The Shire is one of the world’s largest and most powerful draught horse breeds, renowned for its impressive size, strength and calm, willing nature.

Originating in England, Shires were bred to perform demanding agricultural and hauling work, and their strength and dependable temperament made them valuable working horses around the world, including in South Africa.

Today, the Shire continues to capture attention with its remarkable presence, feathered legs and gentle character. Through responsible breeding and promotion, the Draught Horse Society of South Africa is committed to ensuring that this magnificent breed remains part of South Africa’s draught horse heritage.

SOUTH AFRICAN SHIRES

In 1901 the first Imported Shires was registered in the SA Studbook. Years more imports of the breed followed. One of the most well-known herds was imported by the South African Breweries as a promotion for a new brand of beer sometime back in the 1970s’.

SAB breweries sold them on to Sapeko Tea Estates in Tzaneen in the old Northern Transvaal. Due to mechanization the herd was then sold on to a number of buyers. The Waterford stud managed to buy a number of these breeding horses in 1998 and by 2017 the stud had an around thirty mares and several stallions. Waterford stud also bred Shire stallions to Thoroughbred mares, producing exceptionally good Sport horses. Between 2004 and 2015 Shire horses were imported from the UK by the Little Sherwood Stud, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

BREED STANDARD

A stallion should possess a masculine head and a good crest with sloping, not upright, shoulders running well into the back, which should be short and well coupled with the loins. The tail should be well setup and not what is known as “gooserumped”. Both head and tail should be carried erect. The ribs should be well sprung, not flat sided, with good middle which generally denotes good constitution. A Shire should have good feet and joints, the feet
should be wide and big around the top of the coronets with sufficient length in the pasterns. A Mare should be on the quality side, long and deep with free action, of a feminine and matronly appearance. She should have plenty of room to carry her foal. A gelding should be upstanding, thick, well–‐balanced, very active, and a lively, pleasurable mover. He should be full of courage and should like and be able to do a full day’s work.

CONFORMATION

Head and Neck

Stallion

  • Head: Long and lean, neither too large nor too small, with long neck in proportion to the body. Large jaw bone should be avoided.
  • Eyes: Large, well set and docile in expression. Wall eyes not acceptable.
  • Nose: Slightly Roman (convex curved). Nostril thin and wide. Lips together.
  • Ears: Long, lean, sharp and sensitive.
  • Throat: Clean cut and lean.
  • Neck: Fairly long, arched commandingly. Well set on to the shoulder to give this commanding appearance.

Mare

  • Head: Long and lean, neither to large nor to small, long neck in proportion to the body, of feminine appearance.
  • Eyes: Large, well set and docile in expression. Wall eyes are acceptable except for animals Appendix A and B register.
  • Neck: Long and slightly arched and not of masculine appearance.

Fore-end

  • Shoulder: Deep and oblique, wide enough to support the collar.
  • Fore-end: Wide across the chest, with legs well under the body and well enveloped in muscle, or action is impeded.
  • Forelegs: Should be as straight as possible, down to pastern. Set within the shoulders for maximum tractive power.

Body

Stallion

  • Girth: The girth varies from 183cm (6ft.) to 244cm (8ft) in stallion from 16.2hh (168cm) to 18hh (183cm).
  • Back: Short, strong and muscular. Should not be dipped or roached.
  • Ribs: Rounds, deep and well sprung, not flat.
  • Loin: Standing well up, denoting good constitution (must not be flat).
  • Bone measurements: Of flat bone 28cm (11inches) is ample, although occasionally 32cm (12½inches) measurement is recorded – flat bone is heavier and stronger than spongy bone. Hocks must be broad, deep, and flat and set at the correct angle for leverage.

Mare

  • Girth: 152cm (5ft) to 214cm (7ft) (matured) according to size and age of animal.
  • Back: Strong and in some instances longer than a male.
  • Bone measurements: 23cm (9inches) to 28cm (11inches) of flat bone, with clean cut sinews.

Gelding

  • Girth: From 183cm (6ft) to 229cm (7ft 6 inches).
  • Bone measurements: 23cm (10inches) to 26cm (11inches) under knee, slightly more under hock and broadside on, of flat hard quality.

Note: these measurements are a guideline and may differ per horse.

Hindquarters

  • Hind-quarters: Long and sweeping, wide and full of muscle. Well let down towards the thighs. The tail should be well set up and not what is known as ‘gooserumped’. Both head and tail should be carried erect.
  • Hind-legs: Hocks should not be too far back and in line with the hind-quarters with simple width broadside and narrow in front. Hocks should be high off the ground. ‘Puffy’ and ‘sickle’ hocks should be avoided. The leg sinews should be clean cut and hard like fine cords to touch and well clear of cannon bone.

Feet

Deep, solid and wide, with thick open walls. Coronets should be hard and sinewy with substance.

Feathers

Always has ‘feather’, which is long, straight hair, on the backs of the lower limbs and around the pastern. Not too much, fine straight and silky.

Height

  • Stallion: 17hh (173cms) high at maturity. Average about 17.2hh (178cms).
  • Mare: 16hh (163cms) and upwards. 
  • Gelding: 16.2hh (168cms) and upwards.

Weight

  • Stallion: From an estimated 900kg to 1100kg when matured, without being overdone in condition.
  • Mare & Gelding: From an estimated 800kg to 1100kg.

Movement

When in motion, she/he should go with force using both knees and hocks, which latter should be kept close together, she/he should go straight and true before and behind.

Colouring

  • Stallion: Black, brown, bay, or grey. No good stallion should be splashed with large white patches over the body. He must not have so much flecking so as to look like what is commonly called ‘roan’. He must not be chestnut or dilute. 
  • Mare & Gelding: Black, brown, bay, grey. White flecking is allowed. She/he must not be chestnut or dilute.
BREEDERS