The Suffolk Punch

See also:

Shire Horses | The Clydesdale

The Cleveland | The Percheron | Dales and Fell Ponies

Some breeders dislike "Suffolk Punch," as a name, but it is apt and the horses don't seem to mind. This native horse of East Anglia is the oldest of the British heavy breeds and traces its present descent from a single stallion, Thomas Crisp's Horse of Ufford which was foaled in 1768, though the basic stock was the Norfolk Trotting horse with imports of Flanders mares.

All Suffolks are "chesnut" in colour, (notice only one "t"), in seven shades, and some horses have flaxen manes. Not particularly tall, they are massively barrel-chested, making their forelegs seem quite short in contrast to their exceptionally powerful hindquarters. Their sturdy legs are "clean," that is, without the "feathers" of the Shires and Clydesdales and the hoof is hard and sound.

Maturing early, its low sloping shoulders give the horse enormous pulling power where it is ideal for farm work on heavy clay soils. It was also used for all sorts of industrial use because of its great strength and today is a favourite forestry horse. It thrives on less feed than other heavy horses and is able to work longer hours

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust protects the Suffolk Horse, the Cleveland Bay and the Dales and Fell ponies.