Ella at Three Counties Show

Ella at Royal Welsh Show

Ella in Royal Welsh Show Centenary Cavalcade

Dot at Staffordshire County Show (actually in a wood!)

Children from St Anthony's School, Solihull at 2007 Oaks and Shires (sic) with Ella

Working horse demonstrations

2014 dates.

17th May. The British Festival of the Working Horse 'mini festival' promoting the uses of horses in horticulture. good horses and contemporay equipment on display and in demonstration. Hosted by Daylesford Organics in Gloucestershire.

28th and 29th May. Staffordshire County Show, the "Wood Fest". Nestling in its own oak woodland setting in Lower Berryhill Wood, next to the red car park and the Country Pursuits Arena, the Childer Wood team and friends. From felling trees to finished timber products, the Woodfest demonstrates how woodland management can benefit our woodlands and how 'value addition' can help to make it financially viable.

24th and 25th May. British Horse Loggers competitions and AGM, kindly hosted by Steffi Schaffler and David Roycroft in SW Scotland. Click on the link for details.

8th June. Westons Open Farm Sunday, Nuttal Farm, Much Marcle.

18th, 19th and 20th September. APF International Forestry Exhibition. The BHL working demonstrations and BHLCT information. Stand on the Demonstration Circuit from 480 - 520.

Horse Logging Show Demonstrations

Doug Joiner is a full time professional horse logging contractor. He works over a wide geographic area as well as the long term management of the woodlands at Childer Wood and Meephill Coppice near Ledbury.

Working with horses,with their flexible power and delicacy, enables a quality of woodland management that can hardly be equalled by other means.

The work is on all terrains and in all woodland types. He works in both soft and hard woods, from first thinning through to final crop using a comprehensive range of traditional and modern horse logging equipment and harness. He specialises in short contracts, able to move a team of cutters and horses for extraction onto a site and offering a cost competitive service. He works for statutory, national and local bodies, various woodland and wildlife trusts and many owners of small and large privately owned woodlands and his work has won national conservation and forestry awards.

The horses he uses are ‘Jacob’ a 17.2 hands high Percheron gelding, 'Agua' and 'Salva', a pair of 16 hands high Silesian Noriker mares and ‘Thistle’ a 14.2 hands high coloured cob mare.

Doug Joiner takes his demonstration to shows all over the country. In addition to time in the ring, the demonstration includes a static display of harness, equipment and photographs. It is a chance for the public to meet a genuine working horse - a rarity nowadays - and for everyone to find out more about the role of the working horse in contemporary forestry.

Doug also undertakes related horse work such as mechanical bracken control, trains horses for work and runs training courses for aspiring and started horse men and women.

Doug was Chair of the British Horse Loggers for 13 years, standing down in 2013. He is Chair of the British Horse Loggers Charitable Trust and is the driving force behind the British Festival of the Working Horse.

Quote!

Robin Mackenzie of J & M Associates has organised shows and rings in which I have been involved for years; The Town and Country Festival, The Royal Show, The Three Counties Show and the C.L.A. Game Fair. He wrote to me after the C.L.A.:

"Hi Doug
I do not think I have ever known you late for a display in all the years we have worked together. Still I enjoy every display you do as it is live. You react not to “the script” but to what Ella is doing – or not doing. You explain so well how you work and why. You always draw and keep a crowd who are interested in what you are doing. It is all so logical and sensible that people can quickly understand the scene and how horses still have an important role to play. Thank you for all your quiet support and help. It is always a pleasure to work with you. With very best wishes, Robin"

Award news!

Our 'Small Action Ring' demonstrations at the Royal Welsh Show (Forestry Section) were awarded a Silver Medal by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society for educational value and the Gold Medal for best overall stand awarded by the Royal Forestry Society in 2010 and a Bronze medal awarded by the Royal Welsh Show for educational value in 2013

Shows Risk Assessment

Doug works with four horses, "Thistle" a 14.2hh coloured cob mare, "Jacob" a 17.2hh Percheron gelding, Agua and Salva both 16hh Silesian Norik mares and is bringing on Glyndwr, Agua's colt foal..
He has been demonstrating horse logging at shows since 1994.