Buyer question
Is a Shire horse good for beginners?
Yes: our Animal Library rates the Shire horse 4 out of 5 for beginners (gentle, but huge).
Source: the Shire horse page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Shire horse in the Animal Library
The detail
An English draft horse and one of the tallest breeds in the world, once used for farm work and brewery drays. Shires are gentle and patient, but their size and feathered legs make them costly to house and care for.
- Temperament
- Gentle, patient, docile
- Best fit
- Driving, pleasure, showing
- Trainability
- 4 out of 5 (Patient and kind)
- Upkeep
- 5 out of 5 (Feather care, huge feet)
- Energy
- 2 out of 5 (Steady and quiet)
What to weigh
Shires need oversized everything, from stalls to trailers. Heavy feather brings mites and chronic progressive lymphedema risk.