Draught horse work
Draught horse work is the use of heavy horses to pull loads, plough and haul timber, the working role for which the great draught breeds were bred.
At a glance
| The horses | Heavy breeds such as the Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron and Suffolk Punch. |
|---|---|
| Tasks | Ploughing, logging, dray work and, historically, farm and city haulage. |
| Harness | Worked in a collar and heavy harness that lets the horse pull from the shoulders. |
| Today | Kept alive in ploughing matches, forestry, brewery drays and heritage farming. |
Draught horses are bred for power and a steady temperament, working in a collar that lets them lean their whole weight into a load. For centuries they ploughed fields, hauled goods and powered machinery before engines replaced them.
The work survives today in ploughing matches, low-impact forestry where horses extract timber without churning the ground, and the ceremonial brewery drays that keep the great heavy breeds in the public eye.
Sources: Federation Equestrian International (FEI) ยท British Equestrian