A 19-year-old Clydesdale recently helped England's Forestry Commission haul logs out of Rockingham Forest with minimal damage to nearby trees and plants. Instead of using machinery, which would have cut a wider swath through the forest, the horse hauled out logs as part of planned tree felling to give younger trees a better chance to grow.

The horse, named Silent, moved more than 100 logs in three days from the Bedford Purlieus Wood, a National Nature Reserve and part of Rockingham Forest, some 100 miles north of London. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to some of England's finest examples of plant and insect species, according to the Forest Commission.

"By using the practice of horse logging, the Forestry Commission is able to minimize the impact of this essential work, while supporting traditional felling methods," said Cheryl Joyce, a Forestry Commission community ranger.

Silent has been featured on an English radio show as well as in a television series about Sherlock Holmes. He was also showcased as a ceremonial jump horse in front of Queen Elizabeth II