HORSE LOGGING
In the early sixties, horses were used for logging timber in the British forests. But in the late sixties, using machines, came into fashion and there were no more horses logging. In the nineties, people began using horse logging more when they realized all the horse breeds that were used as loggers are mostly all critically in danger of extinction. There are many way that horse power is better than machinery for one as they pollute less and because horses don’t make the ground as compact as they drag logs through the trees. Horses create much less damage to flora and fauna (plants and flowers).

There are many horse breeds used for logging including Percheron, large heavy cob, Suffolk punch, Shire, Clydesdale, Dales, Belgian. Ardennais, Brabant and Highland.

Native horse that were used for logging, have over the last decade been bred for the show ring and have therefore been bred too large to manoeuvre through the threes.

In Scotland at the world horse welfare centre there happens to be the largest shire horse in Britain who is twenty and half hands (one hand equals four inches). All the other breeds have the same problem except Highland and Dales. Being a suitable size Dales are used a lot for logging.

A horse can pull one and half time their own weight and perfectly capable of dragging two tonnes. Rather than breast colours in carriage driving for logging people use a collar that allows the horse to pull more efficiently.

Most horse work six hours a day and this six hours are divided into three hour slots, with a two hour break in between.

There is lots of work for loggers in the forest but not many qualified loggers (both equine and human)to do the work.