Filed under: August 2018 | Tags: #9 hay mower, draft horses, harness bells, hay making, horse drawn, Small Farming
August 8, 2018
I bought this #9 regular gear horse drawn hay mower, to mow my hay. I have been using a tractor mower for the last eight years. It had reached it’s limit and I had reached mine working on it all the time! I have time now to relax and make hay when the sun shines! Using the horses is good for them and me!
This mower was rebuilt by a friend of mine. He has been rebuilding this type of mower for his entire life. It has been done from the “ground up”. I am looking forward to using it. I have four acres of second cutting grass to use for our maiden voyage. This thing sounds like a sewing machine. I can’t wait to try it out.
Usually these have a cast iron seat. This one has a seat for an old man with a sore back….
This mower will cut six feet in a swath. The guards down near the mower are called stub guards. The short “stub” guards reduce plugging by a lot! The machine has been timed, all the seals replaced and a new style pitman arm bearing installed. It is as ready to go as I am.
These McCormick Deering mowers came in several styles regular gear, high gear and trailer gear. I did a lot of research before choosing this one. All of the Amish farmers that I asked said pretty much the same thing…. Well timed machine, sharp knives mean everything…the rest is “fluff” and mostly personal preference.
When I started farming, I used a McCormick Deering #7. It is a model a bit older than the #9″s. I got along well with it. I only sold it to be able to go faster…or so I thought. As I was mowing hay with my tractor mower for the last time, I realized that I was going 3MPH…the same speed a horse walks. The only thing that made it seem faster was not having to stop and rest the horses.
So, I listened to the noisy tractor drone on as I mindlessly drove around the fields. Now, I will listen to the horses and their harness bells. I will stop to rest them and give the mower a shot of grease or a splash of oil. I can listen to birdsong and enjoy farming in the way of my grandfathers. Plus…I will still be mowing at 3MPH!
Filed under: October 2017 | Tags: harness, harness bells, Percheron Horses, RFD TV, Rural Heritage magazine, sleigh bells, Training colts
October 23, 2017
Abby, our Percheron filly, continues to embrace her training. She “won her spurs” so to speak, this week as she starred in an upcoming episode filmed for RFD-TV, by Rural Heritage. The shows they filmed will begin airing early next year. Abby pulled a sled with Duke as we drove around the pasture. She stood while being groomed and hammed it up for the camera in her stall.
She has been exposed to harness and sleigh bells as part of her training. She pays them no mind. I decided to add these two to her harness , as she has now become one of the gang! She is a great addition to the power needs of our farm. I look forward to many years of working with her.
Abby made me look good as I talked about her training. She lowered her head as I talked about her old ways and the displeasure she had over having her ears touched. Now, she gets regular haircuts between her ears. She actually enjoys me brushing and petting her ears. Just one more “boogyman” eliminated from her memory. The new bells will chime as she walks, adding a musical component to our work day. This pleases me as much as she does.
Filed under: August 2016 | Tags: bells, birdsong, draft horses, harness bells, melody, relaxing
August 25, 2016
This picture is of Abby’s new harness bells. They are an unnecessary part of the harness, but they please me. I enjoy the simple chiming as the horses walk. Using horses makes a person slow down. They are animals, living, breathing creatures just like us. They must stop to rest now and then, but it is remarkable how much work they can accomplish.
As we work, I get to listen to the birds sing. I can even hear the plow slicing through the soil as we turn the sod. I hear the horses breathe and monitor that breathing for signs of when a rest is needed. The sounds of birdsong, slicing earth and breathing horses is enhanced by the ringing of my harness bells…or at least I think so.
I choose to use brass bells, cast in a foundry and made to ring pure and crisp. The sound is like no other. It cuts through the air in a subtle yet pronounced way. I use different sized bells to make the music sound like a melody. I can’t sing along, but it sure makes me smile. The horses pay them no mind. The bells are just part of their harness to them. I even asked them one time if they mind the sound? They just said … “neigh”.
RicelandMeadows 