Mystery implement in the woods

Black Hill Regional Park, my usual prowling ground near where I live, covers the land that was once somebody's farm. There are plenty of clues to the area's history scattered throughout the park: pieces of barbed wire nailed to the trees, piles of rocks that were removed from fields that are now covered with trees, metal pipes stuck into the springs on hillsides, ruins of a watermill and so on.

So it's not unusual to find occasional pieces of farm equipment here and there. I ran into this thing partially sticking out of the soil while searching for snails last Saturday.

I managed to pull it out of the soil. But I have no idea what it is, although I suspect it may have something to do with some farm animals.


In the next picture my foot provides a scale. Any ideas?