Possibilities for the Use of Heavy Horses in Countryside
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POSSIBILITIES FOR THE USE OF HEAVY HORSES IN COUNTRYSIDE Martina Hrabcová, Jiří Kadlec Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno Abstract This paper deals with the use of the heavy horses in today's cultural landscape, especially in forestry, agriculture, recreation activities and nature protection. There are presented new directions in agriculture technology for horses. Heavy horses have important role in soil protection against compaction. Key words: forestry, agriculture, soil protection, nature protection Introduction Nowadays there is no use in conservation heavy horses very widespread. The main reason for this is little public awareness of modern art drawn by horses. There are a lot of machines and tools drawn sleigh and the consequent possibility of use in many areas of nature, which ranks among heavy horses work performed consistently friendly ways to care for the countryside. Only a few people are heavy horses as economically and nature friendly farming. From the point of view of nature conservation and landscape work with heavy horses many advantages. Protection and care for nature and landscape not only in specially protected areas should therefore be exercised through the heavy horses; this work should not be a task only for tractors and heavy machinery. When using the cultural landscape by human problem arises ubiquitous soil compaction. It grew bigger and more powerful tractors and machinery cause permanent and irreversible damage to the soil cover. Compaction is caused when driving these machines for land where there is excessive pressure on the ground. For forest land, the use of horses is much friendlier than working machinery and heavy equipment. Horses cause that is according to the circumstances, greater pressure on the contact area of land than large machinery, but the point compression horse's hoof has no significant environmental impact on the soil. Intensity (depth) deformation is not so important. Compared with surface soil compression tractors and mechanization, appears compaction horse hooves as preferable in terms of regeneration and renewal of soil animals. (Nadezhdina et al. 2012) Soil compaction affects mainly soil gas and soil water. This effect is so negative that the soil can in extreme cases lead to the creation of anaerobic conditions. The manifestation of increased soil compaction is the increased production of CO2, which escapes from the soil. (Neruda, Ulrich 2008) Anaerobic conditions lead to an apparent reduction in the growth of the root system. The roots of the plants are not able to penetrate the compacted soil layer from which would otherwise have been able to draw the necessary nutrients and water. Due to the limitation of root growth is also unstable trees. Soil compaction leads to a reduction in the growth of trees, and increasing susceptibility to diseases and also wind tree falls. (Neruda et al. 2009) The first studies of ongoing conservation projects using the heavy horses, and following the promising results of the research show clearly that this is the considerable potential for practical nature conservation and environmental protection as a whole. It is therefore desirable to use these general nature and soil-friendly farming methods in practical conservation. Equally desirable is also nature-friendly use and cultivation. (Herold et al. 2009) There is another equally important contribution to the adoption of rare breeds of heavy execution of agricultural biodiversity and to sustain it. With the use of modern machinery drawn by horses in agriculture and forestry, will be, or are, horses used as working and draft animals. Extending their use and raise awareness of how to work with them can significantly contribute to saving these breeds. Therefore, it is necessary to broaden public awareness of the benefits of the use of heavy horses in forestry and agriculture. The use of horses in these fields is useful for several reasons. These reasons include economic factors and social factors. Nowadays, the increasing criticism of bio fuels, it is urgently important to note the use of horses in modern agricultural production. It is also important in practice to show the public the use of heavy horses in altered cultural landscape. - 183 - Materials and methods For the preparation of this article was to utilize professional literature. Furthermore, the evidence was used by Mr Hajtmar. A field survey was carried out in Rovensko. Field research consisted of finding time-consuming individual work carried out using the harness with the workhorses for which was hitched up power unit or power wheelchair. It was also measured by the consumption of fuel consumed energy unit. Results and Discussion Working with horses Mr. Hajtmar in the woods all year, as this is a major activity and livelihoods. When agricultural activities are horses used from spring to autumn. Mr. Hajtmar with their horses participated several times a year various competitions and events focused on heavy horses. Participation in these events is subject to time constraints and distance. Mr. Hajtmar with their horses also involved in many folk festivals such as harvest festivals, relics, brewer's festivals and weddings. The energy carried by the drive unit to the tractor implements, yokes, and the auxiliary single- axle chassis with three point linkage, on which hangs a tool is powered through cardan shaft from the power unit. Three-point hitch is hydraulically operated via hydraulic hand pump, located within easy reach of the driver. The energy unit is equipped with four wheels with tires. Per unit of energy is harnessed counter-rotating tractor scythe with a working width of 2.40 m Another machine is a four rotor tedder with a working width of 4.80 m is raking hay into rows using hay raking, which has a working width 2.20 m manure is transported and scattered through the spreader RUR, which has a capacity of 3 tons. The treatment of the soil used tractor cultivator working width of 2.5 m. Pressing machine for smaller square bales is used for pressing of hay and straw. Hydraulic cart is another machine used for agricultural works. The cart is not equipped with a motor. For this cart is working with gates with a working width of 4 m, then spun and tractor forks, which are loaded packages of food and bedding. This cart can involve roller on rolling fields. In the forest, hydraulic cart is used to lift the timber in the harness above the ground and its skidding on road side. All tools can be carried by a yoke and a truck power unit. However, it is unnecessary for putting the truck engine accessories you need to drive your business. Therefore, this accessory is harnessed for hydraulic cart, motor does not and it's even easier. Tab. 1 shows agricultural activity, the number of horses used in the work, time demands of the activity and fuel consumption. A power unit for horses can save up to 90 % of the fuel when mowing hay in comparison with consumption by a tractor, doing the same job. When using the power unit for horses, considerable savings in diesel or petrol. Through the use of heavy horses in agriculture can save the amount of energy per year, it corresponds to the equivalent of about 2400 l of diesel. (Herold et al. 2009) One takes into account not only the need for clean energy job performance, takes into account the energy requirements for production, maintenance, and ultimately to the destruction of tractors and horses. Outgoing, or excluded from the operation of the horse is still used as human or animal food, or serve as a source of leather and glue, or as a source of fertilizer. The footprint of tractor in its manufacture, subsequent production, as well as the use and disposal of the tractor itself is clearly negative. From the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment and technology using horses based on better compared with tractors. (Engel 2012) Tractors produce unlike horses fumes and soot that contaminate and degrade the environment. Among the most pollution environmental components include air. The use of heavy horses but climate-neutral because the carbon dioxide produced by the balance is zero. This aspect is also very important in global considerations in the use of horses as a renewable energy source. Conclusion For the Central European cultural landscape of great importance varied landscape structure and the various elements of the landscape, which together provide a small area of the key features for biodiversity and ecological richness and functionality. From an ecological point of view, the benefits of the use of heavy horses in the cultural landscape, inter alia, the protection of endangered species of animals and plants. Heavy horses are at work in comparison with the tractor slower pace of work. That is crucial as mowing meadows, where the animals have a - 184 - greater chance to escape. At high speeds, the drive agricultural tractors and several meters working width of agricultural implements animals have no chance to escape. The combination of heavy horse and power unit can be recommended as an alternative method of propulsion certain agricultural machinery for arable land in ecologically sensitive areas with higher demands on nature protection, especially against soil compaction. Tab 1: The time table of farm work Agricultural activity Time consumption Number Power unit/ Fuel of consumption The machine used (hour/ha) horses Hydraulic cart (l/ha) Mowing Counter-rotating cutter bar 1 2-3 Power unit 2 Turning hay 4 rotor tedder 0,3 2 Power unit 2,1 Hay raking Raking 1 2 Power unit 2,1 Spreading manure Spreader RUR 3 5 3 Power unit 2,6 Rolling after sowing Oak rollers 1,5 2 Hydraulic cart 0 Field burrowing Burrower 1,5 2 Hydraulic cart 0 Sowing Sowing machine Amazone 1,5 3 Hydraulic cart 0 Harrowing Harrow 1,5 2-3 Hydraulic cart 0 References Engel, A.-M., Wegener, J., Lange, M.