[Mark Cowdrey]

I find the rubber stall mats to be slipperier than wood. I almost lost a foal once in a box stall cuz he couldn’t get enough traction to get up to nurse. Once I pulled them out & he was on gravel he was fine.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

I’d be interested to see how those safety chains are hooked. I’ve used the bolt on runners on my forecart/arch but never the chains.The only problem I have had is the “turn-up” on the back wasn’t enough for much of any snow. I added another 6″ to mine and they back fine now.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

GSDH&PA website:
http://granitestatedrafts.com/Contact.html

[Mark Cowdrey]

NH Weekly Market Bulletin:
Telephone: (603) 271-1324
Thomas Kamberis
email: marketbulletin@agr.state.nh.us

and
Granite State Draft Horse and Pony Assoc
Secretary/Treasurer: Cindy Heisler
93 Everett Dam Rd, Dunbarton, NH 03046
603-774-7273

[Mark Cowdrey]

@Carl Russell 24820 wrote:

… I would try the next sized smaller hames. If you take out the pad, you will need to get smaller hames anyway.

Carl

Carl,
I would be interested to hear the logic behind this. I assume it has to do with the position of the trace attachment point.
This is the kind of fine tuning discussion/information that is hard to find anywhere. Excellent thread.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

John,
Good points, thanks. I learned the value of a sharp saw, and one way to tell one, when I started boring. When I started using a Swedish roller guide and also started paying attention to depth gauge height, my ability to reasonably quickly have a sharp saw improved dramatically and stopped being a hit or miss operation. Thankfully.

Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

George,
Thanks for that perspective. I think essentially the same thing has been said by others on here (e.g. ,Carl, thanks). Sometimes it takes an extremely direct statement to get through my myopic bull-headishness.:D
Expect I can borrow a saw from my sugaring partner, should have thought of that sooner.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

Where to start.
Thanks for all the replies although I realize this has gone beyond me.
As much as I love hearing that I should get a 372xp, I must admit that Tim’s perspective feels familiar. Sounds like George has been down that road and moved on. And the philosophy of buying the best available and not having problems cuts across all buying, or, investing.
With the amount of work I expect I will do, say maybe 3 10K jobs a year and 8 cords for myself, with chronic right arm wrist, elbow and shoulder issues, and being smallish (155#) and oldish late 50’s, I must admit I wonder about the extra 3 lbs of a 70cc saw vs a 60. And the expense difference of a “mid-range” vs “professional”. Remember that I have been happy w my 351, for its size.
I am not trying to be argumentative, just telling were I am at thought-process-wise.

John, when do you use your 310 vs your 441?

Again, I very much appreciate all the input.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

Richard,
I am sorry for your loss. One of our dogs went this past Fall.
I am no judge of the right thing. Time will pass, the circle will turn. Hang in there.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

Joshua,
Was that recently? I don’t suppose those were “corrected known issues”?
Thanks,
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

Tim,
Thanks for the feedback. I have a 351 that I have used for several years and like a lot. It seems the occasions when a bigger saw would be useful are increasing. However, I don’t put in the kind of time that would seem to justify the xp price range. Wondering if a compromise of weight ,power and price will be functional for me.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

Anyone have personal experience w this saw?
Thanks,
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

This forum is no place for name calling. I regret my use of the term “bone-headed” in my previous post. Please accept my apologies.
Mark

[Mark Cowdrey]

Donn,
It can get to be a head scratcher.
Check out the two pix I posted in the thread “D-Ring position”. In these pix the FSS area bit long. Les’ recommendation is that if you pivot the FSS at the D-ring up towards the collar, the jockey yoke hook will align more or less with the ring on the hame where the FSS lazy strap attachs. (As George said.) Another measure I use is I want the Jockey Yokes to barely clear the collar if they (and the pole) come up. When they are in like that, the harness needs to be adjusted so that the JY’s ride high enough so that the horses knees don’t hit them. Notice that I have reworked the ends of my JYs to do away with the ring and attach directly to the end of the JY to help shorten the whole rig vertically (Jay Bailey’s guidance).
In the picture of the off horse you can plainly see that the FSS lazy strap is slack and there is no tongue weight on the collar (neck).
On the near horse, note the FSS wrapped and tucked on itself. This is the traditional point to loosen and tighten the harness to rig (putting the animals on the pole, connecting the JYs and trace chains) the team. When it is tight, as shown, everything is in working position with no pole weight on the collar. In this condition it is too tight, typically, in my experience, to make the final hook-up of the last trace chain because you are raising the pole as you make the connection. Even if you are rugged enough to do it, it is in my opinion a bone-headed waste of energy and an invitation to run your rig too loose. To avoid this, I run the near horse near side FSS out to the last hole and leave it loose until all connections (4 FSS hooks and 4 trace chains) have been made. Then I tighten it to a point I have already decided in order that it is the same length as the off side FSS. As I tighten it, the pole lifts and the weight comes off the FSSs lazy straps.
As a side note, in the picture of the near horse the fact that the back ad is carrying weight is clear from the position of the dispalced hair at its edges
If this is still like mud email me and I will send you my phone number.
Hope this helps,
Mark
PS
I think there is confusion about what a D-ring harness actually is. It is not a New England, side backer or Boston backer or Boston truck harness. In the second edition of the Workhorse Handbook, page 155, is an illustration of “New England or Sidebacker Harness”. Although it has a “D-ring”, it has no back pad and is defintely not a D-ring harness. On the next page, 156, an attempt is made to describe how a D-ring harness (calling it a “New England Harness”) functions and the attempt is badly blown. Les Barden’s video is the definitive explanation.

[Mark Cowdrey]

George,
I got some rugged gaiters from Labonville a few years ago. They are made like chaps. Unfortunately they no longer list them in their catalog. Maybe some where else, same material?
Also, skiis on that rig would make it back easier and still turn (spin) OK if not great. Pioneer makes a 5 bolt ski, I wonder if that would fit your rig? Or, you could upgrade to a PBFWA:D.
I’ll bet packing this wet will help.
Mark

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