Shire

The Shire is the greatest of all British horses. Its origins can be traced all the way back in history to the Great Horse of England circa 1500.

It is quite capable of carrying a soldier and armour weight in excess of 30 stones into jousting battles. (30 stones is over 400 pounds!)

In the middle ages the Shire because of its great weight and strength was very useful in pulling heavy loads over rough roads and allowed the shipping of goods from the docks to the cities efficiently.

Currently the horse is bred and kept for use in agricultural operations, pulling of carriages and showing. It is quite docile and can be seen at most agricultural shows.

The Shire is a very large draft horse. Likely the largest of all English horses as it stands 17.3 hands high. It can be found coloured in bay, brown, black and gray with white markings.

The Shire’s head appears smaller in proportion to the body size but is in fact of normal dimension. The forehead is wide between the eyes. The eyes are alert and prominent. The nostrils are thin and wide. The ears are long, lean and sharp. The neck is long, muscular and slightly arched. The withers are quite wide which is to be expected on such a large horse. The shoulders are deep and wide. The legs are short and well muscled, and have feathers below the knees and hocks. The cannons long and the hooves sound.