Skidding with horses to thin young stands in western Washington.

Abstract

Increased use of commercial thinning to provide an additional source of needed raw material and to boost overall yields from forest lands has again brought horses into the northwest woods. They are particularly well adapted to skidding small logs under the light, frequent cuts typical of a thinning operation. Horses can, moreover, work at close quarters in a young stand without seriously damaging residual trees and reproduction. In many stands, the advantage of minimum damage coupled with low initial investment and overhead costs will more than offset the disadvantages sf care required when horses are not working and the physical limitations of horse logging when skidding distances are long or uphill. As utilization of small-sized thinning material becomes more profitable and more widespread, interest in horse skidding is destined to increase.

Citation

Worthington, Norman P. 1957. Skidding with horses to thin young stands in western Washington. PNW Old Series Research Notes No. 138, p. 1-7