Finnhorse in a forest work

In many cultures, the horse has always been an important partner in forest work and fields, in Finland, too. The importance of the horse in forest work was emphasized when the forest industry with sawmills and paper mills needed large amounts of wood raw material from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Back in the early 1960s, the timber cut from the forests was almost entirely hauled away by horses. Although tractors started to become more common on farms, agricultural tractors were initially too inefficient for forest work. In the procurement period 1960-1961, there were still around 55,000 horses in forest work in Finland, but in 1970 only 17,300.

Source: Kajaani.fi, Kajaanin museo

Following photos by Tessa Lepistö and Tanja Lundsten

Today they are hardly used at all, but now their use has started to be appreciated again and many manage their own forest with a horse and offer services to others as well.

Finnhorse Tuohivirsu enjoys forest work. He loves it being in the forest and work, and of course he enjoys the company of the team. Tuohivirsu´s owner is Tanja Lundsten.

A horse and winter are a good combination in terms of the well-being of the forest. In Finland the ground freezes to a depth of 20–60 cm on average during the winter months, in the north the depth of frost can be up to 120 cm. The icy ground protects the roots of the trees, and the passage of a horse in the forest does not damage the soil. A horse can also travel through a denser forest than a machine, so when working with a horse there is no need for clearcutting.

Hay for Tuohivirsu...

...and coffee for the rest of the team. "Sootpot coffee" tastes extremely delicious outside by the fire.

"You gave me the very first horsehair jewellery you made from Nitte´s (Nanna´s first horse) and Ogi's tailhair. One was a graduation present and the other as a thank you for Nitte's care. It especially felt and still feels particularly meaningful. Nitte is one of those horses that has been special to me in my life, Tuohivirsu, too."

Teija Ranin, Finland

Thank you, Teija, for your kind words and letting us to see these lovely pictures. We wish you, Tanja and extremely handsome Tuohivirsu many happy working years yet to come!

Follow Tuohivirsu in Facebook or in Instagram, and see more!

"Horse forest work is a suitable alternative for small and sensitive harvesting sites. For example, cultural and historical sites, it is possible to manage ancient remains and urban forests with the help of a horse logger. The harvest mark is really little and horse harvesting does not cause emission or noise problems. The demand for horse forest work will continue to grow in the future."

Thesis, Kirsi Nuutinen: Suomenhevonen metsätyössä (Finnhorse in a forest work) 2011

Forest work in 1950´s, photo from Kainuun museo collection.

And if you wonder what "Tuohivirsu" means: it´s a name for a traditional

Finnish shoe made of birchbark.

Heart warming

When our clients order a piece of jewellery, we often hear lovely and touching stories about the relationship between our customer and her/his horse and their shared journey. So in this case too! 

Krista received a bracelet Puella Star as a gift from her mother. The ribbon is woven of tail hair of her late Ferrari. We got a wonderful story from Krista about her and Ferrari's time together and, of course, these stunning pictures, as she is a professional photographer.

"Ferrari and I traveled together for more than sixteen years. That's more than a half of my life so far. Though losing the one you love the most leaves behind a daily sadness, I will be forever happy for the special time we had together.

Sometimes, perhaps by chance, two souls who are lost in their lives meet, grow a support net which supports each other out of their incompleteness, and create a healing bond of trust that reaches the ends of the earth."

"As we grew together I learned a lot not only about horses, but also about myself. Ferrari showed me the strength dormant in my own sensitivity and showed me how a whisper can be louder than a shout. During our walks together I used to whisper to Ferrari that it was the finest horse in the world, my most precious treasure and a dream come true - more than I could have ever asked for."

"Though we no longer hike along the paths of this world, I will always have my own treasure with me. Grateful for our unique journey I can now wear the touch of Ferrari on my skin in the form of a bracelet and feel that my loved one is still close to me."

"With her perfectly developed hand skills Nanna was able to capture the most characteristic and authentic parts of Ferrari in a beautiful creation. I am particularly impressed by the similarity between the ribbon and Ferrari. Knowing Nanna's professionalism, I expected nothing less - all my wishes regarding the details of the jewelry came true. The sparkling heart gives a perfect finishing touch, and  diamonds' vivid shimmer reminds me of the twinkle in the corner of Ferrari's eye." 

- Krista Kuusela, Finland -

Photos by Krista Kuusela, all rights reserved.

If you, too, wish to have the most valuable piece in your jewellery collection, proceed as follows: 

1) Contact us and tell us which item you would like. In the reply mail you will receive detailed instructions, e.g. about the amount and length of hair strands needed, and of course the answers to your questions.

2) After we have received the hair strands, Nanna has checked them and all the details related to your order have been agreed, we will send you an invoice by email. Once the invoice has been paid your jewellery will begin to be manufactured. Delivery time is 3-4 weeks.

 3) When the jewellery is ready, we will contact you again. You will receive your item as a courier delivery or a registered mail and get a tracking code. 

Send e-mail to minna.maattanen@nannasalmi.com or use contact form on our website. 

Feel free to explore the jewellery models and choose the one you like best! Please note that nannasalmi rings are very massive. They are convex on the inside and have raised edges that protect the band. In this way the most valuable part of the jewellery, the woven ribbon, is best protected from hits and abrasion.

www.horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com