Heavy Horses: Western Canadian Classics

Valued for their towering stature, strength, and endurance, the draft horse played an essential role in the building of Canada. They were the main source of power on early farms, able to do the heavy work that has since fallen to their mechanical replacement, the tractor. Although far less common now, these heavy horses have re-emerged on the world stage thanks to the efforts of a few devoted breeders.

Historian Grant MacEwan celebrates the contributions of the magnificent Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, Suffolks, and locally bred Canadiens as well as the dedicated people who made them famous. He brings to life the history of these gentle giants from their arrival in Canada as work horses to their current popularity in national and international showrings.

Filled with archival and modern photographs, this is a beautiful tribute to a noble and hard-working animal.