ibseeker and Warren, horse logging is a beautiful thing. Please keep in mind both parties need to know what is going on. If you have no experience with horses or the horses are inexperienced, it could be a recicipe for disaster. If you are green and want to learn find a willing horse logger and start with guidance. If there are others here with better advice please share it for the well being of both parties. Once more logging with horses is a beautiful thing. I haven't done a search, but is there a more extensive horse logging thread here in the FF? Tim B.

ibseeker · « **Reply #17 on:** March 10, 2008, 12:48:59 pm »

There is another website about logging with horses..ruralheritage.com. I'l take all of your advice and stay out of the bight! Most likely, I'll never get the chance to work with horses but if I do, it will be as an observer to start with. My FIL's next door neighbor has a miniature Percheron (I think it's a Perheron?) which is still a very larger horse. The neighbor offered "Dan" as an alternative to using equipment. My FIL has expressed an interest in doing it but so far it's just talk. It would be really something special to watch horses work like that.

rbhunter · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2008, 03:15:15 pm »

I would like to try horse logging someday. My Grandfather used to farm with horses and did some horse logging years ago. I like to read about horse logging. If I get the chance to get into it I would like to take a class from Healing the Forest Foundation. You can get information by emailing Jason Rutledge off of Rural Heritage. There is also another man up in New York who teaches logging with horses his site is called Farmer Browns Plowshop. I think I found the link to it on rural heritage also.

I know the class through Jason Rutledges organization teaches from selecting worse first, laying out the skid trail, Chainsaws, safety, as well as using horses to skid.

moonhill · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2008, 05:33:28 am »

I attended a logging workshop here in Maine at MOFGA's home. Some of Jason Rutledge's crew was present. I haven't checked out the web site, am going now..... Tim B.

rbhunter · « **Reply #20 on:** March 15, 2008, 04:17:03 pm »

If anyone is serious about wanting to learn horse logging.

http://www.ruralheritage.com/messageboard/frontporch/10330.htm

This is a link to a post by Jason Rutledge about the course he is giving in April along with contact information.

Deadwood · « **Reply #21 on:** March 16, 2008, 02:41:58 pm »

I am not a horse man but I do appreciate what they have done for us and the industry. My Great Grandfather, he loved his horses, almost as much as his kids...maybe more. Anyway my Grandfather HATED them. He once told me about a story of logging peeled popil cordwood down in what we call the "bottoms" of our property.

The woodlot there is nothing but swampy ground with lots of cradle knolls and stuff. I guess he had a half cord on or better and when the horses pulled the scoot on the iced road, the scoot would pitch and roll and the wood would slide off. So he would stack it back on, go a dozen feet and have the load slide off again.

After a few tries like this, he went up to the house and told his father (my Great grandfather) that it just could not be done. My Great Grandfather...a man with zero patience...stormed down to the woodlot and insisted the wood was brought out. After a couple of tries himself, he concluded that the task could just not be done.

My Grandfather told me this story 30 years ago, and it was a good 40 years after it happened so I know he was pleased at not being proven wrong. From him though I got my love of machinery and tractors. As I said,I have nothing against horses, but I think I'll just stay with tractors and skidders.

WH_Conley · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2008, 02:47:20 pm »

I tried using a mule once, didn't get anything done. Guess we thought too much alike.

rbhunter · « **Reply #23 on:** March 16, 2008, 03:25:35 pm »

My Grandfather loved his horses. He did all sorts of work on the farm and off the farm with them. I have heard all sorts of stories and have been there for some. There is even a picture of them using a team to pick up the back of a two ton truck to replace the rear end. I never had the opportunity to be there when he logged with horses some.

He used the tractor on bigger fields but plowed the smaller fields with horses. I loved to go out and help him when I could. I like to hear the stories of some of the horses Actually I like to listen to the old stories when my father and uncles get togather. There are stories of run aways, crazy horses, and one of my favorites one uncle branding the other when they were young sitting around the wood stove listening to stories about old times and branding cattle.

There is a special feeling watching a well trained animal work for me whether it is a good cutting horse, work horse, bird dog or other animal doing what they were breed and trained to do.

Timburr · « **Reply #24 on:** March 16, 2008, 07:24:25 pm »

Speaking of horses, in my previous life I used to work for the Forestry Commission (government) here in the UK. The FC had a team of horses to work the more sensitive sites.

This one horse had been tushing for years and his routine was pretty much automatic. The guy in the woods would shackle up the logs and send him on his way, alone. Once at the ride (trail) another bloke unhooked and sent him back. He'd work hard all day, sweat pouring off him, only stopping for a midday nosebag. He loved it. This horse would work hard.

But, come 5.30, with any ammount of forceful coherence, they could not get an ounce more work out of him. Clocking off time is clocking off time!!

theorm · « **Reply #25 on:** March 20, 2008, 02:30:09 am »

Must have been a union member horse...

Warren · « **Reply #26 on:** March 21, 2008, 07:40:52 pm »

Quote from: theorm on March 20, 2008, 02:30:09 am

Must have been a union member horse...

Maybe kinda like a "teamster" ?

News:

Author Topic: Logging with horses (Read 2654 times)