[Tim Harrigan]

I’ve just have my 2 steers now so I set up single strands of polywire about 25 feet apart with a moveable stand that spans the 2 parallel lines. Every day I move it anywhere from 10 to 30 feet depending on the amount of grass available. I like to make it so in 10 days to 2 weeks they are through that paddock and starting the next 25 ft paddock. That way they are not overgrazing the pasture and putting pressure on the regrowth. Overgrazing is a good way to reduce species richness down to bluegrass and white clover in this part of the country. The pasture gets better every year. It is very interesting to watch over time.

[Tim Harrigan]

If they only lifted the load I would call that carrying the load. There is a vertical component (lift) and and horizontal (push/pull) to most loads, the vertical component increases as the angle of draft increases. Their body weight provides plenty of traction for them to move but they would have a tough time applying it in a horizontal push down by their knees.

[Tim Harrigan]

Depends on your point of view. Hook a log chain to the back of your britches and ask for a quick mile or so. Was it a push or a pull?

[Tim Harrigan]

Tillers International in Scotts, Michigan USA

[Tim Harrigan]

Probably Multiflora Rose. Really nasty stuff. On the up side, if you have a fence row full of it you will not need a fence. My steers will not go near it.

[Tim Harrigan]

Joshua and Joel:
Regarding the weight of an arch, the one we used was 750 lbs, not including the teamster. But that is on wheels and moved much easier than skidding. I could roll the arch, pretty hard pressed to skid a 750 lb log by myself. So even with the additional weight of the arch we figured we could increase the size of the log by 1/3 and move it with the same effort.

[Tim Harrigan]

Thanks to those who have added to this discussion. I am pleased to see how the scope has broadened to include the skill/training/conditioning/experience of the team. I look at the arch, go-devil, tongs and other methods as tools that can improve the comfort and productivity of our working animals when applied in the correct situation. Some of my thinking is translated from draft in farming to draft in logging which in some ways is fundamentally different. In farming we like steady endurance. We appreciate heart and determination when we ask for effort near the upper limit, but we try not to go there very often. We more frequently ask logging teams to ‘get after’ larger loads, often in tight quarters, and often in short bursts if just to haul out to a skid path for alternative handling, perhaps with an arch.

Carl is perceptive in describing how a good team gets under a load to both lift and pull (push) and get under the normal center of gravity so both strength and body mass drive the load forward. Starting a load takes considerably more effort than keeping it moving once started, so the upper limit is a pulse rather than a sustained pull, at least relative to the starting effort. The vertical lift and resistance of a heavy load transfers weight to the hind quarters of the team and acts to improve traction and power, in some ways just like ballast on the rear axle of a tractor. A low hitch point such as with ground skidding or a go-devil facilitates that. The ability to get under the load is a necessary tool for a good logging team.

It is beneficial to shift the line of draft to the center of gravity of the team as soon at the load begins to move. That is where the team will be most comfortable and efficient. Because an arch has a higher hitch point there may not be the same freedom for a team to get under or side-shift the load and create the instant when the load breaks free and forward movement begins. But an arch allows the same load to be started with less effort so the team will not be working as close to the upper limit when the log begins to move.

In my work with an arch I see a different dynamic that is important in starting the load, the pendulum effect of the hanging log. Because the front of the log is hanging at an angle there is weight transfer to the rear with ground resistance at the far end. When the team steps into the load the arch moves an instant before log moves. The front of the log moves back and up slightly, then when momentum begins the log swings down and forward, and under some conditions almost gives the cart a push. This cushions the start and my guess is reduces the peak force needed to start the load.

So, Carl, my reason for writing the article was not to promote the arch or any other method of handling timber, rather to measure the pulling forces for a range of tools as objectively as possible. I think I understand your concern that pounds-force does not surround all the important considerations, but I am convinced that pounds-force is a very important crosscutting reality and that our animals would benefit if more folks had a better understanding of the loads that they ask their animals to move and the tools available to ease the burden. I still come back to the ‘tool box’ analogy. An arch is a tool, as is a go-devil, tongs or a nylon tow rope. A craftsman has many tools in his toolbox and uses them as needed to accomplish the task at hand. These are tools that were designed by craftsmen with an understanding of the forces applied to their working animals, tools that enhance horsemanship and in no way reduce the process to a number. Regarding the arch, there may be a loss of efficiency on the top end such as you described, but I suspect there is a net gain in not having to ask for more effort than necessary in other parts of the system.

It is good to be suspicious of numbers such as I presented, I always am. Reports of these kind of measurements are not widely available for comparison, so I did the best I could and described the test conditions as accurately as possible. I was encouraged a few years ago when I read in RH an article either by or quoting another horse logger, Glenn French, I think, that by his estimate and compared to ground skidding he could increase the size of a load by 1/3 and move it with the same effort, or move the same load with less effort. Presumably, that was learned through many hours in the forest. I was pleased that our measurements matched his assessment almost exactly.

Again, I truly enjoy the perspective and observations of Carl, Jason, Scott and others that test these realities on a daily basis. You guys are the experts; I am mostly an innocent bystander.

[Tim Harrigan]

Here is a link to a report that we did a few years ago in measuring the pulling forces for a 1500 lb log over snow-covered or frozen ground and over bare ground with tongs, a logging arch and a few other methods. In our work the arch reduced the pulling force about one-third compared to ground skidding with tongs. So we could move the same load with less effort, or increase the size of the load by about one-third with the same effort by using an arch.

http://www.tillersinternational.org/farming/resources_techguides/EstimatingLoggingDraftTechGuide.pdf

[Tim Harrigan]

Ivy:
Usually you would start by adjusting based on the proportional weight of each animal. The combined weight of your team is 1325 with Lucky about 60% and Hershey 40% of the total weight. I would make an evener out of a strong piece of wood like oak or hickory. Drill holes for each end clevis about 2 inches in from each end. Measure the size of the evener based on the distance from the center of each end hole. A length of 36 inches (40 inch overall) or 38 inches (42 overall) should be fine but that will depend somewhat on the length of your single trees.

The center hole placement is the important one for distributing the pull. You want the largest animal to have the shortest distance from their clevis to the center hole. Keep it simple and line the center hole up with the two end holes. The placement of the center hole can be made in opposite proportion to each animals weight. Lucky is 60% of the weight, so give him 40% of the distance to the center hole. If you use a 38 inch evener place the center of the middle hole 38 inches * 0.40 = 15.2 inches in from the center of his clevis hole. That means the distance from Hershey’s clevis will be 38 * 0.60 = 22.8 inches from the center hole. 15.2 + 22.8 = 38 inches. That will distribute the pull evenly based on weight. You may need to do some fine-tuning based on how they actually pull, so a series of center holes a few inches apart might be useful.

If you do it, let us know how it goes.

[Tim Harrigan]

Ivy: If they are pulling a load that requires some effort you can give the smaller one an advantage by doing what Howie says and moving the hitch point on the double tree closer to the larger animal. How much does each animal weigh? I can give you some guidance based on that for a starter.

[Tim Harrigan]

The discussion about hitch angle got me thinking about some draft measurements that I did a few years ago and never got around to writing up for RH. I wanted to test the effect of hitch angle on stoneboat draft with a 1000 lb total load with a pull of 0 degrees from horizontal, 20 degrees and 30 degrees. Also, with the load on the front half, back half or evenly distributed on the boat. I had to use a tractor with the loader bucket to keep the angle correct and consistent for each of the 9 pulls. The pull was about 2000 feet for each set-up. Then I used Will and Abe, my ox team, to pull the load. I did not have much adjustment with the neck yoke so I just chained them as short as I could and shifted the load from front, to middle to back.

I posted a graph of the results on this site in the picture gallery. Long story short, the lowest draft measured as tension in the chain was 30 degrees, back loaded boat. Highest draft was 0 degrees, front loaded boat. When Will and Abe pulled the sled there was no difference in draft as the load shifted from front to back. Very interesting.

I can see where a head yoke would work will for heavy pulls if the line of draft is just right when they lean in to the load. But if the line of draft is too low it will tend to pull their head down and they will have work to keep it up. If the line is too high the load will pull up and they will have to work to keep their head down. This could be even more of a problem then what Bivol mentioned with a neck yoke pulling down on the neck because the load is at the end of a longer force arm with the head yoke. Neck yokes place the load on a large bearing surface at the base of the neck where there is little or no force arm. And that is probably the most powerful point on an ox.

I think the general discussion is right, if the yoke fits correctly, regardless of the type of yoke, and it is designed with an understanding of the the demands of the task and the forces that will be transmitted to the animals it probably just comes down to personal preference.

[Tim Harrigan]

But, Howie, what choice does he have? Back into it?

[Tim Harrigan]

Anyone aware of any ox teamsters in northern Europe? I will be in the Essen Oldenburg/Hamburg region in the first couple of weeks in November and would like to learn more about your hitching and driving methods. Looks interesting.

[Tim Harrigan]

Might not want to turn your back on that yak.

[Tim Harrigan]

I don’t shoe mine but I have watched carefully a few times when someone good at it was doing it. I could probably do it OK if I had to, but I would be slow and would prefer to do it under the guidance of someone more skilled. I would need a good set of stocks for restraint. They need to hold still and you will not be quick until you gain some experience. Why do you need to shoe them?

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