horse fork

noun, a large fork-shaped implement used to grab hay that is then lifted into a mow through a pulley system; also refers to the entire pulley process that includes use of the horse fork and horse fork rope; references to ‘driving horse fork’ describe operating the tractor or horse that is used in the process

“There was what they called a horse fork. It was a big thing about that big, and it had tines that went in like this. And you just stick it down in the hay on the wagon, and then they had a handle.”

“You used the horse fork to…”
“…to boost it up into the stack on top of it, yeah.”

“I never mowed away hay,  but I drove horse fork. I did the raking and all the farm things.”

“I drove horse fork.”

“Yes I did drive the horses when the horse fork … when they forked the hay up to the mow.”

“Ah, he was alone. ’Course I used to drive the horse fork for him, and then Tom too.”

“You could swing the boom side to side?”
“Yeah, Dad would generally dig a hole so it was down in the ground about a foot so it wouldn’t jump out of the hole. So the boom would swing when the horse fork came up against the pulley. The boom would come around, pull around sideways. And then you’d drop the horse fork load of hay on the stack, and then a person stayed on the stack and build it round, you know.”

“With the horse fork you just drive it into the hay and then it has things on the bottom that turn to hold it, and then you bring it up. You had to have a pulley up high somewhere; usually it was in the mow…”