[LostFarmer]

I have the standard Linclon AC225 buzz box. It works but isn’t great. I have a Hobart little 220 wire feed with gas shield that works pretty well for light stuff. I am not much of a welder but have a neighbor that I can take the tough stuff too. He learned to weld in the Navy during Korea and is one heck of a fabricator. You need a grinder and I have a abrasion wheel cut off saw that is pretty handy. My uncle uses a saw that looks like a skil saw but cuts metal. It is great for many things. Works well to hack apart scrap and cut out broken pieces on equipment.

As to rod, 6013 and 6011 are the standby for my shop. Best thing I did is get a good auto glass helmet. LF

[LostFarmer]

@Joel 15617 wrote:

One other thing… horses are colorblind. Green hay is for human beings.

Ain’t that the truth. I have some hay that is bleached but had no rain. Beautiful stuff other than lacked the green. Had several horse people turn up their noses at it. The guy that bought it looked at the nutrient print out and bought it on the spot. He knew good hay.

I find it interesting to have hay out and watch the white tail deer. They will tell you where the good stuff is. LF

[LostFarmer]

We are having a light winter as well. It is not looking good for the snow pack and the irrigation season. I was looking to plant 20 acres of new hay but I think I will go a year of barley and cut it for grain. That allows me to get the crop off about the middle of August and that keeps me from needing the late water. I will have enough hay left over to last about half of next year. Hay is just one step above free right now. Wish I still had that shed and a way to store 500 ton for a couple of years.

Grandpa always said in this country you whine about a bad winter and cry about an open one. LF

[LostFarmer]

Not Lingo but I had some picture close at hand. I like this style for the simple reason the britchin is out of the poop zone. A team can hold or back a tremendous load with this style of britchen. LF

[LostFarmer]

Rule of thumb for equipment is twice as stout as you think you need.

[LostFarmer]

I do pull a little with some of my horses and ponies. I have heard for years that pulling will ruin a good team and I have to say that is bunk. I will say that pulling a team that is not broke will ruin a potentially good team. I will not pull a horse hard until they have been worked at least a year. It is all about confidence in the horse and the horses confidence in you. Does your team trust you to not hook them to something they can’t pull? It takes time to see them gain that confidence. Here is the last 3 pulls from Saturday night with my team. We broke the chain on the last pull and had to hook again from the other end. A team needs a little pop on the chain to get it moving. Too tight of tugs and you have team at a disadvantage. Too much slack and you will slam a horses shoulders and hurt them. Look at Olympic power lifters, they start with a little slack then pop the weight instead of just stand up with it.
My mentor had a team that would feed Saturday morning, pull that night, and feed again on Sunday. The baldy horse was a real handful in the pulling ring but totally different the rest of the time. He did parades, wagon rides, switched harness and pulled in the evening. It is like people that say you can’t work a stud and breed him. You can but you have to train them that there is a time and place for each behavior.
Some horses can handle being pulled and turn it off at home and some can’t. It really varies. I have one horse that gets a little chargey when pulled all the time but they kids still drive him in driving competitions and do well with him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItgp3hYPDQ

[LostFarmer]

My farmer/fabricator/horseman neighbor build a tapered steel pole. He used thin wall 6×4 tubing with the 4 inch side verticle. He then carefully cut wedges out of the sides bent and welded back up. It was a work of art. It was light and still strong enough to do the job. He is a handy guy to have as a neighbor.

I would put the hammer strap and evener pin on the pole as well. Then it would all go together easy slide into a receiver hitch and you are good to go. LF

[LostFarmer]

A pony will out pull a horse or mule pound for pound any day of the week. I have a pony team that are 44″ and 500 lbs with their harness on. They have pulled 3000 a full 20 foot pull. At least that is what we use as a full pull. The problem we have is tractioning out before they power out. I suppose I could put some little pulling caulks on them but we just pull to play. Here is a picture of them giving it heck.
I don’t remember the load but I would guess from the way they are pulling it is about 2250 or so.

As to the changing sides, I have moved these back and forth. The one horse is fine either side but the other has a better side. It is a 3 way team and you each have to be comfortable to make it work. If 2 don’t care and one does you can punish him and put him where you want him or work him where he wants to work. Good luck, LF

[LostFarmer]

J-L,
Ruben and Huff could pull that with a little moose motivation. You might not have much control over where you end up but they could move it. 😀

I have a pony team that couldn’t move it but they would give it all heck trying. :rolleyes: Silly ponies don’t know they are little.

Great picture thanks for posting. LF

[LostFarmer]

Well put Kevin.

I am a small business owner. Happen to be in engineering and love it nearly as much as I like farming. It is a toss up. We offer the employee a high deductible plan and then contribute to his HSA. We love HSA as it allows us to make our own decisions on health care not follow insurance. In the mid 60’s the then owner of the company put a retirement plan in place and was contributing 5% of the employees gross to his retirement. The employee can then make a contribution from 0% to 13%. At the time the money for retirement was greater than the insurance bill. Now that 5% is less than the insurance bill by about 1/2. It costs us nearly 10% of what we pay an employee to pay his insurance this is for a high deductible plan.

Government is best when it provides only the things that private industry can’t. LF

[LostFarmer]

Looking good! I like the looks of the rig in the first set. :rolleyes:

Lingodog aka Nonie, When am I going to see you on the lines of that mare. Get to cracking. 😀

I like seeing real work happen with critters. Well done. LF

[LostFarmer]

It depends. I have some that will fit over the head and some that won’t. My shires are dainty headed and the collars are easy over the head. I have to use smaller halters and bridles as well. The boys little ponies have to have the collars unbuckled. Be careful not to just flop the collar open and you should be fine either way.

[LostFarmer]

I have a set of hame straps with nylon sewn to leather. I really like them as the leather makes them pull easier and the nylon tough. If you want to see a case of the feces hitting the rotating air circulation device then break a hame strap. Especially the the lower. About the time the belly band hits the flank fit hits the shan. Been there done that. Now I replace the hame straps when the start to show any wear. It isn’t like you break them when the horses are pulling a light load. It is a bam and the harness is peeled of them in no time. LF

[LostFarmer]

I happen to like my mule bridles as well. Just a personal thing. LF

[LostFarmer]

My double trees are made very similar with the rectangular tube. I have never seen a side backer or D-ring harness in action. It just isn’t common in this area. You will see many hip britchens on a belly backer but not may side backer harnesses of any kind. Thanks for taking the time to share. Interesting stuff. LF

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