Meet the rare Suffolk Punch, Britain’s oldest heavy horse

Adam Henson introduces us to the Suffolk Punch, a rare heavy horse breed that was the tractor of yesteryear

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Published: Monday, 08 January 2024 at 10:45 AM

Suffolk is home to one of Britain’s most impressive rare breeds; the Suffolk Punch. When it comes to working horses, they don’t come mightier or more majestic. 

What is the Suffolk Punch?

Sometimes called the Suffolk Sorrel or simply the Suffolk horse, they started being called ‘Punch’ because of their power and sturdiness. From draught ploughing to pulling a loaded brewery dray, this is the go-to horse for the job.

They really do pack a punch. The Suffolk punch is the oldest breed of heavy horse to survive in its present form, and the remarkable thing is that every Suffolk alive today can be traced back to just one stallion, foaled way back in 1768. It was owned by Thomas Crisp from Ufford near Woodbridge and was known, not very imaginatively, as Crisp’s Horse.   

What do Suffolk Punches look like?  

There are many characteristics that distinguish them from Britain’s other working breeds, such as the Shire and the Clydesdale. The coat of true Suffolk horses is always one of seven different shades of chesnut (it really is spelt without a ‘t’), ranging from a dark liver tone through to a light mealy colour.

Their other distinguishing feature is the lack of feathering, or long hair, on the lower legs and fetlocks. On Shires, it almost covers the hooves but because East Anglia is notorious for its heavy clay soil, the feathers were bred out of the Suffolks to make work in the fields cleaner and easier.

These solid, stocky horses stand at about 165-178 cm tall (17 hands) and tip the scales at about a ton each, and can pull two and a half times their own weight. It’s clear why they were so popular with arable farmers and breweries in the years before the invention of the combustion engine. 

How did they become a rare breed?

Mechanisation was disastrous for Britain’s heavy horses and, despite the efforts of breeders, the status of the Suffolk Punch is critical, with fewer than 300 registered breeding females at the last count.
It would be tragic if this historic breed was to die out, and enthusiasts are trying hard to raise public awareness of the plight of our working horses.