[Fieldfare]

Hi all- in my ongoing (confusing) quest for finding a bit of Horsepower on my smallholding (mainly to knock back patches of creeping thistles- which will then be tidied up by my sheep) I am wanting to investigate the possibility of using a donkey powered finger bar mower or similar (getting a small tractor is of course the other possibility). Crazy idea? anyone doing this? Any info. or links would be great. I've tried Googling but am drawing a bit of a blank.

cheers

[AengusOg]

It could be a crazy idea in so far as a donkey would be struggling to pull a finger bar mower. You may need a team of donkeys, or a pair of Fell or Highland type ponies, or one decent sized horse.

Remember, with an equine (or two)(or more), it is imperative that you have time to feed them, muck out their accomodation, and train them. Then there are the costs of worming/worm counts, shoeing, tack/harness, vet bills, winter feed...

If you buy a decent tractor, you need only put diesel and oil in it and, if looked after, it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. You don't have training or daily maintenance, and can turn the engine off and forget about it till next time it's needed.

Personally, I would rather work the horse(s), but sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day/week/year.

[shetlandpaul]

two shetlands could do it. but your looking at having the machine made specially. we found a company that were building something simular for bulgaria and they were wanting about 4 thousand for one. so a cheap tractor and second hand equipment would workout cheaper. there is a company in belaruse(not the right spelling) but never bothered to phone to check it out

[mab]

I was thinking about something similar to this - I was contemplating getting a shetland pony anyway (once I've decide if I've done enough research on keeping horses), and I happen to have an old Allen scythe (3' finger cutter) with no compression - The only trouble is I think the drive to the wheels is by worm gear so i doubt it would work as a wheel driven mower. 

What about those cylinder mowers which are used in parks & school sport fields - the ones with five wheel driven mowers pulled behind a tractor - would one of those (if you can find one) work if pulled at donkey / pony speeds?

[shetlandpaul]

good idea. would it work on long grass.

[jinglejoys]

http://www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk/SC/saddlechariot
 

[Collie26]

Hi that link is brilliant!!!!! Seriously looking into it after we have two rather stocky ponies one being a Highland Pony and the other a cob!

The price isnt bad either.

Has anyone got experience with this chariot??

[jinglejoys]

 Me  If you are anywhere near Wales, Simon's doing a demo at the Wholehorse Weekend  http://rowanoakhorses.co.uk/default.aspx

[Collie26]

Have you ever tried implaments on the back like it says???

[shetlandpaul]

the chariot is just short of 2k. with the addition of tools your still looking well over the price of a cheap secondhand tractor. i would not fancy riding it if there was something sharp being pulled.

[lazybee]

You would need a PTO drive motor for a mower, which would push the price up even higher. Any implements 'ground driven' are usually heavy and limited. Personally I see the saddle chariot as nothing more than a novelty item for exercising small ponies on flat ground (not much ground clearance). A lot of the photographs look set up. This is only my opinion of course. I would like to see a genuine demonstration. I work my little Shetland with a cart picking up wood and logs; as he and the cart are small enough to maneuver through the woods. The little 'uns have surprising strength for their size.
A tractor is the way to go to be honest. The implements are easy to get hold of and are quite cheap. I went half each with my neighbour on a rotary topper 150 each. I bought myself a small square Baler 250. hay disc mower 175 and a hay rake/tedder 150.

[jinglejoys]

I want to get the "bigfoot" add on(in joke) because I can sit on it like a flat bed and get off quickly without being run over and it releases.Personally I don't like anything behind me and I don't like being trapped in a conventional vehicle.For using impliments I'd prefere to longline but thats just me