Horses join vital conservation work at Horsham woodland

The horses are the latest in a number of animals employed on land management at Owlbeech Woods by Horsham District Council.

The pair are on loan from a farming holding at Dial Post and are taking part in a month-long trial.

Previously, the council has used llamas as well as other farm animals to manage the land.

A council spokesman said: “In recent years we have used cattle and sheep to help in rejuvenating the heathland habitat, but horses have been missing from this landscape for a long time.

“Wild horses would have once roamed freely in the countryside around Horsham, grazing and naturally managing the Sussex countryside.

“Horses’ teeth, gut, hooves and dung work in different ways to other species and will complement the complexity of the habitat.

“These domestic horses are part of a trial that we hope will help to reduce the density of the dominating purple moor-grass and birch saplings found in the area.”

The spokesman added that the grazing trial had so far been “very encouraging with some good results already evident.

“In the future we will look to use the horses on an ad hoc basis as this will form an important part of the management of heathland in this area.”

Meanwhile, the council is appealing to the public not to touch the horses.

The spokesman said: “While lovely to look at, we would ask all our visitors not to feed or touch any of the grazing animals who are helping us in our vital work.”