Shrimp fishing with horses

One of the best things about the model horse hobby is how much it teaches you about real horses. Hobbyists have a thirst for knowledge that goes beyond - some times far beyond - that of the average equestrian. Performance showers, like me, love to know about every single activity that can be possibly done with horses. Because of this, I am so excited about today's guest post. Did you know that horses are used to fish shrimp in Belgium? Now you do! Thank you so much to my friends from the Netherlands, Anne and Anna, for sharing their words and photos. Someone needs to set this up on a live show table!

Shrimp Fisher Horses 

by Anne Veeneman–van der Weel

On July second, I rose with the sun to go see the shrimp fisher horses in Belgium with my friend Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko. 

She had found a Facebook page that announced the dates and times that the fishermen would be active and asked me to go with her. So at 05:30 I drove to Utrecht to pick up Anna and we made the three hour trek to the Belgian coast. As we entered the town of Oostduinkerke, we saw several statues of shrimp fishers on horseback decorating roundabouts and such. 

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

As it turns out this is the only place in the world where they still practice this old way of fishing. In 2013 it was added to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The number of horseback shrimp fishermen varies throughout the years, but as of 2022 there's twelve of them.

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

Anyway, we parked the car and found the beach. We were early, which was good because the whole demonstration would only last forty five minutes. They can only do this at the low tide. After a while I heard the typical clip clop of a horse approaching. A sturdy blue roan Belgian (known to Americans as a Brabant) came around the corner. People got time to pet the horse and take photos. 

Both the tack and the cart are purely about function. The reins are joined at around the withers and the driver uses only the one rein to steer his horse. 

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

After a few minutes they set out again, and everybody followed them onto the beach and to the sea. 

The fishermen unhitched the cart and hooked the fishing nets up to the horse. 

One of them then mounted the horse and rode into the sea. 

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

We followed this one for a bit and then we spotted several more a bit to the south. More shrimp fisher horses, yay!

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

The fishermen rode parallel to the coast for what felt like half an hour. When they came back ashore it was time to sort out the shrimp.They used a sieve to take out all the tiny shrimp, who washed back into the sea. Stray crabs and the odd fish were tossed to the seagulls, who seemed to know the drill. 

After the shrimp had been sorted they washed out the nets, hitched the horse to the cart, loaded all the equipment and after a final goodbye they drove up the beach and away. 

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

Apart from the grey horse, who was a Percheron, they were all Belgian Draft Horses.

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

photo by Anna Dobrowolska-Oczko

When the fishermen had left we had coffee and an early lunch. Then we, too, drove away back to the Netherlands. There is a website about the Belgian Shrimp Fisher Horses, but it's very concise. For the English version, use the Translate button in the lower left.