Top 5 Largest Horse Breed For Riding
{1}. ) American Warmblood: This breed has a height between 156 to 168 cm at the withers for Stallion/Stallion mares. The weight is around 520 kg. They are popular for advanced horse back riding programs and light riding sport programs such as jumper school.
{2}. ) Warmblood: it is the second largest breed for riding. They have a height of 162 to 170 cm for stallion/Stalldame mares and 418 to 450 kg for stallions/stallion mares. Advantages of the Warmblood horse breed are that they are very advanced and can be used for advanced horse-back riding programs as well. Some examples of its advanced horse riding programs are dressage, eventing and show jumping.
{3}. ) Friesian: stallions/stallion mares reach a height of 152 to 170 cm and weight of 446 to 600 kg. This a large breed horse breed is known for its elegant high stepping action. They are rarely seen in riding disciplines anymore, but are used mostly for the show ring and breeding purposes.
{4}. ) Friesian Cross: commonly referred to as Friesian cross, they are bred with the Friesian horse breed to get it temperament and size. They have a height of 155 to 165 cm and weight of 520 kg. They are used for advanced riding programs such as dressage, eventing, hunt seat and show jumping. It originated from the United States.
Shire:
The Gentle Giant.
The Shire was originally created for the purpose of pulling heavy ore carts. These gentle giants have been used to pull all types of carts, wagons, plows, and coal carts. They are now used mainly for riding and pleasure.
With their gentle nature, be sure to introduce a child to a Shire gradually. They're big kids in a horse's body and can knock down a brick wall if they don't want to be touched. They really need to be spoiled and treated like family.
A Shire is a great choice for a family horse but it can be tiring to ride for the younger members of the family. Their size is often intimidating and the Shire is not always the best horse for the beginner.
Point of Fact: People who fall in love with heavy horses often choose Shires but these giants can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
Uses:
Strong, powerful horses ideal for larger riders; horses used for riding, draft work, and farm work. They are generally used for recreational riding, pulling a delivery cart, or pulling a wedding carriage. Since they are popular draft horses, they are also used to pull a chariot in a parade.
Important Registries:
The National Show Horse Association, The United States Trotting Association, and The American Paint Horse association
Dental Health:
This horse requires more dental health care than other horses because of their large gullet and large jaw.
They are not prone to dental issues like cribbing or unnecessary chewing. They have a lower bite than most horses.
Color:
There are more than 50 breeds varying in size, color, and conformation.
Just like the Quarter Horse, there are three types that include the American Paint Horse, the American Quarter Horse, and the National Show Horse.
Saddle horses that are used for shows are usually purebred and appear in over 60 colors.
Nutrition Requirements:
The American Quarter Horse is one of the heaviest of the American horse breeds and more workhorse than an ordinary riding horse.
They are moderately active horse that requires an energetic feeding program.
Largest Horse Breed- Percheron
Percheron the third-largest sturdiest horse, with a calm temperament and powerful build. Not much information is known that their ancestors are Arabian horses but almost similar to that of the Egyptian or Barb’s.
Percheron are known for their strength. The shoulders are powerfully built to carry heavy loads, and the legs are also large in size, so that the Percheron horse can plough land with ease. The breed has loose skin, so they are able to pull heavy loads for long hours.
The Percheron Horse is a rustic breed and hence, they are suitable for farming. They have strong legs and a heavy body that makes them capable of pulling heavy loads for a long time. The Percheron horses are stubborn by nature, which is a feature required to pull heavy loads.
They are very calm and docile by temperament. Most are suitable for riding and used as family horses. Percherons can be trained quite easily, and they are not as difficult as some other breeds to train. Also, Percherons are known as the most intelligent of all the draft horses.
The Percheron horses are usually bay, brown or black in color. A chestnut coat color is also famous in the breed.
Uses:
Strong, powerful horses ideal for larger riders; horses used for riding, draft work, and farm work. They are generally used for recreational riding, pulling a delivery cart, or pulling a wedding carriage. Since they are popular draft horses, they are also used to pull a chariot in a parade.
Important Registries:
The National Show Horse Association, The United States Trotting Association, and The American Paint Horse association
Dental Health:
This horse requires more dental health care than other horses because of their large gullet and large jaw.
They are not prone to dental issues like cribbing or unnecessary chewing. They have a lower bite than most horses.
Color:
There are more than 50 breeds varying in size, color, and conformation.
Just like the Quarter Horse, there are three types that include the American Paint Horse, the American Quarter Horse, and the National Show Horse.
Saddle horses that are used for shows are usually purebred and appear in over 60 colors.
Nutrition Requirements:
The American Quarter Horse is one of the heaviest of the American horse breeds and more workhorse than an ordinary riding horse.
They are moderately active horse that requires an energetic feeding program.
Clydesdale
Large horse breeds like Clydesdales are great for pulling heavily-laden wagons, so they are employed in fields all over the place. This draft horse breed is known for having long legs and a short body, with a broad chest and round barrel. Clydesdales are known to have good dispositions as well as for being extremely smart.
Famous Clydesdale owners include Queen Victoria who had many of the genus pulled with her carriage and Elvis Presley who had a Clydesdale parade horse. Because of their gentle dispositions and ease of training, even inexperienced riders can enjoy a ride on these powerful horses.
Uses:
Strong, powerful horses ideal for larger riders; horses used for riding, draft work, and farm work. They are generally used for recreational riding, pulling a delivery cart, or pulling a wedding carriage. Since they are popular draft horses, they are also used to pull a chariot in a parade.
Important Registries:
The National Show Horse Association, The United States Trotting Association, and The American Paint Horse association
Dental Health:
This horse requires more dental health care than other horses because of their large gullet and large jaw.
They are not prone to dental issues like cribbing or unnecessary chewing. They have a lower bite than most horses.
Color:
There are more than 50 breeds varying in size, color, and conformation.
Just like the Quarter Horse, there are three types that include the American Paint Horse, the American Quarter Horse, and the National Show Horse.
Saddle horses that are used for shows are usually purebred and appear in over 60 colors.
Nutrition Requirements:
The American Quarter Horse is one of the heaviest of the American horse breeds and more workhorse than an ordinary riding horse.
They are moderately active horse that requires an energetic feeding program.
Largest Horse Breed- Belgian Draft
Standing at a height of around 21½” to 26½”, these horses are massive and most people who see a Belgian Draft Horse can’t believe it’s a real horse. Belgian Draft Horses are the tallest breed making them the largest and strongest of all horses.
The origins of the Belgian Draft Horse can be traced back to Belgium where they were used in agriculture to help farmers till the fields. They were also used in logging operations to haul timber. In addition to their massive body size, they also have an enormous temperament coupled with a calm disposition and are easy to handle.
The Belgian Draft Horse is a draft horse breed and it is generally used for heavy draught purposes. This type of horse is a member of the Heavy Horse Group and it is a primarily for agricultural purposes. It is a hardy breed that is well-muscled and it has a heavy bone frame and looks like a warm-blooded horse due to the excessive hair it has on the body.
Uses:
Strong, powerful horses ideal for larger riders; horses used for riding, draft work, and farm work. They are generally used for recreational riding, pulling a delivery cart, or pulling a wedding carriage. Since they are popular draft horses, they are also used to pull a chariot in a parade.
Important Registries:
The National Show Horse Association, The United States Trotting Association, and The American Paint Horse association
Dental Health:
This horse requires more dental health care than other horses because of their large gullet and large jaw.
They are not prone to dental issues like cribbing or unnecessary chewing. They have a lower bite than most horses.
Color:
There are more than 50 breeds varying in size, color, and conformation.
Just like the Quarter Horse, there are three types that include the American Paint Horse, the American Quarter Horse, and the National Show Horse.
Saddle horses that are used for shows are usually purebred and appear in over 60 colors.
Nutrition Requirements:
The American Quarter Horse is one of the heaviest of the American horse breeds and more workhorse than an ordinary riding horse.
They are moderately active horse that requires an energetic feeding program.
Largest Horse Breed- Dutch Draft
This large horse breed is also a powerful draft horse. Dutch Draft horses are known for their muscular hindquarters, thick bones, and heavy heads.
Dutch Draft horses originated from the Netherlands and were originally bred for agriculture. Dutch Draft horses are the largest breed of horses as they weigh between 1,000 and 1,600 pounds.
The Dutch minister brought Dutch Draft horses to the US in 1872 to improve the American horse breed. Strong, confident, and powerful, Dutch Draft horses are surefooted, happy, mature, and courageous.
Dutch Draft horses are good family and companion horses for children or first-time owners.You can ride and compete in harness with Dutch Draft horses. However, because of their height and build, Dutch Draft horses are most suited for pulling machinery and as a mount for the experienced rider.
Dutch Draft horses are bred for hard work and can pull weights up to 18,000 pounds. They are known to be patient, well-mannered, and great for trail riding and endurance riding. They are also good for long distance trail riding.
Dutch Draft horses are easy to train and are known for their willing and cooperative temperament. Dutch Draft horses are usually gentle and make great companion horses.
Uses:
Strong, powerful horses ideal for larger riders; horses used for riding, draft work, and farm work. They are generally used for recreational riding, pulling a delivery cart, or pulling a wedding carriage. Since they are popular draft horses, they are also used to pull a chariot in a parade.
Important Registries:
The National Show Horse Association, The United States Trotting Association, and The American Paint Horse association
Dental Health:
This horse requires more dental health care than other horses because of their large gullet and large jaw.
They are not prone to dental issues like cribbing or unnecessary chewing. They have a lower bite than most horses.
Color:
There are more than 50 breeds varying in size, color, and conformation.
Just like the Quarter Horse, there are three types that include the American Paint Horse, the American Quarter Horse, and the National Show Horse.
Saddle horses that are used for shows are usually purebred and appear in over 60 colors.
Nutrition Requirements:
The American Quarter Horse is one of the heaviest of the American horse breeds and more workhorse than an ordinary riding horse.
They are moderately active horse that requires an energetic feeding program.
Conclusion
As you can see, horse breeds and types of horses are virtually limitless. Within breeds, there are variations in color, size, type, texture and angulation. Even within a type of horse, variations can exist.
Draft horses, for example, can be Clydesdales, Belgians, Percherons, Shires, or any combination of these and more. And even within a build, variations can occur, such as the ‘Clyde´ in draft horses. Horses vary in height from below 14 hands to over 18 hands, with breeds differing in the average height, and also the tallest individual horses.
So what is the biggest horse on the planet? Some believe that the Clydesdale is. This breed can stand over 17 hands at the shoulder, reach 20 hands and weigh over 2,000 pounds. But the Clydesdale, at one time the world’s largest draft horse, has now been outdone by the Belgian. The Belgian (or Belgian Draft) is well over 6,000 pounds, stands 22 hands high, and has a shoulder height of more than six feet.
Other large breeds of horses are the Shire, the Percheron, and the Shagya Arabian. But the Sarabi Arabian, at over 17 hands, is probably the largest purebred horse on the planet.