Do you fork to the left or fork to the right?

[Jackfish]

Last week I was forking straw from the loft into the barn and pulled an abdominal muscle.

I was in wicked pain for a couple of days - I've never pulled a muscle in the front before only my back. I'm sure the reason that this happen is because I fork left all the time - it is amazingly difficult for me to change to forking right.

Anyone else run into this problem?

[Rockin'B]

I'm over that 50 mark.....

Anything like that hurts! LOL

[rambler]

I'm left-handed, so all forks, brooms, etc that I pick up seem to have real odd wear patterns to me - all backwards.

I was splittle wood 20 years ago, & pulled something in my shoulder blade, near the spine side. To this day, I have to use the maul as a rightie now; I have no other ill effects, can do everything else on this livestock farm, I even play volleyball 2 nights a week. Don't notice that shoulder blade at all. Unless I pick up a splitting maul, something goes 'ping' in there left-handed.....

--->Paul

[uncle Will in In.]

I'm definately right handed, but a shovel, rake, or pitch fork all have to be used left handed. That is the right hand goes at the top of the handle, and everything is thrown to the left. When I was little my stepdad scooped corn right handed, so for me to shovel out of the other end of the wagon, I had to shovel left handed. I don't know if that caused me to shovel left handed or not, but I'm as awkward as a cub bear eating a roasting ear through a picket fence doing it right handed.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I am very right handed and when I shovel my right hand is at the top of the handle and my left nearest the shovel blade. The stuff always goes to the left - i.e. if I am shoveling grain into a barrel the barrel is always on my left. This is because to a right handed person the POWER comes from the hand on the handle of the shovel. The left hand just steadies the shovel and makes it go where my brain attempts to tell it to go.

[Bret]

I am right handed and pitch straight or swing to the left. For manure handling, which I'm accused of lots...I try to switch sides once in a while.

[fordson major]

by nature left but can fork either side, cows tail to tail i can bed one go. learned right when i bust up my left.

[vicker]

Try using your knee as a fulcrum. Once you get the momentum going, keep it going and use the fork handle to control it. In other words, don't use your muscles to propel the material. Use your weight.