BELGIUM HEAVY DRAFT HORSE

Breed of working horse, also called the Brabant for the area of Belgium where it was developed. The oldest of the heavy working-horse breeds, the Belgian heavy draft horse descends directly from a prehistoric European horse and the Ardennais horse. This horse was the foundation for other breeds of heavy work horses, including the Suffolk Punch, Clydesdale, and Shire. The prominent trait of the Belgian heavy draft horse is its phenomenal strength. This horse has a powerful body with a broad, muscular chest, large shoulders, and huge, muscled hindquarters. It weighs about 800 to 1000 kg (about 1760 to 2000 lb) and stands about 160 to 170 cm (about 63 to 67 in, or 15.5 to 17 hands) at the withers (the sides of the ridge between the shoulder blades). The short, dense legs are extremely strong, and the medium-sized feet are solid. The thick, arched neck supports a square-shaped head, which is small in proportion to the body. The coat of the Belgian heavy draft horse is colored chestnut (gold), bay (reddish), or roan (black, brown, or chestnut mixed with white hairs). The Belgian heavy draft horse has a smooth, forceful step rather than a high or fancy motion like the Clydesdale. During the Middle Ages, the Belgian heavy draft horse was known as the Flanders Great Horse and the Great War Horse. William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066, led his army mounted on a Belgian heavy draft horse. William and his horse each wore about 440 kg (about 200 lb) of armor. The Belgian heavy draft horse has been used throughout history for military transport during wars in Europe, including World War II (1939-1945). The Belgian heavy draft horse prized for its legs of steel was for centuries used by farmers in Flanders, now Belgium, to plow their wet, heavy soil. Even with today's mechanized farming techniques, this horse maintains its place on the farm. The wet soil of the European low lands can bog down a tractor, but not a Belgian heavy draft horse. It was introduced in the United States in the late 19th century, where it became the preferred draft horse. It still is used in the traditional collection of syrup from maple trees in New England.

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