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28-508: The term Great Horse may refer to Destrier , the "great horse" ridden by knights during the Middle Ages Leonardo's horse , aka Gran Cavallo , a statue of a destrier or great horse "Great Horse", a song by Tyrannosaurus Rex from their 1970 album A Beard of Stars Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

56-407: A sumpter horse (or packhorse ), or possibly in wagons. They had powerful hindquarters, able to easily coil and spring to a stop, spin, turn or sprint forward quickly. They also had a short back and well-muscled loin, strong bone, and a well-arched neck. From medieval art, the head of the destrier appears to have had a straight or slightly convex profile, a strong, wide jaw, and good width between

84-520: A "Spanish" style of horse that today would be referred to as a Baroque horse , such as the Andalusian horse , Friesian horse , or even a heavy but agile warmblood breed such as the Irish Draught . Modern estimates put the height of a destrier at no more than 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm), but with a strong and heavy physique. Though the term "Great Horse" was used to describe

112-506: A day. Overfeeding can lead to obesity, and risk of laminitis can be a concern. The largest horse in recorded history was probably a Shire born in 1846 named Sampson (renamed Mammoth). He stood 218  cm (21.2 hands) high, and his peak weight was estimated at 1,524 kilograms (3,360 lb). At over 193  cm (19 hands), a Shire gelding named Goliath (1977–2001) was the Guinness Book of World Records record holder for

140-624: A destrier valued at one hundred pounds while on campaign in Flanders . Army muster rolls included detailed inventories of the warriors' horses: less than 5% of the warhorses were classified as destriers, owned only by a small elite of the most wealthy knights. However, because of destriers' relative scarcity and consequent infrequent sale and purchase, reliable price information for the period has not often survived. Draft horse A draft horse (US) or draught horse (UK), also known as dray horse , carthorse , work horse or heavy horse ,

168-404: A million draft horses were used during World War I . The British were importing American draft horses to supplement their dwindling stock even before America joined the war, preferring Percheron crosses which they said had "great endurance, fine physique, soundness, activity, willingness to work, and almost unfailing good temper". British buyers were buying 10,000 to 25,000 American horses and mules

196-431: A modern draft horse, and some of these Medieval war horses may have provided some bloodlines for some of the modern draft breeds. The reality was that the high-spirited, quick-moving Destrier was closer to the size, build, and temperament of a modern Andalusian or Friesian . There also were horses of more phlegmatic temperaments used for pulling military wagons or performing ordinary farm work which provided bloodlines of

224-524: A month, eventually making up about two-thirds of British Army war horses. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, thousands of draft horses were imported from Western Europe into the United States . Percherons came from France, Belgians from Brabant , Shires from England, Clydesdales from Scotland. Many American draft breed registries were founded in the late 19th century. The Percheron, with 40,000 broodmares registered as of 1915,

252-520: A riding horse in their strength, musculature and training, rather than in their size. An analysis of medieval horse armour located in the Royal Armouries indicates the equipment was originally worn by horses of 15 to 16 hands (60 to 64 inches, 152 to 163 cm), about the size and build of a modern field hunter or ordinary riding horse. Equestrian sculptures in Italy suggest

280-412: A source of horsepower for farming, hauling freight and moving passengers. The advent of railroads increased demand for working horses, as a growing economy still needed transport over the 'last mile' between the goods yard or station and the final customer. Even in the 20th century, until motor vehicles became an affordable and reliable substitute, draft horses were used for practical work. Over half

308-536: Is a bit slower than lighter horse breeds, more akin to that of ponies, requiring less feed per pound of body weight. This is possibly due to their calmer nature. Nonetheless, because of their sheer size, most require a significant amount of feed per day. Generally a supplement to balance nutrients is preferred over a large quantity of grain. They consume hay or other forage from 1.5% to 3% of their body weight per day, depending on work level. They also can drink up to 95 litres; 21 imperial gallons (25 US gal) of water

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336-525: Is a large horse bred to be a working animal hauling freight and doing heavy agricultural tasks such as plowing . There are a number of breeds, with varying characteristics, but all share common traits of strength, patience, and a docile temperament. While indispensable to generations of pre-industrial farmers, draft horses are used today for a multitude of purposes, including farming, draft horse showing , logging, recreation, and other uses. Draft breeds have been crossbred with light riding breeds such as

364-687: Is less certain. Modern attempts to reproduce the destrier type usually involve crossing an athletic riding horse with a light draft type. Outcomes of such attempts include crossbreds such as the " Spanish-Norman ", a cross between the Percheron and the Andalusian ; and the Warlander , a cross between the Andalusian and the Friesian horse . A good destrier was very costly: at the times of

392-491: Is well suited for pulling. Many draft breeds have heavier hair, called feathering on their lower legs. Draft breeds range from approximately 163 to 193  cm (16 to 19 hands) high and from 640 to 910 kg (1,400 to 2,000 lb). Humans domesticated horses and used them to perform a variety of duties. One type of horse-powered work was the hauling of heavy loads, plowing fields, and other tasks that required pulling ability. A heavy, calm, patient, and well-muscled animal

420-596: The Amish and Mennonites . Draft horses are still used for logging , a forestry management practice to remove logs from dense woodland where there is insufficient space for mechanized vehicles or for other conservation considerations. Draft horse breeds have played a significant role in the development of many warmblood breeds, popular today in advanced level equine sports. Small areas still exist where draft horses are widely used as transportation due to legislation preventing automotive traffic, such as on Mackinac Island in

448-586: The Crusades , a fine destrier was valued at seven or eight times the cost of an ordinary horse. In England, the specific sum of eighty pounds (in this context a pound was 240 silver pennies, which amounted to one pound of silver by weight ) was noted at the end of the thirteenth century. During the important military campaigns of King Edward III in the middle of the fourteenth century, the increased demand for warhorses brought about considerable price inflation: in 1339 William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton lost

476-529: The Thoroughbred to create sport horses or warmbloods . While most draft horses are used for driving , they can be ridden and some of the lighter draft breeds are capable performers under saddle. Draft horses are recognizable by their extremely muscular build. They tend to have broad, short backs with powerful hindquarters. In general, they are taller and tend to have heavier bone and a more upright shoulder than riding horses, producing conformation that

504-479: The Vulgar Latin equus dextrarius , meaning "right-sided horse" (from dextra , "right hand", the same root as dextrous and dexterity ). This may refer to it being led by the squire at the knight's right side, as often before battle the destrier ran unburdened to keep it fresh for the fray; the knight rode another horse, mounting his destrier just before engaging the enemy. Alternatively, it could describe

532-490: The tractor , reduced the need for the draft horse. Many were sold to slaughter for horse meat and a number of breeds went into significant decline. Today, draft horses can be seen in horse shows , pulling competitions , heavy horse trials, parades pulling large wagons , and pulling tourist carriages. However, they are still seen on some smaller farms in the US and Europe. They are particularly popular with agrarian groups such as

560-613: The United States. Management of a large draft horse can be costly, including feed, shoeing, and veterinary care. Although many draft horses can work without a need for shoes, if they are required, farriers may charge twice the price to shoe a draft horse as a light riding horse because of the extra labor and specialized equipment required. Historically, draft horses were shod with horseshoes that were significantly wider and heavier than those for other types of horses, custom-made, often with caulkins . The draft horse's metabolism

588-640: The destrier was not very common. Most knights and mounted men-at-arms rode other war horses, such as coursers and rounceys . The word is first attested in Middle English around 1330, as destrer . It was borrowed into Middle English from Anglo-Norman destrer , whose Old French counterpart was destrier (from which the Modern English spelling derives). The word is also found in medieval Provençal (as destrier ) and Italian (as destriere , destriero ). These forms themselves derived from

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616-478: The destrier, leading some historians to speculate that such animals were the forerunners of modern draught horse breeds, the historical record does not support the image of the destrier as a draft horse. The modern Percheron draft breed may in part descend from destriers, though it is probably taller and heavier than the average destrier. Other draft breeds such as the Shire claim destrier ancestry, though proof

644-595: The eyes. The destrier was considered the most suited to the joust : coursers seem to have been preferred for other forms of warfare . Many well-known scholars have speculated about the nature of destriers and about the size they attained. They apparently were not enormous draft types. Recent research undertaken at the Museum of London , using literary, pictorial and archeological sources, suggests war horses (including destriers) averaged from 14 to 15  hands (56 to 60 inches, 142 to 152 cm), and differed from

672-425: The horse's gait (leading with the right). The word destrier does not refer to a breed of horse, but to a type of horse; the finest and strongest warhorses. These horses were usually stallions , bred and raised from foalhood specifically for the needs of war. The destrier was specifically for use in battle or tournament ; for everyday riding, a knight would use a palfrey , and his baggage would be carried on

700-405: The modern draft horse. Records indicate that even medieval drafts were not as large as those today. Of the modern draft breeds, the Percheron probably has the closest ties to the medieval war horse. By the 19th century horses weighing more than 730 kilograms (1,600 lb) that also moved at a quick pace were in demand. Tall stature, muscular backs, and powerful hindquarters made the draft horse

728-498: The title Great Horse . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Horse&oldid=993965523 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Destrier While highly prized by knights and men-at-arms ,

756-562: Was America's most numerous draft breed at the turn of the 20th century. A breed developed exclusively in the U.S. was the American Cream Draft , which had a stud book established by the 1930s. Beginning in the late 19th century, and with increasing mechanization in the 20th century, especially following World War I in the US and after World War II in Europe, the popularity of the internal combustion engine, and particularly

784-513: Was desired for this work. Conversely, a light, more energetic horse was needed for riding and rapid transport. Thus, to the extent possible, a certain amount of selective breeding was used to develop different types of horse for different types of work. It is a common misunderstanding that the Destrier that carried the armoured knight of the Middle Ages had the size and conformation of

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