North Swedish Draft Horse

Origin: Sweden.

Color: Bay, brown, chestnut, black, or, quite often, dun with black points.

Avg Height: 15.1 to 15.3 hh

Avg Weight: 1320 to 1540 lbs

Build: This breed has a fairly large, wide head and long ears. The neck is short, thick and crested. Its powerful shoulders slope to a rather long, deep, strong back. The rounded hindquarters drop from croup to tail. The limbs are short and strong with good bone. The mane and tail are very abundant.

Temperament: Kind, happy, willing nature, which makes it easy to train and work with.

Main use: This breed is a particularly good trotter, and is often raced in harness, especially in northern Sweden. It is also used in forestry and agriculture, as well as by the army.

Special abilities: Noted for its strength, longevity, sound constitution, and, above all, for its lively, energetic gaits. Very well adapted to Swedish winter climate; excellent for road transports. An especially good timber horse.

History: This horse has ancient origins. The North Swedish horse is descended from a small, native Scandinavian breed, which, up to the formation of the breed society in about 1890, had been crossed with a variety of other breeds. From that time onward the only crosses were with the Døle, a closely related breed from Norway, and within about a decade a type had become fixed. Although it is classified as a coldblood, it is smaller and lighter than most heavy horses.