[gregg caudell]

John, Horseloggers are a practical lot. Get ‘er done is the basic platform. I don’t own a machine not even a tractor on our ranch here in washington, because I know I would use the horses less and less if I had one around. I never had one on the job. I side hauled with block and tackle instead of having a machine push up my deck. But I have used horses to bunch for helicopters, forwarded to a machine and skidded for high lead cable outfits. I think there are a lot of applications that horses can work in conjunction with. The U of Garpenberg, Sweden developed a lot of horse drawn equipment to implement them into modern forestry. That is where the self loading bogey cart came from. We have to adapt. My friend and fellow horselogger, Andy Egger in Switzerland (now Santa Cruz, CA) showed me pictures of working horses under high lead cable systems that were permanently established in local watersheds under which horses were used to bunch timber. He also used horses on the coast of New Zealand to skid Radiata Pine to a high lead that flew logs to a barge being loaded for Japan. There are many applications for horses.
Animal power rules. Over 80% of the world uses animals for tractive power although 80% of production is done by machines.

[gregg caudell]

I’ve been monitoring the thread as it appears in my email.
I’d like to suggest that you keep the effort virtual as that is how you are managing to stay in touch at the moment.
If I understand, there is intent to do a paper newsletter. That is both un-ecological and expensive as the postage on an international as well as domestic level would be problematic. What’s wrong with this format? It reaches everyone and doesn’t cost anything. Lots of low cost resources on the net and evidently the talent to put together the resources used in dissemanating your activities.
What I may have missed in this effort is the goal. Efficting legislation? Sharing knowledge. Community of like minds and interests?
Sustaining an organization is a logistic challenge especially if money is involved.
My wife is an expert on non-profits. We have two. http://www.stonesoup.org and http://www.shopthefrontier. It’s a full time job for my wife but it jives with her work with legislators in both Washingtons. The benefits are marginal. There is stress. If the effort is to get grants and gov funding then it might be a good idea but grants come with strings and many times take you down skid trails you didn’t have in mind.
Not to pour cold water on the effort. I am delighted to see an international effort.
When I did the International Horselogger’s News, it was presumptious of me to think it would achieve that goal. It was mainly International because many of my friends were Canadian and I was in the U.S. ( I would encourage you to seek out Rob Borsato in N. British Columbia as he developed an extensive program for BC) Lynn Miller might also have something to contribute as he is a consumate advocate for influencing others.
HIN started out on a 4mb Powerbook laptop. There weren’t any pictures on the web let alone videos. Connection was dial up. I spent most my time building each issue sitting on a stump in the woods. MS Word was sufficient. I did a quarterly. Aside from all the mechanics of keeping it going I was delighted to hear from folks around the globe. The fee was such that it payed for materials.
I found horseloggers are not joiners. Those that are, usually have an agenda. Many are marginally literate but big hearts and a desire to share/learn the benefits of working horses.
I would encourage you to keep the membership open to anyone. You might find legislators, financial wonks, artists, environmentalists etc. that can contribute to your worthy goals.
I find horselogger’s come from many different back grounds and bring with them a wealth of experience. I’ve never met a rich horselogger and I’m suspicious of fat one’s.
I do see great value in this site. It has everything needed to help a person interested in getting into working horses.
“when you get to the end of your rope, tie a not in it and hang on.” Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trails.
Stay out of the bight, Good luck.

[gregg caudell]

well, what a blast from the past. I was googling around for light self powered balers and found this site. very propitious conversation going on. just want to point out that Glenn French’s NAHLMA and my Horselogger’s Int News were two entirely separate things. Don’t forget old Elwin Wines was one of the instigators of the NAHLMA.
I think we all are self taught. We get an itch and we scratch it. Those that survive become what they want. I wrote about horses because I’m an artist/writer. what transpired developed into an effort to share the things I was learning and help others to “keep their fingers and toes”.
I’m farming now. Got a couple hundred acres and put up hay in the summer. Farming is more fun than logging as you can use more horses. (the teamster challenge). There isn’t much logging out west as the mills have dried up, the price of timber is what it was in the 70’s and the price of trucking is problematic. Even British Columbia where my friend and fellow horselogger Rod Gould has a government wood lot, logging is dead but the government stepped in as a job making program and is subsidizing woodlot management. No extraction, just by the hour woodlot maintenance. B.C has/had a great woodlot program but then they had a provincial land commissioner that was an ex horselogger.
In the interem between my full time horselogging carreer and today I was a utility commissioner and learned a lot about the energy industry. Living off the grid, I had a different/sustainable attitude about issues and brought a different perspective to the table.
Sustainability is the key. I would offer that the future of woods management should be regarded in terms of its value as energy. Especially public lands. Turning wood fiber into energy while maintaining the woods. I remember a phone conversation with my Swiss friend, Andy Egger. He was home in Switzerland and when I asked him what he was up to he said he was clearing brush under powerline right of way with his horse and taking it down to the local community boiler. Hog fuel for a steam generator. That’s the kind of thing we need more of. Andy is now in Santa Cruz and he and Randy Clayton use horses to clear fire line in the Berkely Hills of San Franscisco. Get paid by the acre.
The new buzz words, as I am sure you have all heard, are about your, “carbon footprint”. I can’t imagine a more appropriate positive attribute for horses than the size of their “carbon footprint”. A new dimension for HL to consider for marketing.
I’ll stay out of the fray about starting an association. Everything that ever gets done is because of someone’s personal committment/energy. It sounds selfish but an old teamster (Gary Eagle) told me, “the only reason a guy runs for office is to get his driveway paved.” I find this to be true.
I will say that the 15 years I spent with my little newsletter was choice. One of my ambitions is to go around the world to all the folks I corresponded with and visit. One such is Simon Lenahan in the British Isles who is managing the Prince of Englands forests. Cool!
Take Care and stay out of the bight.:)

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