Southern Counties Heavy Horse Association Annual Spring Working.

Southern Counties Heavy Horse Association held its annual spring working, coupled with a Progress Day, on an excellent site at Lower Bisterne farm near Ringwood on April 11th where in excess of fifty heavy horses took part.

For the un-initiated a Progress Day is an American term given to a day demonstrating the progress made in either modern horse drawn machinery or the adaptation of agricultural equipment for use with horses. Some fine examples of such machinery was provided by Devon manufacturer Charlie Pinney for both demonstration and trial together with some interesting adaptations by Southern Counties Vice President Nick Raynor. It was evident from the work carried out that the working horse can still play a part in modern agriculture quite efficiently and economically if given the opportunity.

"Four in hand" - a multiple hitch of four Ardennes horses

Visitors to the show enjoyed demonstrations of ploughing from a traditional pair to a six horse team put to a "ride on" two furrow plough, disc harrowing, cultivating, harrowing, rolling, manure spreading, grass cutting and much more, all of which can be carried out without the need to walk the m miles of yesteryear. With the aid of the modern hitch carts, the horseman of today has no need to walk for hours on end. For the benefit of those who do not know what a hitch cart is, it is a two wheeled utility vehicle with shafts for a single horse or a pole for a pair and a seat for the horseman. They are available in various forms from a single point hitch for simple operations like harrowing, to a ground driven power take off, through to fully operational hydraulic three point linkage driven by an independent engine, literally converting tractor power to horse power and ideal for harder.

Randy His cox with his Suffolks and the hitch cart used regularly on his farm in Dorset

Other attractions included selected trade and craft stands, children's amusements, wagon rides, and a hands on area where visitors could drive a heavy horse, all of which made a perfect day out for the whole family.

The day finished with a nostalgic look back over the century with a demonstration of ploughing, starting with a traditional horse team followed by a horse drawn ride on plough after which came the vintage tractor pulling a trailer plough of 1930's vintage with finally a new modern four wheel drive tractor with a five furrow reversible plough. To see these all on one plot, working one behind the other, really was a sight to behold.