Horses and harness

[Bret4207]

I've had a few 3 days weekends in a row here to make up for the days off I missed throughout the year. This and the high price of gas has got me motivated to start using my draft horses more. I mean heck, I've got 5 of them eating and pooping. Seems like they could pony up some work for me, pardon the pun. So that leads to my working on some harness I bought at an auction a couple years back. This is a heavy nylon team pulling harness that came with 32" hames. For those not in the know, a 32" hames mean BIG, BIG, BIG horses, well over a ton each. My team is more in the 16-1800 lbs class so I had to switch to my much smaller 26" hames. Now, one way harness is attached is with what is called a "conway buckle". I don't know who Mr. Conway was, but I have a feeling he was an associate of the Marquis De Sade. Basicly it's a stud sticking up between 2 openings. You run the long part of the strap through, then run the strap through the ring or whatever it attaches to. Then you run the end of the strap back to the conway. You have to push the strap running through the conway up enough to be able to thread the end of the strap up into the conway and get the hole in the end of the strap on the stud. Then the long part of the strap gets set down over the stud too locking the whole mess together. In theory the line is adjustable. In practice-NOT! Mind you some of this harness is leather or nylon or bio-thane (patent leather covered nylon) 1/4" to nearly 1/2" thick. Vice grips, screwdrivers and copious amounts of foul language are needed to loosen the dirt and horse sweat encrusted straps enough to get things moving. The blood from where you stabbed yourself with the screwdriver does help lubricate the mess. Then when you finally get it apart, you have to reverse theprocess and attach it to the new hames or whatever you're attaching things to.

This lead to a theory I developed about the Lost Tribes of Israel. It is my considered opinion that those poor folks were just on their way to the Promised Land when somebody in the entourage decided to adjust his harness. Naturally all the other guys had to try and help, which lead to a couple of them deciding to adjust their harness too. It's only been a little over 2000 years since they disappeared. I expect they'll show up any minute now......

[wills]

http://www.eleatherworks.com/customer/product.php?productid=17863&cat=709&page=1

[Bret4207]

EXACTLY!!! Try bending stiff leather or nylon through that little teeny opening. It'll drive a saint to drink.

Thanks for the website too. Looks like a good outfit.

[carpetman]

TprBrett-----Harnessing up those big old horses would require some heavy duty material. Now Waksupi,on the other hand can get by just using ribbons for harnessing his sheep and the adjustment slides real easy. He said he keeps vaseline handy to make it slide easier. I guess that was what he was talking about.

[fourarmed]

My farm goes back 100 years in the family, and nobody ever moved away. I find those things all over the place. Probably where somebody lost their temper and gave them a throw. Never knew what to call them. Course if they ask me "What's a Henway?" I know the answer.

[XBT]

Tpr. Bret, A man that is feeding five horses shouldn’t be bothered by the price of gas.

Old joke: Why is horse manure green? Because horses eat money!

When I was young many of the farmers in this area still used horses for farm work. A well-trained team is a pleasure to work with and to watch. Draft horses are seldom seen around here anymore. Too bad....

[KYCaster]

[QUOTE= "What's a Henway?" [/QUOTE]

Is that kinda like "What's a Foxwerth?"

Jerry

[Ed Barrett]

I guess this is why in this neck of the woods the harness goes with the horse or mule at sale time, it a son of a gun to try to get new harness adjusted to a span of mules or a team of horses. Remember when I was a kid an old trick of "horse gypsies" was to put an old set of harness on a horse in the spring and keep it in a tie stall all winter then take it to a sale in the spring, with the old "I don't know a thing about this horse" type patter. Some of the local "horse experts" would see the collar and harness marks and bid the price up. When they got it home a rigged him up he "wouldn't pull the hat off your head". Being young on the farm gave you an odd set of things you thought were humorous.<g>

[Slowpoke]

Tpr. Bret, A man that is feeding five horses shouldn’t be bothered by the price of gas.

Old joke: Why is horse manure green? Because horses eat money!

....

Maybe that should read--- five extra large horses :)

They don't say---- eat like a horse for nothing:)

When I was 17 years old I spent a summer on a ranch in Oregon and as side business to the cattle, they raised, broke and sold teams of draft horses to the logging industry.

That little experience left a lasting impression on me, to this day when I hear someone mention HP or Horsepower, my mind goes back to three young Shires hooked up to a sulky plow plowing new ground on a cool morning and watching the earth roll or fly off of that plow and landing a good twelve inches a way, and feeling the ground shake as they go by, not so different as being close to dozer or crawler that's working, I know it was pretty amazing to me at the time.

Good luck

[waksupi]

TprBrett-----Harnessing up those big old horses would require some heavy duty material. Now Waksupi,on the other hand can get by just using ribbons for harnessing his sheep and the adjustment slides real easy. He said he keeps vaseline handy to make it slide easier. I guess that was what he was talking about.

Gosh, Ray, I have to keep an eye out for you everywhere! You know that statement isn't true. The Texas market has totally taken over all ribbon deliveries the past few years, for alleged adornment purposes. How many of those things do you have, to put ribbons around thier neck? Can't you just find ONE favorite?

[Buckshot]

.................I wouldn't buy any tack with conway's. Some of the daughter's English stuff came with those and it was always, "Dad, can you please get this throat latch......................" or some such. I bought a bundle of nylon halters (consumables) at an auction and a couple had conways. They were as stiff as cast iron from sweat and dirt. Thank God the neck strap had a real buckle!

..................Buckshot

[Bret4207]

The part that gets me is putting a strap that measures 1.125" through a hole 1.0" wide. Shoot me now!

[redneckdan]

i remember going to a county fair once and seeing this elder gentleman harness his pair of belgians up to the drag sled for one of the events. when he cracked the riens to get 'em going, the leather harnesses exploded and the horses dragged the poor guy down the track by the reins. By the time we got to him he was giggling like a loon sayin "I ain't had dat much fun since I jumped outta dem airoplanes in da big war".

[waksupi]

Here's grand dad, with his favorite work mule. Pretty good size jack, as grand dad was six foot. Notice he has him earred down, and the tail twitching? Something tells me the mule was a bit camera shy.

[Blackwater]

All this talk of draft horses and tack reminded me of a book I've got by a fella' over in the neighboring county where I worked. He was employed with the USDA back when they actually DID a thing or two FOR the farmers and nation. He's probably over 90 now. He wrote a little book called "With Their Ears Pricked Forward - Tales of Mules I've Known." It's one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. Sent Jump Trap a copy some years back, when I got them. Bought all the copies left in the county, which was only about 11 or 12 as I remember, and sent them to friends one Christmas. The author is Josh Lee, and if y'all boys can find a copy on ebay or some old book store, and you like to reminisce about the old days, and farm animals, buy it. I wish more were available but there likely won't be any more printings and I only have one copy left for myself, to give to my grandson one day. It's a heck of a read, though. It's guaranteed to have any man who's ever messed with horses or mules in stitches, laughing BIG ol' belly laughs at the tales. Mr. Lee probably didn't let the absolute strict Truth get in the way of a good story - what good story teller does? But from what I know and/or was told from those days (even though I was only a kid then), there really wasn't much embellishment needed much of the time.

I think his story of the old moonshiner's mule, that could literally SMELL the sheriff's men and car and wagons, was my favorite of them all. That moonshiner NEVER got caught, and always laid the credit on his mule.

I can't sell it, but if any of you would like to read it, I'd be glad to send it to you for your enjoyment. It's a real ride back to the good ol' days, and a whole 'nother different time, place and set of folks, and even if it's only in our minds, it's one VERY pleasurable trip. PM me your snail mail addy and I'll send it out.

[waksupi]

That reminds me of another great writer, about the old days of horses, mules, and cattle. Ben Green. An old veterinary, and horse and mule trader.

[bravokilo]

All this talk of draft horses and tack reminded me of a book I've got by a fella' over in the neighboring county where I worked. He was employed with the USDA back when they actually DID a thing or two FOR the farmers and nation. He's probably over 90 now. He wrote a little book called "With Their Ears Pricked Forward - Tales of Mules I've Known." It's one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. Sent Jump Trap a copy some years back, when I got them. Bought all the copies left in the county, which was only about 11 or 12 as I remember, and sent them to friends one Christmas. The author is Josh Lee, and if y'all boys can find a copy on ebay or some old book store, and you like to reminisce about the old days, and farm animals, buy it. I wish more were available but there likely won't be any more printings and I only have one copy left for myself, to give to my grandson one day. It's a heck of a read, though. It's guaranteed to have any man who's ever messed with horses or mules in stitches, laughing BIG ol' belly laughs at the tales. Mr. Lee probably didn't let the absolute strict Truth get in the way of a good story - what good story teller does? But from what I know and/or was told from those days (even though I was only a kid then), there really wasn't much embellishment needed much of the time.

I think his story of the old moonshiner's mule, that could literally SMELL the sheriff's men and car and wagons, was my favorite of them all. That moonshiner NEVER got caught, and always laid the credit on his mule.

I can't sell it, but if any of you would like to read it, I'd be glad to send it to you for your enjoyment. It's a real ride back to the good ol' days, and a whole 'nother different time, place and set of folks, and even if it's only in our minds, it's one VERY pleasurable trip. PM me your snail mail addy and I'll send it out.


There are 4 copies listed on abebooks.com. they run $5.00-$12.00. Type Joshua Lee for author.

BK

[Dale53]

Well, being an old farm lad, I ordered a copy from Abe Books. Thanks for the info.

Dale53

[Ross]

Well, being an old farm lad, I ordered a copy from Abe Books. Thanks for the info.

Dale53

So that's why there are only two left. You got he least expensive one, but the autographed oneremains, for now.

[trooperdan]

I got one of them also! :) I guess we created a run on 'em!

[Blackwater]

Hope you guys like it. If you could meet Mr. Lee, it'd mean all the more to you.

My family originally settled over in what's now Screven Co. GA in 1763, near the present tiny town of Rocky Ford, GA. You can almost throw a rock to the Ogeechee River from the city limits there. Mr. Josh's family grew up on the other end of the county, which back then was a "fur piece" by mule and wagon, horse and buggy, horseback, or just afoot. Every word you read in that book is as close to the actual Gospel Truth as any book will ever give you, allowing for a little "color" now and then, kinda' like adding salt and pepper to your dinner. As I said, there just wasn't that much need to exaggerate back then. If you've ever associated with mules, you'll probably recognize some of the 4-legged critters in there, knew their first cousins, or something similar.

Mr. Lee spins a pretty good tale, and if you could see his eyes light up when he spoke of those people, those days, and those mules, it would really perk up your reading a lot, I think. Country folk HAD to have a good sense of humor, and an appreciation for the ironies and peculiarities of life. Heck! That's about all the entertainment they had, except for the barn dances after the harvests! People took their pleasures where they found them, and a lot of them were good at finding them pretty much everywhere they went. The Lees and their asscociates were very much that kind of folk.

I still like the old moonshiner's mule story the best, though the sawmill mules and all the others are most amusing, since we're reading the stories and NOT dealing with those ornery critters ourselves. Hope you like the book. Made me remember the smell of the old mule stalls, that even years after they'd been vacant, STILL smelled of mule sweat, oiled leather, hay and mule dung. Every time I read those stories, I remember those smells when I'd escape the attention of the adults and go skulking about investigating whatever there was to investigate. The "snakier" things looked, and the more intriguing they smelled, the more I was drawn to them. Funny how kids are like that, ain't it?

I've actually had a few experiences with mules, and know from personal experience that when they show you the whites of their eyes, they are NOT promising you boredom in the VERY near future! Amazing animals, though. You never hear anything about them except for their recalcitrance or their antics. Mr. Josh gives insights into their true value and utility, not to mention some of their more peculiar individual traits.

Thanks for finding those copies.