Belgium is a beautiful place in the Low Countries of Western Europe. Rich with art, culture and a globalized economic worldview, it has had more than it’s fair share of trauma throughout its history. It has been known as both the Crossroads and the Battlefield of Europe, and the strategic importance of this country has caused it to be used as either a tactical objective or a runway throughout its history (Just ask the Romans, the French, the Germans, the British, the Americans, the Germans, and the Americans. Napoleon, too.).
Today, Belgium is still a crossroads, and is a leader in Europe’s globalized economic and political engine (and has great food, wonderful history, phenomenal art, waffles, and, of course, beer). It is also said that Belgium has a more populated ratio of people to land, for it’s size.
This might explain why the Brabant – the origination of our very popular Belgian Draft horse here in the U.S. – was what it was. For small-scale sustainable farmers who want a very gentle draft horse that can pull more than almost any other, pound per pound (did we mention it was the heaviest of all draft breeds?), this I said to be the one to pick. It's gorgeous and massively stocky and hits just the right note at a renaissance fair. Unfortunately, their calmness and strength have also put them at the top of the list for things like carrying Richard the Lionheart’s knights into battle, or towing cannons and artillery to the front lines in Russia for Napoleon.
During the World Wars, the shutdown of shipping corridors caused major limitations in importation of new livestock bloodlines, which had a huge impact on Brabants here in the U.S. Selection for trait in genetic isolation gave a fast rise to the dominance of the new breed that is now known as the Belgian Draft horse, a favorite at horse shows and with Amish farmers everywhere. But it all started with the Brabant. In Bruge (okay, maybe in Brabant, but it sounds good).
Exhilarating is not a word that might usually be used to describe a draft horse experience, but at Steve and Eunice Ward’s beautiful Colorado ranch, we spent an amazing afternoon that was just that. My heart still hasn’t recovered, in more than one way.
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/eunice.ward.73
https://www.theamericanbrabantassociation.net/
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/brabant-horse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWRscujkPxU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_horse
http://www.belgianduccle.org/belgian-duccles.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardennais
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_horse
https://www.storey.com/books/storeys-illustrated-guide-to-96-horse-breeds-of-north-america/
http://imh.org/exhibits/online/breeds-of-the-world/europe/belgian-draft-horse/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Belgium
http://stablemade.com/horsecare/horsebreeds/belgian.htm
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