'Windblow' can be a major problem on high ground sites like this Spruce first thinning contract we are just finishing for another forest owner in the County Clare Wood Energy Project (CCWEP). It can be avoided by thinning the trees in a selective manner ensuring no straight lines are cut through the wood.
When woods are thinned by machine this is done in straight lines. These straight lines leave tunnels through the plantation which can allow wind to move at high speed, building up enough force to knock over some of the remaining trees. This can lead to substantial losses in the crop.
The horses come into their own when extracting timber from such selectively thinned woodlands, as they can weave in and out through the irregularly spaced standing trees.
On this job we are working Ardennes mares Chincha (above left) alongside her daughter Lisa (below)
This job marks a year for Lisa working in the woods since we started her logging last June (see earlier post 'Lisa's first day in the wood') She has filled out and is settled into her work.
