SKIDDING LOGS WITH A SINGLE DRAFT HORSE!! // Logging with Horses

[@WorkingHorsesWithJim]

2024 Calendars still available!! ► www.workinghorseswithjim.com/shop

[@macykoonts3890]

Like the return to the old videos when Jim was working alone and there was not too much audio other than the subject he had chosen to show.

[@thirzapeevey2395]

Just ordered one.

[@kccolby7562]

Geez, I already knew you were one capable amazing man, but to see you in this video was WOW!

[@sueboettcher]

Always fun to see Jim jump up on top of one of those big guys and ride to the job. Good job, Bill and Jim!

[@deb283028]

There certainly is an art to logging with horses. And Jim is definitely a pro. Great day in the woods with Bill and Lady.

[@BertsmomUK]

Jim you're such a hard working no nonsense man, it's so nice to see these days, your horses are so well trained everything you do with them is an absolute pleasure to watch 🐎

[@suzanneyoung8011]

If they weren't on their Christmas break maybe some of the students could come out and pick up that trash before more snow covers it up. Maybe they could organize a forest cleanup day in the spring or summer.

[@louisecassidy5991]

I reckon that will happen now it is public knowledge. One may assume most people associated with the college are watching Jim's videos.

[@sueupham2519]

sometimes squatter's come through and make a mess

[@benzoverakers1877]

Love seeing a single horse working!!!

[@jamessparks2691]

I certainly did enjoy this video. My dad used to tell of using horses just like you just did. He was a little older when I was around. Everything had to be done with a team. You did things he would talk about. He and my uncle were slim, long legged young men. I can see what they were talking about after seeing you today. Jim, you are a horseman! Rigging up a short line for driving, jumping on Bill and riding him, you're in super shape. Totally enjoyed seeing all this. Thank you

[@MarkMunro-y8f]

Thank you Jim. You have a life time of knowlege and good equipmemt. A new guy must have a love for the job. 70 % of the work on farms was just taking proper care of those beautyful horses. ❤❤❤.

[@jeanries434]

Great job on the video, Jim. Though I do not in tend to have horses in my retirement, I sure do enjoy watching your videos. You are fulfilling a God Calling in your teaching. Praying for your lives.

[@ChrisLascari]

What can I say? The phenomenal job, Bill. Nice work with him that day, Jim

[@biddydibdab9180]

It’s always so interesting to hear an expert explain the ins and outs of how he works, why he works that way and then to see it in practice. Thanks Jim for taking the time to educate us.

[@charlesrabideau3474]

I remember my Grandfather single horse skidding, of course he only had one horse, bringing logs out for his wood stove. That was their only heat & cooking source.

[@1striperon]

I can see how the blinders protect Bill's eyes from branches scratching them. Thanks for sharing this lesson with us, Jim. We are always happy when our WHWJ calendar arrives, we use it daily for planning our important dates, and love the pictures. Thank you for so many things I've learned and enjoyed on your channel, even if I never work with a horse.

[@louisecassidy5991]

Blinders keep them focussed, and yes, protection to some degree.

[@paulhuffey2015]

Hearing Bill breathing is experiencing raw horsepower!

[@louisecassidy5991]

That is the origin of the term "pipe opener". Clears the airways. Not an automotive term at all. I have another from the horse era. POST. The postal service. One trotted along all day, the best gait for distance, and the rider posted the long trot. Hence the Post Office.

[@lisadavis9278]

This was such a great video! Excellent solo filming job and Bill's skills positively shined! ❤ I'll be rewatching this one!

[@territn8871]

I enjoyed watching and learning how to skid logs!! You and Bill did a great job! I don't think Lady liked being left alone and I thought it was cute hearing her "hollering" for Bill!! What a shame people go into the beautiful forest and leave their trash. Wish something could be done to stop that from happening. Great video!

[@cheryls3162]

I agree with you, parents need to start early teaching their children. I know my parents did.

[@sueupham2519]

yes,you carry in ,you carry out ! all trash and bottles...

[@suepeterson5675]

Just like threading a needle. You landed the tree straight in. 👍👍😊

[@MarkMunro-y8f]

This video has great artistic beauty❤❤❤🎉

[@cheryls3162]

Jim great video, everything you do is interesting - we can all learn, all it takes is listening and observing. It's very sad the way people are defacing these great places with trash and graffiti. 😢

[@iyopawapapa2000]

Great video! Jim, you are an excellent teacher.

[@Plan_it-Farm]

Jim I love this video man thank you for doing a single horse. Im getting closer to getting a set of horses. I cant thank you enough for putting this information out there really important.

[@rocroc]

I've cut down a number of trees over the years. Mostly smaller trees on lots where I was going to build a house. I would cut them in place, strip and cut logs off of them. Then clean everything up. For those of you who have done that sort of thing you know how heavy those trees really are. Nearly impossible for one person to pick up logs and move them about. For even a single horse to pick up and move some of those trees is quite an accomplishment. It looks easy enough here but it shows the sturdiness and strength of these magnificent horses. I know nothing about the differential cost of equipment required with or without horses but I think it would be pretty costly to keep horses and replace them as needed on this type of farm. The job has got to get tougher and tougher and tougher the older you get. At least Jim shows how to get it done if you have the health and mental toughness to do the job.

[@johnking8679]

AMEN, brother !! Doing it the "old fashioned" way !! True woodsman.

[@fion1flatout]

Thanks very much for taking the trouble to set up cameras and so on. Also really really useful advice on the economics of horse logging! Christmas present for us

[@walterhicks4888]

Jim you inspire me to do more with my team of Haflinger mares I mow and plant a garden and do things around my small farm. Thanks

[@steveadams99708]

Love the video. Remarkably trained horses and a woodsman who knows what he is doing is a joy to behold, and all this in basically the silence of the woods. And a perfect felling job to end the day. Thank you.

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

I used to skid logs for firewood back in Bavaria for years. I always was behind the horse with the lines, but that meant jumping from side to side over the tree. You avoid that by walking right next to Bill.

[@timminstraprs2169]

Bill gets so excited when he’s pulling. 👍✌️

[@jemreandeau3583]

Nice video, Bill is a hard worker. And Lady doesn’t like being left behind, lol.❤

[@ResistanceChicks777-fw4mb]

PG here, Surely enjoyed this one. I thought in the beginning why doesn't Jim just ride the horse? And He did! Great how a single horse can get in the tighter spots. Jim and Ken make it seem so easy. Thank You. Great Filming Jim.

[@scottblunt7067]

I bought the calendar, 3rd year doing it. Should grab a calendar while they last folks.

[@jamesgreenawalt9713]

I enjoyed the video, Jim. Bill is pretty strong!

[@lindaarmstrongjackman9788]

I hope the people at the college will go through and clean up the trash, even though they were not the ones who left it there. Skidding with one horse seems to be more efficient (except for the very large and heavy logs like last spring.)

[@sueupham2519]

so excellent,,couldn't be better..aww it could be a 3 hour video for us ..what a gift from you for Christmas 2023,,this is like the days us old folks knew..even did some with my hubby and 4 boys,just to get fire wood. the camera work was second best to your dear wife,,kidding,,😊the only danger we saw was when Bill kinda hurried and pinched you in ...all good ,with the good Lord's help...c/ s

[@bobsethbroc]

I was just getting ready to ask you if you ride the horses in or out, then hopped on. That is so cool you can ride them. Great video.

[@ghythi9929]

The audio sounds just as good to me as always. Thank you for sharing your day with us.

[@noreencullen8957]

audio fine. love the crunchy snow!

[@jamescox8233]

Hi Jim, & Brenda, I Hope you guys had a wounderful Christmas! Jim, being in the woods with you and Bill, & Lady, & watching you get logs cut, trimed, & skidded out is a joy! Thank's for the great video, Jim, Nova Scotia, Canada.

[@fredbaumberger8988]

Back in the 50s when my dad and I was logging one of our horses died from cholera so we used one horse until we got to the bigger logs, I was 15 years old so I would hook to the log and ride the horse back to the landing.

[@tracyjohnson2992]

I am so glad you showed me about the one horse logging, Jim. Its great to see how one horse handles the trees, Bill and Lady are both pros at this logging business so i think they can handle just about any size trees you ask them to pull. Certainly the horse pulls can be great practice for exercising the horses and keeping them in shape and to see how much of a load they can actually pull, which i have to say is astounding amounts really when you think about it. I hope you and Brenda had a wonderful Christmas day and i hope the new year is more successful than this year and good health and happiness you you and your family from me and my family. Even though we have never met in person i still consider you and your family as friends. After all you only live a few hours away from the Canadian border, who knows someday we will meet face to face. I would love to meet you Brenda and Abby and Trudy i think it would be fun to get some insight on how you do things on the farm in real time and maybe i will stop by and give you a hand for the day and you can teach me to drive your team I have driven a horse before on a sulky race horse mind you.. I am just getting started on my own farm i have two miniature horses and two pigmy goats coming to my farm from a rescue in the new year which i am excited about. Geese and a couple of riding horses are also coming in the spring. I would love to be able to cut my own hay as my farm is mainly lush grass and maybe pay someone to bale it up into small bales and some round bales too for the bigger horses. I am not a stranger to hard work, i volunteered at a stables for almost 5 years, and did everything including mucking out and cleaning tack and even driving horses hooking them up to a warm up truck and driving the horses that way also i learned to line drive the green horses as well as hydrotherapy for horses too its was so great to learn to do all those things and more. the horses got to hang out in the paddock with me and they laid down with me on the grass and stayed with me so i could get off a broken halter off, he was one of the hardest horses to catch and he laid down with me and i asked if i could take off the halter as it had a twig stuck in the halter and it was far too close to his eye he put his head towards me and i took it off and just petted him no one had gotten that close to that horse except me in years. the owner was so impressed and she also said it will take twice as long to get one put back on i told her it would take half as long and i was right and hour i sat down the other horses came over he came over and once again he laid down next to me and i asked if i could put the new halter on and again he moved his head towards me and with in a few seconds it was on and he stayed there with me till i got up and headed for the gate and all the horses followed me along the fence line till they couldn't go any further. it was the most amazing feeling having so many race horses around me protecting me such a beautiful experience i have ever been through. essentially the horses welcomed me as a member of their herd it was amazing. from that day i was allowed into their paddock and all the horses including the hardest on to catch and they all allowed me to say hello or good morning before i would feed them their morning feed then i took them out to the paddock and sat with them for a while before getting on with the rest of my chores. I have had some amazing experiences with horses too many to count but i have ridden some testy ones too. I have had two horses in my life time so far and the bond between us was magical just like the bond with Jim and his horses they trust him with their lives and in return they do anything he asks of them. the bond between horses and their owners are amazing that one of the reasons i love watching your channel but i also want to learn more about the working horses too. horses hate to be bored they need something to do other than grazing. having them work is the best thing for horses of any age or size or they just get fat or they become very lazy. Thank you both so much for allowing us to come along for the ride and see what you do in the run of the day sometimes i wonder how you get so much done in a day logging and farming and teaching us how to do things. The exciting thing is there will be another foal born next year too. i cannot wait for that. How exciting an brother or sister for Bree. Bree is coming alone too she is turning into an impressive horse in her own right. A Belgian Punch a new breed i think there Jim. start your own registry. Anyways Happy New Year Gordon family.

[@chrislittlefarm]

Super video! I really enjoyed watching you log with one horse. You and Bill did a fantastic job! Always be safe and a happy new year to you all! -Chris

[@luciedumouchel138]

Hello Jim and Brenda My husband is a fan of your show!!! He just loves it!!! Glad I got him a calendar for Christmas. He will be thrilled. Lucie Cornwall Ontario Canada

[@MikelJay]

All the extra steps Jim takes to setup the videos is greatly appreciated. Yes I was wondering why Jim wasn’t riding Bill part time and then the foot went on the harness 😊

[@Mary-F]

Jim, I totally agree about being disgusted with the way some people treat property that isn’t their own. I just don’t understand that mindset. 😔 That aside, the video was wonderful with Bill and Lady in the beauty of the forest. 😊

[@louisecassidy5991]

The first trip you walked, and my brain was yelling "ride", then you hopped up and rode. Single horse can go places two can't, very low environmental impact. I can remember logger's horses hobbled about in the pine forests around Canberra. One would wear a bell so they could be found. Greetings from Australia.

[@chips4974]

Jim . Many of your viewers want to know the weight of a log or logs. With a cube scale chart , you could work those figures up .Pw weighs 36 lbs per cubic foot of wood . ( sherrille tree green weight log chart) . I believe Jim , experience has taught you what your horses can pull .and what they can't. Madrid horse pull in Sept 2 almost 8,750 lbs . 😊😊😊

[@chips4974]

Thanks Jim . Filmed on Tuesday. (Boxing Day). Released on Wednesday. That's hot of the press .Well done . 2024 will be an interesting year with hopefully only good stuff happening .Cheers😊😊😊

[@helendavis7719]

I love the relationship you have with your horses Jim, not only does Bill willingly follow you wherever you lead him even though he's not with Lady, but I also noticed Lady didn't seem very stressed being left on her own. I have a question. How do you know the weight any horse or pair of horses can move. Thank you. 💞🍀🤗

[@johnking8679]

Yeah Jim, how do you know the weight they can handle ? Probably by your years of experience ?

[@johnking8679]

Maybe Brenda gives you a few hints.....? LOL !! Just kidding Jim !!

[@kennethmiller6158]

I think Bill is the most powerful horse that you own I see him do things with you don't do the other and can't wait to see Baron Duke and Earl see how strong they get.

[@johnkomosa9508]

Ken, I like big Ken too, Bill making up for when Jim benched him during plowing. Ah ha, Diverse team.

[@97kt69]

Awesome to see the old ways 👍

[@joe-ut9kb]

Hi Jim, If you take both double lines, put one on each side, put both ends through the hame rings then hook the main part to the bit and then take the end that normally does to the other horse and hook it to the little ring under the chrome ball or the ring for the lines, that will work well for single lines. Also liked the riding back part, saves a lot of walking.

[@noreencullen8957]

great video on single horse logging, thanks!!

[@donnadoering5125]

I bought two calendars for 2023 two more this year for 2024 and Love ❤️ them,plus I want to buy a tee shirt. Love ❤️ your channel and Abbey’s. From Ontario Canada 🇨🇦

[@andrewgivens4503]

Nice to see the difference between 1 and 2 horse's!

[@michaelbissen1946]

Love seeing the different ways of hitching and skidding logs. Thanks, Jim!!!

[@randybutler4772]

Thank you for sharing.🐴🐴

[@thirzapeevey2395]

It is amazing what you can get done with a single horse, or even a pony. Years ago, my stepfather bought a piece of wooded land to cut poles off for a pole barn. The day before closing, the seller went in and cut all the cedars we were planning to use for the barn. Confronted with the threat of a lawsuit, he agreed that we could count stumps and cut the same number of cedars off the rest of his property to build our barn, but we were not to cut a skid trail. He thought he had us. He didn't realize we had work horses. Our Belgian/Quarter Horse farm chunk mare was balky, and she very deliberately kicked the single tree and broke it, refusing to pull at all. She was very good at groaning and grunting and pretending to pull while the single tree was still lying on the ground. So we went and got our little Kentucky Mountain Saddlehorse mare, who was 13:2 and 720 pounds soaking wet with shoes on. She was also in foal. She spent a week in the woods pulling cedar poles out, while carrying a 200 lb man, because there was no room to walk beside her. Granted, cedar is far from as heavy as what you are working with, but we still moved a lot of it. I also once broke a Shetland pony for a guy, literally in one evening. It was all I had. He was a friend of my grandparents, and I was visiting them. I spent one evening there. He said the pony was unbreakable, because six men had held her down and tried to force a bit in her mouth, and with six men, they hadn't been able to bridle her. Unbelievably stupid way of trying to break any animal. I asked him for some honey, coated the bit in honey and had the bridle on her in ten minutes. Then I asked for harness and started ground driving her. She was letting fly with both barrels with every step, but she was so little that she couldn't reach me at the end of the lines, and with blinders on, she couldn't see to back up. I just stayed at the end of the lines, and gave her one sharp whack with the buggy whip every time she kicked. She only did it a few times and quit. By the end of the evening, I had her hitched to the pony cart, and we went up a steep mountain road with her, and she held the cart with two people in it back all the way back down the mountain. Not my preferred way of breaking a horse, but we got it done. He used that pony to skid fire wood for several years after that, and she never gave him any trouble whatsoever. She was never any trouble to bridle. She never kicked. She was never anything but a willing worker after that. He got a lot of work done just with that little bitty pony. That isn't what you would want for commercial logging, but for homesteading, even a little pony can be useful. I also had a little bitty pony that I used with a little bitty sledge in the way you might use a wheelbarrow for small loads. He was also really handy to have around.

[@johnkomosa9508]

Cool.

[@sueupham2519]

awesome stories thirzia,,we all were w/ ya .❤

[@sharonspencer6486]

You did a great job recording it by yourself!😊❤

[@GeorgeCeleste]

Some videos I wish I could give them more than a thumbs up 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@williamtaylor2412]

good morning Jim and Brenda

[@kennethmiller6158]

Merry Christmas Jim and Brenda and happy new year

[@renshaw5darlene1519]

God bless you and may he watch over you🙏😃

[@waynegarrison2481]

This audio is fine..Hope you and your family had a Great Christmas and will have a Happy New Year!

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

what a great video im, I never worked personally with Horses myself but have worked few wood lots and did have the pleasure of working with an older gent back in the mid 70's who had pair of Belgians and he sometimes did the same thing you showed here and it was a pleasure to watch him work with single horse at times this brought back all those memories! thanks for sharing. ECF

[@gentlegiants1974]

I suppose a person could just nip up on the horse's back and ride also, tried it a few times and it went okay. I always carry my long single lines in the truck so I can break a team up if need be to get in a tight spot. Doing a cedar job now single, easy pulling. Hard to split up a skidder! What you say about choosing jobs is wise. Sometimes I wonder on some jobs if it is worth it. This job I'm on now is already sold as finished product, I just need the weather to cooperate so I can get the logs out and get them home to the mill and sawn up for building material. A frustrating time with so much rain and boggy conditions.

[@toriwolf5978]

Your doing great with your sound , always love watching your videos ❤ love that you share some of your wonderful life with all of us…….hope you and family had a great Christmas as well….its so nice to see how good and caring you are with your horses , I’ve seen a few that boarded their work horses with us they were not so kind to their horses …

[@juliedalgardno3361]

Beautiful job! It's always impressive to see you in the woods with the horses so healthy and cared for ❤! I am so sad to see the garbage in these majestic places as well. It often causes them to be locked up for all of us. 😢 Wishing you and yours a safe and blessed new year 🎊🕛🎊!

[@HensOnly]

Ordering my calendar! Good video, Jim!

[@CarolynMartin-dl8tf]

always love to see the horses logging😊

[@richardsurber8226]

this is an interesting video with a different take on conservation

[@johnkomosa9508]

Alright the trucker got 3! Awesome, thanks for hauling that camera around for me/us. Good one, maybe in the future you can give the horses some voice commands from a short distance (off line), I like to see that , though I know you do not like to take chances and do that too much. I am going to miss Lady working come March but probably not as much as you, Jim. Alright...Carry on. Ps; I checked the comments,, all covered, ah ha, your audience is the Best.

[@marionberry6909]

Good video, thanks for posting!

[@bonniek3985]

Great lesson. As I was told one time, if you can’t make money at it, don’t do it!

[@dalLangworthy]

Might be just the cam. but it looked like you have a little red rot in that last tree. The horses look great in their winter coats and happy to be worked.

[@sharonmoore7522]

I just received my two calendars. The photos are beautiful! Thank you so very much Jim and Brenda. All the best to you and yours in the New Year!!!

[@todd1808]

Master Teamster !!

[@michaelbissen1946]

Nice ending!!

[@littlebitacresfarm2520]

Love the sound echoing in the woods.

[@Wendy-bd9zu]

You got on Bill so quickly! You should see the ladies at our stable climb on their horses with the mounting block 😂😂

[@todd1808]

Master Logger !!

[@jeraldmcwilson2189]

Morning Jim and brenda

[@mariephenix7168]

love this video

[@darltennant6005]

Jim you should have asked for a battery operated chain saw to do the light branches, a little lighter than your big saw!

[@elainepeterson475]

Hi Jim and Brenda at home. It is sad people don't appreciate being able to enjoy using such beautiful land. To disrespect the land leave their trash like glass beer bottles and cans and make it dangerous for logging horse. Luckily you have rubber pads in between their winter shoes.Iblove going into the woods,band never leaves trash as I want it to be nice for others to use. I love watching you And your horses working together.

[@paulpjy4996]

Thanks Jim another great explanation on logging. Happy Blessed New Year to you, Brenda and family.

[@donbrutcher4501]

I hunted for years near Saranac Golf Course. Back in the woods there are abandoned campsites dating back maybe a hundred years or more. Old cook stoves and such in places you would never expect to see them. Even more so on Tug Hill.

[@Deanna-k4i]

Thank you

[@mercurymike66]

Question: Has Lady mellowed since foaling? I remember her getting really anxious when hooked up and about to pull. I haven't seen it recently. Thanks for your videos. -Mike

[@zachodommulelogging]

Cool video Jim! Seems like we had the same idea at the same time lol. Take care buddy and happy new year 🎉

[@WorkingHorsesWithJim]

hi Zach, brilliant minds think alike, haha. To my viewers, check out Zach Odom Mule Logger on KZbin, he just put out a video on single skidding logs

[@zachodommulelogging]

@@WorkingHorsesWithJim😂😂 yessir I guess you’re right. Thanks for always helping our channel Jim, and say hello to everyone for me. I hope you all had a great Christmas, and an even better new years! Thanks!!!

[@kirbygulbrandsen4507]

Your audio is fine, I hope your family had a Great Christmas. I would like to wish you a happy healthy New Year, from Panama City Florida,USA. 🇺🇸🦅 No Snow Just Breeze !

[@kirbygulbrandsen4507]

Maybe the college should have a work day for the students and volunteers. They could police the area and clean up the trash. ( In the Summer) !

[@cherylwarner2623]

Wonderful, informative, and professional. I'm with you in disgust of the abuse of a lovely natural resource. 😢

[@johnhenderson299]

What a great job and video

[@chris_anon88]

Nice video Jim

[@terrythomas7035]

Bills in a hurry wants to get back to lady

[@bobogilvie4472]

It is fine

[@brendaramos-root6891]

COOL !!!!

[@RaymondWKing-dn8wf]

We have a thriving Firewood need around her in Western Colorado. Juniper Seeder, Pinion, Pine, Quaking Aspen on BLM and US Forest land. Road restrictions and Mud, this is where a Team and a Sled comes in handy. The BLM and US Forest rangers love to Raze cane about tearing up muddy roads and Ground and causing Erosion. Getting Stuck is easy at times and getting unstuck can be a real bugger. With a Team and a sled one can work around an aria, Load His or her Sled, Move the Wood to where it can be loaded on to Trucks for transport out of the Field. Even at that sone time someone wants to whine and Mone about tearing up the Dirt.

[@janellroehr4142]

Partiers, we have trouble with them in our woods too. They never clean up after themselves !! I hope Bill doesn't step on anything !!!

[@lukeburden5585]

Hey I’m getting a big 18hh 1 he’s mostly going to be used for trail riding but knows how to pull because he used to on an Amish farm and we were planning on using him to pull logs around our 6 acre property single horse. It is a pretty rocky property should we put shoes on him I think he’s around a size 5-6? He’ll be used to probably pull I’d say 15-20 8 ft logs each year if less we are un sure of how much firewood we’ll go through here.

[@woodsgremlin9995]

I try not to do any custom horse logging, but when I do I charge by the hour. If they want me to pile brush I get paid the same.

[@lloydbutler7479]

With a log job like this, what sort of tree waste clean up do you need to do? With skidders an mechanical cutters they may pile the slash. Do you need to do anything special as part of the colleges plans for the forest?

[@WorkingHorsesWithJim]

just lop tops