Hector, a six-year-old Dutch Draught horse, has been recruited by the Forestry Commission for work at Chambers Farm Wood. He is doing his bit to help a rare mammal, the dormouse – which are a tiny fraction of his size. Cutting trees down to stumps will prompt vigorous new growth and fresh food supplies for the dormice. It will then be Hectors job to drag the fallen trees away.
Gentle giant Hector, who stands 15.2 hands high and weighs three quarters of a tonne, devours a small round bale of hay daily. He is expected to pull out a total of five tonnes of timber which will be used locally for firewood.
1. 1 tonne = 1000 kilograms. How much does Hector weigh in kilograms?
2. The Dutch Draught, also known as the Dutch Heavy Draft, usually stands around 16 hands high. How many inches shorter is Hector than the average for his breed? (1 hand = 4 inches)
Dormice are small rodents. Depending on the species, they weigh between 15 and 200 g.
3. Assuming the dormice that Hector is helping weigh 200 g each, how many dormice would it take to equal Hector’s weight?
Horse logger Dave Watlin, Hector’s owner, said that horses are perfect for working in nature reserves.
“Horses are kinder to the ground than a machine would be so given the sensitive terrain it makes sense to use them,” he said.
“They are more natural and they don’t leave ruts in the ground.
“In 10 days you won’t even know he’s been here.
“The Dutch Draught is the perfect breed for this kind of work, as they are generally a bit smaller than a shire horse meaning they are better in tight spaces.
“This winter, Hector pulled 150 tonnes of silver birch from farms.
“If we want to get into the more environmentally-sensitive work then horsepower is what’s needed.”
4. How many kilograms of silver birch did Hector pull from farms this past winter?
To give you an idea of how much weight this is, an average car weighs 1500kgs.
5. How many cars would Hector have to pull to equal that weight?
Gentle Giant Hector Helps Tiny Dormice Answers
1. 1 tonne = 1000 kilograms. How much does Hector weigh in kilograms?
Answer: 3/4 x 1000 = 750. Hector weighs 750 kilograms.
2. The Dutch Draught, also known as the Dutch Heavy Draft, usually stands around 16 hands high. How many inches shorter is Hector than the average for his breed?
Answer: 2 inches
3. Assuming the dormice that Hector is helping weigh 200 g, how many dormice would it take to equal Hector’s weight?
Answer:
Step 1 – make the units the same. 200g = .2 kg
Step 2 – 750 ÷ .2 = 3750. It would take 3750 dormice to equal the weight of Hector.
4. How many kilograms of silver birch did Hector pull from farms this past winter?
Answer: 150 x 1000 kg = 150, 000 kg
5. How many cars would Hector have to pull to equal that weight?
Answer: 150,000 ÷ 1500 = 100. Hector would have to pull 100 cars.
Photo sources:
Valley Park – Logging the Old Fashion Way by Chris Talbot; CC BY-SA 2.0
Dutch Draft Horse Team by amandabhslater; CC BY-SA 2.0