Suffolk Punch Draft Horses
The Suffolk Punch Draft Horses are the latest addition to Live Oak Farms. We are very pleased to have this rare draft horse breed here in Upstate South Carolina.
Today's best known breeds of draft horses are said to date back to the great war horses of Medieval times. While these great titans clashed in mortal combat, the quiet farmers of eastern England went about developing their own breed of heavy horse, the Suffolk Punch. This one breed is today the least known to Americans, and yet has perhaps more qualities appealing to the American breeder than any of the better known breeds of draft horses.
The homeland of the Suffolk horses was Norfolk and Suffolk counties. It was bordered on the north, east, and south by the North Sea, and on the west by the Fens. Isolated from their neighbors, the farmers of Suffolk independently developed breeds of livestock to fit their special way of life. To plow the heavy clay soil they needed an agricultural horse with power, stamina, health, longevity, and docility. So these fine husbandmen produced the Suffolk horse and bred into him the attributes that fulfilled their needs.
The Suffolk farmer used his horses to till and harvest his own lands, so seldom did he have horses to sell. This not only kept the Suffolk relatively unknown but also pure, remaining unchanged and true to his original purpose, to be a strong and faithful worker for his master. Of all the draft breeds, the Suffolk is one of the oldest in existence with records dating back to 1880. Crisp's horse of Ufford, the foundation stallion of the breed was foaled in 1768.
The Suffolk in North America was hard hit by the headlong mechanization of the post World War II period. Although it had made great strides in popularity during the 30's, it still did not have the numerical base necessary to withstand the onslaught of the 50's. For a few years the Association ceased to function. Then in the early 60's as the draft horse market began its recovery, the few widely scattered breeders who had kept faith with their Suffolks reorganized, holding their first meeting in 15 years in May of 1961.
Suffolks possess intelligent heads with active ears, powerful and arching necks that are clean cut at the throat. The shoulders are inclined to be upright, suitable for power rather than action. The back is short and strong, the ribs springing high from the backbone. The quarters are long and smooth to the root of the tail which springs higher up than in other breeds. The hip bones are wide apart but smoothly covered, the croup usually level.
Our herd originated from B Bar Ranch in Emigrant, Montana. We do have a Suffolk stud on the farm and offer stud services. Please email Allison Schaum for further information at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
