The Shire is a British breed of draught horse. It is usually black, bay, or grey. It is a tall breed, and Shires have at various times held world records both for the largest horse and for the tallest horse. The Shire has a great capacity for weight-pulling; it was used for farm work, to tow barges at a time when the canal system was the principal means of goods transport, and as a cart-horse for road transport. One traditional use was for pulling brewer's drays for delivery of beer, and some are still used in this way; others are used for forestry, for riding and for commercial promotion.
Shire pulling a carriage
A pair of Shire horses ploughing
A grey Shire employed in forestry
A bay-coloured Shire, showing Clydesdale influence in colour and markings
A draft horse (US) or draught horse (UK), also known as dray horse, carthorse, work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred to be a working animal hauling freight and doing heavy agricultural tasks such as plowing. There are a number of breeds, with varying characteristics, but all share common traits of strength, patience, and a docile temperament.
A draft horse is generally a large, heavy horse suitable for farm labor, like this Shire horse.
Comparison of a typical-sized carriage horse (top) to a heavy draft horse (bottom)
Two horses hitched to a plow.
Brooklyn Supreme (1928-1948) a Belgian draft horse, 198 cm (19.2 hands) high and weighed 1,451 kg (3,200 lb)