Horse Logging -
I first joined the BHL in 1994. I became a committee memeber and then ended up as Treasurer. They became part of The Foresstry Contracting Association in 1996. It didn't work out as the FCA is such a large organisation that the BHL became lost within it so a few of the BHL members in 2000 thought the BHL ought to be an organisation in its own right so it became separate from the FCA. The BHL is now thriving in its own right and people in the forestry industry are now taking horses working in the forest seriously.
When I first joined Angela Gifford was teaching horse logging at the Holme Lacey College, Nr Hereford. I asked if I could listen in on one of these days and Angela ok'd it. Barrie my eldest lad was about 10 months old at the time, so I put him in my baby backpack and walked across to where Angela was with her class of pupils. As I walked down the hill Angela's voice reached me with a, NOW THEN, THIS YOUNG LADY WALKING DOWN THE FIELD IS JOINING US TODAY BECASUE SHE KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT HORSE LOGGING, But if any of you do become the owner of a horse then Ann is the person to help you train it. As Ann is one of the best people in the country for working with horses. For Angela to even praise me it was an accolade in itself.
Eric Freeman in Hereford holds an Apple blessing evening in about February and I went to it one year. Angela came up to me and told me she was glad I was there as it was someone sensible to talk to. Richard, her husband took his chance and went off looking at the horses while me and Angela watched the start of the proceedings. I met Suzanna Powll there, who I knew from the BHL and we ended up chatting with Thomas Jackson from the Cotswold Cart Horse Society. Thomas was thoroughly amused at my introduction to horse logging by Angela and told me it was typical of her to put me down before she praised me. That evening Angela was ranting on about Edward Hart's new book as some of the things he had written were not quite true to life. I shall tell him she said. AND SHE WILL, laughed Thomas as she went out of the room we were all in.
MAIN MENU CONTACT US PLEASE TURN TO NEXT PAGE