THE SHIRE Gentle giants of the horse world.

BY MONIQUE NOBLE

of commerce throughout the 1500s to 1900s.

While there are many types of horses that can be considered drafts, the Shire is among the oldest. As early as the 1500s the Shire was destined to be among the largest of breeds as Henry VIII decreed that no “Shire” horse less than 15 hands high could be bred. This decree was the first time in recorded history that the breed was referred to as the Shire horse.

The historical and beautiful Shire horses of Britain have inspired many traditions that have stood the test of time, literary works, meandering rock walls, names like “Worcestershire,” and a good pint of beer in the afternoon. To some, it might seem unusual in 2023 to see a team of horses pull up at the pub, delivering beer directly from the brewers. Yet in Hook Norton, U.K., this is a tradition that has continued since the brewery’s opening in 1849.

At first look you might think the giant, majestic animals making their delivery are Clydesdales. In fact however, they are Shires, a few of the remaining left, doing the job they were originally bred for – delivering kegs of draft beer to pubs and markets. This long-held job led the horses performing them to be called “draft” horses. While many types of heavy horses are also known as draft horses, Shires (so-called for the shires in which they were bred) continue to be the largest and showiest among them.

As far back as 1100, documents advertising horses fit for “the draft” (the fun, bubbly kind) were being advertised at British auctions. While oxen were still used for most farm work, horses were faster at hauling heavy loads on the rough roads and easier to care for on delivery routes.

The English Great Horse, a fearsome warhorse that fought with knights and kings alike in battle, found a different purpose as the use of gunpowder changed the face of war. Strong, unflappable, and willing to work, draft horses became a staple on the roads and streets

In the 16th century, English draft horses were introduced to Friesian bloodlines by the Dutch who brought their horses to England to help drain the fens, creating many of the agricultural areas that exist today. The Bakewell Black, or Fen as it was commonly referred to, was further crossed with the now-extinct Flemish and Flanders horses which were mixed with Brabant and Belgian blood to create the modern Belgian. This crossbreeding led to the Fen having two distinct physical types: the Fen, or Lincolnshire type, and the Midlands, or Leicester type. The Lincolnshire type was known for its great size and impressive amounts of hair, while the Leicester type was a lighter, more refined looking horse with great stamina.

The Leicester type produced a stud known as the “Packington Blind Horse” who is now considered the foundation sire of the modern Shire. The gigantic black stallion stood at stud from 1755 to 1770. The Packington Blind Horse was a working horse even though he was, in fact, blind. As one of the first entries in the Shire Horse Stud Book, many Shire horses can be traced back to him. The stud book was officially created in 1885 by the Shire Horse Society with the first edition, released in 1978, containing over 2,300 records dating back to 1755. Over 5,000 horses a year were added to the registry as they were a staple on the roads, docks, and quays of Britain between 1901 and 1914.

Shires first came to North America in the mid-1800s with breed associations being created in both Canada and the United States. With their majestic appearance, work ethic, and reputations as gentle giants they became incredibly popular, and by 1911 almost 7,000 Shires were registered in the American Shire Horse Association alone.

Sadly, during the 31-year span which saw the First and Second World Wars, mechanization, and stringent regulations on livestock feed rations, the ability and need to keep such large work horses diminished and thousands of

Shires were slaughtered. Breeding facilities across the world were closed. With the support of Queen Elizabeth II, who became the patron in 1953, Shires were considered a historical breed. Despite this, by 1955, only 100 horses were shown at the Shire Horse Society’s annual Spring Show in Britain.

Fortunately, through public interest the breed saw some revival in the 1970s with breed societies being re-established throughout Europe, North America, and Australia. The necessary introduction of Clydesdale bloodlines to revive the breed did result in some conformational changes to the modern Shire. Despite this, breeders today do their best to preserve the traditional Shire type. Shire associations across the world have a strict set of standards that horses must maintain in order to be registered.

In Canada, Shire mares must reach a minimum height of 16 hands, geldings, 16.2 hands, and stallions must stand at least 17 hands high. Stallions and geldings can be black, brown, bay, and grey. Chestnut and roan stallions by Canadian standards are not allowed; however, the American Shire Horse Association does permit chestnut stallions. Mares and geldings can be roan. The ideal markings for a Shire are white stockings on all four legs and a white blaze. Splashes of white should be kept to a minimum. Stricter U.K. breed standards demand that stallions pass vet inspections at both two and six years of age to retain their registration as breeding stallions.

Well-bred Shires have long, lean heads with proportionate jaws and necks leading to broad, powerful shoulders. The muscling of a Shire is dense, yet elegant, with every movement exuding strength. Their bodies are heavily muscled, yet lightly carried on relatively short legs, with strong, straight bone set on massive hoofs. Their movement is decisive, efficient and incredibly powerful. Hoofs the feathers meet the knees. In comparison, Shire feathering is not as abundant as Clydesdale feathering. are the size of dinner plates and have fine, silky feathering that diminishes as

The Shire is a gigantic breed, holding the title of the world’s tallest horse. The record holder, a Shire gelding from Bedfordshire, England named “Sampson” (later renamed “Mammoth”), was 21.2½ hands high and weighed in at 3,359 pounds – a record that has yet to be defeated! Shires are also among the strongest of all draft horses, easily hauling massive amounts of weight. Currently a Shire also holds the record for the most weight (58,000 pounds), pulled by a single horse.

It was one such record-holding Shire that caught the eye of Alberta horseman, Cliff Kelsey. The Shire “Goliath” was, at one point in time, the largest living horse in the world until his death in 2001, standing 21.2 hands and weighing 3,360 pounds. In the 1980s, Goliath was a huge draw on the show circuit. Kelsey and his wife were enamoured with the breed from the day they met Goliath and consequently, sought out additional Shires to import into Canada. Kelsey and a few other like-minded breeders in Alberta and Quebec brought Shires to Canada around the same time, resulting in the Canadian Shire Horse Association being resurrected.

In 1983, the Canadian Shire Stud Book had its first entry in over 40 years, when Kelsey’s Shire mare, imported from Idaho, foaled the beautiful filly “Starcastle Maiden” at their farm in Calahoo, Alberta. Kelsey has been a proud, award-winning breeder of Shires ever since, capturing many titles. Down the road from Kelsey, Paul and Cindy Kolsar (along with partners Lee and Becky Anderson,) operate Kolson Shires Inc., and are excited to build on the work that Kelsey started almost 40 years ago.

It is the incredible power and magnificence of Shires that makes them one of the breeds of choice for heavy horse pulling competitions and draft horse shows throughout the world. While they are still considered rare and listed as critical on the livestock conservancy list, Alberta breeders LeRiviere Shires, Starcastle Shires, and Kolson Shires are determined to continue breeding and showing the best Shire horses in Canada, with keen dedication to the traditionally strong conformation and sweet dispositions for which Shires are known.

Despite their immense size and intimidating appearance, Shire horses are sweet-tempered, willing and very human oriented, making them ideal for a variety of riders and disciplines. They excel as dressage, trail, and mountain horses as they are stalwart companions who do not scare easily and have excellent temperaments – although you may need to find a stump to mount up on the trail. That said, driving and pulling heavy loads is where these majestic animals truly shine.

As Cliff Kelsey admiringly shared, “Once they [Shire horses] get to a point where they’re actually pulling something and they have to lean into the collar and do a little bit of work, it’s almost like a light comes on in their head and it’s like, ‘Ah yes, this is exactly what I was born to do!’ It’s really, really special.” AB