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Horsepower at work in the Fens
Horsepower is all-important at Sovereign Quarter Horses near March, Cambridgeshire, where a new 120hp John Deere 6530 Premium tractor is kept busy working the land and maintaining perfect underfoot conditions for prize winning equines.
Brothers David and Michael Deptford are the third generation of their family to farm at Horse Creek Farm, but have chosen very different enterprises. While Michael looks after the arable farming side, David runs one of the leading training and breeding operations for American Quarter Horses in Britain.
David and his wife Sarah established Sovereign Quarter Horses some 15 years ago, but in 2004 the business moved up a gear as they gained planning permission for an 86m x 30m building to house a new riding arena and indoor stables.
Completed at the start of 2007, the complex now includes a 60m x 30m outdoor riding arena and two smaller exercising areas, lorry parking and temporary stables for up to 100 horses that attend competitions at the venue.
“The original idea was to build a facility for training horses, but it is now in demand for shows and clinics, so we have also added a viewing gallery, cafeteria, showers and toilets,” David explains.
A crucial element is the riding surface itself, which has to be carefully constructed and maintained for western riding’s most exciting discipline of reining, best described as high speed figure skating on horseback.
“We use a sand and soil mix for the surface – the soil is pure silt and it has 5-7cm of sharp sand on top,” explains David. “It has to be carefully harrowed and levelled to provide the ideal underfoot conditions for the horses.”
A Cousins Dutch harrow is used to maintain the surface, and David has also mounted a sprayer tank on the harrow’s frame to apply water if it is needed, although he also uses a John Deere telehandler with a tank on its forks to bowser water onto the surface.
The harrow is pulled by the John Deere 6530, which is shared with the farm, and so it may be shod on row crops or wider tyres depending on the season. Supplied by local dealer Anker of Coates, the tractor arrived in time for the first big show at Horse Creek Farm in May 2008.
“It is a big step forward from its predecessor and the improvements to the hydraulic system and the linkage make this job so much easier,” says David. “Also, the engine power boost keeps the tractor moving forward regardless of the load, so I’m not having to constantly change gear. The front axle suspension helps to keep the harrow level, which gives a better finish.”
He points out that the improved balance of the tractor means that it is as easy to drive on the row crops as on wider tyres, which helps during peak periods when it is as busy on the farm as at the equestrian enterprise.
“I also like the cab,” he adds, “The air conditioning is excellent and it has a comfortable and operator friendly layout. Many of the qualities needed for the horse enterprise are the same as those which have proved so useful on the farm,” David points out.
Michael Deptford agrees, commenting that the family has used John Deere tractors for 15 years on its 800ha, of which 200ha are managed for a neighbour. On the farm, the 6530 works alongside a 140hp John Deere 6830 tractor purchased at the same time, undertaking tasks ranging from power ridging and planting potatoes to hauling trailers and spreading fertiliser.
To David’s praise for the power boost, cab comfort and transmission, Michael adds:
“I appreciate the fact that I can get so much more performance information than on previous models – I like to keep an eye on fuel use and the digital display confirms just how economical this tractor is.”
Michael has been responsible for another diversification at Horse Creek Farm – nine towering wind turbines which blend into the fenland scenery over 140ha, so that even the potentially flighty equine visitors fail to notice them.
“We applied for planning permission five years ago and after our initial partner dropped out, we approached Eon who were looking for suitable wind farm sites,” he explains. “Apart from some disruption when the turbines were being erected, it has no impact on our farming activities as the cabling is buried so deeply. We are only required to maintain the access roads, which also benefit farm traffic, and it is useful income.”
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