Timber extraction by horse ---- Film and promotional work -- Horse logging courses Practical courses, five days long, conducted on a one to one basis on a working site


Our fully insured and experienced crew ensures quality work combining a traditional skill with modern sustainable forestry management- the natural way to work woodland

The advantages of using a professional horse logger to extract timber are;

- Selective thinning is economical as no extra trees are cut down than needed

-The low impact of horses leaves the forest floor in good condition

- No need for line thinning reduces risk of windblown trees

- Ensures your remaining standing trees are undamaged

- Ideal for wet, steep, rough and small plantations

- Leaves no timber behind on the forest floor

- Minimal disturbance to wildlife

- No pollution of waterways

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For the past twenty eight years I have worked and trained heavy draught horses in all road, field and forest operations across Ireland - a trade I learned in the traditional manner where it was passed down through my family from father to son. This heavy horse heritage and the range of work we do with various breeds of these magnificent horses can be viewed in the archive below. References are available on request.
Feel free to contact me if you require any further information.

Tom Nixon, Athenry, County Galway, Ireland
mobile; 086 038 4857
email; tomnixonheavyhorses@hotmail.com

Member of
Forest Training & Education Ireland Ltd.
British Horse Loggers

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Family tradition


Working horses is a tradition on both sides of my family going back generations. Many of the men were employed as head horsemen on large estates, like my grandfather Thomas Scully second from the left. My uncle Pat Scully is standing third from the left.

Head horsemen were responsible for all the farmwork to be done with the horses, and the training of the young work horses coming on. Dealing with the estate owner or farm manager the head horseman also decided the daily work schedule for the other horsemen.


My maternal great grandfather about to cut a field of corn with a reaper and binder in Offaly, where our people are from. The horses appear to be a pair of Irish Draughts which are considered to be a light - to - medium draught horse.

To learn more about our native draught horse breed go to
'Irish Draught Horse Resource Guide' at http://www.irishdraughthorsebook.com/
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