The largest of the horses of England, the shire is a remarkable breed. While mechanisation has resulted in a decline in numbers, the breed has remained popular in all manner of equine worlds. A docile, good humored, even tempered animal, the Shire horse's fine work ethic and temperment is matched by their bold charastics. A broad forehead with large eyes, a slightly roman nose, thick neck, muscular body, and lots of feather on legs. A mighty animal, able to pull considerable loads, is often photographed being led by the youngest of children.
Undoubtedly, the Shire was used as a war horse, though there are differing viewpoints regarding the extent of the breeds' purpose on the battlefield. In the centuries to follow, the horse would become a staple need for transport, agriculture, and, as even today, a stately adornment to any pasture.
Bloods from other breeds have contributed to the development of what is today the Shire horse. Upon various other times in history, north German Flemish horses (Belgian) and the horses of Flander, as well as the Dutch Fresian all infused charistics into the bloodlines. Reasonably accurate records exist dating back nearly 1,000 years documenting much of the ancestry of today's Shire horses. It would not be until the later 1800s that an official breed registry would be formed.
The Cart Horse Society (later to become the Shire Horse Society) was setup in 1878 to improve the breed, with the American Shire Horse Association becoming in 1885. Today, the Shire breed is making a strong comeback, both in rural and urban areas. As a proud symbol of heritage, the shire continues to be a bold statement as well as a lifelong companion.
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