Heavy Horses at risk

Oh I know, but its such a pity we can't find a job for these horses. I'd love a suffolk. You just have so much to contend with with heavy horses, don't you.... Shoe bills can cost a fortune, farriers refusing to do them because of their backs, don't fit in a lot of types of transport, how do you find tack to fit....

I'd still have one though!
 
i had a shire and reciently sold to a riding school he was a nightmare when i first bought i had to change farrier , had big roman nose so had to fit with x full, lots of feed and hay , big rugs , lorry for transport and very lazy to work
 
I've got a Suffolk cross.

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He's the kindest horse you could ever meet. Because of the cross breeding, his feet a quite small (although still huge compared to others), but his head is pretty much full suffolk and I do struggle to get headcollars and his bridle was bought in individual parts.
 
We have 4 shire mares and it is articles like this that make me want to take up breeding heavy horses in the future, unfortunatly the majroty of people don't want big horses because of the extra bill and I am sure there are people who (think they) will make it to the highest levels within a disipline and it is doubtful they will get there with a full heavy
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Shires have been on the endangered list for quite a few years now but I believe the numbers are on the increase. Husband worked on a Shire Stud for many years and we now have a successful Stud just a few hundred yards away
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I have a lovely Suffolk and he is a gentle boy. I was also til recently riding a clydesdale and she was the softest girl in the world. They are lovely. X
 
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me too! I'd love a shire but OH would love a Clydesdale!

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There is barely any difference these days.
If you asked the men who worked with the proper original shire horse is was short and very, very wide.
The modern shire horse is an over grown carriage horse.

I used to own one several years a go. Goorrrrrrgeous personality. Expensive to keep and I had to sell as I just didn't have time to do anything with her. I broke her to harness and I sold to her a lovely kind man who used her to clear out his woodland and then bred from her. Such a generous girly.
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Well I wouldn't say there arn't differences between Clydesdales and Shires, pickle is clydie x and therefore I am used to a wide horse. There is a shire at my yard and you feel like your doing the splits when you ride him!
 
I love heavy horses! I have two. A Clydesdale x, and a Vladimir (a Russian heavy horse). They are real gentle giants and great to hack out - I get stopped wherever I go as everyone loves them. However, they both suffer from arthritis and are on expensive joint supplements, and their shoes cost quite a bit, but I am lucky that I have a fantastic farrier who is happy to shoe heavy horses. We did have to have a lorry specially made as well!
Here they are in their Christmas tinsel - the bay is the Vladimir, he is 17.3 and the Clydesdale x is 17hh
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