Horse logger travels through area on cross country trip

At three miles an hour it's slow going for Lee (last name not available), but horse logging is a life he enjoys and has been doing now for nine years.

Lee, along with his team of horses, wagon and logging equipment traveled through the area over the weekend. They passed through El Dorado Sunday afternoon after spending two days in Augusta and two days in Douglass. They were headed for Burns, where he planned to camp Sunday night before continuing on his journey to Illinois for a logging job, then on to Massachusetts, for another logging job.

According to Lee's Web site, his earliest memories include cutting firewood with his family in upstate New York, riding critters, driving ponies, being in the woods, running chain saws and more.

He said he got his true education in life rather than school. Those experiences included being in poverty, which he called a blessing, as well as backbreaking labor, working horses, running sawmills, caring for the ranch in Montana, and living without electricity, running water or a vehicle half of the time.

Now he spends his days traveling across the country and back again for logging jobs.

Some of the difficulties he faces includes finding adequate camping spots. He has camped at such places as fire and police departments, Home Depot, Lowes, K-Mart and grocery stores, as well as in fields, along side the road, parks and everything in between. He also is always in need of feed for his horses. He only feeds them grass hay and whole grains such as oats, barley and wheat. Beet pulp is the mainstay of the horses' diet and on the average day they go through 60 pounds of beet pulp pellets, 100 pounds of oats and up to 300 pounds of grass hay. He is appreciative of donations of these items, as well as money. He has a list of items he is in need of as well as a wish list on his Web site, www.leehorselogger.com.