Arena Groomer

[cowboydoc]

Hess,
You can get that parma groomer for around $9?? with the discount. I've seen them all and for what you want it's just as good as the 3k ones. Also if you have farm and fleet in your area the disc harrow is on sale for $399 from $499 right now.

[MikePA]

FWIW - We were looking for something similar for our ring (outdoor) and bought a chain harrow from TSC for about $300 that even our WheelHorse 16hp garden tractor can drag around. The only downside is that we can not get into corners since it's not attached to some kind of frame that the 3ph can lift up, move the tractor, then lower it. As other posts mention, the depth is regulated based upon which end of the harrow is hooked to the tractor. You can even flip the sections over for a real smooth surface. We have the front section set for maximum depth and the the rear section for minimum depth so 2 functions are performed at the same time.

[hess]

Mike,
I just bought the same thing at TSC (Fuerst harrow), but this only serves to level and smooth. I'm looking to buy something that will work the ground down to about 4".

Richard,
Thanks again, I'm still looking for a farm and fleet in my area - but all I can find are CT stores (I think they are owned by the same group).

hess

[hess]

Richard,
I checked into CT Farm and Country, and they merged with Farm and Fleet a few years ago.

I found the disc harrow for $399, but it is a cheap King Kutter, made with angle iron (KK makes one with square channel, but for $600+).

I know you have a 4', and you say it works great. Is its frame made from angle iron as well, or do you have a heavier duty disc.

If they all do the same quality of work, I guess it doesn't matter - but you usually get what you pay for.
hess

[cowboydoc]

Mine is an old one from probably 30 years ago Hess. It's really heavy and I don't think you could hurt it if you tryed. If you keep up with the arena you shouldn't have a problem with the lighter duty one but for an extra hundred bucks for the heavier duty one you would probably be better off

[Wingnut]

CowboyDoc ... since you're Mr. Knowledgeable (compliment, not sarcasm!) about these subjects ... I just thought I'd leap into the fray and ask a question. You mentioned that your wife makes most of the loose change off of "futurities" ... and I've seen that word used even for the mini's we're "raising" .... and I've never seen an explanation of the term anyway. Is it something you can explain in brief??
Thanks!

too bad that common sense ain't

[cowboydoc]

Wingnut,
A futurity can be different for different arrangements. Originally a futurity started out as a specific year of horses, 2yo, 3yo, etc. Your horse had to be nominated and you had to pay a fee to keep your horse nominated until the time that it came to compete. Then to enter the event you had to pay a much larger sum of money. Very simply it meant what the word root is "future". You were basically betting on the future of your horse. Now they have futurity for everything. Some futurities are even open, which means you don't have to be nominated. Your horse just has to fill the qualifiication and you are in. Usually these have a very steep entry fee. An example would be 5 yo and under, horses that have never been competed on or have won less than x amount of dollars and AQHA registered. Now you could plug any quotient into the above. In the good futurities there is alot of money! It's not uncommon to have tens of thousands of dollars as prize money. The most my wife won last year at one futurity was $33,000. Now the same ones that we ran that mare in last year she won't be eligible for this year. The futurities really separate the talent. In order to win in futurities you've got to keep coming up with the horses every year. It's not like on the rodeo circuit where you get a good horse and go with them for years. On the futurity circuit you have to keep coming up with winners every year. Usually by 5 almost all futurities are played out. Then you either sell the horse to someone on the rodeo or barrel circuit or show them yourself there. My wife likes them because she only goes to about 10 a year. The rest of the time is spent training them so she's home. Compared to the rodeo circuit where you have to be going all the time to compete and make any money. We hit the local rodeos and then she'll travel 2000 miles for a futurity, but she only does it a few times a year and they usually pay for her. So there's the short of it!!! Have a good day Wingnut.

[Wingnut]

thank you much, CowboyDoc ... at least now I have the semblance of a clue when I hear "futurity"

too bad that common sense ain't

[hess]

Richard,

I bought the 6' disc harrow from TSC for $499, and a Fuerst chain harrow for $350.
Except for the rocks that I will have to pick by hand, I love it, my wife loves it - it has really worked the ground up fine.

I too will recommend the disc over the rotary groomers.

Thanks for the help.

hess

[cowboydoc]

I thought you would Hess. If you know how to work a tractor it's a useful setup and you still have the implements for everything else.