What is the Biggest Horse Breed?
Known scientifically as Equus ferus caballus, the horse belongs to the family Equidae. 
It comes in various behaviors, colors and sizes, depending on the breed. It serves many different purposes in society particularly in non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as sports competitions. Furthermore, people use this kind of hoofed mammal for therapy, assisted learning and agriculture. Aside from these important details, it is also good to know more about the biggest horse breed.
The Biggest Breed of Horses
What is the biggest horse breed? A kind of horse that originated in the United Kingdom, the Shire horse can grow more than 180 centimeters or 18 hands. When measured at the withers, this kind of horse has an average height of 178 centimeters or 17.2 hands. Based on some reports, one of the biggest ever recorded measured 220 centimeters or 21.2 hands tall. The average weight of stallions ranges from 2,020 pounds or 910 kilograms to 2,460 pounds or 1,120 kilograms.
Additional Facts and Other Important Details
The Shire horse is a kind of draft horse with legs covered with white long hairs. It has a broad back, dense rounded body and muscular build. Furthermore, it is known for its dense bones, long legs as well as powerful hindquarters. In the United Kingdom, the Shire Horse Society is responsible for setting the standards for this breed. In the United States, there is the American Shire Horse Association. This kind of horse comes in three major colors, namely gray, brown and black.
Based on the standards set for this particular breed of horse, it must have widely spaced eyes, a Roman nose as well as a long head. The expression of the eyes must be docile, the neck must be lean and arched and the back must be muscular with no roaching or dipping.
The original intention for breeding Shire horses was to draw carts, which held ale to be delivered starting from the brewery and into public houses. Until now, few breweries continue this rich and colorful tradition in the United Kingdom. These include the Thwaites Brewery in Blackburn, the Samuel Smith Brewery in Tadcaster as well as the Wadworth Brewery in Devizes Wiltshire.
Of all the draft breeds, the heaviest and the tallest are the shire horses on the average. According to history books, this particular type of horse came from the Great Horse that William the Conqueror brought with him to England in 1066.
