# horse logging?



## treeman82 (Jun 19, 2003)

I was just cruising around on the web and started to read up on logging with horses. Anybody ever do this? Is there still a market for it? Looked kind of cool, possibly a good thing to sell to high end people who want to do selective cutting.


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## Ryan Willock (Jun 19, 2003)

There are a couple of horse loggers in my area and to some degree it seems to be "catching on". Execpt for the most sensetive of areas I don't see the need of it unless its more of a nestalgic thing or hobby but then if its because of a sensetive area I must question cutting it anyway. If people are going to it because of "low environmental impact" I don't really see the point because if you calculate out the number of times a horse must cover the same ground to remove one tree vs. the use of a skidder with a CAREFULL operator the soil compaction should be more given that a horse's weight is destributed over a smaller area, therefore you would have more pounds per square inch. It is neat to watch a horse logger at work though:angel:


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## monkeypuzzle (Jun 19, 2003)

Baileys sells some videos on just about every kind of logging. Cheap too! 

12.95 each. I read once where helicopters rent for about 
$3000/per hour. I could be wrong. Geeezzzzis 

I think that old timey logging is amazing stuff.


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## Jumper (Jun 19, 2003)

Never done any horse logging but the first two years my Uncle sugared at the farm he used horses. There are good horses, and there are lazy ones, much like people. One day he had one that just decided to lay down in the snow and take the day off and no amount of "physical" persuasion would get that mare on her feet, so went to the arch and got a good pile of blazing logs and lit a fire under her ass. Needless to say she moved. This type of behavior would drive the animal welfare people nuts, but what do you do with a bone idle horse three miles from the house? He switched to a tractor with an excellent set of chains the next year.

On the other hand my Grandfather farmed the same place, 200 acres and raised seven kids with three or four horses until 1949, when he bought a small Massey Ferguson tractor. The thought of doing all those fields, let alone cutting wood in the winter for pulp and the furnace boggles my mind, not to mention milking 50 cows per day by hand. I do not remember him being anything but an old man but he must have been a Hercules when he was younger.

So yes horse logging if nothing else is nostagic, but I would not want to have to depend on it for anything more than a hobby income.


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## logcutter429 (Jun 19, 2003)

Their still is alot of horse logging around here, alot of people dont want skidders at all on their land, so the horse people stay pretty busy. I've been up on mountains where you would think nobodys been and find old crosscut stumps that you know was skidded with horses or mules, mules are big here cause they are not as jumpy about everything that moves.


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## Franz (Jun 20, 2003)

This fellow is making good money doing horse logging in upstate NY, along with his other horse related businesses.
http://www.farmerbrownsplowshop.bigstep.com/generic21.html;$sessionid$2Q4HAJIAAAMEJTZENUFHBMWPERWRJPX0


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## HORSELOGGER (Jun 22, 2003)

Hoo boy! a new forum to cut up on! I found this place from doug in Utahs Sawyers list, decided to check it out and lo and behold yer talkin bout Horseloggin! That post about a careful skidder operator being lower impact than a horse ,and a horse bein more damaging cuz of small feet had me rollin on the floor Heck, Ive stood in ruts up to my knees from a careful skidder Horses.. Not nostalgia, just practical, I use em, and people on smaller acreages especially want them. Leaves only a small trail for hikin around and dont tear up the residual stand. Never seen a careful skidder operator. Are there any?


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## RON K. (Jun 29, 2003)

You might try this site www.ruralheritage.com, more information on horse and mule logging,RON K.


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## Striker (Jun 29, 2003)

My father has told me about horselogging when he was a boy. Thay was one of the best times to break horses. they weren't going to run of with a four foot white oak log. We still have the remains of a two wheel log truck used for skidding logs.


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## njarbor (Jul 11, 2003)

a buddy of mine who recently attended paul smiths college in ny for forestry said up until a few years ago they taught students how to log using horses. now they have moved onto skidders


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## Eric E. (Jul 12, 2003)

I wish there were some available for hire around here. It would be a great low impact means for moving logs and brush on certain jobs. 

I graduated from Paul Smith's when they still taught horse skidding. ( boy, that makes me sound old, of course T82 and R.W. were in diapers then) Thought it was ridiculous at the time but now see that it has merit in certain situations.

NJarbor, you work for Aspen?


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## njarbor (Jul 13, 2003)

no . i dont work for aspen . i am on their waiting list though. a friend of mine does. he is the one that went to p.s. i work for murphys tree . i am thinking of going to paul smiths in january


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## John Ellison (Jul 13, 2003)

*Horselogging*

Eric

Rural Heritage has a web site that lists loggers for hire,I believe there are several in different areas of Penn. Also you could contact Penn. Draft Horse& Mule Assoc.

I am not an Arborist, but it seems like some draft animal power would be a major ass et . Especially in tight places. I have used a single mule to skid sawlogs through a 36" chain link gate.

There are probably some retired draft horse, mule enthusiasts that would love to hire out occasianally.

John


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## Arbor Vista (Jul 13, 2003)

*horse logging*

I have had the priviledge of doing some large Hemlock removals on an island in Algonquin Park over the last couple of winters. Horse logging was a very practical solution of removing 30"+ diam. logs from around and between buildings. These logs were kept short enough (8') so as to be able to cant them around corners. The horses cooperated and have done very well. Last year, due to the snow & ice conditions, an ice road had to be built prior to getting the horses across.
Looking back in Algonquin Park archive pictures, it was interesting to get some pics from today in similar locations from yesteryear. The horses were Belgians and last year Percherons. When they lean into it and put everything into it...pretty impressive.
Phil


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## grovingranny (Jul 24, 2003)

horse logging still going strong I have been doing it for 3 years now Alot of people in our area want horses because skidders wreck alot of bush. Acutually it is not the skidder but the opperator My husband slashes and I do the skidding. Our horses are 9 and 10 years old and very quite. You sure do alot of walking in a day sometimes I ride the whippletree going in the trail when I get tired Anyways horses still do a better job!


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