Horses are magnificent creatures but one of the best parts about them is just how many different varieties of horse breeds are out there right now. There are so many of them in fact that it’s practically impossible to get a clear idea of what a horse should look like the moment you hear about one, unless you’re an expert in this field.
No matter who you are or where you came from, you definitely saw a horse or two in your life, but let’s just say that you will still be left in shock if you see some of the more unique horse breeds out there.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, let’s just say that if you want to actually get your hands on a horse these days, you will need to look through quite a huge catalog to find the perfect option for you. And picking just one might be the hardest task.
The fact of the matter is that there are so many different horses for any task out there, with certain breeds having been made specifically for certain tasks.
As such, in this post we decided to cover the 15 best farm horses that could help you around the farm this very moment.
While it is pretty obvious that the horses listed here are better for a multitude of reasons than other horse breeds, that doesn’t mean that if you’re choosing one from the start of the list or just one that isn’t even on the list to begin with is a bad thing either.
At the end of the day, it is all about preferences, and while some horse breeds are specifically bred to be the perfect choice for farming, that doesn’t mean that any of the other breeds out there won’t do a good job either.
With all of that being said, let’s hop right into our first pick of the day:
15. Suffolk Punch
The Suffolk Punch is quite famous around the world due to its superb chestnut color and the fact that it is very useful around your home regardless of what task you have in store for it.
This is thanks to the horse’s energy levels, which are always brought up to a perfect ten out of ten, as they can gallop around your farmhouse multiple times, before they even need to stop for a second and take a breather.
This impressive horse breed was especially popular back in the early twentieth century, although sadly, due to how much more popular other breeds are nowadays, their numbers have dwindled down a little bit in these last decades.
This has gotten so bad that the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy list has even gone as far as to say that it’s a critically endangered breed.
Even so, if you want to help this breed out you can get one for yourself today. You will be happy to hear that this is a relatively large horse, with most of them weighing in around 1,975 to 2,425 pounds, alongside a total height of about 15 to 18 hands or 5 to 6 feet.
14. Haflingers
Haflingers immediately stand out from the crowd due to the fact that there isn’t a single solitary ounce of aggression in their hearts, they are literally some of the kindest and friendliest horses you’ll ever see.
They are very sturdy and eager to please, and due to how majestic they are, they are often times used for horse competitions.
Their jumping, hard work and endurance is pretty much unmatched in the field, and this is made all the better by the fact that this horse breed is one of the smallest around.
The typical Haflinger horse will weigh as much as 1,000lbs in total and it will be around 15 hands tall, definitely making it one of the smallest horse breeds you could get for your farm.
They can still be used for a variety of reasons, but due to how strong and energetic they are, we would be lying if we were to say that they are not amongst the top choices for farmers all around the globe.
13. Friesians
The Friesian horse originally comes directly from the Netherlands, where it had been used over the course of the Middle Ages as a warhorse.
This in itself is mostly due to how nimble, quick and graceful this horse breed is, as it can easily make its way through rubble and carry around a lot of weight, despite not being one of the largest breeds out there.
This breed is also known for its beautiful black colored body and of course, since it is so light on its feet, you can also quickly catch on how much the horse actually loves to high-step at all times.
But in spite the fact that it looks so majestic and graceful, this horse breed is still considered to be a top work horse, that can help you around the farmhouse with ease.
You can also get your hands on a Friesian Sporthorse if you’re more so looking for a fast runner, but if you’re just looking for a good farm horse, the standard Friesian will do you justice for sure.
12. Percheron
Being a French draft horse, you can immediately expect the Percheron breed to be one of the top choices you could make for your farmhouse, especially if you have a lot of labor on your hands, and you want a big horse to help you around all day long.
The standard Percheron is grey or black colored, although depending on the actual horse that you bought, you could get your very own unique pattern to gawk at all day long. They are known for having very large eyes and a broad forehead which immediately sticks out.
Since it’s one of the top choices in the US right now, lets just say that it’s not hard to see why we are so fond of this breed in the first place.
You can also find it pretty much around every corner around France too, although this does fully depend on which region you go shopping around in.
There they are used mostly for work and food, although around the US you’ll definitely see the farmer’s bias towards having this breed around just for labor purposes.
11. Irish Draft
The Irish Draft horse is yet another great help around the farmhouse, because it’s one of those horse breeds that is pretty much always ready to serve.
It is believed that this horse breed originally made its way around the Irish folk back in the 12th century, and although throughout the years this breed has had its fair share of uses and purposes, nowadays it is mostly used for showjumping and of course, farmhouse labor.
An interesting thing about the Irish Draft is the fact that this breed gets most of its nutrients directly from grazing, making it a bit of a fan-favorite option among ranchers in the south.
This is because the fields there are growing pretty much all year-round, which means these owners will not have to waste any extra money or resources on feeding their Irish Drafts.
Since we’re talking about a draft horse here, the Irish Draft weighs in around 1,300 to 1,400 pounds, standing tall at about 15 to 18 hands high, making this one of the smaller draft breeds out there, but still a loveable one regardless.
10. Shire
The Shire breed is known for being one of the heaviest breeds in the world, on top of also being one of the most majestic horse breeds out there.
You can usually find a Shire horse that is colored black, bay or grey, with a few exceptions also making their way to the breeders every now and then.
For the most part, this horse breed is a fan favorite choice to pull delivery vehicles, mostly due to their sheer power and graceful nature.
On top of that, you can also use this horse breed for plowing and riding, although you will find it quite hard to come upon one of these since they are becoming excessively rare as we speak.
This is mostly due to how hard they are to actually take care of, and let’s not forget about the fact that a 1,800 to 2,500 pounds horse definitely needs a lot more food than most other horse breeds out there.
Being that heavy, it’s not surprising that this horse breed is also around 16 to 19 hands tall, making the Shire horse one of the most stunning horses your money could get you.
9. American Paint Horses
The American Paint Horse is already catching on as one of the most popular working horses in the US and for good reason too.
This medium-to-large horse breed has a very distinctive spotting pattern that is spread all across their bodies, and while they may not look it, they are amongst the most intelligent horse breeds out there today.
As such, this breed is especially easy to train, making this the perfect choice for the new farmer that is just now getting started in the business.
Having a good and loveable work horse around your farm will make your job all the easier, and on top of that, this horse breed also makes for a great mascot for your new farm too.
They can also be used for family riding, racing and of course, farm work, making this one of the more adaptable options you have on this list.
8. Morgans
While the Morgan horse may seem like a smaller and thus less useful addition to your farm, let’s just say that you will definitely get a good little helper around your farmhouse if you pick this breed to say the least.
The thing about the Morgan horse is that it is a very strong horse breed, although you will need to watch out because they can be quite easily riled up too.
As such, while this may not be the perfect choice for newcomers, as long as you take proper care of your Morgan horse you shouldn’t have a problem raising your very own soon enough.
The typical Morgan horse comes in a darker shade, with its mane and tail being distinguishably dark, although you can also come across more than a handful of other-colored Morgans too out there.
7. Belgians
The Belgian work horse is known for being a very helpful option, that you will definitely need to look twice over, simply because of how massive this horse breed is in the first place.
We are talking about a horse that can weigh as much as a ton each, or 2,000 pounds in total. At the same time, this horse breed is as tall as 17 hands high, but what really makes this breed special is just how easy it is to train.
Getting your Belgian horse to understand what its job is around the farmhouse is the simplest thing ever since they catch onto orders very quickly and they’re always ready to help.
6. Quarter Horse
While Quarter horses are mostly famous for their ability to spring short distances at super high speeds, they are also very strong creatures, meaning that they’ll definitely be of use around your farmhouse too.
They are a tad bit taller than the average horse out there, and when coupled with the fact that this breed is also a lot heavier than most other breeds, you can instantly tell why this horse breed is so beloved by riders and farmers alike.
American Quarter horses are usually between 14 and 16 hands high, but some Halter-type or English hunter-type quarter horses can grow as tall as 17 hands.
5. Clydesdale
If you are looking to get your hands on a good work horse, then you probably can’t find a more popular option out there than the classic Clydesdale horse breed.
This is by far one of the most beloved work horse breeds you’ll ever find, and while they did originate from Scotland, they are pretty much all around the globe right now, so you won’t find it hard to come across one at any local breeder.
They are very friendly and easygoing, and on top of that this breed is also known for being very stunning, so if you want a good and helpful horse breed that will also look the part too, then you can’t go wrong with a Clydesdale.
4. Fjords
Originally from Norway, this unique looking horse has already pretty much won everyone’s hearts due to its very distinct appearance and its hardworking nature.
You can quickly see what we mean by that as this massive horse has a medium-sized head, alongside a large arched neck and a very thick, and a long mane that will need help getting trimmed down every now and then.
This horse weighs as much as anywhere between 1,900 and 2,700 pounds each, and on of of that this breed it’s also around 18 to 21 hands tall, which makes it one of the largest breeds out there.
3. Ardennes
The Ardennes is by far one of the most majestic looking horse breeds we’ve ever seen, and we do mean that.
This horse breed originates straight from Ancient Rome, and you can quickly tell why this breed was so popular there as its muscular frame is a great indicator to say the least.
The standard Ardennes horse will weigh as much as 1,500 to 2,200 pounds each, and while they are not the tallest, you can still expect your Ardennes horse to be as tall as 18 to 19.5 hands in total.
2. Appaloosas
The Appaloosa horse is by far one of the best ranch horses your money could get you, but you need to make sure that you get your hands on a purebred Appaloosa stallion and not end up having to settle for a half-breed.
While Appaloosas do come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, the one thing that is always a constant with them is the fact that they are always going to excel at labor no matter the job.
And do we really have to mention their gorgeous spotted coat pattern? How awesome is that?
1. American Cream Drafts
Despite the fact that it made its way at the top of our list, the American Cream Draft is quite hard to find these days at any breeder out there.
This is mostly due to the fact that while this breed is exceptional at farm work, let’s just say that as soon as technology started to take the more important jobs around the farm, this breed’s job was pretty much over already.
While there are less than a handful of them still around though, we’d still recommend going for an American Cream Draft if you can actually find one for yourself.
Conclusion
Each and every one of these horse breeds is more than capable of doing every job you may require of them, although you will need to make sure that you take good care of them too, if you want them to do the job right.
Most of these farm horse breeds are large draft horses that need a lot of food to get their strength up there, so you will definitely need to invest a lot in that avenue.
Just keep in mind that while the investments will be great, the horse will more than earn its keep eventually.
