Belgian Breed of Horse:A Belgian horse originates from the West-Brabantian region of Belgium.
It comes from the draft horse breed, which is a type of a breed where horses are bred normally for doing heavy labor like ploughing and have a reputation for pulling carriages. The Belgian horses are recognized by their husky appearance and are generally ‘chestnut’ in color which is often referred to as ‘sorrel’. They have a flaxen mane and a tail. They are also named as Belgian heavy horse or Brabant.
The name is shortened to Belgian for common usage among farmers.
Belgian training is a difficult task as a full grown weighs up to 2000 pounds and stands at almost 7 feet tall. The task can be reduced since the creature is very docile. However, care needs to be taken as it is not aware of the capabilities of its strength. They are able to pull big amounts of weight carrying up to 10,000 pounds.
Belgian care begins with grooming. A consistent grooming routine benefits greatly as the time spent Belgian grooming will keep it cleaner and healthier. In fact, they actually find the grooming process to be rather refreshing. Apart from grooming taking precautions for a Belgian is very important. A first aid kit consisting of a good first aid book for horses, antiseptic ointment, thermometer, scissors, alcohol prep pads, paper towels etc. are essential for maintaining Belgian health. The Belgian diet is generally made up of 1.5-2 pounds of hay for every 100 pounds of body weight daily since hay is important to its digestive system. Other inclusions in the diet are sweet feed and oats. Sweet feed is normally mixed within the grain that is fed to them. Special ingredients like the pulp of beetroot helps in digesting food. Apart from these details, the Belgian needs to be kept on a regular de-worming schedule in between every 6th - 8th week. Vaccination is recommended twice in a year for stronger immune for them.
Belgians now are still mainly used at farms as labor animals. Some use them at horse shows for pulling competitions as they are big and elegant. These horses were imported to America at the beginning of World War II as all the horses throughout Europe were being imported due to the beginning of war. It is easy to purchase one; however, it is necessary to have thorough Belgian information before purchasing one.
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