Rare Breeds Trust of Australia

The Shire Horse

by Margaret Arnold

History in country of origin

The literature indicates that whilst the Great Horses from Belgium (considered by many the most direct descandants of this type) were highly regarded in England, the progenitors of the Shire horse were nevertheless preferred by the English knights of King John’s time. The kings encouraged the breeding of huge horses to keep pace with the ever-increasing drive for heavier armour. Today’s Shire Horse is a direct descendant.

With the invention of gun powder the Great Horses were out of a job and their numbers declined dramatically until the late eighteenth century when their potential as draught horses (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul) was recognised with the advances in horticulture. The Shires quickly became popular with farmers in the English lowlands because of their exceptional strength - needed to cultivate the heavy, drained marshland soils. The Shire Horse Society was formed in 1878. During the nineteenth century when the UK became a world leader as a trading nation they also found employment on the docks. The Shire’s docility amongst the hubbub of the busy docks was highly valued until the advent of mechanisation..

In the UK the Shire was a rare breed 20 years ago but following improvements in numbers the Rare Breeds Survival Trust has moved them to its Minority list where it continues to be monitored. Currently there are some 2,300 Shire mares in Britain.

For the history of the Shire in Australia, see Helen Kuiper’s article - to be published shortly.

Description

The Shire’s minimum standard hight is 16.2 hands. Averaging over 17 hands and sometimes reaching over 18 hands, it is the largest and heaviest of the heavy horses. Originally they were almost always black (the Old English Black is thought to be an ancestor)and black with white socks is the ‘classic’ image, but nowadays Shires also come in bay and brown with white leg markings and a blaze, and less commonly, grey. (In England, attention has been drawn to a decline in the numbers of greys. In Australia, this colour is extremely rare.) The current Guinness Book of Records lists an English Shire gelding as the world’s tallest living horse, standing 19.2 hands. They have a rather coarse head supported by a slightly arched neck, powerful shoulders, massive hindquarters, rounded loins and extremely powerful legs with abundant feathering of the feet. This feathering was considered an advantage in the past as it stopped some of the grit and grime getting into their feet. As they were used in marshy ground the argument put by some that feathering is a practical disadvantage seems to be disputable.

Disposition-wise, they are described by the Shire Society as the “Gentlest of the Gentle Giants”. Sue Bailey (Queensland ‘Ambassador’ for the breed society) believes the reason for their docility is their use on the docks and in the paddocks ploughing where patience is needed for so many decades. The need to work safely in both high-stimulus or mundane environments would encourage the selection of calm-temperament animals. She describes the Shire as a ‘people’ horse, loving human company.

Special issues with keeping Shires

In considering supporting this extremely rare breed in Australia one should be aware of a plethora of special needs, in addition to the usual cost and maintenance issues involved with keeping horses.

Feeding

Sue Bailey has seven Shires on 11 acres and feeds them four to five biscuits of lucerne per day. Of course a working horse, a serving stallion or mare in foal will need more than this. Sue would feed a pregnant mare a commercial breeding supplement and an active stallion a protein supplement such as oats.

Housing

A stallion will need a strong yard. Any stabling will need to be bigger and stronger than for your average horse.

Veterinary/health needs

A strict regulation of the Shire Society is that a horse with any hereditary defects such as sidebone and ringbone ( little deformities around the foot) cannot be registered. Sue said: “When we worm the horses we ned need two tubes instead of the normal one. Because of the size of the horse any treatments or medicines needs to be given in larger doses, costing about half as much again as an ordinary horse.”

Equipment

Each horse needs its own collar and often these need to be custom made. Costs for full harness for ploughing etc range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Horse rugs usually need to be custom made. Farriery is more expensive because of the enormous hooves - one of Sue’s horses takes an 18 inch circumference shoe.

If you envisage using your horse for ploughing or hauling and are of average height, you may need to work out a strategy for getting the heavy collar on a 18hh horse, though Sue reports most trained Shires will obligingly lower their heads for the collar. Sue is a small, light-framed woman, and says she has no problems harnessing her bigger horses as long as she has a box to stand on.

If you are planning on showing your Shire, you will need a truck rather than an ordinary horse float. Sue uses a four-horse truck for two Shires.

Availability and Cost

There are very few Australian breeders. Sue said the average price for a young horse is $6000. A working gelding may sell for $10,000.

Summarizing the advantages of Shire

Sue Bailey prefers Shires to other heavy horses for the following reasons.

1. Their exceptionally docile nature makes them easy to handle despite their size. She sees them as a person-oriented horse. Most seem to love communicating well with their owner.

2. Their rarity in this country. Sue believes their intrinsic worth makes them worth preserving and developing in Australia.

3. Ease of foaling - to date no problems have been reported with Australian births.