Horse logging is preferred where there are : favorable downhill skids, small-medium sized logs, low-volumes per acre to be harvested, a desire to have almost no skidding damage to residual trees, and little to know soil compaction. Uphill logging and large logs will severely decrease daily skidding productivity. Very steep downhill skids are also to be avoided as the logs may over-run the horses and cause injury to them.

A pair of draft horses might be capable of skidding a half to a full-truck load of logs in a work day. Percherons (shown below) and Belgians are favorite types of horses used for logging. When well-trained, they can often work with little direction from the skinner.

Horse logging often requires consideration of on site living accomodations for the team skinner and a corral for the horses during the logging operation.