Shire: the world's largest horse breed (10 photos)

Before the invention of the automobile, Shires were the driving forces of progress: they plowed the land, pulled barges along canals, and served as buses and trucks.





These horses require a full-fledged garage, not a stall!

The Shire is an English breed of heavy draft horse. Huge, calm, and powerful, they seem destined to shatter the stereotype that great strength must necessarily be brute force. Despite their impressive size—approximately 180 centimeters at the withers and over 1,000 kilograms—Shires act like dogs with hooves. They seem to understand their size, so they behave with extreme delicacy.



I wonder who's walking whom?

To give you an idea: the average height of most riding breeds is 160 centimeters and weighs around 500 kilograms. This means that Shires are head and shoulders above all other horses and twice as heavy! Even among heavy draft horses, it's hard to find worthy rivals: Shires are officially considered the largest breed.





A pony's hoof and a horseshoe for shire horses.

The all-time absolute champion is considered to be the stallion Sampson, who lived almost two centuries ago. He grew to a record 219.7 centimeters and weighed over 1,500 kilograms. No one has yet managed to break his record, but worthy candidates regularly arise.



That same Sampson. Later, he was renamed Mammoth. No need to explain why.

The ancestors of the Shire horses were large English warhorses. The main transportation of the medieval knight. These horses carried a man in iron armor—at least 180 kilograms on their backs! With them, the horse didn't just walk and wander; it ran across the field, maneuvering among men with swords, and all this amidst the shouts, noise, hubbub, and clatter of a crowd of other horses. The endurance and mentality of warhorses were like those of a tank—a fact highly prized throughout history.



Giant, powerful horses were in demand before the advent of gunpowder in Europe. Later, lighter, more agile steeds became prized in cavalry.

The age of knights passed, industrialization arrived, but war horses remained—they were transformed to meet new needs. The blood of former warriors mixed with that of European heavy draft breeds. This is how the Shire horse emerged—gentle giants with increased work capacity.



It's scary to imagine how quickly a person would be reduced to a pancake if the shires didn't have a strong psyche and a calm disposition.

Shires were used for absolutely every kind of work in the city. It's easier to name what they didn't do. These burly men drove omnibuses around the city—the first horse-drawn buses—pulled carts with coal for heating, goods for the market, and barrels of beer for pubs. Hoofed animals were harnessed to pull barges along the canals within the city. Heck, even the city's garbage was hauled out on shire carts! In villages, these horses were also highly prized—no one could plow hard ground or haul timber better than them.



Traditional breed shows still exist, where Shire horses perform their main function—pulling loads.

At the same time, stud books were kept, exhibitions and various competitions were held. Shire teams were compared for beauty and strength, individual horses for their conformation, and teams of two for short-distance hauling. A single horse can pull 2-3 tons. This means that a team of two can easily pull an entire truck!



There's a rumor online that a pair of Shires pulled a 45-ton load in 1924! For comparison, that's the weight of a Boeing 737, one of the most popular passenger aircraft models. Unfortunately, we couldn't find this information in any reputable sources.

The decline of the breed began with the invention of the first engines. It used to take 20,000 horses to service London alone! But when the city's infrastructure shifted from carriages to cars, Shires were left behind. From a population of millions, their numbers dropped to a few thousand. Shires were profitable for work, but simply as pets, they were too expensive. The cost of feeding and maintaining them is prohibitive for ordinary people. So, the giants of the equestrian world remain confined to stud farms and expensive stables. But those who dare to own a Shire will never trade it for any other breed.



Adults look like children next to these horses.



And children are like toys.

Thanks to their docile nature and endurance, these animals are capable of competing in absolutely any discipline. Yes, they may not win prizes, but they will follow their owner through thick and thin. Shire horses can jump hurdles and gallop, which is completely untypical for heavy draft breeds. They participate in horse-drawn carriage shows and heavy pulling competitions. Just like hundreds of years ago, they give tourists carriage rides around the city and even children at Disneyland. These gentle giants are more obedient to commands than some riding breeds, and nothing can frighten them.