The progenitors of all existing horses are representatives of heavy-breed breeds. These horses were used in antiquity to work in meadows and fields. Among them there are champions - the largest horses, whose photos can be found on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records.
Brabancon
Brabancon is one of the largest horse breeds. She was bred by the efforts of Belgian breeders. Currently, it is considered the most powerful of all existing breeds. It is capable of transporting heavy loads over long distances. Often, Belgian Brabansons are used instead of tractors in agriculture. Its representatives weigh about 700-1000 kg with a height of 180 cm. The color of these animals is bay, gray or red.
Percheron
Horses that belong to this breed may have a gray color or be black. Their height at the withers is 175 cm, which means that perchers are one of the most hardy and tallest in the world. Bred in the 19th century in France, this breed is currently used in all parts of the world for breeding. Descendants of Perchersons are used in the United States as agricultural and horse-drawn horses.
The Perchersons were highly valued by the knights, since even with a large weight of equipment their tread remained quiet. They are graceful, smart, unpretentious in food. Thanks to their peaceful and patient nature, they quickly acquire new skills.
Russian heavy truck
From ancient times Russia was famous for its strong and hardy breeds of horses. These include the Russian heavy truck, which has gained fame outside of Russia. Their pedigree dates back to the 19th century. The breed was bred as a result of crossing Percherons and Ardenes. Because of this, the horses were called Russian Ardenes. Representatives of one of the largest horse breeds are slightly inferior in size to their fellow record holders. However, Russian heavy trucks have a number of features that make them popular. Firstly, these horses live quite a long time. Secondly, they are economical in feed. Thirdly, they feel comfortable in a team. Fourth, they give a high offspring.
Soviet heavy truck
This breed was bred as a result of crossing the Brabansons with draft harness mares. These horses are smaller than their ancestors, they are more mobile and active. Their average height is 175 cm, and their weight does not exceed 1 ton.
Vladimir heavy truck
This is another large breed, whose representatives are considered champions in weight or height. She was bred as a result of crossing the English Shires and Scottish Kledesdale with Russian horses.
Vladimirskiy heavy truck is a unique breed, whose representatives are able to easily transport heavy loads over long distances. They have an absolute record: they trot 2 kilometers in 5 minutes! And this despite the fact that the largest weight of horses is 1600 kg. The heavy truck got its name due to the fact that it was withdrawn in the Vladimir region. These horses can be used for riding, harnessed to carts.
Scottish Glue
These horses laid the foundation for a new breed - Scottish heavy trucks. They were crossed with Flemish stallions and received graceful, but incredibly strong animals that are able to charm everyone in ceremonies or perform agricultural work. They were first presented at the international exhibition, which took place in 1826.
Irish heavy truck
Horses that are representatives of this breed are famous for their hard work. They can drag a plow, transport large loads over considerable distances. In the past, hunters used them when traveling.
After interest in Irish heavy trucks was lost, their population declined significantly. Subsequently, the situation was taken under control, crossing them with shires. As a result, the genus was improved. Modern heavy trucks are unpretentious horses that have gained popularity around the world.
Shire
The breed of the largest horses in the world is the English heavy trucks, or shires. Their story began in the era of antiquity. The blood of war horses that existed during the time of the Roman legions and medieval horses that accompanied knights everywhere flows in modern shires. Among the shires, the horse Samson stands out, whose height was 2 meters 20 cm. About him will be told a little later. English heavyweights have a proportionate, graceful physique. On the hind legs are “stockings”. The suit can be black, gray, bay or red.
English heavy trucks are very hardy horses, as their ancestors were forced to transport knightly armor and equipment over great distances. Subsequently, one of the monarchs issued a decree that foals whose growth is not too high were not raised. All efforts were devoted to the care of the largest horses. Shires found application in military affairs, as riding horses, they can be harnessed to carts. All English heavy trucks have long legs. The weight of horses often exceeds 1 ton.
Record holders
Above, you familiarized yourself with the breeds of the largest horses, now it's time to find out which 10 horses were listed in the Guinness Book of Records due to their size.
- The English heavy truck Digger is part of the Royal Horse Guards. Currently, his height is almost 2 meters, to be more precise - 196 cm. The mass of his body is 1.2 tons. Despite the fact that the horse turned 12 years old, the process of its growth has still not stopped. This is because the skeleton of the horse develops abnormally.
- The British stallion, nicknamed Cracker, eats 2 bundles of dry grass daily, drinks more than 100 liters of clean water and regales himself with grain. Not surprising, because it weighs 1.2 tons, and its height is only 2 cm less than 2 meters.
- Brooklyn Suprime is a very powerful animal. The mass of his body is approximately equal to 1451 kg, and at the withers he reaches a height of 198 cm, like the Briton Cracker.
- A shire named Nordram Lascombe will not be easy to ride even an experienced rider, because he weighs 1.3 tons, and his height exceeds 2 meters. At the withers, his height is 205 cm.
- The British bay gelding Duke has grown to 207 cm. Its body weight is 1310 kg. Instead of a thick mane, the horse has a long bang.
- Purebred Percher, whose name sounds like Dr. Le Jer, was born in France. At the withers, his height reaches 213 cm, while his weight exceeds 1.4 tons. This percheron is the largest representative of the breed, it is the largest horse in France since the inception of horse breeding in this country.
- Morocco's horse was once considered the largest animal in the world. His height is 215 cm. The mass of his body is approximately equal to 1300 kg. However, no one can name the exact number, since only one image of the horse has been preserved, and the photo quality is terrible.
- Mering Big Jake from Belgium is considered the world standard of strength and endurance. With a height of 217 cm, it weighs 1,600 kg. Hippologists from all over the world are ready to give a lot of money to get the seed of this horse and improve the characteristics of their horses.
- The stallion, nicknamed Poe, went down in history due to his height, which is 220 cm. The body weight of this animal reaches 1.5 tons. This horse is inferior to Big Jake in weight due to a different exterior. For example, his body is much shorter.
- Purebred Shire Samson was named the absolute champion among horses from around the world. Indeed, at the withers the height of the animal reaches 220 cm, body weight - 1520 kg.
These were the 10 largest horses that have ever existed on our planet. As you may have noticed, the title "The Biggest Horse" in the Guinness Book of Records is not one animal, but several.