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A draft horse, draught horse or dray horse (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul) is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour. Draught horses are versatile breeds used today for a multitude of purposes but all share the traits of strength, stamina, health, longevity, patience and a docile temperament which made them indispensable to generations of pre-industrial farmers.
History
The ancestors of modern draught horse breeds were the medieval Destriers or war horses, bred to carry a heavily armed and armoured knight into battle or individual combat such as jousting.
Though in modern times best known for their key role in agriculture, these heavy breeds also found work wherever their strength and willing disposition could be put to good use, moving freight around the docks, drawing canal boats and pulling trolleys, lorries and wagons on the road, in which role they were of particular importance to the brewing industry as a means of delivering beer to surrounding pubs.
The spectacle of the working dray horse can still be witnessed at many breweries (such as Sam Smith's in Yorkshire) where teams of heavy horses are maintained in their traditional role to deliver beer and represent the company at local festivals and shows. To this day, whatever the means of transport, the person responsible for delivering beer on behalf of a brewery is referred to as the drayman.
Survival
The draught horse declined in economic importance following the end of the second world war, and in the latter half of the twentieth century even the most well-known of the heavy breeds were on the verge of disappearing altogether. Thankfully, this has been prevented and a more recent resurgence of interest, driven by a renewed appreciation of the qualities of the breeds, will hopefully ensure their continued survival.
Today, draft horses are again valued as riding horses thanks to their temperament and stamina.
World Record
The Shire horse holds the record for the world's biggest horse; Sampson, foaled in 1846 in Bedfordshire, England, stood 21.2½ hands high (i.e. 7ft 2½in or approx 2.2m at his withers) and weighed approx 3,300lb or over 1.5 tonnes.
Breeds
A number of horse breeds are used as draft horses with the variation being largely geographic. Examples include:
Harness Horse
The terms harness horse and light harness horse refer to horses of a lighter build, such as the traditional carriage horses, and are not generally used in the UK to denote "heavy" or draught horses. Harness horse breeds include Oldenburgh, Cleveland Bay, the Hackney horse, some warmbloods and in some disciplines even Thoroughbred horses. They are used in carriage driving activities, pulling coaches, traditional and modern carriages, marathon vehicles, carts and gigs etc.
"Draft horse"