hi all,
i have noticed some posts about selective logging in bc coastal
forests using horsepower. we are a full time commercial horselogging outfit
from ireland currently working in cumbria. we came to cumbria to do selective
logging on very steep ground [45degrees+] for the national trust / national
parks/ woodland trust. some of the timber in these stands was large diameter
douglas fir and european larch which was planted at the turn of the century.
horses have always worked steep ground in the past and it is no different for us
today. a horse can zig/ zag up a steep hill rather than going straight up,
you can use the horse to pull the trees down should they get caught up, you
can also extract the tree without snedding it and this acts as a brake. in
really steep ground you can fit a rigid set of shafts which stops the tree
running up on the horse. horselogging might not be the fastest method of timber
extraction but it is definitly the most enviromentaly friendly and seeing that
the only other method of doing selective logging on steep slopes is a
helicopter i believe it would also be more cost effective.
simon lenihan.
