Shire horse

The Shire is a horse selected for medium-heavy draft that does not fear effort and fatigue and seems to derive from the Great Horse, a medieval horse used in tournaments, and derived from the draft horses of Northern Europe with probable oriental blood supply.

Throughout history the Shire horse has been called in various ways: war horse, old English black horse, beer cart horse, large horse due to its imposing size.

Although the standard is around 175 cm at the withers, this horse can easily reach two meters at the withers but, despite the size, the Shire is an extremely docile and sweet horse, generous and courageous.

At the 1924 Wembley Fair, Vesuvius and Umber, a couple from Shire, hauled an 18.5-ton load over a slippery granite surface.

The Shire Sampson, according to a document held by the Canadian Shire Horse Association, would have been the tallest horse of all time: 2.2 meters at the withers, and is estimated to have weighed around 1.4 tons.

He was born in Toddington Mills in Bedfordshire in 1846 to farmer Thomas Cleaver.

Because of his size, he was nicknamed Mammoth, that is mammoth.

Despite everything, the tallest Shire today has come to measure “only” 2.07m at the withers, 13cm shorter than Sampson.

Sturdy and tireless, it has characteristic long hairs that cover its limbs and is now used in shows and carriage races.

It also lends itself well as a simple ride but, of course, not for more complex disciplines such as jumping or dressage.

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