The Last Horsemen is the inspiring story of John Dodd and his family, who have lived on Sillywrae Farm--the last farm in Britain to be worked by horses--for more than 150 years. Telling the inspirational story of a year in the life of John Dodd, his family, and the farm, this book compellingly evokes the beauty of the countryside. With a farming industry that seems to lurch from crisis to crisis, learning from people who have chosen an alternative way of life becomes ever more important. The Last Horsemen is a truly inspirational opportunity to view first-hand scenes rarely played out in Britain's countryside in the 21st century.

This 2nd book is a continuation of the 1st book. The index at the back of the book is brilliant. The contents list, at the front of the book, is in alphabetical order, and is a list of the horses names, gives paragraph numbers. Whereas the Index gives the Rider/Owner in alphanumeric order and gives paragraph numbers. So if you do not know the name of a persons horse you would look up the person in the Index and it would indicate the paragraph numbers to find the answer. For instance: Steptoe and Son would be under 'S' in the Index and this would lead you to 'Hercules', the strong man from Greek Mythology. Or Toy Story 2 would lead you to 'Bullseye' Books 3 and 4 are in the process of compiling, it’s a “Never Ending Story”.

A century ago, power on farms was provided by one and a half million heavy horses, the pride of rural Britain. Today, heavy horses in the countryside are a distant memory, except Sillywrea Farm in Northumberland. It is the last farm in the country where all the jobs requiring the strength and power usually provided by machinery are still done by horses. John Dodd's family have lived at Sillywrea farm for more than 150 years, and horses have always been the source of power. The work is hard, but John, his son-in-law David Wise, and their five huge Clydesdales run the farm to the rhythms of the seasons, allowing nature to lead the way. The Last Horsemen provides a glimpse of a unique way of life and, in today's world of intensive farming and mass-produced food, is a reminder that we can still learn from the past.

A century ago, power on farms was provided by five million heavy horses. They were the pride of rural Britain and the men who worked with them were the elite among farm workers. But today heavy horses are almost a thing of the past. They might be seen in all their glory at agricultural shows decked in glistening harnesses and paraded around the main ring, but generally they are a distant memory. Except for one place: Sillywrea Farm in Northumberland, the last farm in Britain to be worked solely by horses. "The Last Horsemen" is the inspiring story of John Dodd and his family who have lived on Sillywrea for more than 150 years, and for all that time, horses have been the only source of power. Telling the inspirational story of a year in the life of John Dodd, his family, and the farm, this book compellingly evokes the beauty of the countryside. With a farming industry that seems to lurch from crisis to crisis, learning from people who have chosen an alternative way of life becomes ever more important. "The Last Horsemen" is a truly inspirational opportunity to view, first hand, scenes rarely played out in Britain's countryside in the 21st century.