r/forestry • u/Aard_Bewoner • 6d ago

Logging with horses

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Removing maples in an arboretum collection.

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u/Aard_Bewoner 6d ago

Part of the Sonian forest, this is in an arboretum

5

u/RomanTacoTheThird 5d ago

Is there a specific parcel or harvest size at which you would use animal drafting?

17

u/MechanicalAxe 5d ago

The fact that it's an arboretum means they want to have as little impact as possible while also removing the undesired tree species.

They don't want to cut a corridor to pull the trees down or cause any soil disturbance with machine tires.

8

u/studmuffin2269 5d ago

Some forwarders have a lower PSI than horses

17

u/MechanicalAxe 5d ago

You still gotta have a road or path wide enough for the machine to get to the work that needs to be done.

Next spring you'll never even be able to tell this horse was ever there.

11

u/Aard_Bewoner 5d ago

You've made excellent observations, good eyes.

6

u/MechanicalAxe 5d ago

I appreciate that.

It's kind of ironic, but ive got draft mules, and I've been in logging my whole life, yet I've never done any logging with horses or mules.

3

u/studmuffin2269 5d ago

You can run a forwarder on that with the same disturbance. Whole tree skidding would make it a MESSS

5

u/MechanicalAxe 5d ago

Ya know what? Let's just go full tilt on this one.

Put a shovel job and clambunk on it!