Shire Horse

About the Breed

The Shire horse, developed in England, traces it's history to the days of the Roman Conquest and is one of the oldest of the well-defined draft breeds. The name "Shire" also comes from England, and derives its name from the Saxon word "schyran," which means to shear or divide, hence the name "Shire," that is synonymous with county. King Henry VIII first applied the name "Shire" to the horse early in the 16th century.
During the reign of Henry VIII, from 1509 to 1547, special attention was directed to the raising and breeding of strong horses, and several laws were passed with that in mind. Acts were passed in 1535 and 1541 forbidding the use for breeding of horses under 15 hands in height, also prohibiting all exportation, even into Scotland

Shires, in general, were used in the 16th century with paintings dating back to the 15th century that show them in the perfection of form. Without question, the Shire horse was used as a war-horse. Most people believe, and the story is told, that it was the Shire that was used by the knights, as they rode into battle, dressed in heavy armor with sword and lance poised. However, with the passing of the tournament and heavily armored knight, the ancestor of the Shire Horse was put to work in harness pulling carts over rough roads and plows on the farm. The Shire became the largest and most powerful draft horse in Britain. It was, and still is, used by brewers in cities in stylish teams to pull beer wagons, in weight-pulling competition and in plowing competition.

Like the other standard draft breeds, the Shire was improved by the infusion of outside blood at various times in history, notably that of the north German Flemish horses (Belgian) and the horses of Flanders. Reasonably good records exist, dating back nearly 1000 years. During this time outside blood continued to influence the breed as breeders were not hampered by a breed registry and no limits were imposed.


Breed Characteristics

The Shire horse is a draught horse, with powerful and muscular build, a dense rounded body, a broad back, strong loins, powerful hind-quarters, and long legs with dense bones. Shire horses can be black, bay or gray. In the United Kingdom Shire stallions must not be roan or chestnut, although mares and geldings can be roan. In the United States, roaning is considered "undesirable" but chestnut is permitted, though considered rare. The legs should have white stockings or socks (except on gray horses). The hair down the back of the legs is called the "feather", while the hair over the foot is known as the "spats".
Shire horses average around 17.2 hands (178 cm) tall at maturity (measured at the withers, with the breed standard being at least 17 hands, although a Shire horse was recorded reaching over 21.2 hands (220 cm). The girth of a Shire horse varies from 6 feet (1.8 m) to 8 ft (2.4 m). Shire stallions weigh, on average, between 144 st (910 kg; 2,020 lb) and 176 st (1,120 kg; 2,460 lb).
The head should be long and lean, with a Roman nose and widely-spaced eyes. The breed standard specifies that the eyes should be docile in expression, and they are generally brown. The neck should be long and lean, with an arch. This leads to a short, muscular back, with no pronounced dipping or roaching.