A century ago, power on farms was provided by one and a half million heavy horses, the pride of rural Britain. Today, heavy horses in the countryside are a distant memory, except Sillywrea Farm in Northumberland. It is the last farm in the country where all the jobs requiring the strength and power usually provided by machinery are still done by horses. John Dodd's family have lived at Sillywrea farm for more than 150 years, and horses have always been the source of power. The work is hard, but John, his son-in-law David Wise, and their five huge Clydesdales run the farm to the rhythms of the seasons, allowing nature to lead the way. The Last Horsemen provides a glimpse of a unique way of life and, in today's world of intensive farming and mass-produced food, is a reminder that we can still learn from the past.
The Last Horsemen : A Year at Sillywrea, Britain's Only Horse-Powered Farm