My lovely (work) horse
Horse power is coming back into use across the land, writes Nick Bramhill
They are synonymous with a rose-tinted image of Ireland that has long since disappeared. Save for nostalgic postcards and the silver screen in schmaltzy movies like The Quiet Man and Far and Away, precious few people would ever have seen a workhorse going about its daily grind.
But all that is about to change as workhorses are making a comeback as people seek out cheaper and greener transport.
Farmers with smallholdings are swapping their tractors for four-hoofed power as a more efficient way to tackle tricky terrain, cause less damage to their land and even benefit from free manure.
Even motorists, fed up with soaring fuel costs, are ditching their vehicles and opting for old-fashioned horses and carts.
Such is the uptake that specialist equipment is now being imported from the US, where it is produced on a large scale for the Amish community.
The recently established Irish Workhorse Association has noted a steady increase in people turning back to horse power.
But the group, formed last November, believes working horses will become a more common sight across the country in the next few years, as fossil-fuel prices continue to rise and the public becomes more environmentally aware.
Christophe Mouze, the Association's secretary, who uses horse power on his 240-acre farm on Clare Island, Co Mayo, said workhorses should no longer be seen as a quaint tourist attraction.
Mr Mouze, who moved from Paris to Ireland 23 years ago, believes this country still lags behind much of Europe in the take-up of workhorses.
"In much of Europe the tradition of using workhorses died out during the Second World War, but in Ireland they were still relatively common in the 50s.
"But while they have reappeared in a big way on the continent, that's not the case here yet. A lot of people see them as a nostalgic tourist attraction, such as the jarveys in Killarney, but don't see a use for them beyond that.
"They represent the future. In France many local authorities now use them for waste collection, because it saves fuel and time.
"In the UK there are many loggers using horses, but there's only one here at the moment, so we still have some way to go."
However, the association's vice-president Sandra Schmid says her introductory courses, which she runs from her farm in Bantry, Co Cork, are consistently full. Mrs Schmid, who uses her two cobs to pick up groceries from the local shop, said: "I've trained about 50 people since November when we set up the association.
"There's a few hundred people across the country using horses regularly for work at the moment, mostly organic farmers and market gardeners, but there are some people who want to learn the skills to use horses instead of cars.
"It worked for many centuries before mechanisation, and it made sense to use the tractor when it first appeared because fuel then was so cheap.
"But that's no longer the case. It's definitely the future, because it's kind to the environment and it will save money."
Mona Muller (40) is typical of the growing number discovering the benefits of workhorses.
Mona, who runs a small 25-acre holding with partner Harry Bartlink in east Clare, said: "I wouldn't have it any other way. It just makes sense, because our land is too small for a tractor and too big for a rotavator, and using horses is so much better for the soil.
"I can certainly see a day when the land will be covered with workhorses again. When oil supplies eventually run out or become inaffordable, what other alternative is there?"
Lifelong farmer John Ford, in his early fifties, only introduced workhorses to his 130-acre organic farm in Newmarket, Co Cork, four years ago, but says he wished he had done it sooner.
"Horses are an efficient power source. They graze off the land, fertilise it and produce young.
"I still use machinery, but where possible I use horses because it doesn't make sense to have a tractor burning diesel all day long.
"The land benefits so much more from horses, because they damage it far less than machinery because they are so much lighter."
And he said there's another good reason he prefers equine power to machinery -- they make good company.
"It's not for everyone and can be a labour of love at times. Farrier and veterinary bills do add up.
"But horses make great companions, especially when you're working on your own in the fields. I love their company and they all have different personalities. A horse is far more interesting to be around than a tractor, let me tell you."
"People should realise that we're not a bunch of eccentrics. Horses are the most practical solution to our needs."
For more information, see workinghorses.ie and horsepowerinireland.com.
- Nick Bramhill
Irish Independent
