cousin jack

I'll try again

My two, trying to work slow and no to much crashing about, as for one of the horses, it was only second time in forwarder and we were on a downbank.

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Horses cant tell you when they are sick,hurt,tired,fed up.You have to work them to get the job done and its not work that they want to do,its work they have been trained to do.

 

You feed,water and groom them because they are your hobby and business.Why not get your family and freinds to pull logs out of the bush all day like the Horses do,then when you are fed and watered in the evening see how much "love" that feels like.Because you´ll be going out to do it again and again.

 

Horses were used because there was nothing better,now that there are more humane and efficient methods,don´t attempt to validate your business.

 

Give your Horses a choice.

Mike, if my horses are the source of my income, why would I abuse them, surely, it pays me to look after them, the best I can. Why don't you come along and spend a day or two with me, see if my horses are abused, you will be better informed to comment then.

I hesitated before putting this tree in here, but it survived 30yrs of gravel working, land is now reclaimed. Credit must be due to the shovel driver who first thought, "no, I'm not pushing it over".

The Deer can run and live free.Your domestic animals cannot escape their life of misery untill you bullet them once they are worn out.

 

Go buy a log skidder and do the job properly.

 

Sadist.

They struggle to outrun a helicopter, but going on your argument, I hope you never go out and shoot one, you don't need too, that's why we have farms and abattoirs surely.

As an aside, this morning, first thing I did, was fed the horses, walked and fed the dogs, fed the cat, all before I sat down to my own breakfast, nothing to shout about really, but that's how things are, the animals come first in this household. You seem to think my horses would be nothing more than tools to me, you are a long way off the mark, they are friends, family, heroes to me and the only time I will put a bullet in them is if and when I know they are suffering, but in the mean time, they'll get well looked after here.

Sad to see animals exploited like that.Diesel prevents cruelty in my opinion.

Says the man who posts videos of deer being shot on the run and thinks it's ok!

Don't believe in them myself, how come never disturbed by shooters/beaters, hunts etc.

And I've spent hundreds of hours walking about by myself at night, lamping, never seen one yet.

Same guy, get's ejected in this one, I should say it's happened before, no fuss, no panic, just right her up and on again.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXIX4vj3lk&feature=channel]workin'man blues - YouTube[/ame]

Brillant video, a pleasure to watch to cracking beast at work, nowt better than watch twa horses working be it on the plough or now the log

Thanks for posting

Your welcome, it's nice to know people appreciate it, as Trad. Logger says above, it's hard to appreciate sometimes unless you've been there and seen it.

My uncle still works with Horses in kielder Danny MacNeil. And my dad Duncan MacNeil.

I stand corrected, are they the only ones there, Ross?

Bingo

re the reversing into the Barn answer

Ps

My father ( an owner operator:biggrin: working horseman for years) maintained that the best reversing he had ever (routinely) witnessed was Bobby Greer reversing the Traction engine, with the Boyds threashing Mill behind......with the Jones baler hooked on the back forby, forby.

Try getting ones head round those permutations.

Getting well off topic I appreciate:thumbup:

That would take some doing, beyond me for certain sure!

That was really interesting, looked like the knew exactly what they were doing.

 

I noticed at one point he got the horses to revers the boggy over the log, is getting horses to revers a boggy or cart very difficult.

 

My grandfather worked horses on their farm as a boy, my father says he could revers the horse drawn hay wagon into the barn, my dad always said this was quite a feat.

Getting them to back is a feature of a horse's training, and with horses as experienced as those it would be easy. It will be easy with the arch that he was using as the attachment that the horses were chained to was a straight shaft (the pole) that ran from the center of the frame. As this is rigid it is quite easy to back. Bit like a car.

Your Grandfather would have had a more difficult job as I expect a hay wagon was 4 wheeled with the front axle on a turntable and backing it would have been more exacting. Keeping a wagon straight whilst backing on a turntable was/is quite a feat.

OK OK,

Dinny misunderstand, I looked & looked &, looked, it simply looked that the horses heads & eyes were covered with cloth, and I could not See (tee hee) if they could see? or not, if you see what I meant?

PS

I bes aware what blinkers are, & for why.

Cheers

M

Yep, they have a very fine mesh, i'll bet Nova Scotia, (where this guy is based), is a bar steward for mosquitoes in the summer months.

Couple of things to clear up first . ' Difflock ' those are fly masks . Did you see the amount of mozzies/midgies in the film ? It would have been cruel for a horse NOT to wear them in that wood. ' Parker ' at 2.45 that is what separates a horse that pulls wood and a professional logging horse . ( that was my favourite bit ) . A horse cant be forced into doing that , this is teamwork based on trust.

The horses had massive tricep muscles , really impressive.

The icing on the cake was them being so evenly paired in size and colour, perfection.

Best arbtalk moment for me by a country mile....Thanks very much for the post

Ah, I see what Difflock meant now, I did'nt realise he meant the fly masks, I have just been watching another of his vid's where they are blinkered, so thought he meant those. Nice answer to the questions.

Great video,those are two cracking horses,they looked in superb condition!

I've looked at his other videos, you can tell he and his horses are master's at the job by the way they takes things calmly, unhurried, and relaxed.Making it look easy is the mark of a professional.

Are the Horses blindfolded? to protect their eyes? or stop them "spooking" at branches?

seems a trifle cruel? cruel is perhaps too strong a work maybe but nonetheless, you know what I mean?

Cheers

M

They have blinkers which shield their eyes and stop them from seeing things behind them, it's the way most horses are worked in America and the UK. In Scandanavia most horses are worked with open bridles, ie they can see all round. Not to sure what is "cruel" about it, just about everything on the planet has to work, most animals work to survive, man has domesticated some to provide us with meat, leather, milk, companionship, and a "work horse". In return for working for us, we provide them with food, shelter, and a safe environment to live in. There are three horses in a field out back at the moment, if I did'nt work them, I would'nt keep them, they'd probably be in a tin of dog food.

Fantastic Post Jack!..it,s always great to see how things were done before mechanisation...except for rounding off the butt end with a chainsaw and the chainsaw winch. But superb viewing...Spent a bit of time in Kielder Forest where extraction was done with Horses...Brilliant!

Did'nt they used to work round the reservoir, shame they don't still have them there, I would be up there tomorrow. I'm told the chap who used to run the horse loggers did a runner with a lot of money, and it seems FC have never used them again.

Thank you, unusual and enjoyable, do the horses have an appetite for this work? do they enjoy it? at the end of a hard day do they revolt? (I know nothing of horses!)

Ha ha, as long as you give them plenty to eat they won't revolt on you. To answer your question do they enjoy it, well, I can't say that they categorically do, but I think they have a purpose and they seem to know what it is. For example, one of my mares, the oldest and most experienced, just plods about in first gear, but as soon as she feels weight in the collar she knows that she has to up the ante, and the heavier the log, the more she will give. As I said, I just don't know if she enjoys it, but I think she likes to be in the wood, it is her environment and I think she's happier there than standing in a field.

This is a fair lump of timber to pull uphill. Check out his chainsaw winch as well.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT4DeZb5y6w&feature=relmfu]Harvey's big log - YouTube[/ame]

Will email you a short video clip- any comments appreciated!

Saw the video clip. Excellent, both very relaxed, just keep it simple. Be pedantic when you want him to stand, and don't let him walk away on hearing the chain hook up, wait a few seconds before saying walk on. You'll go far.

60ha, you're going to need a hand!

Hi cousin jack! Well what can I say, you inspired me when I came to Jackson's Bank to see you! I went on a day of training last November and yes I have been training the pony up since new year. The harness arrived last week! Very exciting!

Brilliant, that's a real achievement. Do you find it very different from when your sitting on them? I know I did. I could ride a horse without thinking about it, and thought the transition to ground driving would be oh so easy. It was not, I found I had to think far more in advance. Anyway, good luck and if you get any huge contracts and need a hand, you know who to call.

Just finished "Sometimes a Great Notion".

Yep, that field sure has impact doesn't it. It's in Sussex; if anyone recognises it can I ask you to keep it to yourselves? The owner bought the place for privacy and values that highly. Thanks.

 

Cousin Jack: your point about wildlife friendly vs colour is well made. My example is obviously done for the latter purpose - most of the flowers are Annual - but to be fair does attract a decent number of butterflies and bees.

 

I'll find out the seed supplier.

 

 

Jon

Jon, my post was in no way a criticism of what was planted in your pictures, more aimed at the people who see rows and rows of colourful but sterile bedding plants as "lovely". In my opinion, man just cannot compete with nature, what is more lovely than seeing red campion, cow parsley, and a little blob of speedwell on a bank/hedgerow with a vibrant green long stalked grass behind it. Looks better than any Piccasso to me.