The Equinest archives

Shire Horse

Shire Horse

Intro

Descendant from the English Great Horse of the Middle Ages, the Shire horse is among the largest of the draft breeds .

Shire Horse

Origins

Appearing in Britain around the end of the 16th century when strong animals were needed to pull heavy wagons and coaches long distances over rough terrain. The Shire derived from blood of forest horses, and Friesian and Flanders horse imports.

The English Great horse is still considered the Shire horse’s principle ancestor, although its bloodlines were slowly reduced in the stock as the influx of Dutch Friesian blood grew stronger.

Modern Shire horses are renowned for their strength, a pair of Shire horses have pulled 16.5 tons of weight on granite paving tiles.

Features

Average height Over 17 hands
Extremely large animals
Incredible pulling strength
One of the biggest horses in the world

Physique

Long neck for a draft horse, with wide shoulders
Legs are clean and muscular, hocks set for maximum leverage
Heavy feathering on back of legs
Big, round hooves

Traditional Colors

black | chestnut | grey | bay

Temperament

Big and gentle, the Shire is a docile giant

Shire Horse

Use

General riding
Show horses
Parade horse

Shire Horse Products

Helpful Links

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American Shire Horse Association
Canadian Shire Horse Association
Shire Horse Society

Where to Buy

Shiresandclydesdales.com

Shire Studs

Shirehorse.org

Video

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Senne Horse

Senne Horse

Origins

The Senne or Senner Horse comes from the heath area of Senne in Germany and comes from indigenous warmblood animals (which are now extinct) crossed with Arabians, Thoroughbreds & Spanish animals. This is an old breed thought to date back to the end of the 12th century and has largely been governed by natural selection throughout the years. Until the beginning of the 20th century when the local studs were closed & the animals sold off to private breeders.
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Sanhe Horse

Sanhe Horse

Origins

The Sanhe Horse comes from eastern Inner Mongolia at a grassland basin formed by three rivers (Sanhe means ‘three rivers’) in China. They are thought to be among the finest of the breeds developed in China partially because the area is well suited to raising equine.
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