Did you know that in Belgium, we fish on horseback?

A horse that enters the sea is not necessarily on a walk. In Oostduinkerke, on the Belgian coast, fishermen perpetuate a technique in which the animal tows a net to collect shrimp.

The work depends on the tides and the knowledge of the shore. The net remains open thanks to side panels; a chain moves on the sand. The material has evolved over time: preserving a practice does not mean that all its accessories have remained the same.

The Belgian public service that presents this tradition also insists on the particularity of the local coastline. The horse therefore belongs to a set: equipment, transmitted gestures, a beach and its waters. The image surprises because it combines two activities that we willingly separate. Here, the fishing path begins on horseback.