Idea on life without a tractor

[Avalon1984]

Can't really think of anything off the top of my head right now, but if anyone has an issue with something, post it up and I bet I'll be able to come up with a solution or two. This is how I was raised...my grandfather could move/do ANYTHING without the assistance of another. He even taught me how to move a mountain! Obviously not by doing it, but by explaining a few ways it could be done, never underestimate the power of water in its various physical states and the force it exerts when changing from one state to another.

See, that's what I am talking about! There must be more than just a few people having the same problem, lack of neighbors, and lack of equipment. Maybe between all of us we can come up with some real handy ideas on doings things without help or equipment.

 

[Denim Deb]

Funny you should mention this, Avalons registered name is Licrice and she too does that. Most of my other girls leave it mostly alone. I am always OCD when it comes to my foals, yearlings, pregnant mares, old mares, pretty much everything I have on the property and I have this nightmare that the big draft girls are going to step into teh feeder and get hurt.

B4 I got the fencing all done, I got to the farm one day and found a draft cross in my field! He had managed to get inside the RB feeder and couldn't figure out how to get out. Got there another day and he had managed to get it up on it's side. He can't get in now.

See, I told you there is something very terrifying about how drafts get themselves into messes. I saw a draft once mangle a cattle gate. Looked like a candrywrapper by the time she was done.

This same horse has destroyed I don't know how many cattle panels, broken I don't know how many wooden fence boards, broke I don't know how many fence posts, but RU won't charge the owner anything. We've tried to get her to-after all, she has to pay to replace the stuff, but she hates confrontations. But, the horse is now unable to do any of that-unless he wants to get shocked. I put electric fencing up all around his field when she was away. It took me a few hours, but at least I don't have to worry about him getting out or breaking stuff anymore.

 

[Avalon1984]

B4 I got the fencing all done, I got to the farm one day and found a draft cross in my field! He had managed to get inside the RB feeder and couldn't figure out how to get out. Got there another day and he had managed to get it up on it's side. He can't get in now.

See, I told you there is something very terrifying about how drafts get themselves into messes. I saw a draft once mangle a cattle gate. Looked like a candrywrapper by the time she was done.

This same horse has destroyed I don't know how many cattle panels, broken I don't know how many wooden fence boards, broke I don't know how many fence posts, but RU won't charge the owner anything. We've tried to get her to-after all, she has to pay to replace the stuff, but she hates confrontations. But, the horse is now unable to do any of that-unless he wants to get shocked. I put electric fencing up all around his field when she was away. It took me a few hours, but at least I don't have to worry about him getting out or breaking stuff anymore.

Good for you! You'd think its commom courtesy that you replace what your horse has destroyed. Tse.

 

[Beekissed]

We used my truck and even the lawn mower, for dragging logs and other heavy loads from one place to another, in place of a tractor. We've even used a come-along to pull out stubborn posts or stumps.

For ease of back pain and strain, I just placed cattle paneling in front of the whole stack of square bales in the barn and attached large bungee cords to the sides to keep the wire tight against the stack and let the sheep self-feed. This worked great, there was no waste and I didn't have to tote one bale all winter~ my back was mighty grateful.

When I built my small lean-to barn and stall, I built in small sheep-sized stanchions/head gates so that I could easily get and hold a sheep without any help and work on her with both hands. These came in handy quite a bit.

 

[Avalon1984]

Bee, I love your idea of the sheep feeders!!! That is soo creative! Last year we had a big storm and I had to move some large branches, so I tied them to my truck with a rope and pulled them, that was fun.

Not so much fun, but needed nonetheless was our come along last year. We had a mare colic last Thanksgiving and despite our best efforts she passed away in her stall before we could get her out. Now mind you, the stall door is just the size of a regular door, it is an old cow stall and thats just a small door, plus the horse is twice the size of a regular horse. We had to act fast because we knew once rigor mortis set in, wed be in deep trouble. Somehow we managed to take out a wall, put a chain with a come along around a support post, and lift the horse up on its back, with its feet stretched out up top. Then, while I kept it there with some 2x4s wedged under her, my hubby took the chain, wrapped it around a tree outside and we started to pull her through the small door by her neck and front feet. It was raining and freezing that day, it was just terrible. Once she was out we put plywood sheets under her and that helped slider her to the gate and then we had a friend with a tractor there giving her a decent funeral. You just dont think about those things until they happen. We would joke about how the old mare would have to live outside when she showed signs of dying, and then the young one passed away and we were like Well, here is the scenario we never wanted to happen. But she was so sick, I couldnt bear putting her out in the freezing rain to die.

 

[ninny]

I second using dogs to pull. My lab does makes my life easier. You can train goats to as well.

 

[hqueen13]

For all of yall that use round bales you might want to consider these: http://www.cinchchix.com/ We use them on all of our RB's, and the horses don't waste any. The days of flipping the hay out of the feeder and wearing 'hay hats' are gone. they were an investment, but they basically eliminated our waste. I won't tell you that they will eat slower out of them, cause they have pretty well mastered the speed issue, but there is almost no waste anymore. They are tricky to get on, but once you learn a few of the tricks, they're pretty easy.

I am glad that my big guy mostly respects fences and gates. The only time he's busted boards was when we had some bad hay, and I don't blame him. We strung extra electric after that just as a precaution (the electric is a lot more economical than the labor of fixing fences all the time!). I don't tolerate behavior like that, and it sucks that no one will reinforce it for that horse. That's a recipe for disaster, and someone to get hurt.

I like this thread, it could be really useful! I'm always trying to move things that are bigger than I am But then I'm not a big person either! LOL One of the keys is also moving and using the body efficiently. Poor posture, and improper use lead to injury for sure.