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The Rhineland Heavy Draft,
often called the Rheinish German Heavy Draft, tends to appear in many
different forms and under different names all over Western and Eastern
Germany. It is not uncommon for the breed to be referred to as the German
Coldblood, Rheinish-Belgian, Niedersachsen Heavy Draft, or the
Rheinish-Westphalian. The breed was developed during the last half of the
19th century, with the studbook being started in 1876, for agricultural and
draft purposes, and enjoyed a fairly brief period of popularity.
Since the age of
mechanization, however, the numbers of the Rhineland Heavy Draft have
dramatically decreased, like many of the draft breeds, and now it is quite
rare to see one. They were at one time the most prolific horse breed in
Germany, but numbers have dropped to such an extent that now only
approximately tow percent of the horse population in Germany are draft
breeds. They were developed largely from the Belgian Draft horse, with
infusions from the Ardennes, Clydesdale, Percheron, and Boulonnais, to
produce a heavyweight but attractive animal of great power. They were
excellent farm and draft horses, and highly efficient in both theses
capacities. The prime center for breeding was the Wickrath regional stud in
Rhineland. In appearance, they are a very four spare horse, and massively
built.
For their size, they tend to
have a small but well-shaped head with a heavy jaw. The neck is extremely
powerful, well arched, and has a pronounced crest. The shoulders are likely
to be massive, as are the rounded quarters. They are generally low in the
withers, with a short, wide back. The chest is very broad and deep, and the
quarters extremely muscular. They have strong, short legs with good sound
joints, short cannon bones, and very hard feet. They tend to have some
feathering and appear low to the ground, due to the shortness of the leg in
comparison to the bulk of the body. They have an excellent temperament being
quiet, yet willing and energetic when required. Their coloring varies from
chestnut, sorrel, and chestnut roan and red roan, and they vary in height
from between approximately 16 hh to 17 hh.
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