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Heavy Horse Logging
If you are going to be in the logging business one of the things that you have to do is to learn about heavy equipment. Trees are heavy and you must be able to handled them quickly and efficiently (and safely). One of the early ways of logging began with bull teams, which were used to drag the logs to the water where they would be rafted and moved to market. "Greasing the skids" meant just that. Poles were layed crossways of the skid trail and the lead end of the log would be 'sniped' (tapered slightly with an ax), and lard or whatever was available would be applied to the skids to "grease the skids".
Shire's and logging have been constant companions. The Shire breed began over 1000 years ago, developing from the horses of Julius Caesar and infusions of the blood of Belgians, Horses of Flanders, and in the 18th century, Friesians. The horse has always been a good and faithful worker in agriculture and commerce, and has been said to be a synonym for strength, constitution, energy, and endurance. They are docile and kind, but have personality to spare and a strong desire to form a genuine partnership with the people who handle them.
Although logging has been carried out by steam and other more modern forms of transport, ecologically, the Shire Horse has been and still is working in todays logging industries.
