A draft horse (US), draft horse (UK) or draft horse (from Old English dragan meaning to draw or carry; compare the Dutch dragon meaning to carry), less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for difficult and heavy tasks such as plowing and agricultural work. There are a number of different breeds, with varying characteristics, but all share common traits of strength, patience and a docile temperament that made them indispensable to generations of pre-industrial farmers. Draft horses and draft crossbreeds are versatile breeds used today for a multitude of breeds. for purposes including agriculture, entertainment, logging, recreation and other uses. They are also commonly used for crossbreeding, particularly with light riding breeds such as the Thoroughbred, with the aim of creating sport horses. While most draft horses are used for driving, they can be ridden and some of the lighter draft breeds are capable of performing under saddle. Comparison of the size of a draft horse from Percheron breeding with a light draft horse type saddle horse Draft horses are recognizable by their large stature. and an extremely muscular build. In general, they tend to have a straighter shoulder, producing straighter movements and a conformation well suited to pulling. They tend to have a broad, short back with a powerful hindquarters, again better suited for pulling. Additionally, draft breeds typically have heavy bones and lots of feathers on the lower legs. Many have a straight profile or “Roman nose” (a convex profile). Draft breeds range from approximately 16 to 19 hands tall and 1,400 to 2,000 lb (640 to 910 kg). Draft horses crossed with light saddle horses add height and weight to the resulting offspring and can increase power and.... . middle of paper ...... the biggest horse in the world; Sampson, born in 1846 in Bedfordshire, England, was 21.2½ hands tall (7 feet 2½ inches or about 2.2 m at the shoulder) and weighed about 3,300 lb (1,500 kg) or more than 1.5 tons . are used as draft horses, the popularity of a given breed often being closely linked to geographical location. Carriage horses Traditional carriage horses and show horses, and are not terms generally used for "heavy" or draft horses. Harness horse breeds include heavy warmblood breeds such as the Oldenburg and Cleveland Bay, as well as lighter breeds such as the Hackney, and in some cases. disciplines, such as combined driving, light riding breeds such as thoroughbred or Morgan can be seen.