Furze-eating horses latest weapon in bid to save endangered birds

Hen Harrier Project trying out 'horses for gorse' idea

Horses like to eat gorse, and are now being used to control growth of furze in uplands in order to improve habitats for endangered hen harriers.

Send in the horses first and follow-up with goats, if you want to control the growth of furze, also known as gorse or whin.

That’s the approach of the hen harrier project, as it seeks to continue its successful work with more than 1,500 farmers, which has improved habitats for the endangered bird, and contributed to harrier breeding success at the levels needed to sustain the population, for the first time in many years.