Pa r t d e m o ns tr at i o n , pa r t c o m pe t it i o n a nd all cel ebra t i on

Nathan, 15-yearold Shire cross, owned by Peter Coates

A Special Report on the Inaugural British Festival of the Working Horse 6th, 7th, 8th July 2012

(From top left) Trojan; Lisa; Mark Tasker, Albert & Buddy; Remco; HRH The Prince of Wales & Peter Coates; Holly; Harness; Major & Rodeo

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Highlights of the Festival

The inaugural British Festival of the Working Horse has demonstrated that working horses are viable, and shown how a growing number of people are making their living this way. Held alongside the East of England Show on 6th, 7th and 8th July, the event was attended by its Patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and drew spectators from across the UK and overseas. The Festival, originated by the British Horse Loggers (BHL), was far from being a nostalgic spectacle of living history: the horses were working with innovative modern ploughs, cultivators and logging equipment. Festival Co-director and organiser Doug Joiner said, We were very excited that His Royal Highness visited us in Peterborough. He continues to show an active interest in the viability of working with horses and to pioneer their use. We were able to show him the very latest developments and, of course, some brilliant working horses. The rolling programme of demonstrations by 12 horses and their handlers showcased the range of jobs that working horses do today in fields, forests and vineyards, in public parks, as pack horses, and on roads and canals. Proving that living horsepower is supremely versatile.

Richard Dalton and Trojan demonstrate harrowing

The first Charlie Pinney Memorial Award for Innovation in Horse Work Equipment was presented, for the Equi-Idea Multi, an Italian multipurpose cultivator and plough (see page 7). A highlight was Saturdays Working Horses into the 21st Century Conference, and the expert speakers from the UK and Europe attracted great interest (see pages 810). Among the spectators we welcomed Dales breeder and horse logger Charlie Parker; George Read, mentor to BHL apprentice Dan Sumner; and Comtois breeder Fabien Cannelle from France. Much missed was Julian Grant, who sadly passed away on 5th July. As the Company Secretary and a Director of the Festival, he was one of its main organisers. A minutes silence was observed by all those taking part, as a mark of respect. A tribute to his memory by Doug Joiner appears on page 3. Chief stewards Charles Buckler and Chris Wadsworth ensured safe passage of horses and equipment across the showground for the main ring parades. Max Hibbert coordinated the demonstrations in the field and cultivation area, while Richard Eames and Steffi Schaffler demonstrated horse logging in the wooded area. Duchy Home Farm horsewoman Megan Batt gave an excellent running commentary. The reception tent team was led by Julian Philipson. Commemorative horse brasses and berets were sold, and raffle tickets for a Morgan car, in aid of the BHL Charitable Trusts apprenticeship scheme. Henry Finzi-Constantine of the Castello di Tassarolo vineyard in Italy, worked with horses, offered tastings of his excellent sulphite-free wines, and launched the new Titouan wine. Artist Joe Godderidge displayed some of his fine paintings of the working horses at his Norfolk farm. The weather was mixed, at times with very heavy rain, and Doug Joiner commented, Its the first time that the BHL has demonstrated log rafting!

(Above) HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron of the British Festival of the Working Horse, tours the site with Festival Co-director and organiser Doug Joiner (lLeft) The Prince of Wales with Mike Paddock and his Brabant stallion Remco in the cultivation area

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Horses and Handlers

Peter Coates of Airedale Woodman (with Carole Coates) / Shire cross gelding Nathan Sue Day, of the Horseboating Society / Cob-Clydesdale-Friesian mare and gelding Bonny and Bilbo Richard Dalton of Gressenhall Farm (with Jeff Shea) / Suffolk Punch gelding Trojan Richard Eames, BHL apprentice / traditional Cob mare Elizabeth Mike Paddock of Duchy Home Farm (with Megan Batt) / Brabant stallion Remco Steffi Schaffler, BHL apprentice / Ardennes mare Lisa Mark Tasker of Wildwood and Lyng Farm; and Joe Godderidge, farmer and artist, of Lyng Farm / Suffolk x Cob gelding Buddy; Percheron x Shire gelding Albert Matt Waller of Hawthorn Heavy Horses (with Claudia Waller; and Nick Burton of Powys Forest Horses) / Suffolk Punch mare Holly Jane Wordsworth of comtoishorses.co.uk / Comtois geldings Major and Rodeo
Peter Coates and Nathan working in the cultivation area

Equipment Demonstrated
Hay cutter; Seed drill; Three-gang grass mower; Italian multipurpose cultivator and plough; French cultivator; Harrow; Two-horse, six-wheeled forwarder with powered loading; Single-horse forwarder; Bracken basher; Sledge; Cart; Dray; Swingle tree; Logging arch; Pack saddle Equipment was supplied by: Richard Dalton, Sue Day, Joe Godderidge, Ed Hamer, Doug Joiner, Albano Muscardo, Mark Tasker, Matt Waller and Jane Wordsworth.

Sponsors

The East of England Show; Rod and Anne Gifford of Giffords Recycling; Adam Hart-Davis; Doug Joiner; Gudrun Leitz; The Oakdale Trust; Laurent Perrier Champagne; Heavy Horse World

Limited Edition Logo Items for Sale

Berets in forest green or burgundy, real wool with logo in white and lettering in yellow 18. Horse brasses 10. Only 25 for both! To order: enquiries@britishfestivaloftheworkinghorse.co.uk

In Memory of Julian Grant

Organiser, Director and Company Secretary of the British Festival of the Working Horse, Julian Grant died peacefully, following a battle with cancer, on Thursday 5th July, just 18 hours before the Festival opened. He will be sorely missed. Doug Joiner
Julian with his Percheron mare Annabelle, logging with a swingle tree in Childer Wood (photograph by Doug Joiner)

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a responsibility to do everything in the vineyard with horses so we can prove to the wine world that you can do it. Nathan is a good example of the versatility of the working horse. Carole Coates said, Nathan is ridden, hes a nice jumper, he logs, ploughs in ploughing, some moves are positively dressage. He drives we have a hitch cart, a tip cart used on the farm or to go shopping. We live between anywhere and nowhere, but theres a small shop in the next village. We do very local firewood deliveries. Richard Dalton pointed out that farming with horses can be as skilled and precise as modern-day tractor work: Plough, drill, binder widths all match, in the same way as the same as laser-guided precision tractor work today. Its hands to the plough but its just as accurate and good ploughing is the basis of farming. A wide range of machinery and equipment is available for use with horses, and new innovations are being made all the time. The new Charlie Pinney Memorial Award for Innovation in Horse Work Equipment recognised three of the best pieces of equipment put forward for judging at the Festival (see page 7). Joe Godderidge and Mark Tasker demonstrated a hay cutter with their horses Buddy and Albert. Mark said, Joe designed the hay cutter with the blades in front, so you can watch the cutter and the horses all the time. It has a small hydraulic pump to raise and lower the cutter, which makes it easy to work. Its a very successful machine. Weve progressed the thinking, and we can make this work for horses. It will cut 45 acres a day happily. Joe and Mark plan to build a horse-drawn forwarder for logging at present they use a tractor and forwarder. Mark emphasised that this makes good business sense: We aim to go completely horse

Suffolk Punch gelding Trojan hitched to the seed drill, with Richard Dalton and Jeff Shea

Voices from the Festival

hands to the plough
Spectators showed great interest in the demonstrations, and Matt Waller said, Its been a really good event thats allowed us to show our expertise and experience. As a working horseman it was really useful. And the public liked it. People come to see the old nostalgic heavy horses, and they stumble across us and see and realise that there are people out there actually doing it for a living. The general feeling is that a lot of people didnt know horses can do what they can do and quite a few were surprised that were working with modern equipment. Most questions seem to be about ploughing, so the opportunity to show horses doing different things is good. Henry Finzi-Constantine echoed this, saying: Were in the driving seat as far as viticulture is concerned, we have

(Above) Charles Buckler with Elizabeth (Left) Toasting the success of the Festival gathering on the eve of the event to enjoy a wine tasting hosted by Henry Finzi-Constantine (Right) Megan Batt delivers a wellinformed commentary

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Trojan

Nathan

Ready to go to work Trojan

Holly and Matt Waller

drawn, or to have that option. Ive got to be profitable its not a hobby, its my whole business. Matt Wallers three-gang grass mower attracted great interest. Originally for use behind an ATV, it has been adapted for traction by horse.

plained: Its a question of worklife balance we dont necessarily earn as much as we would do, but once Im there, I totally destress once I start working.

Ive got the scars, Ive got

a good quality of life

Landowners and local authorities are catching on to the environmental benefits of using working horses, and finding that this is not only financially viable but also generates excellent public relations. Peter Coates said, Were currently clearing rhododendrons at the local park, and people like to come to see us. But if theyd gone in with tractors and made a mess there would have been an uproar. The job needed doing, but its a matter of convincing the public. Working alongside horses also brings a good quality of life, as Peter ex-

the experience

horses can do. The community of working horsemen and women is small, scattered, but vibrant, and the event was a rare opportunity to come together and meet likeminded people, share experiences and expertise. Many new friends were made over the weekend. Henry Finzi-Constantine said, We increase the possibilities by having met each other, shared our hopes and inspirations. One path has brought us together, 20 paths lead from here, we have increased the possibilities 20-fold. Weve understood the problems and the task we face, now we can work together to face the future and develop practical ideas. Im going to go home with my batteries charged 100 per cent for the task that faces us. Im going to return to my horses and vines so charged up with the experience Ive had here.
(Continued on page 6)

The working horse industry is small, but it is viable and growing. Young people are being attracted to it, and successfully supporting their families this way. Richard Dalton delivers training and is passionate about sharing and passing on the skills of working with horses. He said, Ive got the scars, Ive got the experience its vital its handed on.

we can work together

The Festival brought together a group of adaptable, resourceful people, ready to move with the times and keen to show what their
(Left) Staffi Schaffler logging with Lisa (Right) Mark Tasker drives Buddy and Albert with the hay cutter in the main ring parade

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Richard Eames with Elizabeth in the single-horse forwarder

Stewards escort the horses across the showground to the main ring for the parade

Richard Eames said, It can only help, bringing people together and sharing ideas not just about horses, but also their approach to work and getting people interested in what we do. Its good there are younger people in the working horse industry now. Young people with new ideas and different opinions can only help take it forward. For example Matt Waller has some good ideas and avenues I hadnt thought of trying. Its been beneficial for me personally. Max Hibbert said, Its great weve got people from up and down the country, north and south. Its great meeting people youve known about, putting a face to a name for example, now when I need harness I know Ill be going to Peter Coates! Jeff Shea said, The Festival benefited greatly from having Henry as part of our front of house. I'm sure we are all grateful for his passion, enthusiasm, engagement with the public, and not least his generosity, that helped make a success of the event.
(Right and below) Suffolk Punch mare Holly pulls the three-gang grass mower, originally designed for use with an ATV

working Suffolk Punches

A range of breeds were represented at the Festival, including traditional Cobs, the part-bred Shire gelding Nathan, and the Shire x Percheron gelding Albert. European breeds included an Ardennes, the handsome Brabant stallion Remco, and a pair of Comtois. It was very heartening to see two working Suffolk Punches, the gelding Trojan and the mare Holly, as well as the part-bred Suffolk gelding Buddy. The breed is ranked Critical the most endangered on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Opinions differ over the use of native versus Continental working horses in Britain. In his conference paper (see page 9) vet Fred Barrelet suggested breeding working horses for type, rather than breed. Today, native Shires, Clydesdales and Suffolk Punches are more often seen in the show ring than as working horses, while Continental Ardennes and Belgians are common among logging horses. Yet native traditional Cobs continue to prove their versatility and ability to work.

Doug Joiner mans the microphone during the main ring parade

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Steffi Schaffler and Lisa with a log arch in the main ring parade

Henry Finzi-Constantine with the Italian Equi-Idea cultivator

Loading logs onto a forwarder Max Hibbert and David Roycroft

Cob owner and horse logger Richard Eames said, There is a misconception that you need a large European or British heavy horse to do this kind of work, and people are surprised to see Elizabeth doing it. I feel shes proved a point, very much so. Im a firm believer that we have everything we want in this country, and we should be supporting British breeds and horses. People complain about British heavy horse breeds such as Shires disappearing, yet they do nothing to rectify it, and I think its a shame. There are good types of Shires available, and these should be selected for, rather than people just dismissing the breed as no longer suitable. Henry Finzi-Constantine, working his Italian vineyard with horses, said, I chose Comtois as I wanted a breed that was not too big, and would remain calm I dont want skittish horses in the vineyard. They are the Rolls-Royce of horses, with a good

temperament, intelligence and the will to work. Sue Days horses exemplify how smaller horses are suited to certain jobs. Her 15.1hh boat horse Bilbo works on the canals, where restricted head room sets a height limit of about 15.2hh. Her mare Bonny demonstrated a pack saddle, and Sue said, Bonny is the better pack horse, being 14.3hh, not too tall to load up!

pride in their horses shines through

Talk to the handlers who took part in the Festival, and whatever their chosen breed, pride in their horses shines through. Mark Tasker said of three-year-old Buddy: He walked into his harness, and ever since has been part of the team. The foals run with the mares when theyre working, so theyve seen it all before. He had a bit of a shake when I dropped a trace chain, but

Sue Day with her 15.1hh boat horse Bilbo; he can pull a 25 tonne load, in a 10 tonne boat

Still smiling despite the rain We made many new friends during the Festival

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Richard Eames and Elizabeth, with forwarder, lead the main ring parade; Peter Coates and Nathan follow with the sledge
(Continued from page 7)

Mark Tasker with Buddy and Albert hitched to the cart; Bramble comes along for the ride

like to thank him for the work hes done. Matt Waller said, Lets do it again! Dougs put a lot of work into organising it. Now theres a team. Surely we could take this to other shows around the country, and raise awareness. Doug Joiner said, The British Festival of the Working Horse was received very enthusiastically and people are very interested and enthusiastic about what might come out of it. The aim is to develop and grow the Festival, whether at the same venue or somewhere else, whether next year or not. Its been very hard work developing the Festival, especially with Julian Grants recent illness and sudden death on Thursday 5th. Rest assured there will be future Festivals, and also mini festivals targeted at specific areas of horse work. Keep an eye on the website for further details.

otherwise was fine. Hes working well on his own, and weve retired our lead horse and replaced him with Buddy. He still has a way to go, but hes learning. Im over the moon with him. I couldnt have wished for a better horse. Traditional Cob Elizabeth led the main ring parades on Friday and Sunday, and her owner Richard Eames said, Elizabeth is quite new to all this, yet she led the two parades, through all the trade stands to the main ring, and didnt bat an eye you cant ask more from a horse than that.

there will be future Festivals

There was overwhelming enthusiasm among the participants for more Festivals to be held in the future. Carole Coates said, Itd be good to see it repeated. Were really pleased and grateful that Doug organised it, and would
(Above left) Comtois geldings Major and Rodeo, owned by Jane Wordsworth (Below left) George Read with his BHL apprentice Dan Sumner (Right) Horse logger and Dales breeder Charlie Parker meets BHL apprentice Richard Eames with Elizabeth, and steward Ian Bowler (Below right) Who rode through last night? Farrier James Morton left his calling card ... (Below far right) Its been fun!

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Charlie Pinney Memorial Award for Innovation In Horse Work Equipment

An Italian multi-purpose cultivator and plough won the first Charlie Pinney Memorial Award for Innovation in Horse Work Equipment. Albano Muscados versatile Equi-Idea Multi, for horticulture and viticulture, was judged the most innovative of the equipment put forward for the award. The judges were the conference speakers and chair, who said they were impressed by the range of equipment they had seen, which was designed for work on the land and in forestry. Festival Director Doug Joiner said, What they tried to do was select the equipment Charlie Pinney would have liked. He added, Sadly Ella Pinney-Hammel, Charlies widow, was not able to attend the show to present the prize as she has sold their farm and is in the process of moving. She was represented by a close friend, Tiff Hall.

The winners: 1st: Albano Muscado (represented by Henry Finzi-Constantine), the Equi-Idea Multi, an Italian multipurpose cultivator and plough (pictured above) 2nd: Ed Hamer, the PROMMATA Kassine, a French cultivator (pictured below left; and below centre with Remco) 3rd: Doug Joiner, a two-horse, six-wheeled forwarder with powered loading (pictured below right)

these facts are clear and beyond dispute: living horse power is cheap and readily available. We can breed horses, without limit, without endangering the planet. We know a lot about them and how to use them. They can pull things for us, carry us, help support our society, feed it and enable it to function. They can do so far better than they did so in the past if we take advantage of some of the technical advances made in agriculture and machinery design. They can be fed from our fields. They don't destroy the environment but enhance it. They create employment, not replace it. They are a source of companionship in the workplace, a source of pride and pleasure when seen to be working to perfection in harmony with man and his surroundings. So why on earth don't we use them...? (Charlie Pinney, 2003)

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Wor k in g H or ses in t o t h e 21st C en t ur y: C on fer en ce Rep or t a n d Su m ma r y of Pa p er s

The Conference on Saturday afternoon attracted great interest, with the venue full to overflowing. It was chaired by Carl Boyde, founder and President of the Southern Counties Heavy Horse Association, the oldest working horse association in Europe. The speakers, all experts in their fields, covered a range of topics significant to the working horse community, and in their different ways were informative, thought-provoking and inspiring. Question and answer sessions followed each paper, and there was a general discussion at the end. Summaries of the papers and discussion points are given below, and full transcripts and a DVD will be available in due course (see www.festivaloftheworkinghorse.co.uk). The conference was followed by a champagne reception, generously provided by Laurent Perrier. During the reception, farrier James Morton gave a talk on draft horse shoeing. Doug Joiner said, The conference was very well attended and extremely well received, with some very interesting and thought-provoking points of view from the speakers, and challenging questions from the floor. The conference was perhaps the single most important part of the weekend, because of the ground-breaking presentations which will help us to take horse work in general forward well into the twenty-first century.

Conference chair Carl Boyde (centre) with speakers Henry FinziConstantine, Kit Vaughan, Fred Barrelet and Pit Schlechter

European Initiatives and Experiences in Uses of Horses for Work in Europe Pit Schlechter
President of FECTU, umbrella organisation representing working horses in ten Western European countries, plus Poland Eastern and Central European countries have 99 per cent of the working horse population, and widespread know-how, but their governments want to supersede working animals. Agriculture and forestry are mechanising fast. There is growing interest in working horses in Western Europe, with magazines such as Heavy Horse World, Sabot and Starke Pferde, and international events including the Route de Poisson, and this British Festival of the Working Horse. We have new horsedrawn machinery, such as Charlie Pinneys, and a lot of Amish machinery imported from the USA. Research is being done on the relative efficiency of harness and equipment. There is demand for training courses and apprenticeships. But the profile of working animals is negative worldwide, and animal right societies are fighting against the use of working animals. The rural population in Europe is low and quite old. If you earn your money with physical effort, such as in forestry, you dont have much respect; but if you pay money to use

body-building machines you are considered highly respectable. Some object to seeing working horses sweating, yet the same people watch jumping competitions and clap their hands. For years working horse people have organised events and conferences, but we need to invite people from outside our closed circuit to meet and discuss with us. We have such good arguments, but never have the opportunity of debate with people who are against horses. There is a real comeback in urban working horses in France: 120 cities and towns are using them. But the problem with animal welfare organisations is biggest in urban surroundings, and it has been tried and stopped in Oxford, Rome, Vienna, Berlin. It is easier to work horses on farms and in forests. The positives include awareness of the energy crisis, and the importance of sustainable farming and small farms for food security. There are 11 million small farmers in the EU, and 10 working animals to one tractor worldwide. There are horse loggers at most big forestry and agricultural shows; here you can convince new people. Is there a comeback of the working horse in Europe? Id say the chances have never been so good.

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Horses as a Green Energy Source Kit Vaughan

Director of Climate and Environment CARE International, formerly WWF Climate Change Advisor Going back to the future and using working horses is a positive way forward, given the growing problems of energy costs and supply: We can capture and build upon an excellent source of renewable energy what I call real horsepower. Most people have a romantic, myopic view of heavy horses as belonging to bygone days, but there is increasing recognition of the role working horses can play in horticulture, viticulture, logging, local transport, now and in the future. A horse is renewable energy: energy from the sun, to plants, translates into usable energy. Leave a tractor in a field for a year and itll rust; leave a horse, and with any luck itll produce another one. The challenges to food production include global warming and extremes of climate. Fuel will double in price in the next five years; this should make rethink how how we live, produce food and use energy. Fuel costs will force us to be

more local. Agricultural production must double to meet demand: We need a massive shift in the production of food and the use of energy. Horses used to be the backbone of this country and this economy, but today it is hard to find quality working horses in the UK, and farriery and leathercraft skills are dying out. Theres a skill and knowledge drop-off that constrains the revival of working horses. High start-up costs for land and equipment deter wouldbe farmers, and few young people want this lifestyle. We must support a new generation to take up these skills, such as through the British Horse Loggers apprenticeship scheme, and build on centuries of loss of knowledge around horse management. Horses should be bred for their intelligence and working ability, not for show. In some ways the future is shaped for us, were locked in by the choices of our past. But weve got to take ownership. Farmers need to drive an agro-ecological revolution: We can act now with foresight towards a sustainable economy horses have a key role to play.

Selective Breeding and Keeping Horses Fit for Purpose Fred Barrelet
Newmarket-based equine vet and selective breeding specialist, with a special interest in the Suffolk Punch Continental horse breeding contrasts with common UK practise: In France, if a horse misbehaves or is unsound, they eat it. In the UK, they breed from it. Europe has a history of national systems of stallion selection, and the UK should create similar breeding programmes. Breed the type of horse for the type of job you want doing, not breeds as such. We have four indigenous breeds but as working horse people we might have to go out and select horses to suit our needs best. I abhor huge horses: the bigger they are, the more prone to disease, illness, problems. Those 18 handers are not that healthy over time. Small, powerful and agile is better, I would argue. Compact, sturdy horses are best for working in the modern world. Working breeds have been maintained by using them for competing: showing, driving trials, ploughing matches. Is this bad? No, its necessary. Of course wed like to work these horses again, thats what theyre for, but not all owners will have homesteads to work on. Id like to see showing as part of the selection process, where judges select for working stock. On the Continent, horses that dont make the grade go for meat, a fantastic way of maintaining quality; the rest are then performance tested.

Fat covers conformation faults, and Id like to see these horses fit. The round Suffolk Punch rear end is not necessarily muscle. Obesity is a welfare issue, and horses are at risk of insulin resistance and laminitis. But this is not a problem for horses logging or ploughing. In the UK, breed standards have changed dramatically in the last 5060 years, away from useful working standards, to pleasing the eye. We need breeds fit for purpose. Selection criteria include type, conformation, gait and progeny: Are they up to the job? They should be healthy, and free of genetically transmitted defects. Many working breeds are now only shown, so not enough attention is paid to their feet, but a working horse needs good feet. There are predispositions to undesirable conditions and hereditary diseases, including laminitis, sarcoids and sweet itch. But selecting against navicular may be a red herring. Whistling or roaring, which reduces airflow to the lungs, is not evident in the show ring, but will be if the horse is worked. Selection against this in draft breeds will have gone retrograde, because they have not been working. Temperament is very, very important. The general population, no longer used to working horses, are petrified, or think theyre cuddly, or that were being cruel to them. So horses must be good to handle and work with.

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Horses in Organic and Biodynamic Wine Production Henry Finzi-Constantine

Producer of organic, biodynamic wines from the Castello di Tassarolo vineyard in Italy, worked with horses There has been a loss of good agricultural methods. There was a time when we were far more sensitive to the land. If we treat the ground as sterile, we render it sterile. Organics and biodynamics may not save the world, but they may save agriculture. Biodynamic farming tries to go beyond the threshold of whats invisible. Its developing our understanding of whats going on behind the scenery of nature. Compaction by heavy equipment renders the ground dead, and our rivers flood because the land cannot drink and absorb rainfall. The idea of using horses for me was to give life to the ground; with horses and biodynamic cultivation I was working to create health, not to cure illness. I use no insect repellents, not even natural ones; I want to create life. The vines are responding to the presence of horses for two years; the quality of the wines has improved, and the quality of the land we have been surrounded by living things. The whole place has come to life with the presence of horses and their manure: biodynamic gold I call it.

A neighbour came to work with my horses. He said, Normally I sit on a tractor for eight hours of noise and fumes. Today was the first time I knew what it means to be a farmer: I could see the work in front of me, I could feel the work this is farming. We need to put people behind a plough, put the reins in their hands. Theyll never want to return to a tractor. My partner says: Its not about going back to the past, its a visionary bridge to the future. If I had 100 acres it would be too big a project with working horses. For small to medium farms not only is it viable but it is necessary. Even in Italy, I dont see many animals near me. What happened to the animals that make the land good? We have to take things into our own hands and develop the life we want. Im working with other farmers to create a label for products produced by heavy horses. There are economic, agricultural and human approaches to valuing horses. They pay us with their kindness, willingness, intelligence. When I go through the vineyard with the horses working, my crew all light up. Working with horses creates a quality of life; our lives become richer, our horizons wider.

(Left) Horses and handlers gather to mark the end of the Festival; Henry Finzi-Constantine presents Doug Joiner with a celebratory bottle of wine (Below) Packing up Sue Days boat horse Bonny demonstrates a military packsaddle

Design, editorial and photographs by Cathrin Vaughan editor@britishhorseloggers.org British Festival of the Working Horse: www.festivalofthe workinghorse.co.uk
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