Origin: Suffolk, England
Height: 16-17 hh
Colors: Chestnut, there are seven recognized shades of chestnut in the Suffolk Punch
Build: Large and muscular with short legs, wide chest and girth, and broad forehead Attributes: Gentle, kind, and strong

History of the Suffolk Punch Draft Horse

The Suffolk Punch is the oldest of all of the pure draft breeds. The origins of this beautiful horse are in Suffolk in East Anglia, a once isolated, yet active farming peninsula. Because of this isolation the local horse were not influenced by any outside breeds. That is until the invasion of the Vikings in the eighth and ninth centuries. It is possible that the Vikings brought with them the ancient Jutland horse, which is similar to the present day Suffolk Punch. There has been very little change in the breed since it was first written into the records in the early sixteenth century. It is possible that during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Flemish horses that were brought in to help clear the forest surrounding Suffolk were bred to the native Suffolk horses, increasing their size and weight.

By the time the eighteenth century rolled around the Suffolk Punch was a well-established breed that was highly popular in pulling competitions. Then in 1768 the foundation sire of the breed was born. However the name of this stallion is still unknown, so the horse is simply called Mr. Thomas Crispin's horse of Ufford, or Crispin's horse as he came to be known. All Suffolks can be traced back to that single stallion.

Oddly enough, before the 20th century the Suffolk Punch was not used for pulling heavy beer carts, but instead used primarily in cities to haul light loads. The Suffolk Punch was never commonly sold outside its general breeding area. Even at the height of draft horse popularity, only a third of Suffolks were exported.

This turned out to be very bad when the industrial revolution came, and Suffolk Punches almost went extinct in North America and they did not fare all that much better in England. It has been estimated that in the 1950s the number of Suffolk Punches alive was only two or three hundred. It was not until the 1970s that the Suffolk began to rebound, and ironically this occurred not in its native England, but in North America.

By now the population of the Breed has increased enough in size that it need not fear extinction, but it is still listed as critical. Luckily for the Suffolk it has established a large following who admire it for its smaller build and lighter structure, as well as its grounded nature. There is great care being taken to insure the security of the breed, to make sure that inbreeding does not threaten it and that it is not bred to be a larger more heavy horse.

Characteristics of the Suffolk Punch Draft Horse

Appearance and Conformation of the Suffolk Punch Draft Horse

The conformation of the Suffolk Punch is different than that of other draft horses. Its legs are far shorter, although the body is not smaller, so this can give the horse a slightly unbalanced look. Fortunately those short legs do not unbalance the horse, they give it more power. The legs are also set closer together on the Suffolk, so that they did not destroy the crops in which they were working. The feet, though small, are very strong and well suited to working on the soft ground of a field. The shoulder is very straight and long, adding to the Suffolk's pulling action, but restricting the free, high action that the Shire and Clydesdale have. The rest of the body, including the barrel, back and the neck are short and broad, adding to the overall strength of the horse. The depth and breadth of the chest allows the horse to work a longer day than other drafts.

The East Anglian custom was to feed the Suffolk before dawn, and then work them for a full nine-hour day, with only short breaks during the day. Because they worked faster, had more endurance and did not need to stop at mid-day for a long break and a meal, the Suffolk could complete considerably more work than other horses.

There is only one color that is recognized by the Suffolk Horse Society: chestnut (although in the case of the Suffolk Punch it is often spelled chesnut, as it was in Old England). Happily, there are seven shades of chesnut, ranging from a very pale oatmeal color to a bright red color to a deep honey brown. There are no unattractive colors of the Suffolk, although the most common is the red chesnut. The mane, the tail and the feathers are generally a lightened version of the body color of the horse. Foals are often born light in color and will darken as they grow older.

Not to go unmentioned is the longevity of the Suffolk Punch, many continue to work well into their twenties. This along with their easy maintenance, long work days and willingness to work make the Suffolk Punch one of the most dedicated and economical horse to own.

Temperament of the Suffolk Punch Draft Horse

As with the other draft horses, the Suffolk Punch is a calm and gentle horse. What stands out in the Suffolk Punch is its complete willingness to work. Not that long ago breeders tested the strength and willingness of the horse by attaching its harness to a huge tree trunk or boulder, anything that the horse would not be able to move. The Suffolks were known to try so hard that they would repeatedly sink to their knees in their effort to move the giant obstacle. The winner of the competition was judged to be the horse that made the most number of strenuous tries.

Uses for the Suffolk Punch Draft Horse

The Suffolk is highly versatile, however because of their feet, they should not be worked on hard city streets pulling huge loads. In almost every area of farming the Suffolk Punch is a useful and hard working horse. It is one of the best horses for any kind of heavy pulling, and it has been designed to work in the heavy clay soil of East Anglia. Obviously it excels at logging and has easily adapted to the heat in when it has been used in more southern areas of the world. In fact the Suffolk Punch is now a popular export to Pakistan for breeding as an army horse.

Suffolk Punch Draft Horse Links

American Suffolk Horse Association [1]
Suffolk Horse Society [2]