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Staffordshire Shire Horse Association |
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Welcome to the Staffordshire Shire Horse Association website. |
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To contact us: |
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The Shire’s history dates back to the Norman conquest, Henry VIII first applied the name Shire to the then known ‘Great Horse’ or ‘War Horse’. Shire’s have a calm temperament & great strength, this made them ideal as a working horse, both in rural & industrial areas. The tallest recorded horse was a Shire gelding born in 1846 at Toddington, Bedfordshire named Sampson (re-named Mammoth), by the age of 4 he was 21.2 hands, 7ft 2 & half inches at the shoulder, weighing approximately 3000lbs.
After the 2nd World War, the Shire had virtually been replaced by trucks & tractors. This caused a decline in breeding and the Shire horse becoming a rare breed.
Today’s world of the Shire horse is a kaleidoscope of activity, albeit specialist & small scale. From breeding, through shows, parades, matches & workings, leisure activities, marketing & promotion, to agriculture, horticulture & forestry. Each aspect has an important part to play & contributes to a new role for the Shire. In an ever changing world, and the awareness of the natural environment & it’s protection on the increase, it is only right that the Shire is looked upon as the natural alternative to motor power. Our aims as the Staffordshire Shire Horse Association is to promote and raise awareness of this skilled & powerful, but gentle & beautiful horse. To encourage the use of the Shire again in industry, and get the breed removed from the rare breeds list. |
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About the Shire Horse & the S.S.H.A |