Horse logging

[florida]

Happened to be vegging out yesterday afternoon doing some channel surfing when I ran across a show about using horses for logging and farming. Lots of Amish demonstrating different kinds of horse logging equipment. I was real impressed with their ingenuity. They listed a link to their web site which is http://ruralheritage.com/logging_camp/index.htm
At the bottom of the page is another link to books and videos about horse logging.
That reminds me of when I lived in Montpelier, VA  30 some years ago. There was horse logger that lived down the road from us who carried his draft horse to the job every morning on the open deck of his logging truck. We would sometimes be behind him as he went down one particular winding road. The horse would have it's legs splayed out and lean into every curve but always seemed to stay on.

[BrandonTN]

Chris Bolgiano has a good book called "Living in Appalachia: Tales of Sustainable Forestry", or something like that.  She has a whole chapter about Jason Rutledge, the horse logger, that I found very informative and interesting. Definitely recommend it.

[asy]

Wowwee...

See, now, that's the coolest thing, when ya get proof that people go back and re-read stuff posted a loooooooong time ago...

Is there a prize for the longest time between a post and a response?

Brandon, Looking forward to hearing much more from you, I love posts about horse logging, mostly because I don't know much about it.

asy :D

[crtreedude]

Hola Asy,

We are just getting started in it. I crunched the numbers and it appears to me for our purposes,  horse logging is going to be cheaper than convential.

Besides, we have 12 horses now who are getting fat just eating - time for them to get to work!

[tonich]

Here you are, Asy:






Horse logging gives much more opportunities to elaborate with various silvicultural systems, single tree care and even successful implementation of selection management, which is believed to be silviculture in the highest degree.
The forests I deal with are mainly maintained by horse logging and if you follow “my photos” link, you will find out picturisq sights with forest stands in great of shape. About 80 % of the logging in the area I live is done by horses.

[Dale Hatfield]

Horse logging I love it as a horse owner. Think its a great way for them to earn their oats,as well as a way to keep history alive. But I have some issues with horse logging. How is the trail rut dealt with. From where horses walk and logs rut up the trail. If this isnt delt with then you will have a major water issue with run off and erosion. That will lead to large amounts of goop piled up at the bottom and  canyons left in the trail.
Horse loggers get alot of jobs on the sales pitch of we make less of a footprint in your stand. But leave alot of reclamation work to be done.
Tonich how is it delt with in your part of the world. Here in southern Ohio it usually isnt and the mess is left for the unknowing landowner.

[thedeeredude]

Dale,
  Would that problem be solved if they used a go devil?

[tonich]

Dale,
As long as you don’t practice clearcuts and/or make large openings, you shouldn’t bother for the erosion. As I’ve already mentioned, we do not practice clearcuts around here, thus we keep the land constantly covered by woods. Small gaps (up to ½ stand height) are being opened for ensuring self-regeneration.
With horses you can approach every desired tree and harvest locally, without disturbing the surrounding trees. A single horse, with 3-4 meters logs needs only about 2 meters wide forest corridor for appropriate skid. Nevertheless the slopes are really steep here, I have never seen erosion issues so far. I cannot recall now, at least. 

[rbhunter]

I have seen huge messes left by conventional crew also. Back home by my uncles property they logged several years ago and now you cannot even ride a horse through the mess literally.

From what I have seen by using a logging arch it does not leave much of a trail. I am sure if you used the same trail alot it would create a problem but the distances are usually short with horse logging.

It is a shame that some of them leave a mess. There should be an agreement ahead of time on what will be done with the rest of the tree after the logs are pulled out.

My Grandad used to farm with horses alot and also did some logging with them. He would also use them to load logs onto a special wagon to haul to the mill.  He used ramps and would set the chain around the log so that log would roll up the ramps and would be straight on the wagon when he got to the top. The small end he would have to around further to it would roll up the ramps straight some how. I never got to see him log unfortuantely.

I do have a picture of him using a team to lift the end of an eighteen foot flatbed truck off the ground with a block and tackle in a tree so they could change out the rear end of the truck.

[rbhunter]

Here is a picture of my Grandfather's last team and the last time he was able to work them by himself before the cancer got him.

[limbrat]

Go devil!      1-DUC-K12-STEP

[sgtmaconga]

Your Grandad has some great looking horses. Perry Ga. has a draft horse show and sale evey year and they have a few horse loggers with them.

[Rick Alger]

Hi Dale,

I'm a horselogger in NH. They way I deal with ruts is not make them.

If the lot is muck soil or otherwise highly erodible, I dont begin the job until the ground is frozen hard.

If it's a summer or fall job with some serious wet spots, I'll do the corduroy routine. If there is any chance of serious rutting on regular trails I  use my arch to keep the butts in the air. I don't skid after a heavy rain. I open my major trails up first so they get sunlight.

Don't know if this would work in Ohio, But I've never had a problem with ruts in NH.

[crtreedude]

I hate to see what will be the status of you all up there if the ground ever freezes down here.  ;D

[isawlogs]

We will start planting the trees ya'll got down dere ...  ;) ;D

[farmerdoug]

CR,

If the ground freezes over down where you are, we will be fine.  ;) We can handle to cold.  It is you guys we will be worried about. :  Heck, I doubt you guys even have a winter coat in the whole country.   We will have to go down there and teach you guys how to live in the snow again. ;D ;D ;D

Farmerdoug

[sgtmaconga]

Talk about another Ice Road.

[crtreedude]

Farmerdoug, I think we might be okay, but we do have one question...


What's a coat?  ;)

[Handy Andy]

  I bought my mill from Horselogger on this forum.  He takes trees from the land and turns them into hardwood flooring.  My friend who went along on the trip after the mill has been using his hickory flooring in a few jobs.  It is really sharp finished natural.
                                                                  Jim