Show us your Logging Horses

[rjwoodlandservices]

Well trained Suffolks are probably better in the woods than Shires and Clydes in my opinion, shorter in the leg with a better line of draft and more power. However they need to be working more regularly, they seem to get more "pent up" energy if they are not working a lot and get excited, whereas my experience of shires and clydes is that they are more laid back even when not worked as often.

 

I have a Shire and he is great, but is limited to flat-ish sites with more space to work especially in the arch.

 

I always recommend people get cobs unless they have very strong feelings towards a specific breed or the work for them. The good thing about Suffolks is that we get a fair amount of Demo's etc locally specifically as we have them.

 

Alot of my sites are wet boggy areas or steep bankings. I rarely use the arch as very few sites are suitable. I would love a clyde but dont think they are best suited. I have an ardenne mare but would still rate the cob above the ardenne. Great to see native breeds still going strong.

[difflock]

Gentlemen, I love seeing working horses, especilly in a woodland environment.

But do some of you Home Counties types even know what a "wet" site is?

I defy any horse to work in a bog, and go where a light, carefully piloted 4wd tractor on flotation tyres will.

Horses for courses I suppose.

PS

looking forward to spending more time watching the horses at this years APF.

[JohnJames]

Not sure about the Home Counties but down here on Dartmoor where I live and work we are not short of a bog or two. This is the driest spell we've had for a long time and it is still as wet as an Otters pocket. Interestingly the reason we are working on our current job is because tractors in various permutations have all got stuck and made an awful mess in the process of getting unstuck. It would appear that until a machine with four independent legs is designed, four wheels will always spin. whether they "float" or not. At the moment we extract timber to "dry" land where a tractor can take them away. Which keeps everyone in work. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I lived on easier ground!

[ArthurBottlesworth]

I used to shoot at Cwm Main there was a very deep bog there

Very strange place ....you had to keep to paths ...

Funny vegetation, and a "quiet" atmosphere

Rumor was horse and cart was lost in it once

Plenty woodcock though

[difflock]

I used to shoot at Cwm Main there was a very deep bog there

Very strange place ....you had to keep to paths ...

Funny vegetation, and a "quiet" atmosphere

Rumor was horse and cart was lost in it once

Plenty woodcock though

 

tee hee

my point exactly:001_tt2:

 

PS

John james

Photo above was apparently taken in what here in NI we would refer to as merely a "wet slap".

The width of the gateway, onto such a narrow track/lane/road would however be a flotation shod tractor defying obstacle.

marcus

Edited June 20, 2014 by difflock

[JohnJames]

In that particular picture the access for machinery is difficult not only due to the narrow access but because underground springs are constantly flowing on heavy clay, so not necessarily deep + boggy just a very slick surface where wheeled vehicles can't get traction.

[Cob-logging]

. Hi my two cobs

[Cob-logging]

. Hi these pics were taken on Saturday

[hawthornheavyhorses]

[ATTACH]159666[/ATTACH][ATTACH]159667[/ATTACH]. Hi these pics were taken on Saturday

 

 

Like your arch set up! How do you elevate the log, is there a winching system?

[hawthornheavyhorses]

Gentlemen, I love seeing working horses, especilly in a woodland environment.

But do some of you Home Counties types even know what a "wet" site is?

I defy any horse to work in a bog, and go where a light, carefully piloted 4wd tractor on flotation tyres will.

Horses for courses I suppose.

PS

looking forward to spending more time watching the horses at this years APF.

 

I am Home Counties (not denying it!) but to be fair Ross is from County Tyron!

 

However I would not necessary disagree with you, there are plenty of places where the use of horses is not suitable and where a machine may be the best way.

 

However we usually get called in when there is a combination of factors, where it is wet; with limited or tight access; where the woodland is too small to warrant the use of machinery; where the use of a machine poses too much of a risk of contamination from diesel, oils etc (such as a SSSI) or where the use of tractors would conflict with users.

 

Don't really want to derail this thread with a "horses v's machine" argument. We are the right tool for some sites, and not for others, but there is plenty of work out there for a competent horse logging contractor, so there is definitely a need for our services.