Draft Horses

They are the tallest, heaviest and strongest group of horses. They are descended from the great war horses which heavily armed knights rode into battle. They once supplied much of the power that trucks and tractorsdo today.

Draft breeds include the Shire, Clydesdale,Belgian,Percheron and Suffolk. the Shire is the largest horse.This breed developed in England after King Henry VIII had all horses less than 5 feet tall destroyed as useless.

The Clydesdale, on of the handsome draft breeds has long flowing hair below the knee and the hock( the joint on the hind legs). This hair called feathers, gives the animal an unsual smart look. They are popular for pulling wagons in parades.

The Belgian ranks among the gentlest and strongest horses.Heavy muscles give the horse a stout appearance and the head may seem too small for the rest of the body. Most Belgians have Chestnut or Bay coloured coats. They are lively for their size and may be used as general purpose horse.

The suffolk, a smaller, chestnut coloured horse, makes an ideal draft horse. It was a favourite for pulling milk wagons.