Tinajenko86
Member
It’s saying File is to big it’s only 1 picture, I’ve just downloaded tinypic.com to try this way
Shire.
- Thread starter Tinajenko86
- Start date
Tinajenko86
Member
Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
Well done for getting a photo uploaded of your youngster... he looks quite gangly at the moment. I look forward to seeing more pictures when he's grown into his proper shape.
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
What!!
SEL
Well-Known Member
No!! I'll ask what he was back then - they bred him
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Try doing a string test on her, measure from ergot to elbow and then take the string upwards to give an approximate height.
They used to breed Shires where I was at one point and had several over 18 hands.
They used to breed Shires where I was at one point and had several over 18 hands.
scrat
Well-Known Member
I think our shire gelding was about 16.2 at 18 months old. Hes 5 now and 18.2. I don't think he's going to get taller but he has a lot of filling out to do. He is broken to ride and will hopefully be shown under saddle next year. Shoeing a horse with feet that size can be eye watering too, anything from £110 to £160 for a set.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Wow, she's just a yearling!
I love the 4 even whites, she's going to be stunning at full size
Snowfilly
Well-Known Member
I’ve seen a few heavy yearlings that size or similar, they normally make the 18.2 mark. Don’t be tempted to over feed, let them grow slow and gangly and probably don’t bother taking them in the show ring because a lot of the judges like them pig fat and looking adult at three and then they’re buggered at ten.
I had a shire for a while, he was 17.2 and an 18.3 Clyde for many years. You get used to the size eventually if not the farrier bills!
I had a shire for a while, he was 17.2 and an 18.3 Clyde for many years. You get used to the size eventually if not the farrier bills!
Lex2009
Active Member
Pure breed shires are massive most of them are 18 hands or 19 hands. The shires that are 16 hands are most likely to be mixed with other breeds of horses so they are not traditional shires.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
I don't really agree with this. When they were primarily farm work horses they weren't so tall. Shorter and stockier would pull better. Like so many other breeds it's showing that has led to the taller leggier ones. At the farm I was at they had a lot of old photos and the Shires were a different shape to modern ones. They were still massive but more compact.
Tinajenko86
Member
Thank you, yes the vet said the same to be careful with feeding as it can put to much weight on them fast, luckily she’s only on grass at the moment and the odd feed of Suregrow,
Tinajenko86
Member
Thank you. She is stunning ?Wow, she's just a yearling!
I love the 4 even whites, she's going to be stunning at full size
Tinajenko86
Member
Thank you.
Snowfilly
Well-Known Member
No, the modern heavy drafts are much taller and leggier than the old working strains. 16.2 used to be pretty acceptable for a shire mare, and they were shorter legged and deeper bodied.
Old fashioned working shires are a rare type nowadays and not always registered because it’s a rare judge that will place one. Modern shires aren’t as powerful in harness but generally move nicer.
Look at some older pics and you’ll get an idea of how the breed’s changed.
Some working heavy owners prefer to get European breeds now as they’re not so fashionable and haven’t been altered so much. There’s a lot of french and Belgian breeds doing horse logging over here.
Old fashioned working shires are a rare type nowadays and not always registered because it’s a rare judge that will place one. Modern shires aren’t as powerful in harness but generally move nicer.
Look at some older pics and you’ll get an idea of how the breed’s changed.
Some working heavy owners prefer to get European breeds now as they’re not so fashionable and haven’t been altered so much. There’s a lot of french and Belgian breeds doing horse logging over here.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Lex2009
Active Member
That’s very interesting you learn something new every day.
abbijay
Well-Known Member
How is she bred? Very pretty!
I have a pure shire on loan to me for dressage and a pure clydesdale who is now retired. He is about 17.2hh but built like a brick outhouse, he did breed a few foals as a youngster but is now thankfully gelded.
I have a pure shire on loan to me for dressage and a pure clydesdale who is now retired. He is about 17.2hh but built like a brick outhouse, he did breed a few foals as a youngster but is now thankfully gelded.
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Dare I ask how much shoes are compared to say a warmblood or TB? Their feet look massive!
SEL
Well-Known Member
£200 full set - the Shire at ours was done yesterday!
OP - the one at ours who is in his teens and 18.2 was around 16h as a youngster as well apparently.
My Ardennes is old fashioned breeding lines and is just over 14.2 - nowadays most of them are being bred taller too. He's very short legged and deep bodied
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Dear god, that’s terrifying!
abbijay
Well-Known Member
I pay £125 a set with road studs in behind. Mine are incredibly well behaved to shoe (so much so my farrier has taken one of them on retirement livery) and are shod with handmade ridden shoes not show shoes.
I've just taken the shire's hinds off so he's not only £80 every 8 weeks.
mini_b
Well-Known Member
i toy with the idea of another big(ger as current is 17hh...) horse, a traditional draught like a Percheron or shire etc.
.... then I remember you can’t buy anything off the peg, they cost a fortune to shoe and they eat like the tiger who came to tea ?
Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
Why so expensive? Is it that shoes so big are hand made, as opposed to smaller mass produced horse shoes?
abbijay
Well-Known Member
The new boy is a fat git who lives on grass, weighed haylage in winter and a handful of chaff when everything else is fed. Now he's only shod in front he's comparable to most light horses shod all round.
And not being able to buy stuff off the peg is an advantage - i never have a tack-cident! (walking into a tack shop and accidentally leaving with armfuls of stuff)
the downside is when it's wormer time - I have to befriend whoever owns the smallest pony on the yard to get rest of their tube.
Snowfilly
Well-Known Member
Yes, I could never just accidentally buy something for the Clyde! He kept me on the straight and narrow tack wise. He may have had a few more plaiting sets than any one horse needed though - he had a light and dark blue set, our yard colours, a Stewart clan tartan set for his breeder’s name, and a traditional Clyde raffia set which given he could only wear one at a show was a bit pointless...I had a multi coloured Christmas set with snowflakes on order when I lost him.
But it does cure you of buying saddle pads.
Tinajenko86
Member
Tinajenko86
Member
At the moment she’s barefoot as she’s only at grass, someone on here said about £125 For fronts.
abbijay
Well-Known Member
How is she bred means who are her parents/what lines is she from/what is her prefix?
Tinajenko86
Member
I thought so but thought I’d check ? she’s Grandaughter of Lockley topsman and Boothay Richards Great grandaughter of Ddrydwy Cotebrook king and Ithersay Black Knight,