Events and Training 2008

Events in 2008

For details of the Committee 2007/8 go to 'Contact us' on the link above. The 2008/9 Committee will be elected at the AGM.

The 2008 Annual General Meeting of the BHL will be held at 6.00pm on Saturday 17th May in Childer Wood near Ledbury in Herefordshire.

There will be an opportunity for members to put themselves forward for election.

The formal notification of the AGM will be sent to all members along with election forms and the business of the AGM in April.

Progress Event. This will take place in Childer Wood over the weekend of the AGM, the 17th and 18th May 2008.

It will include invited horses only.

The Progress Event will look at some of the newer and larger pieces of equipment being used by some of our members as well as a full range of modern and traditional horse logging equipment.

It will be a fascinating and informative weekend for novices and experienced members.

Equipment such as that on the right will be demonstrated but not the hitching and loading techniques displayed below!

Competition, Childer Wood, 2008

Our newly developed friendly competition will be held for the third year in Childer Wood over the weekend of 19th and 20th July. Open to BHL members only (competitors and spectators) this competition will be a genuine test of high quality, harmonious work of both horses and handlers in a woodland setting; performing tests that reflect the high standard of the work we do.

The Competition will be expanded this year with new elements being added and a pairs or teams competition as well as the competition for a single horse.

In 2007 we had 24 horse and handler teams - let us build on that this year.

Follow the link from the home page for more information.

Membership is due for renewal at the end of March and is only £25. Renewing (or joining!) will ensure your welcome at this and other events in 2008.

FECTU, Germany, 15th and 16th March 2008

The Annual General Meeting of the European Federation for the Promotion of the Use of the Working Horse (FECTU) will be held in Germany. Doug Joiner will represent the BHL and will present a report on the activities of the BHL to other delegates

Training Courses 2008

Working Pairs and Teams.

This training weekend (cost, date and venue to be announced) will be led by John Bunce who has worked a pair to his forwarder for some years. It will be a chance to learn about hitching to poles, double shafts; harness and reins as well as training the horses and the driving skills required.

We have traditionally worked singles and perhaps tandems in forestry. A growth in the demand for working pairs is now being seen.This weekend will help you develop the necessary skills.

Emergency Farriery, Applied Equine Podiatry, Conventional and Complementary Veterinarian Care.

This wide ranging weekend (cost, date and venue to be announced) will enable participants to learn more about these fascinating subjects and come to their own conclusions about the best way to care for and treat their horses. It will be led by experts in their fields and will encourage active debate.

Further Events in 2008

'Seeing is Believing"

In addition to our usual training events and Progress events, the BHL will be active in demonstrating horse extraction on working sites.

In May, June, July and October 2008 we will be taking part in the Borders Festival of the Horse and other festivals and shows in Scotland. Held at various venues in the Scottish Borders and in Lothian, we will be demonstrating horse logging on working sites.

We will also be demonstrating horse logging at a very special invitation only event in July in Cornwall hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchy of Cornwall Woodlands.

This is part of a wider programme our Patron is organising to use horses in the Duchy Woodlands, evaluate the cost effectiveness of their use and demonstrate the effectiveness of their work.

For more information <<click here>>

September 18th to 20th will see us back at the APF forestry show.

This time it will be held at Cannock Chase and we will be amongst some large pine on the inside of the Demonstration Circuit between markers 2,600 and 2,650.

For more information <<click here>>

Future Events

The British Festival of the Working Horse.

The BHL is organising a major working horse festival and celebration over the weekend of 8th and 9th September 2012.

This will feature horses working, demonstrating, competing and performing over two full days at a venue to be announced.

Planning has started so put the dates in your 2012 diary. Venue will be Windsor Great Park. A superb venue, great for the European visitors and their horses arriving by ferry and also great for those flying in to Heathrow or Gatwick. Pretty handy for the British Teams being well placed for access from the motorway network.

There will be horses from all over Europe as well as British teams.

All horses will be doing something - there will be none showing in hand or simply on show. We will have horse logging, farming, working in silviculture, working in the vines and the orchards, urban work, driving and all other aspects of horse work as well as ring events and horse spectacles.

A true working demonstration of the varied roles that horses perform now and will do in the future.

Absolutely not to be missed!

<<click here>> for more information

The BHL is launching a new venture at its Progress Events and other get togethers.

A harness/equipment and other tools 'Bring and Buy'.

If you have any items of equipment you want to sell, bring them along for potential buyers to see.
Items can be notified on the web site and in the newsletter (useful for larger items).