Features
Horses for courses
It is many years since equine power on the farm was dislodged by the tractor, and whilst working the land with horses may be seen as the domain of the eccentric, organic farming is no stranger to being ahead of the times in reintroducing traditional techniques with a contemporary twist. Rising oil costs and the desire to return to more sustainable farming methods that work with nature could see the return of more horses to the land.
Hitting a big birthday last year gave long term commercial market gardener Jim Cronin food for thought. But far from a mid life crisis cliché, Jim decided that instead of investing in a Harley Davidson or sports car, he would take on a pair of Percheron mares, training them up with his son Éanna to work his Co. Clare farmland.
The full story behind the Percheron breed is unknown, only that the horses from Le Perche in France were bred with Arab stallions to create a horse of fierce reputation in the 17th Century. Two hundred years later the Percheron was the most popular horse amongst farmers in the US.
Rossinver's Organic Centre invited Jim to visit with Quaroba and Qualite (not unlike car registration plates, the horses' age can be identified by the initial of their name, with 'Q' given to all 2004 born 'models') and hourly demonstrations of harrowing the main field and weeding between the vegetable rows fast became the highlight of an open day.
Minister of State for Food and Horticulture, Trevor Sargent TD, stopped by for an unofficial visit and was immediately put in charge of inter-row grubbing, confidently supervised by Éanna Cronin. Citing the organic revolution in Cuba, Minister Sargent suggested that more horses might be seen on Irish farms in coming years.
Tractors are often massively overpowered for smaller farming jobs - cracking the nut with the proverbial sledgehammer - particularly secondary horticulture tasks. Horses can be brought in to plough even when the ground is wet and they offer a more shallow plough so it is better for the soil. Jim and Éanna's horses work every other day, harrowing and grubbing between beds, setting and earthing up potatoes. A combination of horse and tiller can also be used to prepare beds. 'Fuel' costs per horse per year consist of around three acres of rough ground and an acre of hay.
Jim noted that projects in the UK and US are using horses on the land with young offenders to great effect. There they learn to build up a trusting relationship with the animals; they cannot be rushed and simply will not respond to violence or inconsistent treatment. The therapeutic effect of working in partnership with horses is becoming well known and is just one of the benefits Jim and his son enjoy.
Meanwhile John McCormick, commercial organic grower in County Down and a Director of the Organic Centre, said he cannot wait to bring in a pair of Irish cobs to help work his farm. Asked if this was seen as a backward move, he explained "Fifteen years ago my neighbours thought I'd lost the plot completely when I got into organic horticultural production. Now they're saying 'isn't he the smart businessman to have been so ahead of the game'. I think they'll be amused by the horses, but they'll also know I am on to something."
The massive red horse in the forestry section at Farmfest 2008 drew spectators all day for demonstrations by Ireland's only professional 'horse logger' Tom Nixon of Trojan Heavy Horses, as he explained the modern specialised equipment used for extracting timber by horsepower.
Using a two wheeled bogey called a Swedish Arch he showed how the weight of a log is lessened by lifting up the heavy end of a sawn trunk. This has the double effect of not only lightening the load on the horse but also causing less damage to the forest floor.
The arch also has skids so that when the wheels get clogged with earth in muddy conditions it acts like a sled- something an ATV can't do.
Equine endurance
The older spectators - having experience with horse work - were pleased to see that modern developments had improved the lot of the working horse.
The horse Tom Nixon favours for timber work is a rarely seen breed of heavy draught horse - the Belgian Ardennes. This massive breed is capable of hard work for ten hours a day on hay or grass alone.
Being nowhere near as tall as Clydesdales and Shires (his Ardennes mare is a mere fifteen hands high) gives this breed the advantage of having a low angle of draught and therefore less effort is needed to pull weights.
Height is one reason why Mr. Nixon does not use the draught breeds usually associated with forestry in Ireland- taller horses like Clydesdale, Shires or Irish Draughts have a higher angle of draught and get their heads caught in low branches.
Being bred more recently for show or riding, he is of the opinion that these breeds have lost their heavy bone and vigour- without heavy bone there is no strength.
Prized attributes
He bought his Ardennes mare directly from an area in Belgium where these horses are still used for farm work so he could be assured of not only her bloodlines but her ability.
On occasion, he works and trains with horse loggers in England and Scotland, where the huge increase in timber extraction by horse power in the last twenty years has prompted the formation of the Forestry Contractors Association by professional horse loggers (see www.britishhorseloggers.org).
Like many loggers in England and Scotland he favours the Ardennes for their other inherent characteristics such as docile temperament - a must when you consider the conditions these animals work in.
Surefootedness is another prized trait, essential with the often uneven terrain of steep banks and shifting soil in many woodlands.
Heavy horses are still the only way to extract timber out of difficult types of terrain - a horse can navigate areas that machines cannot go - so the many small pockets of woodland planted on slopes means forest horse work is increasing.
Given a three hundred yard round trip, over average ground one logger and horse can expect to pull out twenty tons of timber a day.
Tom can be contacted at O87 6940538 or e mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
