American Shire Horse Association

One of the largest horses in the world, the Shire originated in the 'Shires' of England and is a descendant of the Old English Black Horse whose ancestors were the 'great horses' of mediaeval times. It stands up to 19 hands, and may be bay, brown, black or grey in colour. An immensely strong, big-barrelled horse, with long legs carrying much feather, it nevertheless has a fine head in comparison to its overall size. Despite its great size and strength (an average Shire will weigh 1 tonne and is capable of moving a 5-tonne load) it is the gentlest of beasts and is a good worker in agriculture and as an urban draught horse. With the ever increasing mechanization of the twentieth century, the Shire and other heavy breeds, could easily have been allowed to die out, but fortunately there has in recent times been a great revival of interest in these magnificent animals. No show classes are more popular with spectators than those for the 'heavies'. Shires still work the land in some parts of the country and several brewers use them to pull drays in the city streets.