Draft Horse Competition

Horse Pulls

In days when "horsepower" was a literal measure of work,Clydesdales, Percherons and other draft breeds hauled heavy loads over city cobblestones and rural roads. Even in the age of mechanization,giant animals strain against equally huge weights or a dynamometer recording machine in rural competitions.

Plowing Contests

Draft horses were also used for agriculture. Plowing contests in which farmers direct their teams to etch rows in fields as rapidly and accurately as possibly are the legacy of a bygone era. The bond between horse and farmer is centuries old. Today,a few farmers continue to use draft horses for agricultural work as their forefathers did in European villages and on the American plains.

For more information on draft horses, visit our special exhibit, The Draft Horse in America.