The Vladimir Heavy Draft is a breed of draft horse

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...

 which comes from Vladimir

Vladimir

Vladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...

, in the former USSR, in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. It is a strong horse that is an all-around draft horse of medium size.

History

This horse was developed in the province after which it is named at the turn of the 20th century. Today, its breeding is widerspread. The imported foundation stock was mainly British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, consisting of the 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...

, Clydesdale (horse) and 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...

. Some Ardennes (horse)

Ardennes (horse)

The Ardennes or Ardennais is one of the oldest breeds of draft horse, and originates from the Ardennes area in Belgium, Luxembourg and France. They are heavy-boned with thick legs and are used for draft work. The Ardennes is found in many colors, although black horses are very rare and are not...

 and 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...

 were also used. In 1946, the Vladimir Heavy Draft was found to be breeding sufficiently true to type to consider it a true breed. This quick-maturing, strong, heavy horse is popular for draft work. It is also used for pulling Vladimir trokia sleighs.

Breed Characteristics

The head is large and long, with a Roman nose. The neck is strong and long. The back, although broad, can be weak. The croup is long, with a definite slope. The limbs are strong and feathered. Bay is its most common colour, but some can be black and chestnut. It stands between 15 and 16.1 hands high.