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, August 25, 2009

Heavy horse heritage


Eighteen years ago the Garden Field of Airfield Farm, Dundrum in Dublin being ploughed with a pair of Irish Draught/Clydesdale cross bred mares.

Taking over as Farm Manager in 1980 I worked this urban farm using draught horses in keeping with Airfield Farm's heavy horse heritage- not only were the sheds full of horse drawn machinery, but in the stable the painted name plates of the Overend family's farms working horses 'Kitty', 'Nellie' and 'Nora' still hung above each stall.

Continuing this tradition in such a unique environment inspired me to form my company 'Trojan Heavy Horses' which has since seen us undertake every road, field and forest operation that can be done using the might of these magnificent animals.
This year on Saturday and Sunday
September 12 and 13
'Trojan Heavy Horses' will return to Airfield to plough and till a field so it can be set with seed, restoring this farm's unique heavy horse heritage.

'Tilling' the soil is done to produce a good 'tilth', the name given to a fine bed of earth that seeds can grow in. This is achieved by breaking down the large clods of earth (traditionally left exposed over the winter to frosts) which are the result of turning over the grass sod by slicing through it with a plough.





Pages from Henry J Webb's ' Advanced Agriculture' of 1894


For more information on Airfield Farm go to the Blog Archive on the top left of this page and open the November 2008 posting titled 'Airfield Farm'.
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