Which Draft Horse Is Best for Me?
In a few years from now, I plan on buying my first horse. I love drafts and I know that I don’t want any other type. I’m not a small lady, hopefully I’ll be smaller by then, but I’m not going to be that 120lb girl who can ride an Arabian all day long. So I’ve narrowed it down to 3. Belgian, Percheron, or Spotted Draft. I have very little experience with Belgians, they are just so big and though I’ve heard that they are gentle giants, I was always a little intimidated by them. I haven’t been around a Percheron either, but I’ve heard good things about them as well. I rode a Spotted Draft for two years as a trail guide before her owner sent her to auction. Very sad time 
If I would have known that she was going up for sale (I moved out of the state) I no doubt would have taken her. She was a wild one though, and though most of them have a wonderful temperament, I think that maybe I want a little bigger. My plans are only for pleasure at this time, probably trail and little arena riding every now and then. Possibly entering the show ring a little later on down the road, but not for anything like dressage. Maybe just halter. I need a loving, easy keeper. Which breed would be best as far as temperament and care goes? I know that all of them can handle a lot of work, so I’m not worried about that. I’m not going to work it to death. But I do want a forever horse, so I’m wondering about aging too. Any advice you can give would be great! Love the color of a Spotted draft, but love how strong and powerful the Belgians look. Percherons are nice too. I just can’t decide!
Also, I’m about 5’5 so not incredibly tall.
I’ve had experience with horses since I was 16, and am not totally green. I know what you are saying about relationships. The horse that was sold that I was with for 2 years was an abused horse with bad manners around most people. I couldn’t stand her at first but she grew to trust me, and though she bucked me off a few times, in the beginning, she just kept getting better and better the more I worked with her. I’m certainly not afraid of a non-bomproof horse and though I respect their power and size, I am confident that I can handle a less than perfect horse. I have before.
First, don’t make the mistake so many other first-time horse buyers make and base your purchase on breed alone. Being a certain breed has no bearing on a horse’s individual temperament, life experiences and training.
Buying a horse is like entering a relationship, not buying a car. You need to be compatible with the horse and it needs to be trained to a level that is suitable for you experience or inexperience. For example, you can get a well-bred Belgian, which ARE known as gentle giants. But what if the horse had an abusive owner or received poor training that soured it? Now your gentle giant is a scared, dangerous 2,000 pound animal that can kill you quite easily. See what I’m saying? The horse should stand on its own merits, not its breed. And being green yourself you really need to be careful about getting a well-trained bombproof horse suitable for a beginner and also some lessons so you do not completely undo its good training. I’ve seen many a green owner over the years completely ruin very well trained horses with the best of intentions and the horse always gets blamed.
Since you are only 5’5” you might be interested in checking into the Haflinger breed. It’s a draft-style horse in a shorter package. Same rules apply though, good breeding, even better training and get some lessons to ensure success with your horse.
Edit: Well that is good you are going into with a little experience, just keep in mind that each horse’s personality can differ greatly. What worked with one horse can have disasterous effects with another. Also become familiar with the feed requirements of drafts and draft-types before getting one. Feeding them the same types of feed and hay as you would give a saddle-type horse can have very detrimental effects in the form of ESPM.
Since you are indecisive I would say start looking and see what you come across. Im not really familiar with drafts so I don’t know which would be the best tempermant and stuff, but I was say see what you can find! If you find one you love and is perfect for you in each then decide which breed you really want, but for now I would say just go and see what you can find because sometimes it is hard to find the perfect horse.
Well, I think you should go with a Percheron (:
They have lovely temperaments and are very versatile. I have limited experience with Belgians but from the ones I have met, they are rather clumsy
I think you should really consider a Percheron as they will be a great best friend to you <3
I’ve had experience with a lot of drafts because my family has been very involved in vaulting. We currently have a belgian and a percheron at our place- and as far as riding goes, percherons and belgians make better riding horses than a lot of the other draft breeds because they are put together a little bit better than the other types normally.
As far as temperament goes, though, I’ve noticed that almost all draft horses are, as it is usually put, "gentle giants". Our belgian is 18hh and very strong, but he will still stick his head down to the ground and let little four year olds lead him around no problem.
The only caution I would give if you get a draft is to make sure that you get a younger one. Just like dogs, the larger breeds tend to have shorter lifespans than the smaller ones.
I worked with a Belgian over the summer for many summers and can tell you that they’re probably one of the sweetest horses I’ve ever worked with. Buddy was extremely easy going and we could trust him with just about any kid or toddler, but he wasn’t lazy (however he did need a bit of encouragement every now and then). This horse is so sound, he’s used every year in a haunted forest that the camp he’s at produces. Even with all the screams and sounds of chainsaws, he’s completely chill. If you’re looking for a more spirited horse, I wouldn’t go with the Belgian. Percherons are nice, but I’ve never worked with one. I hear they’re excellent pleasure riding horses and even jumping too.
I would go with a percheron.
My best friend had one,
and he was an ABSOLUTE doll.
he had very few vices, and was just so sweet.
The only reason i wouldn’t go with a spotted draft is because,
they are a little bit harder to come by. Plus they are smaller drafts.
I’ve heard belgians are okay too, but personally I’ve never been around one.
Vets say that the average lifespan of any horse is 20-25 years.
But I don’t necessarily believe that, I say if you love your horse he can go until he’s 40.
I hoped I helped.(:
I’m probably going to get thumbs down for this, but since you’re on the shorter side at 5"5′ I am going to suggest you get a draft cross instead of a purebred draft. Say a Percheron x TB cross. I am a couple inches shorter than you and my trainer briefly had a Belgian mare as a lesson horse before selling her to a private owner that was a TALL guy. She was a sweetie but she was just so wide and bulky, it was actually a little uncomfortable for me to ride her for an entire lesson. I’ve always attributed that to me just being too short to ride a draft, but maybe I’m wrong. Anyway, we also had a Percheron/TB mare that I could comfortably ride and she was a total doll, too. Sweet like a draft but more refined so I didn’t feel like I was doing a split to ride her – lol!
i would get the belgian or percheron…
personally i like belgians they rlly are gentle giants, they get attached to their moms….
percherons are just bg men, they try not to be mommas boys, they rlly are sweet…
id go with either of those two….
but its your choice, have fun with watev u pik
Agreeing with Cassie, most of te draft breeds have the tag "gentle giants"
I used to train and exercise drafts at a local barn where all they had were belgians, percherons, and a clydsdale. They are as gentle as they come. Most of them.
The thing about horses is that no matter what people say about the breed in general there will always be those horses that are an exception. I worked with a 5 year old 18.1hh belgian male who thought he was leader and tried to run me over several times and was very disrespectful. And then you’ll get one who will carry you and watch out for you and be the friend you’ve always wanted.
Ive never dealt with a spotted draft but Belgians and Percherons i have and for the most part their temperments were really good and they were gentle.
Just remember to look for an idividual horse that fits your needs and not discriminate by breed. Like another poster put, halflingers would be a good choice too. Built like a draft, usually pretty docile but are in a slighlt smaller package.
Good Luck!