Filed under: February 2021 | Tags: maple sap handling, sap sled, sap tank, sled ride, sled runner wear, Suffolk Horses
February 5, 2021
Cold is upon us. Winter has finally made itself known. The next several days are to be the coldest in the past two years. I am enjoying the frozen ground. One of my friend’s calls it, “God’s concrete”. We took advantage of the snow the other night to take a sled ride. The horses pulled the recently reworked sled with ease. I added high density plastic to the bottom of the runners. It slides extremely well now! The girls, Abby and Amee, pulled us effortlessly. It was fun albeit cold :o)
The plastic can easily be seen in this photo. I knew it would help the runners when it came to wear, but wow, does it ever pull easy. A tongue is an absolute necessity.
My friend Joel and I built a prototype sap gathering rig. It will be tried and tested in the woods very soon. It is a hybrid of sorts, having both sled runners and wheels. A sled works very well on snow or even mud, but it drags hard on our dry spring days. Sap must be gathered no matter what the soil conditions may be. It is my hope that this rig will get the job done and be a bit easier on the horses on those dry days.
I remember my grandfather Rice having one something like this. I may decode to level the platform where the sap tank will set, but for now I am going with this design. It will unload well no matter where I position the sled on my unloading hill because of the downward slope. I look forward to giving it a try.
I will pull it through the woods and around the sap roads in the next few days. I want to see how it pulls and also make sure there are no surprises along the trail. You will notice the steps on the back for children and old men with bad knees. My handrail also is a help when riding through the woods. I still have to put a tongue on the rig, but it is mostly ready to go.
The only downside to my sloping platform is that I won’t be able to fill my tank all the way to the top. No worries, I have a large tank, so a few buckets left out of each load will not be a big deal. Besides, I want to make the season last as long as possible anyway. So, if I have to make an extra trip, it just adds to the experience!
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RicelandMeadows 
Mr. Rice, thanks again for your posts and sharing your projects and way of farming. I continue to follow your farm work and live through your stories as I finish up my time in the Army. Six more years and I get to move my family back to beautiful Brown County Ohio and establish our own small farm. I hope this finds you and your family well.
Comment by Adam Vogel February 5, 2021 @ 9:48 pm-Adam
Adam, I am glad that you find my blog helpful. I hope you will continue to dream and plan while you finish out your “hitch”. On your way to your farm, pay me a visit one day. Also, if I can help you with a problem, please ask. Thank you for your service and for your kind words!
Comment by ricelandmeadows February 8, 2021 @ 3:26 pm