FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 12

[FrogInABlender]

Oh, the engine is REALLY quiet, especially for a Dodge diesel. It’s as quiet as the Ford, and that really surprised me. Another cool thing about it is that it has a Jake Brake. You can push a button to turn it on and it’s really nice when you’re pulling a trailer. You don’t have to touch the regular brakes near as much, they just kick in when you let off the accelerator, plus it makes this really cool sound. And for those of you who don’t know what a Jake Brake is, it works off of the engine exhaust and slows the motor down by compression. You’ve probably heard big 18-wheelers use them. They’re really annoying when they’re real loud and some cities have signs at their city limits saying “compression brakes prohibited”. These aren’t near that loud. Of course the engine isn’t near that big either.

[FrogInABlender]

...So, Miss Ellie was a good girl this weekend, gosh she is sooo tempting. (smacks my face and says NO, not now)

Hey, you just say the word and I'll bring her for ya.

[FrogInABlender]

LOL!! Yep, that’s what I’ve been having to do. I was going to take it over to show it to my 82-year-old mother at her assisted living, but it’d take me and two nurses to pitch her up in there to go for a ride! ;o)

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh I could have big fun in a hurry with something that could move dirt around. :~)

For the water that runs in because of the slope, can you either dig a ditch or build up a berm in front of the stall to divert it and send it somewhere else?

[HairOfTheDog]

Another cool thing about it is that it has a Jake Brake. You can push a button to turn it on and it’s really nice when you’re pulling a trailer. You don’t have to touch the regular brakes near as much, they just kick in when you let off the accelerator, plus it makes this really cool sound. And for those of you who don’t know what a Jake Brake is, it works off of the engine exhaust and slows the motor down by compression. You’ve probably heard big 18-wheelers use them. They’re really annoying when they’re real loud and some cities have signs at their city limits saying “compression brakes prohibited”. These aren’t near that loud. Of course the engine isn’t near that big either.

I HATE the trucks that use the Jake brakes to stop on the street behind the house. They shake the dang windows. And yes, there is a sign on that street that says no compression brakes. ;~{

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It is a lot of fun to move dirt and knock down trees:), all last week I wished I could have mailed it to you:).

Yeah some how I think I need to build up the inside of his stall, and take the built up part a ways out from the opening, and then slope it down, so there is like a run off...my problem is where to find that much dirt:)...I don't think you quit get how little dirt we have up here:). It's the biggest problem when trying to do something...if you dig it up, you also unearth tons of rock...

Anyway, here's a picture of Rocky's side.

The land slopes down to his stall...but there is very little dirt to scrape at this end to take to the stall end. Right were that big clump of yellow flowers are.

Harley's stall.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, how much is a ten yard load of gravel in your parts? Is it feasible to bring in material?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That is a definite possibility. I’m going to see what I can do first, but we may have to bring some in.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Here's a few more pictures I just took. One of the bad spots in the drive.

The other spot...hard to see it's in the shadow.

Where the dead fall was...that one tree truck in the picture is dead...the fall was all the branches for this tree.

I'm going back out to finish scraping down the big weeds and the surface rock into a pile so I can mow around there.

And the pile of dead fall.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I’m thinking about bringing in gravel here for the lean-to and the approaches to the barn. Instead of mats. Cheaper. The trouble here is I need to make it pretty deep, or the gravel just disappears down into the mud. I’m thinking of getting crushed rock that is pretty large. I’ve watched them build trail up in the forest, and they start with big rip rap rock, then large gauge gravel, then small on top. I’m thinking of just using the large to medium mixed gravel. And six inches deep to really build a hard compact layer.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ah - maybe when I’m there we can have a big bonfire with that pile :~)

Look at that cool bobcat. I wish I had one!

I can see your bad patches, sure enough!

[FrogInABlender]

...how much is a ten yard load of gravel in your parts?...

It ain't so much in how much the gravel costs (it runs about $5 a ton around here), it's in how much it costs to haul it, and the hauling cost is pretty much the same no matter if you get one ton or a whole load. The last time I think I paid around $290 for 25 ton of limestone gravel. That was a full dump truck load. Just have them bring a full load and dump it in some out of the way place on your property, then just move it around it as you need it with the Bobcat. I did have them dump half of mine at one barn and the other half at the other barn. They were nice and didn't charge me any extra because they were within 3 or 4 miles of each other.

[FrogInABlender]

Be sure to put the geotextile underneath the gravel. That’ll keep your gravel from mashing down in the mud. If you can’t get that, see if you can find some old carpet to put underneath it. That’d be better than nothing.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I hate equipment...it just never works when you need it too.

I think the bobcat is running low on hydraulic fluid...I don’t have any...

So I decided to mow till Mack could help me out with the bobcat...the starter on the mower stuck in the on position, even with the key off the starter was squealing, but the engine wouldn’t kick on, so I had to take the wire off the starter...

So now I’m down to the weed eater...and it’s too hot right now to weed eat for any length of time....

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

Well that’s the pits! Makes you just wanna take a sledge hammer to it doesn’t it. I usually have similar luck. Last winter it seemed like every time I wanted to use the tractor or one of the flatbed trailers, it was on a flat. :-/

[FrogInABlender]

Here's you a link to a video I took yesterday of Miss Ellie racking down the trail. It's kinda funny because the trail was real narrow and I kept getting smacked in the face by little pine branches. And here's a link to another one of us going down a rocky little trail towards the creek. There's another one in that folder where we've started across a curved concrete bridge. She didn't do very well on that one but it was my fault. I was driving with one hand and videoing with the other and not paying much attention to what she was doing and she got nervous and wanted to go back. I guess it was kinda scary for her since the bridge was pretty high and the guardrails weren't, but she didn't pitch a fit or anything, she just didn't go where I wanted her to and I didn't push it because my hands were full. But I did make her stay on it until she stood still for a minute, then I let her get off. We'll tackle that bridge another day when I can devote my full attention to it.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Those are great videos:), it’s so nice to be able to watch them now.

I think you should bring her for MT to ride:). She will probably enjoy that horse more then any I can get for her. I just have the rough ole QH’s:)

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh man! That’s a bummer! Still hot out there? Boy, it’s sunny here today but there’s a chill in the air.

Would have started blanketing last night, because it might have been down in the thirties, but we’d rather hold off starting to blanket till after the trip so ecurbh doesn’t have to deal with it when he’s trying to get them fed before and after work. It’d be one thing if it was expected to stay cold all day, but it’s been chilly at night and getting up in the 60s by day.

[HairOfTheDog]

By you made me a little nervous on that concrete bridge. Both hands on the wheel there!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It’s really pretty pleasant here, especially if you can stay in the shade, I think it’s around 80. Just pushing the weedeater around out in the sun, it gets hot.

Becky