America's Favorite Draft Horse - The Belgian Draft Horse

The Belgian, as the name implies, is native to Belgium, a little country blessed with fertile soil and abundant rainfall, providing its thrifty farmers with the excellent pastures, hay and grain necessary to develop a heavy, powerful breed of horse.

Belgium lies in that area of western Europe that gave rise to the large black horses referred to as the “Great Horses” by medieval writers. They are the horses that carried armored knights into battle. They provided the genetic material from which nearly all modern draft breeds are fashioned.

Many of the breed's first American imports were criticized for being too thick, low headed, straight shouldered, and round boned. But those early Belgians made friends because they were easy keepers and willing workers with amiable dispositions. The American farmer decided the breed's assets far outweighed its faults and set out to retain what was right and remedy what was wrong.

Today's Belgian is a big, powerful fellow that retains the drafty middle, deep, strong foot, heavy muscling and amiable disposition possessed by early Belgians. His qualities as an easy keeper, a good shipper, and a willing worker are intact. The changes made by American breeders have developed a horse with far more style, particularly in the head and neck, with more slope to both shoulder and pastern.

The draft horse at his best is a spectacular beast. Once booted out at some fairs for being behind the times, they are now welcomed back as crowd pleasers. Commercial firms are looking to the Belgian hitch as an advertising vehicle. Increasing numbers of people are finding their pleasure horse in the form of a team of Belgians. Their good disposition and willingness to work make them favorites on small, part-time farms. It is no wonder Belgians are by far the most numerous of all draft breeds in the U.S.

Information excerpted, with permission, from www.belgiancorp.com. Photo by Dwight Sipler, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0