The strongest horses are heavy draft horses. In the 17th–19th centuries, they were bred and used to transport goods. With the development of the era of mechanization, most draft breeds were on the verge of extinction, because they were replaced by machines. However, even now there is a need for these horses – they still remain faithful helpers on the field in the countryside.
heavyweight horse
A brief history of draft horses
According to experts, modern breeds of heavy draft horses descended from one common ancestor – the ancient knightly horse destrie. It was distinguished by remarkable strength and was used in military battles. The powerful destrie horses were very large, which allowed them to carry the weight of a rider dressed in armor.
Destriers could not boast of maneuverability, speed and endurance. Under the weight of gravity, they quickly got tired, but easily moved over rough terrain and showed courage. They are compared to tanks against which the infantry is powerless. The strongest horses in the world, heavy draft horses, originated precisely from these ancient horses. Today there are more than 100 breeds, characterized by a large physique and remarkable power.
Russian breeds of heavy horses
In Russia, 3 breed lines related to heavy drafts have been bred. These include:
- Soviet heavy truck;
- Russian heavy draft horse;
- Vladimir breed.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, these animals were indispensable helpers in the countryside. They were used to transport timber, building materials, hay, fodder. Today, most representatives of these breed lines are involved in places where no technique can pass. Their strength is still needed, but not in the same volume as it was before the development of technological progress.
Soviet heavy truck
The breed was created on the basis of crossbreeds of Russian Bityugs and draft horses. Later, the blood of the Ardennes, Percherons and Belgian heavy trucks rushed to their descendants. The Soviet heavy-drawn horse inherited some of the signs from the Suffolks.
Breed of horses Soviet heavy truck
The animals are quite tall, have a massive body type, but at the same time they are distinguished by a balanced character and show humility. The weight of an adult stallion reaches 800 kg, and in some cases exceeds a ton.
Features:
- height – 1,6–1,7 m;
- chest girth – 2 m;
- the head is rough, of medium size;
- the neck is dense with a well-defined muscular relief;
- the back and chest are wide;
- the ribs are rounded;
- croup powerful, forked;
- the limbs are massive, strong, with large hooves;
- the color of horses of this breed is predominantly red, rarely bay.
Attention! The Soviet heavy truck is valued for its strength, undemanding food supply and precocity. Mares give a lot of milk.
Russian heavy truck
Considering strong horses, it is worth mentioning the Russian heavy draft. The breed was formed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Breeders took domestic warm-blooded mares as a basis and crossed them with Belgian Ardennes and Percherons.
The Russian heavy draft breed was officially recognized and entered into the register in 1952. These are low horses, characterized by a mild temperament and undemanding care and nutrition.
The first breeding stallions, obtained from the descendants of the Ardenes, were too short, about 143 cm at the withers. Breeders set a goal – to work on improving this parameter. Over the years, Russian heavy trucks have become taller, modern stallions grow to 149-153 cm with a weight of 600-700 kg.
Horse breed Russian heavy truck
Features:
- the head is large with an extended frontal part;
- the body is disproportionately long with a barrel-shaped chest;
- legs dry, short, sinewy, with large joints;
- the neck is muscular, long, beautifully arched;
- the back is wide with a slight deflection;
- croup dense, in some representatives of the breed slightly lowered;
- common colors are bay, red.
Vladimir heavy truck
The breed was bred in the pre-war period from 1930 to 1935. Clydesdale stallions were taken as the basis of the genotype, they were crossed with local draft mares. Shires had a slight influence on the breed.
Vladimir heavy trucks have a strong physique and high growth – from 163 to 170 cm. Among domestic heavy draft breeds, this one is distinguished by the largest dimensions.
The Vladimir horse is characterized by a large head with a slightly convex profile, located on a long muscular neck, a wide back, an oblique arrangement of the shoulder blades and strong bony limbs with the correct setting. The low set croup is rounded. The hair in the tail and mane is thick, which makes the horse even more beautiful. The lower part of the limbs is overgrown, the hooves are wide with a strong horn.
Representatives of the Vladimir breed are the strongest horses bred in the Soviet Union. Despite their large size, they show peacefulness and complaisance. The best stallions are kept at stud farms in the Ivanovo and Vladimir regions.
The most powerful horses in Europe
In the 17th-19th centuries, in various European countries, there was also a need for strong horses. During this period, they began to intensively cultivate the land, and one cannot do without a faithful assistant-horse in this matter. Heavy trucks were taken out in Belgium, France, England. Some of them later influenced the development of domestic horse breeds.
Percheron
The French heavy truck Percheron is a real giant. One of the representatives of the breed is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest horse.
French heavy truck percheron
His height was 2,13 m, and his weight exceeded 1,3 tons. Percherons were bred in the middle of the 19th century in the small and picturesque province of Perche, in the south of France, based on local draft horses and purebred Arabian horses.
Looking at a horse of the Percheron breed, people are surprised at how harmoniously it combines the extraordinary strength and power of a giant heavy truck and the plasticity and grace inherent in Arabian horses.
Characteristic:
- the head of the percheron is quite large, but at the same time it looks light;
- nostrils dilated;
- eyes are intelligent, expressive;
- the neck is long with well-defined muscles, decorated with a thick luxurious mane;
- shoulders are powerful;
- the chest is deep;
- the back is short, straight, smoothly turning into a rounded forked croup;
- legs dry, long;
- suit – gray or black.
Attention! Modern percherons are represented by three types – light, medium and heavy. The second type of heavy trucks is more popular.
Brabanson
The Belgian draft horse is one of the strongest in the world. It is obtained by crossing Ardenes and Flanders.
Belgian draft horse
Once upon a time, the ancestors of the Brabancons, distinguished by short stature and strong physique, wore warriors with heavy uniforms. Thanks to the blood of the Percherons, the horses became taller. The height at the withers of the stallion of a modern Belgian heavy truck reaches 160-176 cm, and the weight ranges from 800 kg to a ton.
Characteristic features of Brabancon:
- the head is small, the muzzle is elongated, the frontal part is wide;
- the neck is powerful with a beautiful bend;
- the back, like the withers, is wide, straight;
- the forked croup of a rounded shape is well developed;
- the ribs are wide, the chest is deep;
- the limbs are short with large joints and overgrown pasterns;
- the colors prevailing in the breed are bay and red in various variations.
Modern Brabancons are considered among the most powerful horses in the world. Breeders note that these animals are not characterized by aggression and tempers. They willingly serve for the benefit of their master.
Shayr
This breed is of English origin. She was bred on the basis of local mares and Flanders and Friesian stallions. Shires are known not only as the strongest horses, but also as the largest representatives of the horse world. The growth at the withers of an adult stallion is 1,85 m, and some individuals are even taller. For a long period of time, these animals were used for military purposes, and later they were involved in field work in villages.
Shire horse
External characteristics of shires:
- proportionately folded body;
- the head is large with a wide forehead;
- short strong neck;
- wide and dense back;
- powerful, slightly raised croup;
- long strong dry limbs;
- on the hind and sometimes on the front legs there are white stockings;
- colors: black, gray, bay and red.
Attention! In the post-war period, the number of breeding stock was reduced to a critical level. Today, there are just over 1000 Shires around the world. Enthusiast breeders are working hard to keep these beautiful horses.
Record horses
The strongest horse in the world is a Shire named Vulcan, who lived at the beginning of the 20th century. No one has yet been able to beat his record. In 1924, at an exhibition held in England, this stallion managed to move a load of 47000 kg alone.
In 1893, 2 stallions of the English heavy truck breed, harnessed to one wagon, pulled a load weighing more than 42000 kg over a distance of 500 m. This record was recorded in America.
A horse named Force, belonging to the Soviet heavy truck breed, also demonstrated its power. He managed to stretch the trailer, in which there was a load with a total weight of almost 23 tons, for a distance of 35 m.
The strongest horses have an interesting history. Several centuries ago, they accompanied the knights in the Crusades, and when the era of mechanization began, the need for them fell sharply. Now almost all heavy draft breeds are on the verge of extinction.
