North Swedish Drafthorse

Yay, I'm finally finished! I'm too proud of this piece to slap a big watermark all over it, so please don't steal.

This was mainly done for (and my A-Z Horse Breeds list).


North Swedish Draft

Origin: Sweden

Height: Around 148 – 162 cm. (14.5 – 16 hh.)

Colors
Bay, black, chestnut, brown, palomino, buckskin and smoky, plus dun variations of these colors. It’s common with mealy markings, especially mealy bay and brown. Grey is accepted if the lineage with certainty can be traced back to the grey Norwegian Døle horses (also called “blue horses” or “Blåhästar”). White markings on legs and head are accepted.

Breed description
The North Swedish Draft was originally bred for agriculture and forestry work, and also for use in the Swedish military. The breed was founded in the early 1900’s and originates from an old type of native horse that’s been improved with help of the closely related Døle horse.
Harness racing has been popular within the Swedish local population for centuries, and event racing on frozen lakes has long been a big attraction. That’s why the breed in the 1960’s was divided into two different types; the North Swedish Draft and the North Swedish Heavy Trotter. Today these types practically have evolved into separate breeds, and each one now has its own stud book.
Even if the North Swedish Draft is bred mainly for farm work, it’s not a particularly heavy built draft horse. The lighter conformation together with the breed’s gentle and agreeable disposition makes it very versatile. The North Swedish may not jump as high or be as fast as a warmblood, but can for example make a lovely western pleasure or baroque horse.



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