My daughter just received a lovely book for her birthday; it's an encyclopaedia of horses around the world -- published in Britain. (Sadly it does not include our Canadien Horse or Newfoundland Ponies) The entry for Shire horses includes the fact that they are still used for short haul trips from a brewery, i.e. any trip under 5 miles. Says it's cheaper than using a truck (guess that would be lorry) for such a short distance. While it sounds so charming, is that just romanticizing something that used to exist, but no longer? Or is it done for the tourists? Or does it really happen. My heart would like to think that it does, but ...... we hardly even have trains any more, let alone horses. The truck is ubiquitous. I think you Brits still rely on trains, do you still use horses. The only people here who really use horses to work the land are the Mennonites. It's something to drive by, I think they use mostly shires, probably some Belgians, for work, and then a lighter horse for the buggy.
Do horses still "work" in G.B.?
- Thread starter Martagon
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the brewers do still use shire's I believe, personally I have never seen any in the city, but i do know they are still used. you generally see them more parading at race courses and shows though.
clydesdales are still used in forrestry work and shires and other heavies still plough sometimes, but to be honest it is not a common site, although it does still happen!
clydesdales are still used in forrestry work and shires and other heavies still plough sometimes, but to be honest it is not a common site, although it does still happen!
some of the big brewery chains keep up horses, and i know harrods has a carriage that is allegedly used for deliveries, but i haven't seen it out on the streets of london! they do show them, in some shows there are classes for trade turnouts for draught horses. i wouldn't be enormously surprised if they are used in more rural areas.
I've quite often seen smaller ponies used in Towns and cities pulling carts for "Rag 'n' Bone" men and horses are still used as a means of transport in Dublin, Ireland (though the welfare of some of the ponies has been called into question over the years - I don't know enough to comment). If you go to many more industrial areas of the towns and cities (and probably the areas with higher unemployment) you will quite often see cobs and ponies tethered on common ground to be used for pulling small traps and carts, mainly for work purposes.
Ponies were also used as pit ponies up until very recently. Shires and Clysdales are definitely coming back into fashion in some farming areas as they switch from mass produced farming to more traditional organic farming, though they are predominantly seen at open air museums and at country shows. Heavy horses are also used within the army as part of their ceremonial duties. However, in some rural areas the only really sensible way to get around is on horseback and I know that certainly in Cornwall and Wales a lot of Farmers still move around their land using horses, just because it is too hilly to do otherwise.
Ponies were also used as pit ponies up until very recently. Shires and Clysdales are definitely coming back into fashion in some farming areas as they switch from mass produced farming to more traditional organic farming, though they are predominantly seen at open air museums and at country shows. Heavy horses are also used within the army as part of their ceremonial duties. However, in some rural areas the only really sensible way to get around is on horseback and I know that certainly in Cornwall and Wales a lot of Farmers still move around their land using horses, just because it is too hilly to do otherwise.
A few breweries do still use horses to do deliveries. These breweries also have big show drays and would you beleive it are (or used to be) actually paid by the big shows to enter for the heavy horse classes . It caused a bit of trouble as the road coach teams were not paid and had to pay to enter, they considered themselves as just as much a crowd puller......then the huge argument started that if the decision was made to pay the road coaches to turn up, then ALL driving turnouts should get paid. Oh the joy of politics!
But in answer some folk do still use them.
But in answer some folk do still use them.
There is a farm in Northumberland that is entiely run with heavy horses. There was a TV series and a book about them. A series of models was also made by "Border Fine Arts".
Some of the local breweries used to have horse drawn carts, but I havent seen them recently.
Some of the local breweries used to have horse drawn carts, but I havent seen them recently.
Until the Vaux brewery in Sunderland closed a couple of years ago they were still using horses for the city centre deliveries. They had Percherons and Gelderlanders. When the brewery closed the Percherons went to another brewery, one of the Gelderlanders was retired and the others are now working at Beamish Open Air museum.
There is an area in the town where I live called the Dingle, a kind of woody bit with a river and trails and so on, covers a few acres, where the local council has been carrying out maintenance work. They've been clearing deadwood and felling sick trees. The place is environmentally sensitive - it leads to Cefni reservoir which is home to a lot of birds and wildfowl etc - so machinery is not easy to use there (plus there's parts you couldn't reach by machine).
So, all the clearing has been done by a local Shire with chains. He's trailered there each day, harnessed up, and spends all day in the woods dragging the dead stuff out. There was a piece in the local paper - I'll see if I can look it out for you.
They also use Suffolks in and around Snowdonia for the same job. These are all genuine working horses, so yes, we still use them!
So, all the clearing has been done by a local Shire with chains. He's trailered there each day, harnessed up, and spends all day in the woods dragging the dead stuff out. There was a piece in the local paper - I'll see if I can look it out for you.
They also use Suffolks in and around Snowdonia for the same job. These are all genuine working horses, so yes, we still use them!
Suffolks
Whilst I was at the Royal Show this year, I met up with the team of Suffolks from a prison actually based in Suffolk. The horses are used in traditional farming methods there, I believe. I'll try and find a link that tells you more about them.
What I didn't realise is Suffolk Punch horses are on the 'critical' list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust breeds listing. So I promptly rushed off and joined the Rare Breeds Survival Trust! In the RBST magazine this quarter there is an article about the first artificial insemination from one of the Suffolks at the prison.
Am I just dim, or did other people realise there was such a problem with Suffolks? I truly was shocked. Two other horses on the critical list are the Cleveland Bay, although a University (Leicester I think?) has begun a breeding programme; and the Eriskay pony.
On the 'Endangered' list are the Fell pony and the Exmoor pony, whilst Dales, Darmoors and Highlands are on the vulnerable list.
It's very disturbing news, isn't it?
Oh, back onto the 'working horses' theme - Adnams Brewery in Southwold, Suffolk still uses its horses within the town. But I don't think there is widespread use of horses anymore.
Heather
Whilst I was at the Royal Show this year, I met up with the team of Suffolks from a prison actually based in Suffolk. The horses are used in traditional farming methods there, I believe. I'll try and find a link that tells you more about them.
What I didn't realise is Suffolk Punch horses are on the 'critical' list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust breeds listing. So I promptly rushed off and joined the Rare Breeds Survival Trust! In the RBST magazine this quarter there is an article about the first artificial insemination from one of the Suffolks at the prison.
Am I just dim, or did other people realise there was such a problem with Suffolks? I truly was shocked. Two other horses on the critical list are the Cleveland Bay, although a University (Leicester I think?) has begun a breeding programme; and the Eriskay pony.
On the 'Endangered' list are the Fell pony and the Exmoor pony, whilst Dales, Darmoors and Highlands are on the vulnerable list.
It's very disturbing news, isn't it?
Oh, back onto the 'working horses' theme - Adnams Brewery in Southwold, Suffolk still uses its horses within the town. But I don't think there is widespread use of horses anymore.
Heather
Thats very interesting! I don't think any of the horses here are actually used for work! Sometimes for shows etc. Or big events!
But I guess some do sleigh rides and wagon rides, but thats only at farms, or sometimes in the city too to make money! Wow thats fairly interesting!
But I guess some do sleigh rides and wagon rides, but thats only at farms, or sometimes in the city too to make money! Wow thats fairly interesting!
Horses are used here for farmwork on some of the real hilly farms,also there is one pair of Clydesdales that takes a cart around the city for tourists, and horses have been used for search and rescue in the wilderness, but I think these were local riders helping out, not specially trained.
I think all the riding school ponies and horses work extra hard for their living too! In Melbourne there are a few horsedriven carriages which give you a tour of the inner city; and of course Police horses....Vera
I think all the riding school ponies and horses work extra hard for their living too! In Melbourne there are a few horsedriven carriages which give you a tour of the inner city; and of course Police horses....Vera
The Bass Brewery museum in Burton Upon Trent Staffs was famous for their Shires, they used to go from Burton to Lichfield,but im 99% sure they don't any more.
At the county shows you will seee plenty of Shire and Clydesdales and if your lucky some Sufollk Punch. At the Royal you can see just about every breed of heavy horse and more.Sadly the heavy horse are met with indifference amongst some of the 'Horsey set'
There are working farms in the UK that use heavy horse for all types of work,you can go to most plough matches and see horse working.
In the midlands there are still plenty of horse used for wedding and funerals, the carrige and horse are beautiful.
We still have trams in Wolverhapmton.
We dont have anything like Victoria Island or Stanley Park in Canada where there are more horse and carriage than taxi{all the horse there have those rubber shoes too}
The photo is of working horse in USA around the 1920s pulling combine harvester{from verey rare book of agricultural and construction machinery}The quality is poor but it just shows how far we have advanced.
At the county shows you will seee plenty of Shire and Clydesdales and if your lucky some Sufollk Punch. At the Royal you can see just about every breed of heavy horse and more.Sadly the heavy horse are met with indifference amongst some of the 'Horsey set'
There are working farms in the UK that use heavy horse for all types of work,you can go to most plough matches and see horse working.
In the midlands there are still plenty of horse used for wedding and funerals, the carrige and horse are beautiful.
We still have trams in Wolverhapmton.
We dont have anything like Victoria Island or Stanley Park in Canada where there are more horse and carriage than taxi{all the horse there have those rubber shoes too}
The photo is of working horse in USA around the 1920s pulling combine harvester{from verey rare book of agricultural and construction machinery}The quality is poor but it just shows how far we have advanced.
This really is an interesting response. I hadn't thought about the horses used in forestry - there are a very few used here in Canada. The Suffolk Punch is on our endangered breeds list as well; I know there is one farm in the area with them.
Heather, there is a group called 'Rare Breeds Canada' that you may want to do a google search for - it gives a list of the breeds considered rare here.
The heavy horse breeds (here, Belgians, Clydes mostly) are being bred with a lighter horse for jumping purposes. Unfortunately, they are also breeding out the Canadien horse to other bloodlines to get the strength and stamina of the Canadien into other lines, and to get more height into the Canadiens.
A Gelderlander is a breed I'm not familiar with - I'll have to go look it up in her book. Funny how some breeds were brought over, and others not.
But, as Gracie says, most heavy horses here do the "touristy" hay wagon/sleigh ride pull thing. (My hope is to train our Canandiens [that we don't yet have] to pull the harrows around their paddocks.)
Heather, there is a group called 'Rare Breeds Canada' that you may want to do a google search for - it gives a list of the breeds considered rare here.
The heavy horse breeds (here, Belgians, Clydes mostly) are being bred with a lighter horse for jumping purposes. Unfortunately, they are also breeding out the Canadien horse to other bloodlines to get the strength and stamina of the Canadien into other lines, and to get more height into the Canadiens.
A Gelderlander is a breed I'm not familiar with - I'll have to go look it up in her book. Funny how some breeds were brought over, and others not.
But, as Gracie says, most heavy horses here do the "touristy" hay wagon/sleigh ride pull thing. (My hope is to train our Canandiens [that we don't yet have] to pull the harrows around their paddocks.)
If you visit Blackpool,you will see lots of horses working ,these are 14.2to15.2 cobs, pulling carriges up and down the golden mile. For peaple living outside the U.K. Blackpool is a seaside town.
Working horses
Until a couple of years ago Vaux brewery in Sunderland (NE England) had a beautiful pair of Gelderlander horses pulling a dray through the city centre as it was cheaper than a lorry - and better advertising!
Unfortunately the brewery closed its Sunderland branch but the horses and dray can now be seen in Beamish Open Air Museum pulling the dray down a 1913 street!
Up here we still have some rag and bone men with horses and a good number of gypsies with their coloured cobs.
Esther (borrowing Steve's username!)
Until a couple of years ago Vaux brewery in Sunderland (NE England) had a beautiful pair of Gelderlander horses pulling a dray through the city centre as it was cheaper than a lorry - and better advertising!
Unfortunately the brewery closed its Sunderland branch but the horses and dray can now be seen in Beamish Open Air Museum pulling the dray down a 1913 street!
Up here we still have some rag and bone men with horses and a good number of gypsies with their coloured cobs.
Esther (borrowing Steve's username!)
I've just realised I have exactly repeated a previous post.....ooops I obviously didn't read very carefully sorry Lgd
Esther
Esther
Working horses in UK
It seems by now that you will have realised that there are quite a few horses still working in UK.
Youngs Brewery in London uses dray horses to this day I think - these are maybe the ones you mention in this first post.
I also know someone who worked a couple of horses in the East Grinstead area of Sussex - contracting hauling logs and wood out of the woods for the local council. There is a working horse farm over in Kent somewhere which definitely works their horses.
I have often seen programmes on the TV about people using horses on farms etc.
It is becoming more and more common to use horses to haul timber in areas in need of conservation or special ecological interest etc - the trucks cause too much damage.
Seems a shame they are not used more if you ask me - less noise, less polution, less damage all round.
What does everyone else think?
It seems by now that you will have realised that there are quite a few horses still working in UK.
Youngs Brewery in London uses dray horses to this day I think - these are maybe the ones you mention in this first post.
I also know someone who worked a couple of horses in the East Grinstead area of Sussex - contracting hauling logs and wood out of the woods for the local council. There is a working horse farm over in Kent somewhere which definitely works their horses.
I have often seen programmes on the TV about people using horses on farms etc.
It is becoming more and more common to use horses to haul timber in areas in need of conservation or special ecological interest etc - the trucks cause too much damage.
Seems a shame they are not used more if you ask me - less noise, less polution, less damage all round.
What does everyone else think?
There are quite a few breweries that use heavies for their deliveries around town.
I used to live in a town where the local brewery used horses, and the whip used to back his pair past my little house down this very, very narrow lane to the cellar entrance.It was the most incredible bit of driving I have ever seen.The precision ! with a flat bed heavily loaded with barrels, past the inevitable parked cars which made the lane JUST wide enough for him, and round a corner ! L
I used to live in a town where the local brewery used horses, and the whip used to back his pair past my little house down this very, very narrow lane to the cellar entrance.It was the most incredible bit of driving I have ever seen.The precision ! with a flat bed heavily loaded with barrels, past the inevitable parked cars which made the lane JUST wide enough for him, and round a corner ! L
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