Last Updated on March 16, 2023
Can you ride a draft horse? Ever wonder what it’s like to ride a 19-hand Shire? If so, this article is for you! What truly is the difference between a draft horse and a riding horse?
And, are there disciplines that can only be done with draft horses? Are the disciplines that can only be done by riding horses? In this article, I’ll be discussing the differences between draft horses and riding horses and also identifying some ways in which they are similar.
Keep reading to learn the answer to ‘can you ride a draft horse?’
Can You Ride a Draft Horse?
So, can you ride a draft horse? While draft horses aren’t typically used for riding you can ride them. In fact, Clydesdales are becoming increasingly popular for riding.
Thanks to their docile, laid-back personalities they can make great riding mounts. They can be ridden in a variety of different disciplines and many people also enjoy riding them bareback.
Riding draft horses may seem intimidating to some due to their large size but they are generally easy-going. They can make great mounts for people of all ages.
Due to their large size, you generally need to use tack that is specially made for draft horses. While they can make wonderful riding mounts, their large strong builds aren’t ideal for every discipline. For example, draft horses don’t have the athletic build to excel at the highest level of barrel racing or jumping competitions.
Draft horse temperament
Draft horses are known for having calm, docile temperaments. They are generally friendly horses with gentle dispositions.
Draft horses are known to be easy to train and willing to please, making them great horses to work with. Their adaptability and good-decision making skills have allowed them to excel in working and driving horses, as well as riding horses too.
Draft horse training tips
Since draft horses are known for their calm, easy-going dispositions they are typically easy to train. However, it is important to properly train a draft horse as their large size can be dangerous.
Be sure to emphasize respect when training your draft horse, as it is vital that your horse listens to you. Before riding your draft horse, make sure you spend plenty of time on the groundwork. Emphasize learning personal space and giving to pressure.
Take your time when training and be sure not to put yourself or your horse in dangerous situations. Regularly handle your horse so you become comfortable with one another.
For example, with Clydesdale training, you will want to make sure your horse has plenty of groundwork before working up to riding. Finding a Clydesdale saddle, or any other draft breed, can be tricky but it is very important to use properly fitting tack.
5 Draft Horse Breeds
There are around 30 different breeds of draft horses. Today, we are looking at five of the most common draft horses. While these breeds are primarily used for agricultural work and driving, they can also be used for riding as well.
1. Clydesdale
The Clydesdale is one of the most recognizable draft horse breeds. Originally from Scotland, they stand between 17-18 hands tall and weigh between 1,600-2,200 pounds on average. They have a silky feathering on their legs, a strong build, are often bay, and have a flashy way of moving.
2. Percheron
Percheron horses are typically 16-19 hands tall and weigh between 1,700- 2,400 pounds on average. They are known for their muscular yet elegant builds. Percherons are typically gray or black but can also be chestnut, bay, roan, or sorrel.
3. Belgian
Belgian horses typically stand between 16-17 hands tall and typically weigh between 1,800 to 2,200 pounds. They are strong, powerful horses with muscular builds. In America, Belgians have chestnut, sorrel, or blonde coats with blonde manes.
4. Shire
The Shire horse typically stands between 16-18 hands tall and weighs between 1,800 to 2,400 pounds. They have tall, muscular builds with feathering on their legs. Shire horses are most commonly black, bay, or gray.
5. Dutch Draft
Dutch Draft horses stand around 15.2-17 hands tall and weigh between 1,600-2,000 pounds. They have muscular, stocky build with feathering on their legs. They are often bay, chestnut, black, brown, and variations of roan in color.
Draft Horse VS Riding Horse: Horse Types
As with anything that can be categorized anywhere in the world, the broad category of horses is broken down into general types. Within these types are then different horse breeds. Horse types include miniature, ponies, horses (i.e.- riding horses), and drafts.
For the sake of this article, a “riding horse” is a horse 14.2 hands or taller which does not constitute a draft horse. Some examples of riding horses include Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, and Arabians.
Horse types exist to categorize horses into groups that have shared characteristics. These characteristics include height, confirmation, weight, discipline, and more.
Draft Horses
So, what does the draft type look like? Draft horses are characteristically known as the “gentle giants” of the horse world. This is because they are typically tall, heavy, and wide. Drafts traditionally stand between 16 hands and 19 hands high.
They typically weigh between 1300 and 2000 pounds and have very large round hooves. They are characteristically wide in the shoulder, barrel, and hindquarters, and they boast beautiful leg “feathers” as well as thick, stout necks.
Draft horses in the past have been used as farming horses, plow horses, and the like. Today, they are still sometimes used as plow horses but are more commonly seen in front of a carriage. Draft horses are known for carriage driving, both for pleasure and in competition.
Riding Horses
The horse or “riding horse” type is probably what you ride when you take lessons or when you trail ride when you go on vacation. They are the horses most suitable for carrying people on their backs. Many different types of horses are considered riding horses such as light horses, warmbloods, and gaited horses.
Riding horses typically stand between 14.2 and 17 hands tall, and they generally weigh between 1000 and 1300 pounds. Though it depends on the breed, they are typically long-necked, longer-backed, long-legged, and altogether comfortable for a person to sit on.
In every regard, they are traditionally smaller than the draft type and are used in any discipline that involves riding. In the western arena, this includes rodeo sports, cutting, reining, trail riding, and more. In the English arena, this includes hunter/jumper, eventing, dressage, pleasure, and more.
Can You Ride a Draft Horse? Draft Horse VS Riding Horse
Can you drive a riding horse?
Clearly, certain horses are naturally inclined to be better at certain disciplines. But, does this mean that you can’t try to do uncharacteristic things with the horse that you own? Of course not!
So, can you drive a riding horse? Of course! Obviously, you don’t want to push your horse to do something that you don’t think it is physically able to do.
For example, it’s going to be a bad idea to try to ask a 15-hand Arabian to haul 18 people down the road in a giant cart, but that doesn’t mean that the 15-hand Arabian can’t haul a small carriage!
Riding horses are actually the horse of choice in competitive 3-day driving. Though it is a small part of the driving world, it still demonstrates that horse types aren’t bound to specific disciplines!
Of course, if you want a horse that can be used for regular and intensive hauling and carriage work, the most suitable horse for this job will be a draft horse. Drafts are built to haul heavy weights over long distances.
A draft horse is going to physically hold up much better doing this job than a riding horse will because drafts are physically built to do that kind of job. No, cross-training doesn’t hurt anyone, but be sure of your horse’s limits before asking them to do something they may not be physically inclined to do.
Riding draft horses
So, can you ride a draft horse? Of course! Draft horses are typically actually very safe and comfortable to ride. Though, it may be difficult to find the tack that will properly fit them, unless you ride drafts regularly.
Personally, I have seen drafts be competitive in the low-level dressage ring, and even in low-level equitation rings. They also make great fox-hunting and trail-riding mounts.
Draft crosses are even a preferred mount in fox hunting, 3-day eventing, and dressage. Draft horses are known for their calm, quiet demeanor, and this can make them fantastic riding partners.
Of course, if you want to compete in national-level hunter derbies, you can’t be riding a draft horse. If you want to compete at Maclay Equitation Finals, you can’t be riding a draft horse. Draft horses can do English disciplines! But, if you are expecting to compete at the top level of the sport, you’ll need a horse that is physically suited to take you around the ring at that level.
Most of the time, draft horses cannot physically perform Grand Prix dressage movements or jump 3’6” fences. This isn’t because they aren’t athletic, it’s because they physically are not built to move in the ways that those tasks require. Yes, ride your draft horse if you want- but be realistic about what your expectations in the saddle are.
Conclusion: Can You Ride a Draft Horse?
Can you ride a draft horse? Of course! Drafts and riding horses are different in their build and size, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t have similar jobs.
I hope this article helped you learn about the differences and similarities between draft horses and riding horses. If so, please give it a share, and share with us your experiences with either type in the comments!
FAQs
What are some differences between riding horses and draft horses?
Riding horses are known to be athletic and graceful. They are often used for riding competitions, horse shows, or jumping events. Some examples of riding horses include Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Quarter horses, Warmbloods, etc.
Draft horses were originally trained for draft work from a young age by having their muscles over-developed. They were used for hauling all kinds of goods and supplies, such as firewood, coal, hay, etc. Some examples of draft horses include Belgian, Percheron, Shire, Clydesdale draft horses, etc.
The main difference between riding horses and draft horses is their size and muscle mass. Riding horses are typically smaller, while draft horses are much larger. The muscles of a draft horse are also much more developed than those of a riding horse, which is necessary for performing the work they were bred for.
Another difference between riding horses and draft horses is their temperament. Draft horses are often calmer and more docile than riding horses. This is because they were bred to be used for pulling heavy loads, and therefore don’t need the energy and agility of riding horses.
Can you ride a draught horse?
The answer to this question is yes, you can ride a draught horse. However, it’s important to keep in mind that draught horses were bred for draft work, not riding. So, they may not be as agile or responsive as a riding horse. Additionally, their size can make them difficult to handle for some people. If you are interested in riding a draught horse, it’s best to start out by riding at a slow walk and see how the horse reacts. If everything goes well, you can then try riding at a trot or gallop. Just be sure to always have a solid hold on the reins, and be prepared to make quick corrections if necessary.
Can draft horses do endurance riding?
Yes, draft horses can do endurance riding. Although draft horses are not typically ridden in the traditional sense, there are draft horse owners that participate in endurance riding. Endurance rides can be anywhere from 25 to 100 miles in length, and will often take days to complete. Horses must maintain a certain speed throughout the entire ride to pass each checkpoint within the allotted time. Draught horses are generally able to go the distance, as they were bred for draft work which often included travelling long distances at a steady pace.
Draft horse owners can choose to participate in endurance riding by competing against other draft horse owners, or entering their draft horse into an open class alongside other breeds that have been trained for riding purposes. If draft horses are trained and conditioned properly, they can perform very well in endurance riding competitions.
How fast can riding horses run in a race?
Depending on the type of riding horse, they can run anywhere from 15 to 55 miles per hour in a flat-out gallop. However, riding horses typically only run at top speeds when overtaking or catching another horse. In an average riding competition, riding horses will usually only reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.
Some examples of riding horse breeds that typically run at a very fast gallop include Thoroughbreds and Arabians. These horses were initially bred for racing, so their speed is unmatched by other riding horse breeds.
Michael Dehaan is a passionate horse owner, horse rider, and lover of all things equine. He has been around horses since he was a child, and has grown to become an expert in the field. He has owned and ridden a variety of horses of different breeds, and has trained many to compete in shows and competitions. He is an experienced horseman, having worked with and competed many horses, including his own. He is an active member of the equestrian community, participating in events and teaching riding lessons.