Description of the horse Iire

The Shire horse is an English breed of heavy truck horse. The breed was obtained by crossing imported Flanders and Friesian horses with local filly. From the very beginning, the breed was intended exclusively for military service. Only relatively recently, heavy trucks and ordinary horses were seen in it.

Shire horses

External characteristics

Despite the fact that the Shire is a breed of English horses that is quite ancient, its representatives do not differ in uniformity. you can find horses with unusual weight and size, such individuals are suitable only for a quiet ride, but there are among them and large individuals with a massive physique, these are the very heavyweights that can be put in a harness.

This species is characterized in equal proportions by a well-developed physique. The back and chest are wide. The sacrum is also due to its width and power gives tremendous strength and endurance to this horse. According to suit Shayra can be diverse. Shire suit can be black, bay, red and gray. As for the color, one can often find white stockings on Shairah, usually on the hind legs, a bald spot may be present on the head. This can also be seen in the photo.

Disadvantages

If we talk about the shortcomings of the shires, they may have a strong freeziness, they do not always have enough squat.But soon these minuses will be gone, as breeders are working hard to eliminate them. To do this, in the territories of England Shayrov are now actively crossing with mares of pure blood. The result of such efforts is the appearance of pedigree horses, which feel great in harnessing.

In the 20th century, more precisely, in the 50s, the Shires actively crossed with the Kledesdels, because of this the first appeared beautiful silky friezes on the legs. On the front legs of the horses, friezes grow, starting from the wrist and further around the entire leg. On the rear friezes grow back, starting from the hock joint.

Character

Among the qualities of these horses are:

• poise;
• peacefulness;
• easy handling;
• thanks to obedience and ease of management, the Shires are often chosen for crossbreeding with other horses.

Where Shire is used

Previously, the breed was often used for farm work, but gradually, when stagecoaches began to gain popularity, these horses were actively used to transport people . It’s not for nothing that this heavy horse. This became especially popular when fresh blood flowed into the breed. They gave the shire flexibility and mobility, despite the fact that they remained very large in size.

In the 19th century, the Shire was the main labor force in agricultural work.The railroad and docks simply could not do without these horses, the Shire horse for them is just a godsend. On city streets, too, one could often meet these horses. Indeed, then the power and large size of these horses was very appropriate. They loved them because they easily and with pleasure gave in to training.

The huge Shire force and high growth of horses led them to records in the whole world. The fact is that Shires, according to official sources, are the strongest in terms of carrying capacity. Two shires in April 1924 carried a team of 50 tons.

For obvious reasons, horses were also actively used in the army. Then, when technical progress began to develop and the first type tractors were developed, the demand for Shire horses somewhat subsided, but interest in them revived with the advent of the sweepstakes.

Shire breed today

In modern times, the role of these horses is aesthetic and historical. Today, these horses are actively serving brewers. On the streets of England you can find an old-style team, which is engaged in the distribution of beer. You can see the breed and in the teams of the van, which are engaged in entertainment shows.

In addition, these handsome men still take an active part in various exhibitions, horse shows, auctions and tournaments. The British, probably due to their conservatism, still greatly honor this breed and love it. In Russia, the Shire horse is rare.

The Shire horse in maintenance will cost the owner quite expensive. In particular, because the horse consumes a decent amount of feed. A mare and a horse must eat excellent food in order to maintain their natural strength.

A purebred foal is expensive. A foal from an unregistered mare is cheaper. For purebred representatives of the breed there is a special pedigree book.