Suffolk Horse, also historically known as the Suffolk Punch or Suffolk Sorrel, is an English breed of draught horse. The breed was developed in the early 16th century, and remains similar in phenotype to its founding stock. The first known mention of a Suffolk Punch is in William Camden’s Britannia, published in 1586.
About Suffolk Punch in brief
Suffolk Horse, also historically known as the Suffolk Punch or Suffolk Sorrel, is an English breed of draught horse. The breed was developed in the early 16th century, and remains similar in phenotype to its founding stock. The Suffolk Punch was developed for farm work, and gained popularity during the early 20th century. As agriculture became increasingly mechanised, the breed fell out of favour, and almost disappeared completely. Although the breed’s status is listed as critical by the UK Rare Breeds Survival Trust and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, a resurgence in interest has occurred, and population numbers are increasing. They were developed in Norfolk and Suffolk in the east of England, a relatively isolated area. The first known mention of a Suffolk Punch is in William Camden’s Britannia, published in 1586, in which he describes a working horse of the eastern counties of England that is easily recognisable.
This description makes them the oldest breed of horse that is recognisable in the same form today. Suffolk Punches generally stand 16. 1 to 17. 2 hands, weigh 1,980 to 2,200 pounds, and are always chestnut in colour. Horses of the breed come in many different shades of chestnut, ranging from dark to red to light. They are hard workers, said to be willing to pull a heavily laden wagon till dropped, and are energetic, especially at the trot. They have a powerful, arching neck; well-muscled, sloping shoulders; a short, wide back; and a muscular, broad croup. Legs are short and strong, with broad joints; sound, well-formed hooves; and little or no feathering on the fetlocks. White markings are rare and generally limited to small areas on the face and lower legs. They tend to mature early and be long-lived, and is economical to keep, needing less feed than other horses of similar type and size.
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This page is based on the article Suffolk Punch published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 01, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
