England's most magnificent looking heavy horse is decended from the mediaeval warhorse known as The Great Horse,which was later given the name of the English Black.It was developed by crossing imported Flanders with Friesian horses with native stock to produce first a military mount and subsequently a farm and general farm horse. The introduction of the term'blacks'for this horse is attributed to Oliver /cromwell, and was probably used originally to describe the imported Friesians,which are always black in colour. Following the formation of the Shire Horse Society, which was originally set up as the Old English Cart Horse Society in 1878 and changed to the Shire Horse Society in 1884, the shire horses reputation went from strength to strength. Shire horses were exported as far afield as North and South America,Russia and Australia.With their qualities of strength,stamina,soundness and good temperament,these gentle giants could be seen ploughing the land,hauling timber and pulling farm wagons,railway vans,brewers' drays and coal carts.

BREED DESCRIPTION
Height: Stallions 16.2-17.2hh
Mares 16-17hh
Colours: black,brown,bay or grey.
Conformation: Lean head(neither too large nor too small),wide between the eyes,slightly Roman nose,large,prominent eyes with docile expression,and long,lean,sharp,sensitive ears;fairly long,slightly arched neck;deep,oblique shoulders,wide enough to support a collar;short,strong muscular back,broard chest and wide,sweeping,muscular hindquarters with well let-down thighs;clean hard limbs with 11-12ins(28-30cm)of bone and broard,deep,flat hocks,set at the correct angle for leverage;fine,straight,silky feathering;deep,soild feet with thick walls and open coronets.