My uncle, and most of his neighbours near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, continued to use Clydesdales (and sometimes donkeys) for farm work up till about 1960. By then Charlie, the older of his two horses, would have been more than twenty years old. When tractors began to be adopted, there was a profitable business bringing over second hand Fergusons (originally developed and produced in Northern Ireland) from Scotland and England. Initially horse-drawn mowers and other machinery were converted to be drawn by tractor, until eventually even these were abandoned in favour of the various accessories designed to make use of Harry Ferguson's hydraulic lift and power take-off inventions.

Can't remember the last time I saw a draught horse over there. Donkeys, once ubiquitous, have also nearly disappeared save for a few used as companion animals for riding horses.

Ross