Here is some examples of our functional use of our Drafts...
>Forestland, Farmland, and Woodlots .
.. Green Sustainable Draft Horse Foresty Managment..
Doing nothing is not a answer > try planting a garden and do nothing.
Machenical Loggers have Disamated our forest..
so who are you going to call !
So who would you call ...Review our web and think about uses of Draft
Horses..
| D.Willey Horses Logging 1990'S |
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| Real Logging...Hard Winter > King & Ben < |
Welcome you
have come to the right place if you want to know about Horse Logging ... and Green ..Sustainable Forestry..!
I hope you can find something here that may help...
So I say.. I say pay attention
boy..
So you want to be a Horse Logger... Think !
It is way to much work ..Say like 24-7 and making trails, throwing brush
out of the way.. there is a lot to it one never sees ... Skidders just run over the brush an make there own trails
and nice deep rut do some times add to the land scape...Well they do have there uses and they do prove a lot of points
...
Here is a thought >
Woodsmen..This is a term used more often in days gone by. but it is still used.. the Woodsmen
most often live and work right there on sight, and Logging Camps were there RFD, and worked in groups. they did the job
of cutting Logs.. there by the name later singled out from a Woodsmen, to being called a Logger.
We hear the term today AxMen this is not really a complete or genearally correct term,
as the Woodsmen were the ultimate Axmen ! and much more. Few people today could keep up with them, or even understand there
skills and labor, and so much more,, the term Surviver man..could easly be applied here.
Horsemen..this term was often not applied or used as much either..Horsemen where more often referred
to as TEAMSTERS.. as citys and towns grew so did the Teamsters,
Ever heard of the Teamsters Union !
| Notice Forcart and Arch > My Design 1996 |
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| Notice > Pulling Frame with Screened Back Stop.. Step in and Out .. |
Here is some of Pictures depecting
my labors & Experiances ..I wanted to show you... how a logging
rig should be built also.. My Arch and forcart I designed.. The forcart can be used seperate.. The Arch I also made
with side chains that hook to frame of the forcart ..Chains can be hooked to LOCK the ARCH and FORCART
in a TANDOM ..to make the wheels stay inline with forcart ... so when coming down steep hills logs cannot T-Bone
.. Arch and Forcart.. and Tip Rig Me and Horses Over ! or push you around... Some Logs
and Hitchs of logs weigh much more than the Rig and Me and Horses so you must always see troubles before
they accure ... at least try to.. Also notice out reached foot bench.. so to Stay in rig and not be pulled over
going down steep hills !
All this is most important.. Being able to Step In and Out
! When Starting a Big Hitch or in a Bad Spot..You Do Not Want to Be In Rig then ! I
Say.....!>>So When in Doubt Get Out ..! That is My Rule #1 about Forcarting.. You should be able to just
talk to your Horses also to Step and Pull ahead with No Lines... !
Beware..Industrial Loggers.. and There Foresters.. They may have experiance enough,..so called Foresters.. and Mechanical loggers deal out,,, after all they are looking
out for each other ..It can be Kind of like a bad western.. or Boss Hog ! ..now if you do engage them be sure..
your Forest could come up looking like the rest of the North Country..Raped by the time you get home.. then what ?
| Abby- Dennis Willey 08-09 Winter - |
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| Trainning a Skid Horse..>using correct procedure!< |
Another Thought > Q. What is another name for a Woodcock ?
Clue
> It is also another name for a Logger.
Answer> a Timber Doodle .
Try some Extrem Ground Skidding or Twitching Logs..!
This Horse was 6yrs old and Completely Unbroke when
I bought her..this is a whole tree cut in three parts .. and 2ft of snow unbroken trail .. skid horses must learn to
be lead.. and stay back off you..! Trust me dont drive from behind .. trying to jump logs trees brush.. switching
sides jumping over the log while driving running along, dont slip... and Hollering whoa, whoa...after you fallen>.
Not Me.. if your in the open pararie you might ..or In TV..land. any way there is a right way to Hitch and
Skid...
I usually am upset some but don't mean
to ...I don't care how long you been doing it wrong....Learning to lesson or think and consider it....so THINK SAFETY
FIRST .
You can call me and see if I have time to
setup a class for you and friend or Group !
You can e-mail me. I'm here doing this to
help.. Perhaps you can help me to..! or someone else someday ! tththish
Hitch Horses
attempt to share experiences.. an outlet with verious helpful experiances.. I myself often just listen
to and watch others , Why'll I play the stooge.. you know I found out that everyone knows more than I
do, right... Well if I can I'll give some directional information and helps to most anyone who may be interested
in what I have to say.. You are welcome to ask a question and I will try to get back to you..online.. Hands
on help my be available at times ..or if I know someone else in your area of travel that has experiance...But
I Strongly Suggest not over stepping your Basic to Advance Horse Education.. Doing what I do with Big Trees
and Big Horses is not really recommended ...Safety Understanding Saws..Trees.. land.. Trail building and Horses.. I
know alot of people that may try to copy cat...But Learning and Starting Right is Vital to your health and Success..
old pulling Horses or young ones that some tryed to make pull and has messed up are not recommended..! Profilling a
Horses .. well anyway.. Know that > All Horses are not created equal ! < and there are alot of messed up one's
!
There
are many attempting to duplicate some form of old time Logging or other acts with Draft Horses. Therefore I feel it is most appropriate
to inform those that are sincerely interested ...so they can evaluate our Pro"s and Con's and hopefully avoid some
misdirection and mishap's ... It is dangerous enough..with out Adding Poor information.. Dangerous information.. and No information ...unschooled and unfit Horses
..and then Just Winging it...no matter how long someone has claimed to doing it, or owned Horses ..you can't
ever have to much good knowledge ..and learning from others and others mistakes can save you alot ....maybe yours _ _ _ _
You Dont want to ruin Yourself, Someone else, Horses or Eqiupemnt right ! There is a Write way
Proccedure, and a Wrong Way > and Wrong.... is Still Wrong!!! and Most Dangerous!!! Pride
and Jealousy ..Make good Deaf Ears and Great Blinders !! and very, very Dangerous Teamster's
and Loggers !!!
| Tandom Hitch |
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| A proper Tandom can be very usefull ! |
| Tina Willey & Abby Logging |
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| The Trainning of a Super Skid Horse > Abby & Tina Willey |
Trainning and Hitching
a Horse to Pull logs..Caution Logging is Dangerous it may be exciting or fun at times... But it is No > Game
or a place to try and figure it out with out Experianced Help !!! and so understand Safety and Safety
First... there are many dangers ... 90% of people doing it are using unsafe procedures.. and are using unsound
equipment ... and new Forcarts sold for logging but are truely dangerous.. unsafe .. you should never set in a
seat ! Cart should be designed for Standing in and out access and the plate form not more the 14 to 16 inches off the
ground... with the Hitch Bar and Screened rail behind you Hitch Bar is must be higher then log center plus yes.. right
or cart will.. Will become air born... 20 " to 24 " is good height with back frame and screen another 18"
to 20 " ... Trust me I Know..!
Rule #1> I say
.. When in Doubt ...Get Out..!
Draft Horses and the
Forest logs, lumber, Firewood Land Management and Wildlife ! Draft Horses have
been doing it Green , Way before "Doing it Green" was a Term .!
Most Foreters... do not like Horses logging because they are really funded by
.. Big Industry.. someone has to pay there bill's.. and most Hores Loggers are not that rich.. and do
not pay big money upfront..so be ware ! Many land owner are duped by a few fast dollars..! By
a few fast words also.. by these Forester expounded on there learned sales speech.... Well then how does so many woodland get
raped before there owners know it ..
Who has Destroyed most of our Forest... and Heritage .. It was'nt
me or my Horses... It was done under a overseeing of some know it all Forestry Management with wonderfull
Titles .. There are some good Forester though , so if you support Horses Logging let us know ! Where you are
!
| Mature ..Big Pine I Harvested.. |
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| Pulling wood like this is not for beginner Horses or People.. |
Thoughts of History > Well my family as many others has had a long history of the functional
Forest..life and interactions to provide for ther familys .. I remebmer my Grandfarther telling me about his Grandfarther..
and how he would go way back in the woods for acouple weeks at a time, he would take five Teams of Oxen, back then
they said he had the best Oxen in Maine, well anyway, he would find and cut long strate Big Pine,load them
onto Big Wheeled Axles, Grandfarther asked him how he did that .. he said he pull the wheels over with the Oxen then load
the long Big Pine in Chain them in , then use the Oxen to pull the wheels and logs back upright... these where very long trees
and what where they used for... Ship Masts..Spars..and he got payed a Dollar a foot.. for these trees and thats was big money
then.. the trees also where so long that when he came through town when the log Cart had to turn to cross the
bridge in town it would almost clean out the School House..Im sure it was A big event when he showed back up in town then
! History . Big wheels - Big Axles-Big Trees- and Tuff Oxen and Men !
Proformance Plus.. Trainning Proformance and Safety.. Training the Right Horse the Rigth Way .. Pays Off !
Remember every time you use a horse you are Training it ..either to maintain , or improve or you are Untraining or Spoiling
...
| Skidding 2 Big Ash logs ...Abby 09 Super Skid |
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| The prof is in the pulling... Reg name.. Kings Wood Margret |
KINGS WOOD...MARGRET > Good name for a Great
Skid Horse.. Caution do not just go out
and try to do some big logging stunt ..Don't try to do more than... You or your Horses or Help are Experianced
with get Good Experience Proven Assistance..! ..Remember.. I have had many years of Experience..! These
logs are heavy going down hill the horse must keep ahead of them , as they will slide , and can strike
the back of the horse..
A horse must not be affraid of a back bump.. but be able to keep ahead
of them ..these 2 logs weigh about 2 ton s .. and then are pulled up hill at bottom of this hill to the
landing..I would like to say try that with your Horse but.. I Don't Recommended It !.. Knowledge , Strength , and Experiance
are a must.. keeping your Horses Mind Balance and Calm ..whyll power pulling ..and under Adrinaline Surges ..Ground
skiding is more advanced really than ..just pulling logs in a forcart.. Big Logs or Big Wood.. Add Extrems ..Hills
Terrain, on an on..and you need > Serious Power and Experiance..
It would be good if you could take a hands on class with me if
possible !
Pulling
live heavy loads are alot different than.. Empty Wagons or other tasks.. each needs to be UnderStood .. Get
a good coach... for what ever Sport your into ..if you want to be a Winner !
| Chain Sawing 101 |
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| Know how to cut a Hitch out right is most important |
| Proper Knowledge and Experiance .. Again is a must |
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| Chain Saw and felling Skills.. must be top Knotch..! |
Chain Saw Tec.. Knowing how and where to cut out a Hitch and how to preserve other trees... this is most
improtant.. and Safty !
I have to get 100% ... of the Trees I Cut on
the Ground..! one hung up tree will cost you alot of time
.. and makes the whole area very dangerous !!!
| Felling A Tree Correctly |
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| Cutting out a Hitch |
| Some Tools and Equipment I Have |
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| My Wood Shop.. |
| Openning A Trail..North West Passage... |
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| Big Pine Bucked in Two.. |
| abby ash log |
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Well thanks for ckecking us out... see Woodworking and our Product listing. We apperciate any support you
my wish to give ..Kind Words.. Good thoughts, oh... and and Money . this cost me time and Money and we try to make it
Work ..but it not as easy as we make it look here on these..Web Pages.. Just caring for the Horses is a 24-7 job.. ya know if
you dont belive it try doing all of this... and design and make a web too ! ..Thanks
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