Description of horses of the Brabancon breed
The Brabancon, or Belgian Draft Truck, is one of the oldest breeds of its kind. With the help of these horses, other strong equids were bred. At the same time, the character of the animal is distinguished by softness and meekness, which is also appreciated by humans.
Brabancon horses
The formation of a horse breed largely depends on the natural habitat conditions. When breeding, horse breeders take into account the natural characteristics of the species of horses and try to bring their advantages to the maximum. However, for the breeding of certain breeds, breeders require a foundation. For modern types of heavy trucks, the Belgian horse has become a similar basic.
Area
Europe is considered to be the natural habitat of Belgian heavy trucks. It was there, in the Belgian and German regions, that low horses with distinctive muscles appeared. The climate in the habitats of the breed is quite harsh, which is why the horses have thick hair and mane. The animal's hooves are also protected by hair. This warm blooded breed copes well with cold winds and low temperatures.
Breed use
In the Middle Ages, the Brabancons were used by heavily armed knights.
Brabancon quickly began to be used not only for horseback riding, but also in the agricultural industry. Thanks to their endurance, these horses have become indispensable helpers for farmers and peasants. Even today, many fields are processed with their help.
Brabancon is a very smart horse, so it is often used for grazing. In western and northern Europe, these horses are used in sawmills as a pulling force. For this, stallions are trained to obey special commands for at least a year, since a horse can pull a large number of logs and without preliminary preparation there is a possibility of an accident. Also, lumberjacks of Canada use the services of powerful horses.
An important role was played by Brabancon from Belgium and in the selection. This breed is considered the basis for many other types of draft trucks. So, with the help of the Belgian horse, Suffolk and Shire were born.
Other breeds have also been improved with these sturdy horses, among them the Soviet Draft, Irish Draft, and the Cleydesdale. The work of Belgian scientists does not stop until now, and they are trying to improve stallions every time more and more.
Exterior
The appearance of heavyweights has its own clearly established norms. First of all, Brabancon is notable for its short stature: about 170 cm at the withers.
In the last century, there were individuals that reached a height of 2 m. Moreover, the animal weighed about a ton.
At the end of the 19th century, the Belgian horse breed was divided into 3 lines:
- Gros de la Dendre - first line;
- Grays of Hainault - second lane;
- Collosses de la Mwhaigne is the third line.
The differences between these subspecies are primarily in external features. Horse Orange First became the ancestor of the first line of heavy trucks. These stallions are distinguished by a powerful constitution and most often have a bay color of coat.
Appearance of the Belgian heavy truck
Horse Bayard laid the foundation for the second line of horses.These horses are predominantly roan in color. There are also red and gray individuals. The rarest type of coat color in this subspecies is dun.
Jean I founded the third line, the hallmark of which is amazing endurance. The horses of the third line have very strong legs.
The head of the Belgian stallions is small in size, but the muzzle is quite embossed. The forehead of horses is sloping and wide. The eyes are predominantly dark in color, not too large.
The ears are small and set at right angles. The nostrils are large. Brabancon has a long, arched neck. It compensates for the heavy weight of the body and balances the animal. The musculature of the Belgian Draft Truck is very developed.
The legs of animals should be noted separately. The legs of the stallions are dry, with a broad muscular top and heavy hooves. This shape of the legs allows Belgian horses to carry weights.
The coat is very dense and has an undercoat. Also a distinctive feature of the breed is the hair around the hooves. The tail, according to the Belgian standards, is short for the breed, usually it is cut under the base. Among the variety of colors, a black suit is rarely found.
Character
The Belgian breed has a docile nature.
The reason for this is the harsh conditions of keeping and breeding. Only the most submissive and meek horses are chosen for mating, which is why with each new generation the breed becomes more and more imperturbable.
Also, throughout the breeding of this species, breeders from Belgium were quite strict with horses. The mares were sent for mating after 9 weeks after giving birth, and the foals were gradually weaned from their mother after 2-3 weeks. The horses themselves were taught from childhood to work and unpretentiousness, which is why the Belgian heavy trucks calmly eat the simplest food and do not require excesses.
Character of Belgian horses
Thanks to all these features of breeding, the Brabancons are extremely calm and obedient. They are also highly intelligent and trainable. Brabancon is able to respond to a person's speech and obey verbal commands, so cabbies rarely have to use a whip.
Draft trucks become very attached to their owners and recognize them. This breed does not require increased attention to itself, but with the help of affection and good words, you can easily gain the trust of this large horse.
Content and diet
Many newcomers to horse breeding mistakenly think that keeping Brabancons is too expensive. However, a large amount of food compensates for the unpretentiousness of the horse.
The horse happily eats dry and tough grasses that most of the traveling breeds would turn away from.
A balanced daily diet for a heavy truck looks like this:
- roughage - 6 kg per day;
- pure oats - 6-8 kg per day;
- rye straw cutting - 0.5 kg per day;
- crushed flaxseed - 0.5 kg per day.
Certain food products can be easily changed to others. It is important to remember that Brabancons requires high-calorie food, because otherwise the animal will not be able to gain the required mass.
Belgian heavy trucks cope well with temperature changes and are able to withstand colds below freezing. These horses are warmed by the subcutaneous layer of the muscles, as well as the thick hair on the head and legs.
A stable for large horses does not have to be large. Brabancon will feel good in a 4 square meter stall. m, and this is only 1 sq. m larger than a pony's stall. The only thing heavy trucks need are summer pastures, where they replenish the body with vitamins.
It is extremely important to comply with sanitary standards for keeping, clean the stable at least 3 times a week. You also need to make sure that there is good air circulation in the room.
Brabancon must have a clear work schedule.If you do not balance the time of work and rest, the animal will work for wear and tear, which will have a bad effect on health.
Conclusion
The Brabancon from Belgium is a heavy draft breed that is distinguished by its modest demands and a calm temperament.
Among other qualities, this type of horse is one of the most ancient. Due to the traction qualities, the Belgian horses are often used in the logging area or on the farm.
Brabancons are suitable for non-professional horse racing, but in big sports they can only recommend themselves as carriers of especially heavy objects.