- Belgian (horse)
Infobox Horse
name= Belgian
image_caption=Belgian draft horse from the Maryland State Fair
features = Small head, thick and muscular neck, powerful shoulders and quarters, short legs with small amount of feathering. Chestnut or red roan in colour, they can stand up to 17 hh (1.7 m).
altname= Brabant
Belgium Heavy Draft
country=Belgium
group1=
std1=| The Belgianhorse , Belgian Heavy Horse, or Brabant is a drafthorse breed which comes from the West-Brabantian region ofBelgium . They are one of the strongest of the heavy breeds.Characteristics
Colors normally are a type of light chestnut sometimes called a "sorrel," with a flaxen mane.
On average the Belgian will grow to weigh slightly over 1 ton or 2,000 pounds. Currently, the world's tallest Belgian Draft is Radar, a
gelding foaled in 1998 inIowa . He stands at 19.3½ hands high, which means he is 6 feet 7½ inches (2.02 metres) tall at thewithers , and weighs over 2,400 lb (1,090 kg). [cite web | publisher = Priefert Ranch Equipment | title = About Radar | url = http://www.priefert.com/texas_thunder/radar/ | accessdate= 2008-07-12]The world's largest Belgian Horse was named
Brooklyn Supreme , who weighed 3,200 pounds ( 1,450 kg) and stood at 19.2 hands (1.98 m). [ cite web | publisher = Rural Heritage | title = Picture of Brooklyn Supreme | url = http://www.ruralheritage.com/horse_paddock/horse_large_bs.htm]They are able to pull tremendous weights. At the
National Western Stock Show inDenver ,Colorado , a team of two horses in the Heavyweight class pulled 17,000 pounds a distance of 7 ft 2 in (7,700 kg a distance of 2.18 m). The team of Belgians weighed 4,800 pounds (2,200 kg). At the Iowa State fair, the heavyweight champions in the pulling contest pulled 14,600 pounds the complete distance of 15 ft (6,690 kg, 4.6 m). The team consisted of one Belgian and onePercheron weighed 3,600 pounds (1,600 kg).Fact|date=July 2008Breed history
Historically, though it is possible they may have had ancestors who were
destrier s in theMiddle Ages , their main use was as afarm horse.Importation of Belgians to the
USA ended in bulk after the beginning of theSecond World War withErwin F. Dygert transporting the last Belgians out of Europe as the war was beginning. [ [http://www.imh.org/museum/breeds.php?pageid=8&breed=15&alpha=One Belgian Draft Horse at International Horse Museum] ]Although the overall percentage of draft breeds among American horses has declined, the number of Belgians has increased.Fact|date=July 2008
Uses
Belgians are still used as
working animal s, but have also become popular as show horses, gaming horses, and even astrail riding horses.Other meanings
In Britain, "Belgian Black" is a
colloquialism used to describe aFriesian horse .References
External links
*http://equisearch.com/breeds/belgianprofile/
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