Teaching An Old Horse New Tricks

We have always had the intention of getting Chester in a pair of shafts, but with one thing and another had never found the time.

He had worked as a pair a long time ago with Phil Wilsons mare Hillcroft Lucy with varying amounts of success but after that we didn't really try him as a pair again until 2007 !

Summer 2000

Chester and Lucy log timber snigging at Holcot Show in 2000

September 2007

Graham Turners Billy-Jim and Chester on a pole At Catton Show - this gave us the encouragement to finally sort out the hitch cart that had been in bits in the garden for the past 5 years !

November 2007

 Cart reassembled and modified so that it could be towed by the car it was time for the first flight.

Graham, Loraine and Leanne Turner fitting Chester to their cart pad and breeching.

and we are off - Graham driving from the floor  and Me and Leanne with lead ropes it quickly became apparent that we weren't going to have any major problems.

Graham about to drive him from the seat for the first time.

Chilled out - though we still retained a third line to pull him round if things got out of hand.

a turn of speed through the fog

Showing Lyn the ropes as Chester puts the power down going up his field...............

End of the first attempt ! - Conclusions, all was fine but a few more mods were required to the cart, first, removing driving harness fittings (catching on the cart gear chains), Moving the staple on the shafts forward forward by about 8 inches to give him more leg room, and to pack the height of the cart up by about another 6 inches to give a better line of draft and seating position.

Second go on a Sunny but very cold and windy February day

This was using our own cart pad and breeching and as soon as we had got every thing in the right place we quickly rugged Chester back up and retreated to the warm !

Finally out and about, there cant be a lot of shire horses who still have steam engines as neighbours !

Who needs a Land Rover to go green laining :-)

On the site of the old Horsehay Company factory we now have the aptly named Shire Fields Way (as well as Clydesdale Drive and Suffolk Way)

First official outing at Lower Penn Horse Parade

Thanks for all the help and advise given all we now need is some warm weather to finish painting the vehicle !

c. heavyhorses.co.uk March 2008