39-543: The Norfolk Trotter is a historical horse breed once native to East Anglia and Norfolk , England . It was said to be "a large-sized trotting harness horse originating in and around Norfolk". In 1542, King Henry VIII required the wealthy to keep a specified number of trotting-horse stallions. The breed was well established in Norfolk, and later became known as the Norfolk Trotter. The most influential sire in its history
78-399: A mare . A related hybrid, the hinny , is a cross between a stallion and a jenny (female donkey). Most other hybrids involve the zebra (see Zebroid ). With rare exceptions, most equine hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce. A notable exception is hybrid crosses between horses and Equus ferus przewalskii , commonly known as Przewalski's horse . Shire horse The Shire is
117-438: A British breed of draught horse . It is usually black , bay , or grey . It is a tall breed, and Shires have at various times held world records both for the largest horse and for the tallest horse. The Shire has a great capacity for weight-pulling; it was used for farm work , to tow barges at a time when the canal system was the principal means of goods transport, and as a cart-horse for road transport. One traditional use
156-448: A breed registry. An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin , who had a reputation for careful breeding practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. Though these pedigrees were originally transmitted by an oral tradition , written pedigrees of Arabian horses can be found that date to
195-927: A broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected . Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies , suitable for slow, heavy work; and " warmbloods ," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe . Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation , color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits are usually
234-435: A chronic progressive disease that includes symptoms of progressive swelling, hyperkeratosis , and fibrosis of distal limbs. The disease is similar to chronic lymphedema in humans. The Shire has an enormous capacity for pulling weight. In 1924, at a British exhibition, a pair of horses was estimated to have pulled a starting load equal to 50 tonnes , although an exact number could not be determined as their pull exceeded
273-409: A neck that is slightly arched and long in proportion to the body. The shoulder is deep and wide, the chest wide, the back muscular and short and the hindquarters long and wide. Not too much feathering is to occur on the legs, and the hair is fine, straight, and silky. The Shire is known for its easy-going temperament. Shires have been identified to be at risk for chronic progressive lymphedema ,
312-488: A registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating, so-called "live cover". A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of artificial insemination or embryo transfer , cannot be registered in the Thoroughbred studbook. However, since the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, most breed registries now allow artificial insemination, embryo transfer, or both. The high value of stallions has helped with
351-431: A rigorously defined standard phenotype, or for breeds that register animals that conform to an ideal via the process of passing a studbook selection process. Most of the warmblood breeds used in sport horse disciplines have open stud books to varying degrees. While pedigree is considered, outside bloodlines are admitted to the registry if the horses meet the set standard for the registry. These registries usually require
390-518: A selection process involving judging of an individual animal's quality, performance, and conformation before registration is finalized. A few "registries," particularly some color breed registries, are very open and will allow membership of all horses that meet limited criteria, such as coat color and species, regardless of pedigree or conformation. Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all Jockey Club Thoroughbred registries require that
429-504: Is one of the best-known horses of the era, with direct descendants being recorded from 1770 to 1832. This horse is usually recognised as the foundation stallion for the Shire breed, and he stood at stud from 1755 to 1770. During the nineteenth century, Shires were used extensively as cart horses to move goods from the docks through the cities and countryside. The rough roads created a need for large horses with extensive musculature. In 1878,
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#1732859581745468-472: Is seen commonly in breed-history books; regardless of the name, all are the same breed of horse. They were used under saddle as the quickest means of travel in areas with no established roads. The breed was known for its ability to carry a heavy man for great distances at speeds up to 17 mph. Trotting races (usually under saddle), were very popular in the early part of the 19th century, and Norfolk Trotters excelled in them. A Norfolk Trotter stallion, Bellfounder,
507-729: Is the half-bred stallion Shales (foaled 1755), also known as "Old Shales". Shales' Thoroughbred sire, Blaze (foaled 1733), was a son of the great racehorse Flying Childers (a descendant of the Darley Arabian , one of the three foundation sires of the Thoroughbred ). The Norfolk Trotter became the all-around travel horse in England at this time. In Yorkshire, the same breed was known as the Yorkshire Trotter . Both breeds were also known as roadsters . The term Norfolk/Yorkshire Roadster/Trotter
546-777: The Clydesdale and the Shire developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. Ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. However, by the 20th century, many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding. Other horse breeds developed specifically for light agricultural work, heavy and light carriage and road work, various equestrian disciplines, or simply as pets. Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication . However,
585-520: The Old English Black Horse in the seventeenth century. The Black Horse was improved by the followers of Robert Bakewell , of Dishley Grange in Leicestershire , resulting in a horse sometimes known as the "Bakewell Black". Bakewell imported six Dutch or Flanders mares, notable since breeders tended to concentrate on improving the male line. Two different types of black horses developed:
624-409: The withers of grown stallions is about 178 cm (17.2 hands ), with a minimum of 173 cm (17.0 h); geldings should stand at least 168 cm (16.2 h), and mares no less than 163 cm (16.0 h). Weight ranges from 850 to 1100 kg (1870 to 2430 lb) for geldings and stallions, with no set standard for mares. The head of a Shire is long and lean, with large eyes, set on
663-556: The 14th century. In the same period of the early Renaissance , the Carthusian monks of southern Spain bred horses and kept meticulous pedigrees of the best bloodstock; the lineage survives to this day in the Andalusian horse . One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the Arabian stallions imported to England from
702-565: The 1880s. The American Shire Horse Association was established in 1885 to register and promote the breed. The Shire soon became popular in the United States, and almost 4,000 Shires were imported between 1900 and 1918. Approximately 6,700 Shires were registered with the US association between 1909 and 1911. Around the time of the Second World War , increasing mechanisation and strict regulations on
741-586: The 1940s and 1950s. Between 1950 and 1959, only 25 horses were registered in the United States. However, numbers began to increase, and 121 horses were registered in the US by 1985. The National Shire Horse Spring Show is held annually and is the largest Shire show in Great Britain. The conservation status of the Shire is listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as "at risk", meaning that population numbers are estimated to be under 1500 head. In
780-551: The English Cart Horse Society was formed, and in 1884 changed its name to the Shire Horse Society. The Society published a stud book , with the first edition in 1878 containing 2,381 stallions and records dating back to 1770. Between 1901 and 1914, 5,000 Shires were registered each year with the society. The first Shires were imported to the United States in 1853, with large numbers of horses being imported in
819-574: The Fen or Lincolnshire type and the Leicester or Midlands type. The Fen type tended to be larger, with more bone and extra hair, while the Midlands type tended to have more endurance while being of a finer appearance. The term "Shire horse" was first used in the mid-seventeenth century, and incomplete records begin to appear near the end of the eighteenth century. The "Packington Blind Horse", from Leicestershire,
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#1732859581745858-481: The Middle East that became the foundation stallions for the breed. Some breed registries have a closed stud book , where registration is based on pedigree, and no outside animals can gain admittance. For example, a registered Thoroughbred or Arabian must have two registered parents of the same breed. Other breeds have a partially closed stud book, but still allow certain infusions from other breeds. For example,
897-475: The United States, and Canada. Though oxen were used for most farm work into the eighteenth century, horses "fit for the dray, the plough, or the chariot" were on sale at Smithfield Market in London as early as 1145. The English Great Horse was valued during the reign of Henry VIII , when stallions measuring less than "fifteen handfuls" could not be kept, but the increasing role of gunpowder brought an end to
936-540: The United States, Canada, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, and in 1996 the first World Shire Horse Congress was held in Peterborough . The first use within the breed of artificial insemination through frozen semen was with several Australian mares in 1997. Between the 1920s and 1930s and today, the Shire has changed in conformation . The Clydesdale was used for cross-breeding in the 1950s and 1960s, which changed
975-407: The United States, sometime based on state law and sometimes based on antitrust laws. Horses can crossbreed with other equine species to produce hybrids . These hybrid types are not breeds, but they resemble breeds in that crosses between certain horse breeds and other equine species produce characteristic offspring. The most common hybrid is the mule , a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and
1014-605: The United States, the Livestock Conservancy lists it as "critical", while the Equus Survival Trust calls it "vulnerable". Shire stallions may be black , bay , brown or grey . They may not be roan or have large amounts of white markings . Mares and geldings may be black, bay, brown, grey or roan. In the UK stallions may not be chestnut , but the colour is allowed by the US association. The average height at
1053-539: The United States. With the progressive mechanisation of agriculture and of transport, the need for draught horses decreased rapidly and by the 1960s numbers had fallen from a million or more to a few thousand. Numbers began to increase again from the 1970s, but the breed is still considered "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust . Outside the United Kingdom, there are stud-books and breed associations in Australia,
1092-404: The acceptance of these techniques because they allow a stallion to breed more mares with each "collection" and greatly reduce the risk of injury during mating. Cloning of horses is highly controversial, and at the present time most mainstream breed registries will not accept cloned horses, though several cloned horses and mules have been produced. Such restrictions have led to legal challenges in
1131-425: The concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry only became of significant importance in modern times. Today, the standards for defining and registration of different breeds vary. Sometimes, purebred horses are called "Thoroughbreds", which is incorrect; " Thoroughbred " is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by
1170-441: The conformation of the Shire and most notably changed the feathering on the lower legs from a mass of coarse hair into the silky feathering associated with modern Shires. At the peak of their population, Shires numbered over a million. In the 1950s and 1960s, this number declined to a few thousand. In the United States, the Shire population dropped significantly in the early part of the twentieth century, and continued to decline in
1209-468: The maximum reading on the dynamometer . Working in slippery footing, the same pair of horses pulled 18.5 tonnes at a later exhibition. The tallest and heaviest horse in recorded history was probably a Shire gelding named Sampson (also known as Mammoth), foaled in Bedfordshire in 1846. He stood over 219.7 cm (21.2 h), and weighed an estimated 1524 kilograms (3360 lb). The Shire horse
Norfolk Trotter - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-541: The modern Appaloosa must have at least one Appaloosa parent, but may also have a Quarter Horse , Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent, so long as the offspring exhibits appropriate color characteristics. The Quarter Horse normally requires both parents to be registered Quarter Horses, but allows "Appendix" registration of horses with one Thoroughbred parent, and the horse may earn its way to full registration by completing certain performance requirements. Open stud books exist for horse breeds that either have not yet developed
1287-428: The purchase of livestock feed reduced the need for and ability to keep draught horses. Thousands of Shires were slaughtered and several large breeding studs closed. The breed fell to its lowest point in the 1950s and 1960s, and in 1955 fewer than 100 horses were shown at the annual British Spring Show. In the 1970s, the breed began to be revived through increased public interest. Breed societies have been established in
1326-540: The result of a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods aimed at producing horses for specific tasks. Certain breeds are known for certain talents. For example, Standardbreds are known for their speed in harness racing . Some breeds have been developed through centuries of crossings with other breeds, while others, such as the Morgan horse , originated from a single sire from which all current breed members descend. More than 300 horse breeds exist in
1365-413: The use of heavy horses in battle. Oliver Cromwell 's cavalry favoured lighter, faster mounts and the big horses began to be used for draught work instead. During the sixteenth century, Dutch engineers brought Friesian horses with them when they came to England to drain the fens , and these horses may have had an influence on what became the Shire breed. From this medieval horse came an animal called
1404-512: The world today. Modern horse breeds developed in response to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain physical characteristics to perform a certain type of work. Thus, powerful but refined breeds such as the Andalusian or the Lusitano developed in the Iberian Peninsula as riding horses that also had a great aptitude for dressage , while heavy draft horses such as
1443-473: Was for pulling brewer's drays for delivery of beer, and some are still used in this way; others are used for forestry, for riding and for commercial promotion . The Shire breed was established in the mid-eighteenth century, although its origins are much older. A breed society was formed in 1876, and in 1878 the first stud-book was published. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were large numbers of Shires, and many were exported to
1482-472: Was imported to America in 1822, and proved a major influence in the founding of the Standardbred by becoming the dam sire of Hambletonian 10 . Norfolk Trotters also strongly influenced today's modern Hackney horse. Horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses , often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry . However, the term is sometimes used in
1521-754: Was originally the staple breed used to draw brewer's drays . A few breweries still maintain this tradition in the UK, among them the Wadworth Brewery in Devizes, Wiltshire, the Hook Norton Brewery , the Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster , Robinsons Brewery and Thwaites Brewery , which made Shire-drawn deliveries from the early 1800s to the 1920s, then resumed service in 1960. Several breweries have withdrawn their Shire horse teams, including
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