[Big Horses]

I learned that trick from a couple of the old timers here that used to do the fire patrol in the summers for the State of Montana. We had a big Larch snag that got struck by lightning one night, so they came out to help us get it put out before it spread. It was leaning hard the wrong way to go away from a fence, so we were prepared to take the wires down and just drop it to take care of the problem…. One of the guys started sawing into it, just as you did, and the other one came back with a small hydraulic jack with a plate on it (almost identical to yours) and stuck it in the notch (just as you did) and over it went the “right” way…. problem solved! Needless to say, I was impressed!
John

[Big Horses]

I have to agree with what’s been said…. it depends on the horse and what you’re going to do with it.
JAC, that is a good lookin’ outfit! Our sleigh horses are a pair of 20 year old Clydes…the work isn’t too strenuous, but they enjoy it and it’s alot better for them than just standing and eating!
John

[Big Horses]

I like him too, Jen!! We’ve got one here that would be a nice match to him.
John

[Big Horses]

Thanks John, and same to you and everyone on here!
John

[Big Horses]

The article came out in the paper today….
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_78e3bf7a-1158-11e0-bb15-001cc4c03286.html

JH

[Big Horses]

Yup, that’s me…. musta been in the wolf thread? Probably didn’t make a whole lot of friends with that one…but ohwell….:cool:

[Big Horses]

I really like that idea.The fact that there’s no engine needed really appeals to me! Always wanted to mess with something along those lines, but never have found the time yet.
The tubes to the side (instead of a spear) wouldn’t have to be so big… our round bale processor has that sort of setup, and they’re only about 2″ around, which would be plenty strong, as they’re not supporting the whole load each. Just point them out a bit at the ends, and they self guide the bale pretty well (at least on our processor). http://www.haybuster.com/hb/bb2650.html
John

[Big Horses]

Sounds like a blast!! We’ll try…but have babies due in April…hopefully they don’t goof us up for SFJ auction.
JH

[Big Horses]

Ahhhh……not that far! I might be heading to Moscow this winter or next spring, to get some wheel work done by Bill Twigg.
John

[Big Horses]

Where are ya at, Geoff?
John

[Big Horses]

Thanks everyone. The reindeer horns were my wife’s idea… she found them at a kid’s store… the horses were impressed. haha
Near Horse, most of our work comes from the Kalispell area. It’s working out pretty well…feeding our horses so far, and that’s a pretty fair expense. We always say we’d have them anyway, and this way they get a chance to pay for themselves a bit, so that really helps. My oldest Sister does alot of weddings at her place, so we get a few from there. Sleigh rides are taking off this year, so that’s a good thing! We also do a hayride for kids of all ages… sort of a neighbors and friends thing…last time there was over a hundred that cycled through in a day.
Thanks again,
John

[Big Horses]

lSame here, Charly…. looks like he’s stepping on a release and it’s just starting to spill??? Can’t wait to see more! I’m still wanting a horsedrawn grader to move the snow with here!!!!
John

[Big Horses]

Mitchmaine, our Clydes average 1800# to a ton and stand about 17.2 – 18hh. Our big Perch gelding is 19hh barefoot and about 2200-2400#. The trailer is 7’6″ high, so the only one that has to duck is Butch, the percheron, but they don’t have to “live” in there, so not a problem. We’ve thought about raising the roof a foot, but we’ll see…lots of other projects to get done around here first!
We went with the older Dodge for the 12 valve Cummins engine (they switched to the 24valve in 98.5). It’s fully mechanical, so there’s no computer stuff to go wrong. They are really simple and get great mileage! Last summer I found a 6 speed from a ’04 Dodge and threw that in, and it made a huge difference! We found the trailer and the pickup for less than 5grand each, and fixed them up from there, to suit our needs. I’ve always wanted a dually flatbed, and after having this one, don’t see any way I could go back to a regular pickup bed! That Bradforbuilt bed has sides that fold down, and a 30,000# gooseneck hitch built in, along with the tool boxes… I couldn’t be happier with it! One nice thing about a trailer/truck combo is that when you get to where you’re going, it only takes a minute to drop the trailer and have the pickup to do any running around that you need to, while still having the trailer to “base” out of.
John

[Big Horses]

We use a ’94 Dodge dually with a Cummins, and a ’89 Trailette trailer. I haven’t got the back door area totally finished yet, as it’s going to be wider, so we can roll a wagon inside, but the way we’re configured now, we can haul 5 horses very easily, with the back stall being extra big if we want a mare and foal in there. The front carries our harness and all equipment very nicely, so we’re not having to reload all the time. The trailer used to have feeders at each stall, so I took them out to make more room (thus the skin patches on the left lower side of the trailer).
New paint is on the way as soon as a few hundred other projects get finished here…..
John

[Big Horses]

Near Horse… about the same happened to us. It was an old Scottish logger that lived here…..and he brought what looked like miles of cable and blocks…and hooked one end to the TD-35 that we had stuck in the peat bog, a few blocks attached to various trees and such, and the other end to his pickup…and away he went! When that all tightened up, that cat came out of there like nothing!! He just smiled and started to put it all back…no big deal. haha Gotta love it when the “old tech” overcomes all!!
John

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