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Brabant Draft Horses

During the Roman occupation of the area that is now called Belgium, the Belgian draft horse was already mentioned. From the 11th to the 16th century the draft h...
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During the Roman occupation of the area that is now called Belgium, the Belgian draft horse was already mentioned. From the 11th to the 16th century the draft horse was used as a war horse in Brabant. After that, the Belgian draft horse was used to pull heavy equipment in the countryside, in the mining industry and in the port. They also drew (post) coaches and ships.

In 1886 the studbook of the "Sociëteit van het Belgisch Trekpaard" was established. In 1910 about 35,000 Belgian draft horses were exported from Belgium to the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Italy to improve the horses present there, such as the shire in Great Britain.

In 1950 there were about 200,000 draft horses in Belgium.

Due to agricultural mechanization after the Second World War, the draft horse became superfluous. In 1980 there were only 6000 Belgian draft horses left. A number of breeders went to work to keep this breed of horses. In 2004 there were about 12,000 Belgian draft horses. They are now used to drive.

Many of these horse farms were and can be found in the Pajottenland. In the center of Vollezele (Galmaarden) is the Museum of the Belgian draft horse and in the Pajotse villages Vollezele and Sint-Kwintens-Lennik (Lennik) are statues of Belgian draft horses.
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