There has been some discussion on single horse implements. I wanted to share a video that I found on a single horse mower in action. Maybe not the best footage, but it shows it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VYn4Jt5nKs&feature=PlayList&p=5E1FA2313998604C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9

Also, this is another very good video showing some of the histroy of the MCCormick and Deering and later IHC company and how it came about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-KB7TjdSqk&feature=PlayList&p=5E1FA2313998604C&index=14&playnext=6&playnext_from=PL

That is my Sunshine Machinery No.24 one horse mower. Built around 1924, just before Massey Harris bought out Australian HV McKay Sunshine Machinery, Australia. I am Canadian living in Aus but all my equipment except my #9 is Sunshine.

Oh yeah, the cutter bar jammed because the stop on the inside shoe came loose and the bar jumped out!

I had one almost exactly like that with a pair of 14.2 crossbreds on level ground it is all they wanted to do! all day! One Horse or not!

Got a few questions for you for curiosity. What size is the horse being used in the video? Also, what size bar are you running on the mower and what type of grass is it you are cutting?

In the first video, it appears the original tongue was cut and the rigging was made for a one horse. Maybe not, but it appears. The horse is having a tough time pulling the mower and in a field of good hay, would not be able to do it. In Iowa, as a boy, mowing hay all day, in heavy alfalfa/grass was a tough job even for a good and big team. Mowing in good hay or grass with one horse is not practical, imo.

Hi Harvey, that is sort of why I was aking the questions. It appeared that the horse had a longer bar, maybe 4 or 4.5 feet. Not sure my horse could pull that here in fescue grass. I have been told by people I trust not to use over 3 foot and even though I am not experienced enough to make my own opinion yet on it, I would say that common sense would tell me they are right. They have heavy horses and only use a 5 or 6 foot bar (team). They tell me their horses really work hard to pull it.
Practically speaking a 3 foot bar would take forever to cut acres of hay, but for what I want to use it for, it will work ok. I am going to use it to trim my paddocks which are only about 1.5 acres and about 2 acres. Still will be like mowing it with a lwanmower (actually even my mower has a 42 in cut) but that will give me and the horse plenty of work to do.

The mower is all original. I rebuilt it from two I bought. The cutter bar is 36". It was designed for parks, road verges, footpaths, football ovals etc. I don't think the original intention was for making hay. The horse is a 16 hand clyde/percheron cross. The mower is a shorter wheelbase and a lot lighter than a #9. It is balanced a lot better now and I have replaced the bushing that used to be on the wristpin and pitman arm with a universal bearing like the #9 so that it pulls a bit better. That was the first test run after I put it together and on a hill to boot. The grass being cut is no good for horses. It was imported to Australia from Africa, I think. I am Canadian so forgive my spelling but it is called Satiria. It is good cattle feed but leaches the calcium out of horses and causes "Big Head". If pregnant mares aren't supplemented they may go down and never get back up if it is all they eat. We use the hat rake and use it for bedding in the chicken coop or as it is called here, "chook house" when we cut it. Here is a more recent link of it, same horse different colour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QXGaQlpdYY

Massey Harris made pretty much the same mower after 1932.

Looks like you could use some no-clog guards out on the end of the sickle.IMO