The Shire Horse, the Clydesdale, the Suffolk Punch and the Percheron are the four heavy horse breeds recognized in the United Kingdom.
In former times heavy horses had been used for pulling loads and as the "heart" of transportation. Tractors and lorries haven't been invented yet, only after the Second World War, when the diesel engine was introduced into the world of farming and transportation their importance decreased suddenly and they almost disappeared.
Nowadays those horses are becoming popular again: due to their docile temperament, stamina and versatility they can be used for all sorts of equestrian activities: showing, driving, pulling logs or agricultural machinery, riding and even dressage and show jumping.
The Shire Horse
This is the tallest of the modern heavy horse breeds, their height reaches 18 hh and they can grow even taller. Their weight is about a ton.
The world's tallest horse "Sampson", born in 1846 in Bedfordshire in England, was 21.2 hh (2.20m) at the whither and his weight was estimated for 1.5 tonnes.
The Shire horse was developed out of the medieval Great Horse, which William the Conqueror brought 1066 to the British Islands. By planned improvement of a breed called the Black horse or later the Bake well Black, the Shire horse breed was formed. The number of Shire Horses decreased considerably after the Second World War, because of a more and more motorized agriculture and haulage business.
Nowadays numbers are slowly rising again, because they are used for crossbreeding and showing.
In former times it was used for pulling heavy loads and for heavy farm work. It was originally used to pull ale-delivery carts.
Nowadays it is still used as a brewery horse, e.g. the grey Shires of Samuel Smith Brewery in Tadcaster and the Tetley brewery in Leeds.
The Shire horse is also seen in Draft horse competitions and shows.
They are used for crossbreeding with Thoroughbreds to produce a heavy hunter horse type.
The Clydesdale
This breed originates in the Clydesdale in Scotland, where it was bred and developed over the last 300 years.
It was used for heavy farm work, pulling carts and in the timber industry for pulling logs. These heavy draft horses have been exported all over the world.
The Clydesdale became like the Shire horse a victim of the motorization and would almost disappear, but it has regained popularity and its biggest population is now in the United States with yearly 600 new foal registrations.
Two stallions are recognized as the founders of the breed ("Lord Darney"and "The Prince of Wales") and all Clydesdales nowadays originate from these two bloodlines.
Clydesdales have been used for heavy farm work and today they are still used for farming and pulling logs, where machines are not suitable to be used.
They are a symbol for the Anheuser-Busch brewery (Budweiser).
And they are performing in shows in halter and performance classes. In performance classes the horse is judged on how it is behaving in harness, on how it is moving in the ring and its capability to work in a team, its responsiveness to the driver and on the quality of the horse and the equipment.
The Suffolk Punch
It is like the Shire horse a descendant of the medieval Great Horse. The Suffolk Punch was developed in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in England and is one of the oldest heavy horse breeds.
This heavy horse has got stamina and is very powerful. Its temperament is docile and it is well known for easy handling.
It reaches in average16.1 hh. It has got a very muscular, arched neck, a short strong back and strong, upright shoulders. The hips are broad and the tail high in onset.
The legs appear short and have no feathering. The usual hair coat color is chestnut in various shades. White markings occur.
It was used for heavy farm work and pulling heavy loads in the past.
Today it still performs in draft horse competitions and is used for driving and showing.
The Percheron
The Percheron is a very popular heavy horse breed and in the UK amongst the four recognized heavy draft horse breeds.
This breed is named after the Perche valley in the North of France.
Its exact origin is unknown, but it is believed that Moores brought them to Europe and their ancestors are Arabian horses.
In the middle age it was used as a heavy war horse. Then it was used for heavy work, like pulling stagecoaches etc.
The forehead is square with a straight profile. The neck is muscular and strong, some individuals have a long and heavy neck.
The chest is broad, the back short and they have a deep girth.
The hindquarters are very muscular and powerful.
They should have a round hip and a long croup.
The mane is thick; the hair coat color is gray or black.
They can reach heights of 15 - 19 hh and weigh up to a ton and above and lives 27 - 39 years.
A modern variation of the Percheron is longer and slender in appearance. This type is used for showing competitions.
This is a very gentle and intelligent horse and ideal for driving. It can pull heavy loads as well as perform in front of a fine carriage.
It is also suitable for riding and competes even as a show jumper.
Dr.med.vet. Ellen Schmidt She is a veterinary surgeon living and working in Scotland, United Kingdom. Her passion are horses and horse driving for recreation. Visit her website and sign up for the free e-zine "The Cart Wheel" on http://www.discover-horse-carriage-driving.com . This website is an "Infoport" for hobby drivers and horse lovers who would like to get expert information about most aspects of equine driving, horse care and horse health issues.
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