Shire

History
In the mid-11th century, William the Conqueror brought large draft horses, called the Great Horse at the time, with him from France to the United Kingdom. During the 1600s, Dutch people came to England to help drain the marsh land. They brought with them Friesians and Flemish horses to help with their work, leaving them behind when the work was done. These horses were later crossed with descendents of the Great Horse, creating what was called the English Black.

Shire credit

 These large, strong horses were initially used as war horses in the Middle Ages, when knights wore heavy armor to battle. When heavy armor was no longer used by soldiers, people began using the horse to pull carts, plough fields, and work in forests throughout the counties of Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire, naming the breed Shire in honor of that fact. In London, people used the strong, calm Shire to pull cargo and deliver beer from the breweries to local pubs.

  During the early 1900s, the Shire became popular in the United States, and several thousand were imported. However, after World War II, when the use of horses for work decreased, the number of Shires quickly declined, dropping down to only a scant few thousand in the 1950s. People interested in the breed crossbred it with Clydesdales to save it from extinction, causing the breed to change a bit. Today, the breed is becoming increasingly more popular.

Breed Description and Uses
 Shires, standing up to 19 hands high and weighing about a ton, are one of the world's largest draft breeds. They have big barrels and long legs with thick feathering and are usually found in black, brown, gray, and bay. Despite their large size, they are gentle and kind. Even today, they are often used for pulling carts and working on small farms. A brewery in London still uses them for their traditional use of transporting beer to pubs, as they have for several hundred years.

The Shire and Clydesdale: a Comparison

Imagine that you see two horses--a Shire and a Clydesdale. At first, if you know little about horses, you may say that they are the same horse. Though they are certainly quite similar physically, their historically backward has several differences.

Historical Background

Clydesdale(credit)

  First, the Clydesdale comes from Scotland, not England. The breed was first introduced in the early 19th century after many years of selectively breeding local mares to Flemish stallions. By the late 19th century, Clydesdales had become extremely popular.  Both Scotland and North America had there own breeding association for the horse. After World War I, the number of Clydesdales dramatically declined due to the fact that most farmers had stopped using horse drawn plows. It wasn't until 1975 that they were considered on the brink of extinction and people began to breed them in order to save the species. Thirty years late the number of Clydesdale was greatly increased, and today there is estimated to be about 5,000 worldwide.


 Shires, which originate from England, have a different story. They are believed to be descendants of the Old English Black Horse, which was used in the 17th century. Later on, Friesians, as well as Dutch horses, were bred with the English horse and by the mid-17th century, the Shire was first mentioned. It wasn't until the late 1800s that the breed was officially formed. In the early 1900s, the Shire became popular in the U.S. Then, during World War II, draft horses began to disappear because of purchase of livestock feed was strict. Finally, in the '70s, the horse became popular once more in both America and England.

Shire(credit)

Appearance

  In appearance, the horses are almost the same,  which is probably because of Clydesdale influence in the Shire. Both are big-boned and average  17 hands or more(a hand is four inches). Also, they  commonly have white markings on the legs and face with "feathers" around the ankles.

Uses Today

Today, both horses are commonly used for similar activities. Clydesdales often make great riding and sport horses and are often seen pulling carts or even doing agricultural work.  Shires, too, are used in sports such as cross country and obstacle driving, or just for everyday riding.