Australian Draught Horse
Encyclopedia
The Australian Draught Horse is a hardy breed of Australia
n draught horse
noted for its strength and a good temperament.
, Percheron
, Shire
, Suffolk Punch
, (plus the later imported Belgians
) and occasionally some light horse bloodlines, as seen in the part draughts.
The characteristics of these breeds can be found in the Australian Draught Horse, which has produced many colours and types within the breed. All solid colours are accepted, excessive white is not favoured on the face or body, white below the knee is acceptable.
s and mare
s of various English and Flemish cart breeds to Australia. Van Diemen's Land
(now Tasmania
) was at the forefront of breeding cart and farm horses with the part played by the Van Diemen’s Land Company. This company also imported Shire Horse
s which were later imported to Western Australia
and South Australia
in the late 1830s.
Bullocks
did most of the heavy draught work until the 1850s. The development of the agricultural industry after the gold rush
es required a ready of draught horses
to provide faster load movements. Scottish settlers did much to promote the use of the Clydesdale
horses owing to their familiarity with them.
Weinholt Brothers formed a notable draught horse stud at Maryvale, Queensland in 1885. Most states preferred Shire horses, but in Victoria the Clydesdale was more popular. Suffolk Punch
horses were favoured in northern NSW and on the black soil country.
The Clydesdale Stud Book was established in Australia in 1915, prior to which breeding was somewhat haphazard. After 1918 tractors were rapidly replacing draught horses until the 1930s depression when there was renewed interest in them. By 1950 tractors had virtually replaced the draught horse on rural properties in Australia.
The Australian Draught Horse Stud Book Society was established in c.1979 to promote these horses and breeding programs. Today the Australian Draught Horse used in led
, novelty, ridden
and draught
competitions and is still valued as a working horse
on small farms throughout Australia.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n draught horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
noted for its strength and a good temperament.
Characteristics
The Australian Draught Horse was developed over the years as a result of the crossbreeding of the four recognized pure draught horse breeds which were in Australia since the colonial days. These breeds are the ClydesdaleClydesdale
Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...
, Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
, Shire
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
, Suffolk Punch
Suffolk Punch
The Suffolk Punch, also historically known as the Suffolk Horse or Suffolk Sorrel, is an English breed of draught horse. The breed takes the first part of its name from the county of Suffolk in East Anglia, and the name "Punch" from its solid appearance and strength...
, (plus the later imported Belgians
Belgian (horse)
The Belgian Draft horse or Belgian, also known as Belgian Heavy Horse, Brabançon, or Brabant, is a draft horse breed from the Brabant region of modern Belgium, where it is called the or Flemish: . It is one of the strongest of the heavy breeds...
) and occasionally some light horse bloodlines, as seen in the part draughts.
The characteristics of these breeds can be found in the Australian Draught Horse, which has produced many colours and types within the breed. All solid colours are accepted, excessive white is not favoured on the face or body, white below the knee is acceptable.
History
The roots of the Australian Draught Horse date back to the c.1854 importation of stallionStallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s and mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s of various English and Flemish cart breeds to Australia. Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(now Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
) was at the forefront of breeding cart and farm horses with the part played by the Van Diemen’s Land Company. This company also imported Shire Horse
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
s which were later imported to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in the late 1830s.
Bullocks
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
did most of the heavy draught work until the 1850s. The development of the agricultural industry after the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
es required a ready of draught horses
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
to provide faster load movements. Scottish settlers did much to promote the use of the Clydesdale
Clydesdale
Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...
horses owing to their familiarity with them.
Weinholt Brothers formed a notable draught horse stud at Maryvale, Queensland in 1885. Most states preferred Shire horses, but in Victoria the Clydesdale was more popular. Suffolk Punch
Suffolk Punch
The Suffolk Punch, also historically known as the Suffolk Horse or Suffolk Sorrel, is an English breed of draught horse. The breed takes the first part of its name from the county of Suffolk in East Anglia, and the name "Punch" from its solid appearance and strength...
horses were favoured in northern NSW and on the black soil country.
The Clydesdale Stud Book was established in Australia in 1915, prior to which breeding was somewhat haphazard. After 1918 tractors were rapidly replacing draught horses until the 1930s depression when there was renewed interest in them. By 1950 tractors had virtually replaced the draught horse on rural properties in Australia.
The Australian Draught Horse Stud Book Society was established in c.1979 to promote these horses and breeding programs. Today the Australian Draught Horse used in led
Halter (horse show)
"Halter" is a term used to describe a type of horse show class where horses are shown "in hand," meaning that they are led, not ridden, and are judged on their conformation and suitability as breeding stock...
, novelty, ridden
Riding Horse
The Riding Horse is a type of show horse in the UK. Riding horses can be any breed, but are generally warmbloods or Thoroughbred crosses.The breeding and showing of riding horses is overseen by the British Show Horse Association.-Showing the riding horse:...
and draught
Draft horse showing
Draft horse showing refers to horse shows exclusively for horses of the draft horse breeds. In North America, though a small number of draft horses are also shown under saddle, the term "Draft horse showing" refers to a specific horse show competition that primarily features driving exhibitors...
competitions and is still valued as a working horse
Working animal
A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide or service dogs, or they may be animals trained strictly to perform a job, such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, a...
on small farms throughout Australia.