Heavy horses from as far as the Hunter and Wauchope will be attending this year’s Heavy Horse Field Days alongside horses from Armidale and Hillgrove.
The Heavy Horse Field Days, in conjunction with the New England Antique Machinery Club, will be held this Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13 at the Armidale Exhibition Centre grounds off Canambe Street.
These gentle giants of the farmyard will be on show demonstrating their many activities from yesteryear.
Instead of the roar of tractor engines pulling ploughs will be the creak of leather as Kevin and Gaylene Northey’s Black Percheron cross gelding Macka leans into his harness and ploughs the soil.
John Nelson will be exhibiting Albie, a black Shire gelding, possibly the tallest horse in the Armidale district which, when teamed up with black Shire mare Missy, back from rearing a foal, will demonstrate harrowing using discs.
Spectators will be able to see horses working in teams of four or six pulling ploughs or snigging logs.
Tending these gentle giants will be a blacksmith ensuring their shoes are properly fitted.
All horses will participate in the grand parade on both days of the rally.
