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The Suffolk Punch
Horse - "Work Horse Extraordinaire"
 England’s
Norfolk and Suffolk counties are surrounded on the
north, east and south by the North Sea and on the west
by the Fens. The early, isolated Suffolk farmers needed
horses with power to plough the heavy clay soil. These
horses also needed to have stamina and longevity as well
as being docile and easy keepers. It is believed that
when the Vikings invaded the area in the eighth and
ninth centuries, they brought with them the ancient
Jutland Horse which may have been a major influence on
the Suffolk Horse we see today. It is also believed that
Flemish Horses which were brought in to help clear the
forest surrounding Suffolk may have been bred to the
native Suffolk Horses, increasing their size and weight.
Draft horses are said to date back to medieval times
where these great equine titans carried warriors into
battle. However, the Suffolk Punch was not a war horse.
The Suffolk Punch was developed by farmers to be a farm
horse, and not just a farm horse, but a horse that could
fulfill their needs and fit into their special way of
life.
 The
Suffolk farmers used their horses daily and seldom had
horses to sell. This not only kept the Suffolk horse
relatively unknown, but also kept the bloodlines pure,
remaining unchanged and true to the purpose they were
developed for, to be strong and faithful work partners.
According to Camden’s ‘Britannia’, the Suffolk Horse
dates back to1506. This makes the Suffolk the oldest
breed of heavy horse in Britain to exist in it’s present
state. All Suffolks alive today can be traced back to
the foundation stallion,” Crisp’s Horse of Ufford” who
was foaled in 1760.
The Suffolk Horse Society was founded in 1877 and is the
oldest of its type in the world. Publishing newsletters,
Stud Book and running a museum dedicated to the breed is
just a few of the ways this Society promotes it’s breed.
The Society also encourages breeding through the issuing
of premiums and grants. A number of events are organised
by the Society such as the Suffolk Punch Spectacular and
the Ploughing Matches which are restricted to Suffolk
Horses only.
 Before
the 20th century the Suffolk Horse was not commonly sold
outside of its native home. Only a third of Suffolks
were exported. It was this fact that almost led to the
extinction of the breed in North America. As the
Industrial Revolution expanded, the need for heavy
horses decreased. Large numbers of Suffolks were sold
for slaughter which resulted in the disappearance of
many male lines. Even in England the breed suffered
greatly. It is estimated that in the 1950’s there were
only two to three hundred Suffolk Punches alive
worldwide. It would not be until the 1970’s that this
would change. Suffolk Punches began to rebound however,
not in its native England, but in North America.
Today the Suffolk Punch population has increased to the
point that extinction is no longer a threat; but they
are still listed as critical. The Suffolk has
established a large following of admirers. Great care is
taken to insure that inbreeding does not take place as
it did in earlier years to produce the uniform phenotype
and to save the breed from extinction. Care is also
taken to ensure that the breed is not bred to be a
larger, heavier horse.
 The
confirmation of the Suffolk Punch is different from
other draft breeds in that it’s legs are much shorter.
The body however, is not smaller and can give the horse
a rather unbalanced look. The shorter legs give the
horse a lot more power. The legs are also set closer
together enabling the horse to work the fields without
destroying the crops. The feet are small but very strong
and well suited to working on the soft soil of the
fields. The shoulder is very straight which adds to the
pulling strength but restricts the free, high action
that other draft breeds, such as the Shires or
Clydesdales have. The barrel, back and neck are short
and broad; adding to the strength of the horse and the
wide, deep chest allows the horse to work far longer
than of drafts. They Suffolks have intelligent heads,
lovely ears and powerful, arching necks which are clean
cut at the throat.
 The
average height of the Suffolk is 16.1 hands, but many
stallions stand as high as 17 hands or higher and can
weigh as much as a ton.
Only one colour is recognized by the Suffolk Horse
Society; chestnut (often spelled by dropping the “t”,
chesnut, as it was spelt in Old England). There are
seven shades of chesnut, ranging from a very pale
oatmeal colour to a deep honey brown to a bright red
colour, although the most common is the red chesnut. The
mane, tail and feathers are predominately lighter than
the horses’ body colour. Foals are born with a light
coloured coat and will darken with age. In the words of
Marguerite Henry, from her Album of Horses, “His colour
is bright chestnut – like a tongue of fire against black
field furrows, against green corn blades, against yellow
wheat, against blue horizons. Never is he any other
colour.”
 The
Suffolk Horse has a superb disposition and an easy going
temperament, always willing and ready to work. Renowned
for their great endurance. In fact, it was customary in
East Anglia to feed the Suffolks before dawn and then
work them for an entire nine-hour day, with only very
short breaks. The Suffolk worked faster and had more
endurance therefore not needing to stop mid-day for a
long break and a meal, completing considerably more work
than other draft breeds could have managed on such a
daily schedule.
Suffolk Horses possess a longevity that allows them to
work well into their twenties. Their willingness to
work, easy maintenance, and gentle nature make the
Suffolk Punch a joy to own. In the recent past breeders
tested the strength and willingness of the Suffolk by
attaching the harnesses of horses to huge tree trunk or
boulder, anything the horse could not move. These horses
were seen to try so hard that they would repeatedly sink
to their knees attempting to move the obstacles. The
winner of the competition was judged based on how many
tries the horse had made.
 The
Suffolk possesses full manes and tails which are braided
with raffia or ribbon for in hand showing. Tails are
braided to the end and then folded up. Manes are braided
as a plait or a continental braid (a French braid along
the bottom of the mane). They also wear “show bevel”
shoes to enhance the shape of the hoof.
Today, it is estimated that there are approximately
1,000 Suffolks Worldwide. Suffolks today are still used
for farming, logging, showing in hand and harness and
are also exported to Pakistan for breeding as army
horses. Owners of Suffolks love their breed and will
gladly speak to anyone who is interested in this
“Work Horse Extraordinaire”.
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