Intro
Also called Italian Working Horse, Rapid Heavy Draft and Cavallo Agricolo Italiano da Tiro Pesante Rapido, the Italian Heavy Draft is a man made breed created to fulfill needs of both war and agricultural.
Origins
The breed dates back to 1860, when the horse production branch of the Department of War began crossbreeding Breton stallions to mares of the northeastern Italian plains. The mares were of varied stock and included animals of Hackney, Belgian Draft and Breton origin. Through continuous cross breeding of those same lines, the Italian Heavy Draft came about with their own distinguishing characteristics.
In 1927 a stud book was formed and until the mid-20th century the Italian Draft was a popular breed as they were not just powerful, but fast as well. Towards the end of the 20th century, need for a heavy draft had all but died out and their numbers declined sharply.
In the 1970’s a program was put into place to improve the breed for meat production, which is what they are primarily raised for today.
Features
Average height 15 – 16 hands
Physique
Head is long but shapely with a straight or slightly convex profile
Eyes are large and lively
Ears are small
Neck is short and muscular
Back is short and straight
Chest is broad, muscular and deep
Shoulder is long and well sloped
Legs are short with broad, strong joints and some feathering
Feet are straight and boxy
Traditional Colors
Generally liver chestnut, often with flaxen mane and tail.
Temperament
Amiable and easy to work with
Use
Meat production
Agriculture
Creation of heavy draft mules
Improving meat production value in other breeds
Helpful Links
Associazione Nazionale Allevatori del Cavallo Agricolo Italiano da Tiro Pesante Rapido
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