Color: Spotted (either skewbald or piebald, overo or tobiano). May be solid- however solid North American Spotted Draft Horses may only be registered as Breeding Stock.

Avg Height: 16 to 17 hh

Avg Weight: 1500 to 2000 lbs

Build: Spotted drafts should have conformation which closely reflects the draft type they most resemble (Percheron, Belgian, Suffolk, Shire, Clydesdale, Etc). Frame should be large, supported by clean, dense bone. Short, strong, muscled forearms and thighs. Legs placed well under the horse. Intelligent head with active ears. Powerful, arching necks which are clean cut at the throat. Shoulders upright, suitable for power rather than action. Back is short and strong. Ribs spring high from the backbone. Hindquarters are long and smooth to the root of the tail, which is set higher up than many other breeds. Hip bones are wide apart and smoothly covered. Croup is usually level. Depth and thickness from the withers to the legs are essential and the horses should be as deep in the flank as over the heart. Spotted Drafts must have at least 50% draft blood in order to be registered.

Temperament: Good disposition and easy temperament, combined with ready willingness to work.

Main use: Agricultural work, pleasure driving, parades, commercial carriages, showing, logging and riding.

Special abilities: Very good endurance.

History: (As quoted from the NASDHA web site) "Spotted drafts can be found throughout history, and were used as war horses in medieval times. There was a brown and white draft in Queen Elizabeth's Court, believed to be a Drum Horse. These spotted horses also share a long history in the United States. A breeder in Iowa had over twenty spotted drafts back in the mid 60's. Gayle and Lowell Clark of Estancia, NM and Kittie and Leonard Tostenson of Houston, MN, have been breeding and promoting their black and white Percheron pintos for many years. With the rising interest in these beautiful gentle giants, the North American Spotted Draft Horse Association was formed in 1995." It is thought that Irish Cobs played a part in some of the very first Spotted Drafts back at the turn of the century.