Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.2.1. Published Texts, Articles in yearbooks and anthologies

1947 Elizabeth Bobbett: The Horse and Agriculture

Source: Irish Farmers’ Federation, Farming in Ireland, Yearbook 1947, pp. 37-38

It is to be regretted that many people to-day are forced through changing circumstances to come to the conclusion that the horse’s days are numbered where agriculture is concerned, and that it is only a matter of time till he is replaced by the tractor to do all the ploughing, cultivating, mowing reaping etc., and also the carting of dung and crops; in fact everything on the farm that the horse was formerly used for.

Well, I suppose we will be called very progressive and very efficient if we all took to the tractor, and I have nothing to say against the tractor, in fact I am one of those who is reluctantly in favour of the tractor for many reasons as I will explain later; but I want here to offer a word of warning in favour of the old horse.

Firstly, when speaking now of the horse, I imply horses used for Agricultural purposes and not thoroughbred racehorses, as they are a class to themselves and our Irish thoroughbreds are world renowned. As regards the total number of horses including thoroughbreds I find that in the year 1921 the total was very high 490,183 but by 1931 it had decreased by 40,486, and then advanced, never varying very much, and in 1934 the total was 453,852. Of this number there were only 69,223 unbroken, so we can assume that the remainder were “gainfully employed” and therefore being housed and fed on corn for the greater part of the year.

Roughly speaking, to feed this number of horses 384,629 during the year we would need at least 400,000 statute acres of Oats.

The total area under Oats in 1943 was 936,253 statute acres, and if we set aside 400,000 acres for horses, it leaves 536,253 acres to supply oatmeal for human use, and corn for cattle, poultry, and pig feeding. In recent years we have had to import oats, and at a higher price than our farmers were paid for growing it. Is this a wise policy from the National view point?

In 1935 the Hon. Mr. W. E. Wylie writing on the Horse Breeding Industry stated that 7,415 persons were engaged to produce oats for horses, and 67,415 persons engaged in the Horse Industry. Of course if we decide to go all out for tractors, we can find some other means to devote the 400,000 acres now used for oat growing. It may not be so easy to find employment for those now engaged in the Horse Industry and production of Oats. Shall they emigrate?

Here is the snag, the farmer at present is not getting sufficient prices for his produce to leave him in a position to pay wages that will induce men to stay on the land, and leave the farmer a reasonable profit.

When you put the cost of production of oats and hay and cost of upkeep for horses, which includes Blacksmith’s bill and harness repairs etc. and above all the difficulty of getting competent men to follow horses, it may in the future work out cheaper to possess a tractor.

Some points in favour of the tractor are that it has not to be fed when it is not working, and of course it can work night and day to make up for lost time through bad weather.

But, there are dangers ahead; remember that all the petrol, oil and spare parts are things which have to be imported, and for which we farmers have to provide the money by our agricultural exports.

Remember that we have no control on what may happen in other countries. They can refuse to give us petrol, or there may be a transport strike either at home or abroad, and your tractor can sit idle all the spring or harvest for want of petrol or oil.

And now as regards every farmer having a tractor. It would be totally uneconomic for the small farmers to have a tractor and the necessary equipment. The initial outlay is too great, and he would have no room to house the machinery. The majority of our farms being under 50 acres.

The way the tractor can help the small farmer is by getting your Parish Committee to purchase a set and hire it out at a reasonable rate to the farmers of the parish, herein lies the necessity for your Farmers’ Organisation in each parish. By having your Farmers’ Organisation you can easily get Credit to purchase a tractor and equipment and threshing mill, through the Agricultural Credit Corporation.

Although this is the age for speed, I have rarely met a farmer but he will agree that the horse ploughing is the better job. It stands to reason, as the ploughman is walking behind his plough and takes great notice of his work and also of the composition of the soil, which observation means a lot to the genuine farmer.

Lastly, Ireland is a great horse-breeding country and we know by experience that most European Countries come to Ireland to replenish their stocks, but I feel some encouragement will be necessary in the future to induce farmers to keep some good mares for breeding purposes. It takes five years to produce a good agricultural horse, and takes time and trouble to train him properly, and at present prices the future is not very bright.

As for keeping horses for the pleasure of driving them with the roads we have now like skating rinks, the pleasure is turned into fear. Of course the Engineer will tell us that we can get rubber shoes for your horses or steel studs for their feet. But this is a matter of cost. I saw a cob shod this week with these steel studs in the shoes, and it cost 11s for the set of shoes and 16s for the eight steel studs, 27s for the set, which long ago we could get for 3s 6d or 4s and had safe roads and a pleasant and healthy drive. The use of rubber is not suitable when the horse also has to work on the land.

As regards the most suitable breed for Agricultural purposes, I find that every country, in fact every district has its own fancy. No doubt, in Ireland we have a splendid type of light or Irish Draught Horse which would be hard to beat in any country. This particular type was valued for his better speed in either cart or plough, and he was more easily fed than the heavier type of horse. It was from this strain that most of our valuable hunting horses were bred in the past, and I trust we will not be so blind as to endanger this truly valuable asset by any want of attention

While our Department gives good encouragement by way of free nominations to suitable Sires for selected Mares, I think some more satisfactory scheme could also be achieved that would encourage the better care of the young horse in its early years.

The Royal Dublin Society also give a special prize at County Shows for young mares suitable to breed hunters, and this has been a very great help towards good hunter breeding. We also have a very useful hardy type of cob known as the Connemara Pony, bred in the West of Ireland. These animals have great endurance and are invaluable to the small holder.

I think there is none of our animals like a good horse, or anything more beautiful and natural than a good pair of horses striding off in front of a good craftsman turning up the red soil, or anything so interesting as watching a good pair of horses closing the drills of a potato crop, and see how they tread so carefully so as not to tread on a seed. They know their work as well as the man who follows them, it is National Self-sufficiency in itself. We can always have the horse, but not the coal, the iron, or the oil.

Basing Irish Agriculture on the Horse the Cow and the Sow is now as ever the true national policy of our country.

I write from first hand knowledge of horses, having bred nearly all my own horses both hunters and farm horses for over 22 years, and like most lines of farming it has its ups and downs. While I never made a fortune they never let me down.