Theres an debate going on at the rescue, one of the owners is claiming that Peggy is a Clydesdale, while the other is claiming shes a Percheron. Lol we cant find her papers at the moment to tell for sure. Shes 30 years old this year by the way. A beautiful old lady if you ask me! Does anyone know which she is?
Agreed with Golden_Horse - she doesn't look like either breed. If I HAD to pick one, she's far closer to a Percheron then a Clydesdale just based on her slimmer build and the lack of feathering on her legs. Her head is also closer to a Percheron as she lacks the extreme roman nose of the Clydesdale breed. However, if I had MY guess, she looks to be a cross between a Belgian and Percheron.
Lol now I have no idea! I guess it really doesn't matter. She's the sweetest old horse in the world. If shes out in the pasture laying down and you sit my her, she'll lay her head in your lap and go to sleep. And to think her old owners were selling her for her meat.
I also say Belgian. She doesn't have the leggyness or the feathering for a clyde and purebred percherons normally only come in gray and black (sorrel is possible but pretty darn rare) so even a cross is unlikely with her color. Sorrel would be possible if one of her grandparents was a perch and the other 3 were something else, but her being a perch is unlikely.
I am 100% sure she's a belgian. And a very nice example of one as well, especially for her age.
If she's registered, she can only be Belgian. She also doesn't look like any 30 year old draft either. More like 15. What do her teeth say? Papers probably aren't hers.
I will check with the owner on Thurs when I go. She really doesn't look old, but she acts it most of the time. She usualy sleeps laying down, which only the other acient horse at the rescue does. It takes her a while to get back up (unless you have a treat, then shes remarkable agile) and her joints crack a lot when she walks from arthritis. The vet says its best to keep her active, lots of riding and such, to help keep her limber.
I agree with what some others have said...she doesn't look 30 at all, but then again, if her previous owners always took excellent care of her, she could well be 30 and still look amazing.
But if she has papers and they are saying they were Clyde or Perch, sounds like they weren't even hers...have a vet check her teeth to access her age.
My call is Belgian, also. That was my first impression on seeing her picture before reading the debate on her being Perch or Clydesdale. I have seen many a Belgian at Horse-pulling Competitions. I have also seen a matched pair of grey Percherons and according to my horse breed referrence Perchs are only grey or black and even though they are draft breeds they have a more refined look to them. Clydesdales don't have flaxen manes and tails, lest ways my referrence shows them having black manes and tails. I all most never claim to be 100% certain of anything, because I know at times I can be wrong.
If she's down alot of the time, that would indicate low grade chronic pain. Mostly in the legs and feet. Old horses usually aren't too keen on getting down on the ground because it is too hard to get up.
Percherons and clydes do come in chestnut/sorrel but it's rather infrequent and not something breeders strive for. I've seen one black belgian as well.
A friend of mine has a matched pair of bay Belgian mares. Contrary to belief, Belgians aren't just chestnut!
I suggested a cross as her build does not say Belgian to me. They tend to be shorter and stockier then other Draft breeds. But yes if she IS purebred, she's closest to Belgian type. Posted via Mobile Device
There's no way she's a Clyde - at least not a purebred one. She does have some feather.. but not enough for me to think she's purebred... nor does she have the right body type or head.
I also don't think she's a Perch - I've worked with quite a few, her body type isn't right for that either.
I'm not sure about being pure Belgian either, if she IS purebred that would get my vote - but at her age I don't know where the more "modern" type came from! LOL She actually reminds of two Suffolk mares I know.
I thought that Suffolks were shorted and stockier than that? Maybe not, how about this though, she looks like the Shire that TC posted on my thread here
There are quite a few Belgians in my part of Ontario, and she looks exactly like at least two Belgians I know. They seem to have various body types -- from the really heavy build to the lighter boned like this girl. I would think she's purebred Belgian.
Check out some of the horses on this breeder's site.
I give up. I guess the two draft horses will forever remain a mystery! If I posted pictures of ALL the horses peoples heads would explode trying to figure out what they all were!
She looks like a Belgian and I base this solely on my memorizing the World Book Encyclopedia's horse breed section when I was 11. (So about 37 years later I still think a Percheron is very dappled grey, a shire is a deep bay or black and of course the Belgian has that chestnut color with the white mane & tail.)
She looks like a Belgian and I base this solely on my memorizing the World Book Encyclopedia's horse breed section when I was 11. (So about 37 years later I still think a Percheron is very dappled grey, a shire is a deep bay or black and of course the Belgian has that chestnut color with the white mane & tail.)
Unfortunately genetics change over time and with more research comes better understanding of such things.
Breeds are sometimes "forced" into allowing outcrosses in order to improve the breed and add new bloodlines... this can allow for different body types and coloring.
Within the draft breeds we've seen HUGE changes in body type, in general over the past 20-50 years. Horses are becoming leaner, taller, leggier etc... probably as their purpose shifts from a true work horse to a show horse.
I'd say this lovely old lady is definitely a Belgian.
Lizzie
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