| Shire |
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| Breed Description |
| Height Can exceed 18hh. |
| Coulour Black, brown, bay or grey. |
| Conformation Lean head (neither too large nor too small), wide between the eyes, slightly Roman nose, large, prominent eyes with docile expression, and long, lean, sharp, sensitive ears; fairly long, slightly arched nek; deep, oblique shoulder, wide enough to suport a collar; short, strong, muscular back, broad chest and wide, sweeping, muscular hindquarters with well let-down thighs; clean, hard limbs with 11-12 inches (28-30cm) of bone and broad, deep, flat hocks, set at the correct angle for leverage; fine, straight, silky feather; deep, solid feet with thick walls and open coronets. |
| " Thought to be one of the purest decendants of the Medieval Great Horses, the Shire horse is well loved by its native England. It was a war horse, carrying armored soldiers over great distances and protecting them in pitched battle; a work horse for the docks of England, hauling the goods to and from the great ships that plied their trades all over the world; and a faithful farm horse that tilled the earth and transported agricultural product to the cities. The Shire was influenced by the Dutch Friesian when Dutch engineers came to England to drain the fens. The subsequent names of Lincolnshire Black and Old English Black, attributed to the Shire horse, acount for the Friesian blood." |
| Extract "Breed Description" from book HORSE BREEDS OF THE WORLD By Judith Daper Extract from book Field Guide to horses by Kindrie Grove For more information... Buy the book! |
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