About us

We are based in South Devon on the edge of Dartmoor providing a low impact method of timber extraction and woodland management using horses. We cover all of South West England and South Wales. We have three horses, two Ardennes William and Polly and a Comtois Beano. 

Our services include:

  • extracting timber for first thinnings right up to end of life trees ready for milling
  • bracken control using a bracken basher with horses to crush the bracken
  • timber extraction on sensitive sites for wildlife or archaeology
  • extraction and sale of diseased trees
  • tree surgery
  • Purchase of standing timber

We have good contacts with sawmills and firewood merchant and woodland consultants. Our clients include the Woodland Trust, National Trust, RSPB, Welsh Fire Service and private woodland and estate owners.

We are always looking to purchase standing timber, we have good references behind us from previous contracts of standing timber purchases.

 

We won Best Woodland Contractor 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

Working members of the British Horse Loggers.

 

 

 

 

 

NPTC qualified to undertake all forestry and tree surgery work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horse Logging

We use the horses to extract timber from within the woodland to tracks and then contract a tractor and forwarder to take it to a suitable loading bay or roadside depending on the clients requirements.

Our main piece of equipment is called a swingle tree, we use it to extract the majority of timber which is attached to the horses harness and uses a chain around the log. It is very good for steep or tricky sites.

When sites have a long extraction route or are reasonably flat we will use a timber arch which lifts the butt of the timber off the floor reducing friction. Both methods are pulled by the horses and are non mechanical therefore aiding in our low impact methods.

The tractor and forwarders we use are small enough for normal width tracks, meaning tracks do not need to be widened and are good for woodlands with narrow or restrictive access.

Bracken Bashing

Bracken bashing involves the horse pulling a specially designed and made basher which rolls over the bracken crushing the stem in six places, this means the bracken bleeds reducing its strength and likelihood of growing back with as much vigour. This is a process that needs to be repeated once or twice yearly over a number of years.

We have completed bracken bashing for the Woodland Trust, the Welsh Fire Service and private land owners who have all found this to a successful method in reducing the bracken. In Dorset on a Woodland Trust site which we have rolled once a year for 4 years the grass is now more dominant than bracken.

Contact

Email: will@dartmoorhorseloggers.co.uk

Telephone: 07592004523

We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

When providing a quote we will visit the site, preferably with the owner or manager to discuss the requirements and provide any advice.