Old-fashioned pulling-power was on show above Cottingley, Bingley, as heavy horses Nathan and Murphy harrowed fields for the summer.

The eco-friendly logging skills of Nathan, a Shire horse and Murphy, a Shire/Clydesdale cross were used by countryman Peter Coates, who stables horses nearby.

“They are both strong, sensible horses, not pure bred, but selected for work like this – “drazing” is the old word for harrowing around here. It’s a way of levelling out the field after the bad weather.

“Nathan and Murphy are typical of the type which once would have worked all around here,” said Mr Coates, who with his wife Carole, has had an interest in heavy horses for ten years.

“Although they can’t pull as much weight as machines, they don’t churn up the ground and there’s no compacting or ruts like you get with tractors,” Mr Coates said.

He works in forestry and dry-stone walling under the name the Airedale Woodman and the horses’ abilities make up part of his business as well as pleasure.