More and more wine producers are using horses rather than tractors in the vineyard. Horses perform better on difficult and steep terrain. They are more gentle on the soil and the vines. They improve the aeration of the soil and they compact the soil less. Soils tilled by horse drawn vineyard machinery are less likely to support vine pests. Horses provide manure to fertilise the soil and they hardly produce any air pollution or noise to disturb vineyard workers. The workers can stroke the horse in their wine and food breaks and feel all the better for it.
We know producers in Champagne who have been using horses for years are part of biodynamic grape production and their wines taste exceptionally good.
I have written before about the use of "drones" or automatons in the vineyard and, possibly some future wise guy will deploy robots to tend the stables and attach the horses to the farm machinery. Their automatons will feed the horses and brush them and clean out the stables. The horses will be guided in their work by drones with computerised voices. They will be given their injections by automated vets. The will be shod by android blacksmiths. All this will be done to provide economies in the vineyard. This is a rather a dire prospect for the poor old horse who might never get to be in contact with another mammal let alone another horse and, it is unromantic image.
Maybe, things should be left alone and the horse should be looked after and guided by human beings. Horses and humans have been working in harmony for thousands of years and their wines will continue to be all the better for it for years to come.
