Draft Horse

Draft horse is a working category, not a single breed, for heavy horses bred to pull weight in harness. Belgian, Percheron, Clydesdale, Shire, Suffolk Punch, Ardennais, and many regional coldblood breeds all fall under the wider draft or draught-horse idea. They are generally large-framed, deep-bodied animals with powerful hips, strong shoulders, substantial bone, and a calm temperament selected for farm work, hauling, logging, and urban delivery. Feathering, color, and height vary widely by breed; a clean-legged Percheron and a heavily feathered Clydesdale can both be true draft horses.

Keeping draft horses means planning around size. Stalls, trailers, gates, harness, and farrier equipment must fit an animal that may weigh far more than a typical riding horse. They often do well on forage-based diets but can become overweight when retired from work or kept on rich pasture, and heavy bodies make hoof care, skin care under feather, and gradual conditioning especially important. Today many are used for heritage farming, carriage work, low-impact forestry, parades, and pleasure driving, while breed societies and small farms help maintain bloodlines that declined after mechanization.

Colors: Amber Champagne, Bay, Bay Dun, Bay Roan, Black, Blanket Appaloosa, Blue Roan, Brown, Buckskin, Champagne, Chestnut, Classic Champagne, Cremello, Dun, Dun Roan, Fewspot Appaloosa, Flaxen Chestnut, Frame Overo, Gold Champagne, Gray, Grey, Grullo, Leopard Appaloosa, Liver Chestnut, Overo, Palomino, Perlino, Piebald, Pinto, Rabicano, Red Dun, Red Roan, Roan, Sabino, Seal Bay, Silver Dapple, Skewbald, Smoky Black, Smoky Cream, Snowcap Appaloosa, Sorrel, Splash White, Tobiano, Tovero, Varnish Roan, White