TAKE YOUR TIME TO… work Shire horses

Experience the satisfaction of tending the earth behind a pair of Shire horses, enjoying the creak of the harness and the thud of hooves as they tread the ground. At Old Hall Farm in the Lake District, day courses teach you the basics of working these native giants, originally bred as battle steeds for Henry VIII. Learn to groom and tack the pair, then take the reins for tasks that, depending on the time of year, include harrowing, grass cutting and ploughing. A ploughman’s lunch in the sunshine rounds off a most rewarding day. oldhallfarmbouth.com