A Loggin' we will go...more pics - 3/14

[paintponylvr]

So, in another post, I'd said I would put up some pics of Bell (lite silver dapple mare) & Cassie (bay tobi mare) as they are "logging".

In late December or early January - during one of the storms we had, a tree came down. It was one that I was going to have a tree company come out and have a look at - the storm took care of that - but at the time Bell and Cassie weren't ready to pull it. A friend kept saying they could do it all at one time - but I wasn't so sure. I didn't think to measure it while it was down - it was between 30 & 40' total. Today, we cut it up and I pulled Cassie and Bell out and hooked them to the double tree to pull the pieces to the burn pile.

Here they are -

I knew that they could cut thru the burn pile here as Cassie is to the left of the last branch (I'd put the leaf debri there, and walked thru it scuffing and sinking to make sure that the girls wouldn't cut their legs). Then I double checked their legs when I was done with each pull. There were 8 sections of tree to put on the burn pile...

BONFIRE will be held on the 23rd of March. Hubby closing in on 50 and oldest daughter, Skye, will be 23! Trying to get all the debry picked up into the burn pile before then (& beautify yard and barn areas, LOL).

To see more pics of this pair - BellCassie - MarePair

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

Very cool---you're definitely making them earn their keep !

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

They are looking good. I was just talking to my husband the other night about his lazy pair and the dead pine at the back of our property. I said maybe they could skid it to the road to be brought up and cut for firewood. He wasn't so sure. I have to admit they are smaller than your girls but they are solid little guys and the trees are very dry so light even if the are long and only about 6-10" at the butt. Come summer (if we ever see it again) I think I'll go find out just how heavy those trees are and maybe he can buck them into shorter lengths to make it doable. It would be a good way to get the boys into some real team work I think.

 

[ksoomekh]

That's very impressive!

 

[Renolizzie]

Very cool. I would be so proud if Wiseguy and I could do something like that because it would mean we were really working calmly and together

You should be very pleased with yourself and your little working horses.

 

[Never2Mini]

That is really neat ! An people ask what can you do with a Mini horse.

 

[susanne]

I'm going over your photos for details, as we plan on doing this very thing. I'm regretting that Keith cut up our fallen trees into fireplace-sized chunks before moving them, but c'est la vie!

Since we have more wood than we could burn, we're thinking of offering some of our firewood to the needy -- we just need to figure how best to make it available to those who truly need it...we need to check with Oregon Food Bank and similar charities. I'd hate to just burn it as trash when it could keep someone warm! We're also thinking of using the firfor building a cordwood cabin -- a project that should keep all of us out of trouble for awhile!

 

[lucky seven]

That is so cool! Have you tried to plow a garden with them? I was just wondering if they could do that as well. Just a thought.

 

[paintponylvr]

So many of you that have commented seem to be new to this forum.. OR maybe I haven't posted much to this one as I took it to be a mini-horse forum not so much a Shetland forum... Dunno. I started posting here a little more when I realised that some of my Shetlands are mini horses (by height) and some are also double registered, so I started doing a little more here.

I got back into our Shetlands with the intention of eventually using them to "care for the land that cares for them". I don't know yet what they can and can't do (so far everything we've tried - they do WELL) - but I know that at first I met a lot of "derision" and still meet plenty of people that say I really just need to invest in the proper size animals. I like the size I have, I enjoy taking care of them and training them to the best of my ability and they are small enough that when the day comes and they literally become "just pasture ornaments" - they are a little more affordable to have (then a 2 ton giant!). Plus, now that my own children have grown up, I now have our 1st two grand daughters to introduce to the ponies. I hope that one of them, someday, would be interested enuf to get into their care & training (my daughters like them but don't like or want to do the day to day work & training) & maybe the bloodlines/genetics to carry on someday. Maybe not...

I have a lot of pictures spread out over 50 photo albums (via Picasa) & more than 30 albums at Photo Bucket. We have been working with my shetlands on "real pulling" and "real" farmwork since 2009 and I started taking lessons with a draft horse trainer in 2010. You can access these photo albums thru our website - ones to check out would be BellBit - shetland mare pair, Koalah driving, NCWHMA and then just check out the babies.... You can see some as they come up from birth in 2010 to driving now...

Yes, I've been told that shetlands and minis can plow. Will I? I don't know. I am not real keen on doing an actual garden - especially now that it's just my hubby and me. That can change, tho. For now, I have two contacts who are willing to sell me a plow that can be maintained (thru them, a good thing as I suck at that too! I worship the ground a good mechanic walks on!!!!!!!!) that can arrange to meet me either at an event/function or come all the way to our place. After going over plowing and watching Plow Days and competitions thru our local club - I'm not really into the plowing,

. I have a "brown thumb" which I'm trying to change up a bit. Soemtimes I can get container gardens to work - sometimes I can't (didn't kno that overwatering can kill 'em too!!). Soooo, right now - plowing - not so much...

Here are other pics tho - they are "working" this piece of heaven on 8 acres:

This is Stuffy. One of our first times getting her to "work" for me. My lawn mower had died and I use the 32 gallon trash cans to clean the pastures - needed to get them from the front of property to the compost heap in the back. The bins, when full of "fresher" manure aren't light. Could put 2 on a partial stock panel turned into a drag. Could make about 4 of these trips (approx 15 minutes of walking one direction) in a day - before body said "no more". Everything except the halter and the surcingle are homemade. Pic taken Feb 2009.

I had used the ponies to move things previously - just no pictures, LOL.

Here's one of our first attempts at "logging" - with Bell and Bit. The 1st pic is to give some perspective on the trees & amount of brush... Before I had "real harness" -

You can see a little of all of it here - PUT TOGETHER from what was on hand! Two single harness made from recycled, braided haystring, open bridles, chainlink attached to a pole to get it laid flat and give us a tow bar, two different style & weight single tress (rather than a double tree which I didn't have yet), tires to weight the chainlink drag. NOT PRETTY - but functional in that it worked on our pasture that hadn't been cleaned in forever and it got the "girls" and I to working better as a team. I really should do this again with the greenie-beanies - bet it would work wonders!

Here are Bell and Bit pulling a garden disk. Actually it is two hooked together. You would normally use a garden tractor or an ATV to pull this. We now have our first pairs harness and double tree - but the double disk belongs to my freind Vicki. The field was plowed by draft horse teams - we are at a "Plow Day" in Linden, NC in April 2011. One of the other guys let Vicki, James and I know that the "draft" of the disks are set the wrong way to work this field... Can't remember what we had to do to correct it.

Think I have to do another post to ad pics...

 

[ksoomekh]

Paula, I love your photos and information!

Karen

 

[paintponylvr]

I'm going over your photos for details, as we plan on doing this very thing. I'm regretting that Keith cut up our fallen trees into fireplace-sized chunks before moving them, but c'est la vie!

Since we have more wood than we could burn, we're thinking of offering some of our firewood to the needy -

Make a tarp drag like this one. Pretty simple - strap to a bar (this is aluminum from a chain link fence. I've made mine by screwing thru the tarp to a PVC or wooden pole) and make the "v'd rope" shorter (where the people are) to attache either a single tree or double tree to. To get into narrower areas - use a smaller tarp. It works pretty darn well! Do tarp work with your horse first to avoid finding out how fast they can hit the next county

and put them to work!

This is our middle daughter, with one of our club members, and my two granddaughters at a clean up day. 1st of 4 horse shows will be held on Sunday April 5th. Next cleanup day will be March 30th. I will have ponies there, to help with some of the work.

What a great idea for your firewood!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Do tarp work with your horse first to avoid finding out how fast they can hit the next county

LOL, the image that brought to mind was just too funny (altho I admit that in reality there would be nothing funny about it at all)Thanks for the laugh.

 

[paintponylvr]

Of course, if you have the money to spend - one of those Otter Sleds would be REALLY NICE!! They aren't too pricey, actually, but shipping sure adds to the cost... The tarp idea does work - especially on a "shoestring budget" or in a hurry!

Here's more pics -

This one - We've gone to another plow day. I ground drove my mares after the lunch (we'd gotten there late and just watched the plowing, taking pics and poking around as they had lots of equipment on their property - some usaable, some not). Then I asked the owner of the farm if I could "try" hooking my girls to the riding field disk (meant for a single draft horse or a pair). I thought those guys were gonna' DIE LAUGHING... until I got the girls hitched to it (some heavy breathing, busted knuckles and lifting and heaving to get it unstuck from where it was in the weeds so they could get to it). They started TAKING BETS, gosh darn guys!...

Pic of the disk before hitching -

It's actually in pretty good shape, not too old or weather beaten. Mr. Hoggard (one of them) had gotten it at a recent farm sale... I've since offered to purchase it several times... Wonder if he'll take me up on it this year?

Took me a while to figure out how to get the disks up off the ground for "moving" - not sure I did it right but eventually decided to try it. The girls got it out of the weeded patch, onto the hardpack drive way, 1/2 mile down to the main road, along the road and into the field that was to be finished up... Then along the edge of the field as it was DEEP, damp and fresh plowed and we entered it from the back. I figured while they DID pull it, they were going to be tired and I wanted to be fair to them. They managed 1 full length of the field - but they were very tired. It sank in several areas well over the top of the disks (i felt really bad & couldn't figure out how to safely get off of it - found out my lines wern't long enuf for working to the side of farm equipment, too). Of course, some of the following pics show just how large I am... and that's part of their work too!

And this is after we exited the field. We had to go back along the edge, out to the road & along it to the drive way back towards the barns. Not a short trek...

The Hoggard farm Plow Day is again around the middle of April this year. Bit isn't ready to go (haven't started working her since her aborted colt) & Koalah is currently at 309 days pregnancy. So my 4 abreast team won't be ready for the disk yet, again this year. I don't think we will have any problems with at least a 3 abreast hitch but a 4 abreast should accomplish the work with this disk with ease.

I plan on offering to buy it again...

 

[paintponylvr]

LOL, the image that brought to mind was just too funny (altho I admit that in reality there would be nothing funny about it at all)

Thanks for the laugh.

Yeeeeaaaaa - I have a couple of "stupid, duh" stories in that department, too.

And here's some pics of a 3 yr old mare (1/2 shet, 1/4 arab, 1/4 hackney pony - a bit over re-active to everything at first) getting some tarp work (IN A ROUND PEN, thank goodness...).

Big Bad Tarp - Feb 2012.

She did settle and worked quietly at a walk & trot... Then switched directions and OH NO - it's chasing me again!!! LOL.

Calming down...

And one month later - March 2012. A metal drag, not sure what it is/was, but it works great for weight (HEAVY) and also to break up manure in heavy build up areas. Yes, she should be wearing a collar and hames type harness for the weight of this piece...

and in Dec 2012 with trainer in SC - 1st day. I don't have any pics of her while hitched tho she is hitched and driving now...

 

[Performancemini]

I LOVE all your pics and information. My husband has always liked driving a team. I like for him to see your set-ups. He has a new pair (9 this year) who just started as a team last fall. They are 35.5 and 36". I know he would love to use them a lot (they do driving at shows too, but usually Co. Pleasure and Western Co. Pleasure respectively). He hitched the one to a homemade sled set-up this winter. It was fun. He made "shafts" out of thin flexible gray PVC pipe with eyebolts for the wrap straps. The "shafts" went back to a light alumium piece that was his "singletree" for the traces. Then good old baling twine hooked that to the plastic toboggan sled. He hooked the traces on with baling twine for a quick release. This gelding is a bit sensitive; but since driving as a team he seems to have acquired a real nice work ethic and goes real well!

 

[paintponylvr]

Hmmm, couldn't get the quote to work this time...???

Performance mini - don't know what to say ...

thank you!

and to the last statement -

 

[paintponylvr]

That's very impressive!

THANK YOU!!

 

[HavingFun]

Thank you for posting these, they are great! Makes me wonder what i can get into with our minis this year...

 

[MountainWoman]

Wow, I loved all the photos of the minis working. They are so much more than pasture pets and I enjoyed seeing them help around the farm.