Posted on 11/06/2022 8:14:51 AM PST by george76
ping
I know of small parcel loggers profitably using mule teams.
Had an uncle who was a mule-skinner, logging man.
Man! Could he handle a bullwhip!
very cool
Saw a video on youtube a few months back where they used a team of two horses to clear logs and pull stumps.
Interesting, thx
don’t usually think of Ohio as logging country
My roommate from college was from Nepal. His family would hire men with elephants to help clear land for new fields.
The elephants would collect the timber and take it to the river where it was sold and transported away.
At 6 bucks a gallon for diesel, I can see that machinery is costly to run...
LOGGING WITH HORSES
I use quarter horses to log stuff. They are better at math and proficient on Excel.
Interesting sidenote: Had the privlidge to know a man who enlisted in the US Army shortly after Pearl Harbor. Somehow he was assigned to a transport unit that was sent to Guadalcanal. The means of transport were army mules that were able to transport food, ammunition and fresh water over the trackless jungle. He had grown up in an urban area, knew nothing of horses and mules but served honorably and well. He said the Marines were always happy to see him and the mules.
Wisconsin they have OX. The Ox would drag timbers out snaking through a bog forest. Horses weren’t as good and get stuck.
I'm in North Idaho and the forests here are well maintained which helps keep forest fires down (especially compared to California). But forest maintenance requires a lot of tree thinning and removal of underbrush. The machines used really make a mess out of the forest floor. I figured horses would do less damage and, sure enough...
“Although we prefer logging in the winter months, horses are suitable to work throughout the year. They are less harmful to the forest floor as compared to mechanical equipment. Skid loaders will often cut trenches causing erosion. And horses can work in tighter spaces. I enjoy working horses in the woods. It takes longer to complete a job compared to mechanical equipment. And additional time translates into a little more cost. But forest conservation is a critical benefit achieved with horses. An added value for us is being able to break our colts in a logging team. With 8 million forested acres in Ohio, logging thrives with our family involvement.”Yes, the skid loaders really tear up the forest floor.
The article traces the growth of draft horses to their peak of 26 million in 1920. My Great-Granduncle contributed to that peak in a small way. He was a partner in a farm implement business in Red Deer, Alberta from 1902 to 1909 and he and his partner brought the very first gasoline powered tractor in Western Canada to Red Deer.
First Tractor Sale in Alberta
Motor in Canada Magazine, November 1940.In 1899, James Bower came out from Orangeville, Ontario and settled in the Red Deer district. He was one of the few farmers in those days who were mechanically inclined. After settling in the Red Deer district which was then heavily wooded, he soon came to realize that clearing and breaking the land by means of hand and horse labor was an almost insurmountable task.
The local Harvester dealer, Mr. Botterill, informed him of efforts by the International Harvester Company towards the development of a practical gasoline farm tractor.
The order dated May 14, 1907 bears this clause:
"If engine meets reasonable requirements in pulling 2 - 14 inch plows after 2 days trial, same to be accepted, otherwise engine to be returned to Calgary, freight prepaid by purchaser."Two days later on May 16, 1907, the historic demonstration took place on Bower's farm at Red Deer. The tractor successfully pulled 3 - 14 inch Sulky Plows and so the first sale of an International gasoline tractor in Western Canada was made.
The photo was taken on the demonstration day. My Gr-Granduncle is the big guy, third from right.
Good reading about the Northwest Territory - Ohio, etc. - after the American Revolutionary War in 1787 ... lots of logging, farming, etc.
More costly in CA is regulation. Diesel engine modifications to decrease ‘emissions’ seem to cost 5-10K every few years. The goal seems be eliminate logging though folks are beginning to notice that trees burn.
I had a team of Belgians in the 80s and 90s. Mainly did parades and trail rides. They were a lot of fun. All in greener pastures now.
Interesting article. I remember a horse-logger on the Mt. Hood National Forest when I worked there in 1980.
My father raised Belgian horses after he retired from medical practice. Huge animals, but fortunately pretty easygoing.
[[At 6 bucks a gallon for diesel, I can see that machinery is costly to run...]]
With the way the left want to tax animal farts, it may be more expensive in near future
Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Jack Morris for a time spent a lot of time and money on Belgians as show horses. A tougher world than he expected, but he did love those blondes.
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