The Suffolk Punch is one of two rare breed horses being used to help drag pine logs clear of a plantation at a National Trust estate to make room for less vulnerable trees to be planted.

The hooves of the Suffolk Punch will cause minimal damage at the Oxburgh Estate in Norfolk as it clears the current pine plantation at the National Trust site planted in the 1970s.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Suffolk Punch is helping to drag pine logs clear of a plantation at a National Trust estate so that a wider variety of trees, less vulnerable to being wiped out by one single illness, can be planted.The Suffolk Punch is helping to drag pine logs clear of a plantation at a National Trust estate so that a wider variety of trees, less vulnerable to being wiped out by one single illness, can be planted. (Image: National Trust)

Suffolk Horses, historically known as Suffolk Punch, is one of four English breeds of heavy horse bred specifically for ploughing and pulling loads.

Due to the mechanisation of farming, the Suffolk Punch numbers rapidly declined in the last century, leaving less than 500 registered horses in the UK.

East Anglian Daily Times: Suffolk Punch is a rare breed of horse, with less than 500 registered in the UK todaySuffolk Punch is a rare breed of horse, with less than 500 registered in the UK today (Image: Charlotte Bond)

They are classed as critically endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and listed on the priority watchlist, the National Trust said.

Tom Day, National Trust's area ranger for Oxburgh Estate, said: "Including a Suffolk Horse in the management of the property's woodlands, the project also serves as an important contribution to contemporary conservation efforts for this rare breed."

The other breed that will assist in the management plan is the Ardennes Comtois cross. 

The project is part of the National Trust's sustainable woodland management plan, which will run until 2029 across various location in East Anglia.

During select phases, the Suffolk Punches work will be accompanied by a modern timber harvester.

The project is part of the National Trust’s 10-year sustainable woodland management plan for the region, which will run until 2029 across various locations in East Anglia.

This is a crucial time for us to double down on our parkland conservation efforts.

Mr Day said: “Right now, the area of the pine plantation is severely lacking in biodiversity and contains 50% less wildlife than in the rest of our woodlands.

“By repopulating it with mixed broadleaf trees, we not only increase the structural diversity of the woodlands which will help maintain them for the long-term, but also vastly improve the quality of the habitat to attract more species and more diverse wildlife."