Horsepower is back - just not the kind you’re used to

Every farmer is well aware of the cost of running machinery and with global tensions continuing to put pressure on fuel markets, that figure has only been skyrocketing.

But as fuel prices continue to bite, there’s a quieter, more literal form of horsepower reappearing, this time in the AuctionsPlus machinery catalogue.

Darmody Rayner Livestock and Property is currently running a multivendor clearing sale online on AuctionsPlus, which has gathered attention for its range of horse-drawn gear, with multiple sulkys and carts listed in varying condition. From unrestored projects through to more polished, show ready units, the catalogue reflects a broad spread of interest. 

Some of the sulkys and horse-drawn gear featured in the Darmody Rayner Livestock & Property multi-vendor clearing sale. Pic: AuctionsPlus

The listings also highlight the range of uses still tied to this type of equipment. For some, they remain practical on smaller holdings. For others, they are restoration projects, collector pieces or part of a broader interest in heritage machinery.

That interest extends beyond a single sale.

Later this month, the G & C Bussey Antique & Collectable Cars, Trucks, Tractors & Farm Machinery auction out of Deloraine, Tasmania, is set to go under the hammer on Friday, March 27 at 10:00am AEDT.

Alongside vintage vehicles and machinery, the catalogue includes horse drawn equipment such as a traditional horse wagon, and a horse drawn tip dray. 

Horse Wagon (Lot 9), listed in the G & C Bussey Antique & Collectable Cars, Trucks, Tractors & Farm Machinery auction. Pic: AuctionsPlus

It is unlikely many producers are about to park modern machinery in favour of a sulky. But as fuel prices climb, the idea of horsepower that runs on feed instead of diesel, may get some minds wondering.