Working a horse in the field and woodland, step by step

1. What horses and donkeys can do

The horse is coming back where a machine can't go or isn't needed.

1. Steep ground and between rows — A horse is worth most on small and steep fields and between the rows of orchards and vineyards, where a tractor can't get through or breaks branches.
2. Woodland without compaction — In young woodland a horse doesn't compact the soil or break the regrowth as a machine does. That's why horse extraction of timber is coming back.
3. Start with harrowing — Harrowing is the easiest field job and a good start to the season. One horse harrows roughly 0.5–1 ha (1.2–2.5 acres) a day.
4. Mule and donkey — A mule is best for pack work on a track. A donkey carries packs, pulls a small cart and works an ard in the garden, but it doesn't extract timber.

Why: For large areas, deep ploughing and big haulage jobs a machine is faster and cheaper per hour. A horse is best for small and steep plots, work between rows, woodland, wet ground and short daily trips.

• A horse makes sense when it works regularly. A horse that works 10 days a year is an expensive engine.
• Extracting timber from woodland is not a job for a donkey: only a trained horse or mule and a trained handler.

2. Fitness and the working day

A horse that has stood in all winter isn't fit to plough in April.

1. Build fitness gradually — In the first week 30–60 minutes at a walk, then more each week. In 4–6 weeks the horse reaches a full day of 4–6 hours.
2. Breaks during work — In heavy work, such as ploughing and woodland, a break of 5–10 minutes every 30–60 minutes, and more often uphill.
3. Midday in the shade — The working day is in two parts, with a longer midday break of 1–2 hours. Above roughly 25–28 °C (77–82 °F), work early in the morning and in the evening.
4. Water and salt — Water every 1–2 hours. A horse cools itself by sweating and loses a lot of water and salt, so a horse that sweats heavily also gets salt.

Why: Muscles, tendons, hooves and heart need 4–6 weeks of gradual work. An unfit horse tires quickly, gets galled under the harness and injures its tendons.

• Heatstroke: fast breathing that doesn't settle within 10–15 minutes, it stops sweating, it staggers. Stop at once, take it out of harness, get it into the shade, hose cold water over its neck and legs and call the vet.
• A horse that is lame, coughing or galled doesn't work.

3. Ploughing · Locked

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4. Hoeing and earthing up · Locked

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5. Hay and carting · Locked

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6. Extracting timber · Locked

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