Type the name of the breed you're looking for below
[wpdreams_ajaxsearchlite] Don't see the breed your're looking for? Click here and let us know!
[fbcomments]
Belgian Draft horse
| Country Of Origin | Belgium |
| History and Background | Also known as the Belgian Heavy Horse, Brabançon or Brabant, the Belgian Draft is not only one of the strongest draft breeds, but this breed has also held the world record for the tallest and the largest horses in the world. Historically, it is theoretically possible the Belgian may have had ancestors who were destriers in the Middle Ages, although there is no independent evidence to support this claim. The foundation stock for the Belgian was originally known as the Brabant. Other names for essentially the same breed include the Cheval de trait Belge, Brabançon, and Belgisch Trekpaard. Until the 1940s, the Belgian and the Brabant were essentially the same breed. Following World War II, the Brabant in Europe was selectively bred to be thicker bodied and heavier, while in the United States the Belgian was bred to be somewhat taller and lighter bodied. The main use was as a farm horse. Closely related breeds include the Trait du Nord and Nederlands Trekpaard. In 1887, the American Association of Importers and Breeders of Belgian Draft Horses was founded in Wabash, Indiana to register and keep track of all Belgian Draft Horses. Today, the Belgian is the most numerous breed of draft horse in the United States. Importation of Belgians to the USA ended in bulk after the beginning of the Second World War with Erwin F. Dygert transporting the last Belgians out of Europe as the war was beginning. |
| Use Today | Wagon horses, Pleasure horse, Draft competitions, Show horse, Agriculture work, Meat |
| Height | 16.2 and 17 hands (66 and 68 inches, 168 and 173 cm) |
| Colour | Bay, Black, Chestnut, Mealy, Roan |
| Characteristics | On average the Belgian grows to weigh slightly over 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds). Most American Belgians are a light chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. The head is relatively small and well-shaped. American Belgians in North America are not as large as the European Brabant but is of a similar build. Currently, the world's tallest horse is a Belgian Draft horse named Big Jake, a gelding born in 2000. He stands 20.2 3⁄4 hands (82.75 inches, 210 cm) tall. Belgians have a high occurrence of junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), an inherited genetic disorder that causes newborn foals to lose large areas of skin and have other abnormalities, normally resulting in euthanasia. A study conducted in 2001–2003 found that 17.1% of tested Belgians in the US and Canada were carriers, including 13.5% of stallions and 28.9% of mares. If carriers are not mated, JEB can be avoided, and scientists are studying the disease further in the hope of completely eliminating it. The US Belgian breed registry requires JEB testing. Belgians have also been identified to be at risk for chronic progressive lymphedema, 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. |
| Personality and Temperament | Docile and willing Built solid for hard work Exceptionally strong and hardworking |
