Draft horses are large, heavy breeds of horses characterized by
tall stature (>16 hands), heavy muscular build, and large body
size (>1400?lb). Common breeds include Percheron, Belgian,
Shire, and Clydesdale, and they are often used in pulling,
plowing, and farm labor.
Draft horses may express pain in subtle, less violent ways
compared with other breeds, and veterinarians should interpret
changes in behavior or physiologic parameters (i.e., elevated
heart rate, respiratory rate) with greater scrutiny.
The familiar names of Draft Horse, Draught Horse, and Dray
Horse describe these horse by what they were developed for,
pulling a heavy load. Individual draft horse breeds are often
named for the country where they originated. The term ‘draft’
is defined as the act of pulling loads or something that is pulled
or drawn.