The Shire Horse: The Elegance of the Giant

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     I recently had the chance to see this giant live and I can confirm fully: it's an?impressive giant!

Over 17 hands (68 inches, 173cm) of calmness and meekness, made this horse the ideal driving force for brewery wagons delivering Ale. In the end, no one want his beer shaken up, so a calm driver is what you really need!

As a breed of Draught Horse, the Shire comes in several colours, including gray, bay and black.

With regards to stallions, in the UK colour may not be chestnut, while this colour is allowed in the US, where the Shire was exported from the UK starting from the late 19th/early 20th Century.

Stallions must also stand 17 hands (68 inches, 173cm) high at a minimum (when mature), gelding stands at least 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168cm) high and at least 16 hands (64 inches, 163cm) are required for mares.

Shire's head is lean and long, large eyes and a slightly arched neck, that is a bit long in proportion to the rest of the body.

Carry pulling may also mean wide and deep shoulders: that is the case with Shire Horse, having a wide chest as well. No much feathering on legs and hair is fine, strainght and silky.

Shorter Shires, under 17 hands (68 inches, 173cm), are normally preferred for carry pulling or working tasks in general, while taller horses, especially if over 18.2 hands (74 inches, 188cm), are used for shows and promotional purposes.

The largest horse in recorded history was a Shire called Mammoth: born in 1848, Mammoth stood 21.2 hands (86 inches, 218cm) high and hi weight was estimated at 1,500 Kg (3,300 Lb).

However, the Shire being named at the Guinness Book of World Records was the 19 hands (76 inches, 193cm) tall Goliath, that held the record until his death in 2001.

You can ride the Shire Horse. Outride him. Or put him on harness. His easy-going temperament will allow you more than you can ask. Even Dressage, and no joke here: despite ineligible to compete, Shire was presented in Dressage in the Olympics (can't actually remember when), and I have more than a friend confirming he can do it easily.
No big surprise in the end: in spite of having a great capacity of weight pulling, Shire's long and slim limbs can allow the wide and elegant motions Dressage requires.

Shire Horses have been identified as at risk of a disease called chronic progressive lymphedema, which includes symptoms of progressive swelling, hyperkeratosis and fibrosis of distal limbs. This disease is equivalent to chronic lymphedema for humans.

Weight pulling. It was 1924 when, at a British exhibition, two Shires have pulled an estimated load equal to 45 Tons. Why "estimated"? Because their pull exceeded the maximum measurable on the dynamometer of the time!

In slippery footing, same pair of Shires pulled 16.5 Tons at a later event.

Those numbers will convince everyone that we are talking about a sort of tractor with 4 limbs, a mane and a... very patient temperament!

I recently had the chance to see this giant live and I can confirm fully: it's an?impressive giant!