What breed of horse did they use...

[la dee da]

What breed of horse did farmers use way back before tractors? I used to assume draft horses but recently I've been wondering if I'm correct. Does anyone know?

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I would think Percheron's, Shire's, Clydesdales. I know there's others, can't remember their names.

 

[preppy*hippie*chick]

Mules were used also. People used what they had - oxen too.

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
Belgians, Morgans, Haflingers (mini drafties) scrub horses, whatever they had!

In short, drafties of any origin (and yes, lots of people used oxen and "bullocks") in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

 

[la dee da]

Thank you everyone, now of course you know the question doesn't end there

. Would you think it's more economical to plow using a real draft (like a Shire) or a warm blood, assuming you wanted to plow 50 acres.
Do you think drafts could simply do it faster or with less work?

These are question I've been wondering lately.

Edited to add a question.

 

[preppy*hippie*chick]

A draft breed. They're easy keepers and built for the job.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
That depends on if the horse was needed for other purposes too. If plow work was the only thing you needed a horse for, a draft would be ideal. If you also had to round up cattle or ride long distances, it might be more economical to have one more versatile animal, rather than 2 specialized ones.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Chunks (which are a cross between a draft horse and a saddle horse) were popular way back when because they were more versatile. Also some breeds were riding horses before they were drafters. Percheron comes to mind. They carried the knights with all their armor and only got used for draft work after they were no longer needed for their original purpose.

Rusty

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Draft mules. Very popular with the Amish who use them to plow.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I'm sure you used whatever you had even if it wasn't a big one...

Mules were commonly used in the plow fields.