Working Horses

Are draft horses going to get back to work in towns and fields? It might sound like a quaint idea, but with oil production peaking. it might become a necessity very soon. Already, in France, there are now 130 town and city councils (including Paris) using horses for such tasks as rubbish collection, school runs, park maintenance and road sweeping. Increases in fuel prices, and a growing concern for the environment have led many local authorities in France to see working horses as an important element to their sustainable development strategy. Using a draft horse instead of a truck for rubbish collection can cut down CO2 emission by 35%.
This has led to a vast increase in the availability of modern horse drawn equipment. A number of small French companies are manufacturing horse drawn road sweepers, grass cutters, and all sorts of horse drawn trailers for rubbish collection or for the transport of persons, including handicapped people.
Nor it is not just local authorities that are increasingly using draft horses. Larger multinational industrial groups are increasingly getting interested too. Veolia, a world leader in environmental services, has recently won a multi-million, 13 year contract, to operate six 50 people horse drawn shuttles which will take tourists to and from the world famous Mont St Michel.
While Ireland is clearly lagging behind, interest in working horses is increasing. Jim Cronin, who is working his market garden business with the help of two Percheron draft horses, has been running introductory courses for the last 6 years with the Organic Centre in Leitrim. He proudly reports that he sold six work harnesses last year: "that's six more working horses in Ireland". Here too, things are moving and hopefully, Ireland, with its well established equine tradition as well as its native breeds (all of which are working breeds) will soon be playing its part in the revival of the work horse.