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

Monday, November 17, 2008

Airfield Farm



With Airfield House in the background turning the sod of The Garden Field in 1992.

Ploughing ground is the first task in preparing land for planting.
The plough turns the sod upside down causing the grass to rot down, which provides nourishment and space for whatever crop the farmer intends to grow.





Drills can then be made for the likes of beet above which my father and myself sowed in The Middle Field in 1986, using the old type of Clydesdale horse (smaller than the breed type) to pull a scuffler to loosen any weeds so there is no competition to the crop.




Page from Henry J. Webb's Advanced Agriculture of 1894


I learned my trade the traditional way - from father to son - on Airfield Farm in Dublin, taking over as farm manager from my father Gerry in 1980.



Before Airfield my father had worked as a head horseman in Meath, and is pictured here at the R. D. S. Horse Show in 1990, winning First prize in the 'Dublin City Working Horse Class'.
This horse was an Irish Draught/Clydesdale cross bred mare. Traditionally in Ireland these two draught breeds were crossed to produce a heavy farm work horse.

For information about Airfield Farm click on http://www.airfield.ie/
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