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

Thursday, January 1, 2009

A Shire Horse


' Lucky Lad, a Shire Horse ' painted by H. Crowther around 1914 shows all that is prized in this, the largest of the English heavy horse breeds; long legs, proud bearing and heavy feather (hair on the lower leg).

Height is judged where the shoulder meets the neck, and described in 'hands' which are four inches each, so a horse that is 17 hh (hands high) is 5' 8'' high at the point of it's shoulder.
The mother and father of any horse is referred to as it's dam and sire.



'Nashs Domino'-one of the young Shire horses we are training in - rising four years of age and should make 17 hands high.

His breeding;
Sire - 'Moorefield Joseph' (Premium Stallion)
Grand sire - 'Hillmoor Prince Charles' (Super Premium Stallion)
Great grand sire- 'Hillmoor Enterprise' (Super Premium Stallion)

Dam - 'Trem-Y-Wyddfa-Sue'
Dam's sire - 'Hillmoor Enterprise'


Domino's sire 'Moorefield Joseph' was bred by well known breeder Ray Williams from Lancashire. While not the biggest of Shires at 17 hh, 'Moorefield Joseph' bred many show winners, and what is most important to me - bred super working horses.

Blessed with good temperament, a willingness to work and please and very good legs, feet and general conformation -I see Domino as one of the best Shires I have owned. His grand sire and great grand sire were both Super Premium stallions and both National Shire Horse Show winners on many occasions.




Grand Sire 'Hillmoor Prince Charles' with his owner Mr. Tony Bull, a noted breeder of heavy horses, from 'Arclid Shires and Clydesdales' in Cheshire, England.

Domino's great grand sire 'Hillmoor Enterprise' was thought to be the best Shire stallion in the world for a quarter of a century, and as he is also Domino's dam's sire, this young horse will definitely be one to watch out for in the future where Trojan Heavy Horses are working or showing.

Below is the breed description from Henry J. Webb's 'Advanced Agriculture' of 1894, written when heavy horses like Shires were still the most common form of traction in England.








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