Horses for logging

[Daniël Bos]

I believe the current generations of heavy horses are too big. Since the widespread use of tractors horses have been little more than a hobby for most, and the agricultural shows would reward the bigger horses, not necessarily the most useful ones. This has lead to oversized animals.

 

Something like a Dales is an ideal size I reckon.

[renewablejohn]

I personally would think long and hard about what to do, I once sold a horse to a dealer, saw him again three months later and cried like a baby for an hour, I bought the horse back just to put him down, never again will I do that. Very often, horses that do not have a specific role/use in life just get passed from dealer to sale/dealer and end up having a pretty miserable existance.

I would have a horse put down, rather than just passing it on to absolve my guilt, (not saying that you are doing that), it's a hard decision but better than what could happen.

 

Its been a hard choice but they went to a "reputable" dealer this afternoon for peanuts. I am very annoyed with my daughter as one of the horses was her horse and as a newly qualified vet she did not think it was fair on me to look after her horse while she was working abroad being a vet. So what about the six years I looked after the horse while she was off training to be a vet. Talk about being ungrateful. I had to put the mother down of the mare which went today and that was bad enough even though the horse was ill so putting to perfectly good horses down would be out of the question.

[tuttle]

depends what you want to, a welsh pony could be just more fun and do great job. They are only £30 at market.

[born2trot]

I believe the current generations of heavy horses are too big. Since the widespread use of tractors horses have been little more than a hobby for most, and the agricultural shows would reward the bigger horses, not necessarily the most useful ones. This has lead to oversized animals.

 

Something like a Dales is an ideal size I reckon.

 

Too tall Rover not too big . Your right what you are saying about the show fraternity and overseas market splashing out silly money for anything over 18.2 . I have a Dales pony and he is immensely strong for his size . Commercial unthinned woodlands , the norm over here , yes they are ideally suited BUT .. when large diameter , real big logs are involved as cousin jack says you simply need alot more weight to pull it , a horse in the 750 kg + .

Hitching a pair ( or more ) would be the ideal then , but there again why not get a horse of sufficient size in the first place ?

In saying that would i swap him for a shire or clydesdale ? Never in a million years