[Rod]

Thinking about this thread made me realize that one big thing keeping me from using my team for odd jobs is the insecure parking situation. I have lots of little jobs that I would love to use my horses on like the tree branch in the pasture that needs to be cut to fire wood length and carted to the wood shed (I have a few of these to do). I could take my pickup and chain saw and load it easily or use the horses and a cart and do the same. But with the horses I need to park them while I cut the wood and load it. With electric fences I usually have no convenient place to tie them while I work and don’t trust them to stand for the length of time I need to do the job.
That’s the case with a lot of odd jobs and those type of projects are numerous on the farm. Clearing trails and roads , working in the sugar bush, hauling things around etc. It seems to me if I could solve this problem a lot of opportunities would open up for the teams use. I find I keep saving those type of jobs for them but get stuck on this point.
Using them for bigger jobs is a different story. Hooking to mow or ted for an hour or more with no need to be in park mode, except for a few minuets now and then, is a very different challenge. Any ideas out there as to how others approach this problem?

[Rod]

Could part of the problem be the way your yoke is set up? I know that Les Bardon’s video shows that yoke method but how long is his pole. It looked pretty long to me in the video I saw.

Also my #6 mower has a lever to change the angle of the cutter head with respect to the ground which it seems to me might be an adjustment that could compensate for the higher tongue position.

Three or four inches in tongue height difference at the end of a 10′ pole does not change the blade angle back at the mower by very much. Are you sure about the pole length recommendation? The ones I have seen a look a lot longer than that to me and I know one old timer who saws them told me mower tongue’s are to be 14′
.

[Rod]

I agree it’s a state of mind and when you let go. I have quite a few folks that I know and admire in their late 80s and still going strong. I am really only 69 years old so have a lot of life left to live. The Bible says “occupy until He comes” and I intend to do that.

[Rod]

Old hunks I guess.

Roderick

[Rod]

Does the moisture meter work on field hay or do you need to make a bale to teat with it?

[Rod]

I liked the cord wood dump wagon and wish I could see the front of it to see how it was made. Looks handy.

[Rod]

Hi Rod (44)

Do you also raise Lowline cattle? Nice looking team.

[Rod]

Hear is one job that’s easy on the driver and good exercise for the horse.

[Rod]

What I did on mine was weld a 1-7/8 ball on the sled on top of the chain loop. Then made an adapter from a 2″ receiver with a trailer hitch welded on to it. This way I can use my universal pole with the 2″ male part on my other equipment or hook it to the sled and get the full articulation I need there. All my equipment is setup with 2″ receivers so I can move the poles around from one to the other.

[Rod]

Boy that sounds like a neat and cheap way to gather bales. I like the wagon/sled idea also.

[Rod]

I like the question because I grapple with the same thing with my animals. What can I do with them?

[Rod]

Check this out for one type which works pretty good for me. I have a short chain and grab hook to lock it shut so it doesn’t bounce open on it’s own.

http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=869&page=4

[Rod]

I think he is fine, talked to the previous owner and he had no health issues growing up or excess panting while working pulling logs. He is very healthy looking thats for sure.

[Rod]

I made a modified pole for mine based on a suggestion by Carl.The pole raises the pull point up the the same height as the chain hooks on the back. Should solve the problem of the lifting of the pole. I think an adapter for the shafts would do the same thing and an thinking about making one so I can use mine as a single. Thanks for the photos and narrative.

[Rod]

A thought that perhaps the FUNNY STORIES could be re-labled as STORIES, POEMS and PROSE.

[Author]

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