FROM 1856 to 1861 Suffolk horses won the majority of the classes in mixed classes at the Royal Agricultural Society Show, winning twenty nine prizes whilst the Clydesdales, Shires and mixed breeds won only nineteen classes. Yet today the Suffolk is classified as a rare breed.

It is without doubt the oldest breed of heavy horse in Great Britain, believed to be from the sixteenth century but thanks to Mr Herman Biddell from many years ago, the history from about the 1750s was unravelled.

He was the first Secretary of the Suffolk Society and all Suffolk horse breeders owe him a big debt.

It has always been associated with East Anglia and today does enjoy considerable support from breeders and enthusiasts from the area as well as in other parts of the country.

As with all heavy horse breeds, their downfall began with the introduction of machinery and although a surprising number of people were still using horses in the area as late as the 1960’s, there was no real saving the breed as it was before the tractors came.

I have been told by an elderly farrier of the boat loads of good Suffolks (and other heavy horses) that made the sad trip abroad to slaughter, taking their blood lines and years and years of careful breeding for temperament and performance with them.

By 1966 only nine Suffolk foals were born.

Thanks to the efforts of individual breeders and the Society, numbers have slowly risen but breeding from a much reduced gene pool is always difficult and so the Suffolk horse still needs all the friends and help it can get to ensure that this splendid and useful animal continues through into future centuries.

To my mind we owe a great debt to the heavy horse and we have not begun to repay it.

It was with some of these thoughts in mind that I approached Rede Hall Farm Park , home of Nigel Oakley who is famous for his knowledge of the breed and his ability to work with them , producing highly trained horses.

He has had a lifetime of working with heavy horses and I was very keen to meet him but rather awed as well. I need not have worried because the tall, welcoming man and his pleasant wife Chris, put me at my ease straight away.

The farm is a very traditional farm yard of red brick with some interesting breeds of poultry.

It is here that Nigel runs his heavy horse management and driving courses and the farm is designed to have lovely tracks to work the newly broken horses and for novices to feel confident when learning the skills.

As well as being accommodation for those on a course, the holiday cottages are also available all year round and “Nuthatch” sleeps four people, while “Jenny Wren” sleeps six.

They have been very lovingly restored to fit in with the farm yard and are right at the heart of it. There is even a hot tub spa complete with a summer house changing room. It has all got a really Suffolky feel, not forced but natural and is an almost mystical place to lose yourself for a few days or longer. It is hard to remember how endangered the Suffolk is when you see the magnificent chestnut horses spread about the farm. But Nigel also does training off the farm and has been helping the Bunting family to fulfil their plan to use Suffolk horses on their Anchor Inn Heritage Farm at Nayland, Suffolk.

Our first engagement was to visit the Buntings to continue the training of their horses and with a last quick look at the peaceful farmyard nestling in the trees and moated buildings, we left to undertake this task.

www.redehallfarmpark.co.uk 01284 850695 The Suffolk Horse Society, The Market Hill, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4LU, www.suffolkhorsesociety.org.uk 01394 380643, sec@suffolkhorsesociety.org.uk.

Next month: Follow Nigel as he trains a Suffolk horse and visits the Heritage Farm.