IT might be a sight from about 150 years ago when horses were used to work the land on Dartmoor.
However these photographs were taken just days ago, an increasingly common sight as heavy horses are used to take the strain in place of mechanised vehicles.
This apparent journey back in time has a progressive aim in view, to reduce the physical damage to habitats of using diggers and other vehicles and cut out pollution from engine exhaust fumes.
The horses drag heavy branches, woody debris and trees downstream which are then used in rivers to create new habitats and reduce flooding by slowing the water flow.
South West Lakes Trust has worked with Dartmoor Horse Loggers on the headwaters of the River Meavy near Burrator reservoir. With the help of volunteers from the Environment Agency, Babcock, Arcadis and the South West Lakes Trust’s regular volunteers, the horses have been pulling woody debris such as trees and branches downstream for the volunteers pack into the river. The debris was sourced from the catchment earlier in the year.
This will create habitats for fish and invertebrates and build up the riverbed over time by trapping sediment between branches. It will improve wetland habitats alongside the banks, benefiting important species such as dragonflies, damselflies, frogs and toads as well as moorland birds such as meadow pipits and skylarks. It could also create habitat for the nearby population of curlew.
This work had been funded by the Environment Agency’s Water Environment Improvement Fund as part of the wider South West Water funded Dartmoor Green Recovery project.
Morwenna Thelier, South West Lakes Trust’s biodiversity officer, said: “Working with the horses has been great, because their work is less damaging to the ground than alternatives like diggers or quad bikes, so we are very grateful to Will from Dartmoor Horse Loggers and the horses Polly and Beano for their help.”
Carolyn Cadman, director of natural resources for South West Water, said: “Using horses in this work offers many benefits over machinery. They have a low environmental impact and their lighter footprint helps to preserve ecosystems.”
