Vintage 2015 - Friday 10th April: Horsepower

Those of you who follow us on Facebook and Twitter will be well-accustomed to seeing photographs of our beautiful Clydesdale horses. Bill and Gracie are a very much-loved part of our farm, and work throughout the year as a valuable part of our vineyard team.

For much of the year, their most important job is applying biodynamic preparations and seaweed teas to the vines. We have an especially-designed one-horse-power sprayer for this purpose, which uses the kinetic power of the horses to activate the pump.

At this time of the year, they aren't given time off and Gracie is trained to pull a grape collection cart between the rows of vines. She is very patient and is used to having to stop and wait while the grapes are loaded before moving off again, and she is calm in the presence of all the other farm machinery. Bill, being a bit younger and a bit more headstrong, is still in training for this part of the work - he's far less keen on stopping and starting at the moment!

And, of course, all year round, they are just gorgeous!