How The BHL Works

The British Horse Loggers is an independent group and is the national industry body representing horse logging contractors and their supporters.

It offers demonstrations, training, professional development and works to advertise and promote horse logging.

It promotes horse logging as a viable and sustainable industry for the 21st century, benefiting our woodlands and our horses, keeping traditional and important skills alive.

Below is a description of horse logging and how it is carried out with pictures of a range of horses and equipment used today by horse logging contractors.

How Horse Loggers Work

Horse logging is the extraction of timber using horses as 'base machine' with a wide range of traditional and modern implements. Horse loggers work through the whole range of timber produced in British woodlands; from small coppice poles and firewood, through thinnings in soft and hard woods up to final crop - large saw logs in soft and hard woods.

Horse loggers are currently employed throughout Britain. They work in our state forests, for the woodland and wildlife trusts, for our statutory agencies, national and local bodies and authorities, voluntary groups and for private owners of large and small woodlands. There are successful horse logging contractors working throughout Scotland, England and Wales. Most work as self employed contractors. Some are employed on estates and on long term contracts. Horse loggers work in commercial, amenity, conservation and private woodlands.

Horse logging has considerable benefits over other extraction systems. It is the ultimate low impact extraction system and out performs all other small scale systems including quad bikes and mini forwarders.

Horse logging allows for a highly selective sylvicultural management of our woodlands resulting in a quality of woodland management and woodland care that can not be equalled. Horses can extract timber effectively and safely through standing timber without causing any damage to the standing crop, compacting the soil, or causing damage or disturbance to the flora and fauna.

Horse logging can appear to be expensive, superficially. It is highly skilled and complex work and demands a premium.When the quality of the work is taken into account along with the low impact, the lower reliance upon expensive infrastructure, such as stoned roads, and the lack of costly reperation, the cost equation evens out.

Horse loggers are often asked to work with poor quality timber on dangerous terrain over a long distance. This can give a poor impression of outputs. Allowed a reasonable extraction distance, good timber and reasonable terrain, horse logging can be cost effective and cost competitive and the daily output is impressive.

Horse logging is not an outdated and outmoded relic of a previous age. It is a vibrant and continuous tradition using the very best of the past; the traditional and important skills of life long horse men and women, with the very best of the current; the contemporary, practical skills of working horses, their handlers and modern equipment. It has an important niche in contemporary forestry and does not threaten or challenge more conventional systems, seeking rather to complement and enhance those systems.

Horse loggers perform other important services in forestry. Controlling bracken, brambles and other invasive weeds, scarifying to encourage natural regeneration, moving fencing materials, tools and equipment as well as working in establishment. Horses can offer a flexible answer to a range of access problems.