Draft Horses never fail to impress

The sheer size and power of draft horses have always appealed to me. They are amazing horses while being the gentle giants of the horse world.

There’s a show going on all this weekend at the #PrincessLouiseParkShowCentre featuring Percherons, Clydesdales and Belgians.

Last night’s rain left a lot of mud puddles on the grounds, making it challenging to keep those giant hooves and feathers (long hairs by the hooves) clean and shiny. Some people brought protection for their carriage shafts and wheels to keep them as clean as possible before hitching up and going into the show ring.

Preparing a team for show takes many hands. Each horse has to have its mane braided with the farm’s colours in the ribbons. Tails are wrapped and decorated as well – a safety precaution to ensure the long tails don’t get tangled in the harness or shafts of the wagon causing the horse to panic.

Once all the polishing, braiding and harnessing is done, it’s time to hitch the horses to the wagons. The first classes of the afternoon showed two-horse teams from each breed. The trotted smartly into the arena and the drivers demonstrated their skills in turns, crossing the arena and eventually lining up to face the judge. Then each team was asked to back up and then step forward.

Showing these horses is a family affair, with groups coming both from the local area and as far away as Nova Scotia. If you have time this weekend, by all means stop down and watch!