author’s note
Known for their large size, kind temperament, and steady ways, the draft horse has a proud history dating back hundreds of years.
Through the centuries, the draft has been a war horse, a carriage horse, a freight puller, an artillery/gun horse, and a steadfast plow horse that has helped farmers feed nations. While today drafts can be seen in horse shows or on the trails, they are also still used as the main source of tilling the land in Amish Country in the Midwest.
The draft horse is gifted with a wide body, deep chest, thick powerful neck, large muscled hindquarters, and short powerful legs.
Chris Platt and her draft horse Celah
Despite their short legs, the draft is a tall horse, usually standing between 16 to 18 hands high at the withers. (A “hand” is 4 inches, a measurement derived from the average width of a human hand. “Withers” refers to the ridge between a horse’s shoulder bones.) The tallest drafts have been measured between 19 and 21 hands. An average draft horse can range between 1600 and 2200 pounds, with some smaller breeds weighing less, and other larger breeds weighing more.
Information regarding some of the most popular breeds of draft horses can be found at the following websites:
The Percheron Horse Association of America
The Belgian Draft Horse Corp of America
Clydesdale Breeders of the USA
The American Shire Horse Association