At Gentle Giant Ranch we raise purebred English registered Shire horses and look forward to introducing any equine enthusiast to the most gentle and intelligent horse that we have had the pleasure of working with.
For the past century Shire horses have delivered beer daily in the city streets of London, and performed agricultural tasks on farms in rural England. Although the Shire is the most popular heavy horse in England, there are still less than 3000 Shires in the world and less than 200 in Canada.
Shire horses are black, brown, bay or grey and usually have a blaze and some white markings on their lower legs and feet. A characteristic feature is their abundant hair (called feather) below the knees and hocks. Mature horses stand 17-19 hands high and weigh 1700-2400 pounds. Shires are known for their strength, athletic ability and docile disposition.
The Shire horse is primarily used as a draft animal for farm work and advertising in harness on promotional hitches but is also making a name for itself in the sporthorse world as a hunter/jumper when crossbred with thoroughbreds.GENTLE GIANT RANCH
Shire Horse Links
Gentle Giant Ranch, list of Shires
Gentle Giant Ranch, Shire Photo Album
Alberta Horse Improvement Program (AHIP)
AHIP 2001 - Gentle Giant Lexi & Gentle Giant Queen
AHIP 2002 - Gentle Giant Maya & Gentle Giant Lexi
AHIP 2003 - Gentle Giant Nikita & Gentle Giant Noelle