Purpose of the Breed
The purpose of the Drum Horse as a breed in America is to develop a new Heavy Horse breed that utilizes the best examples of the Shire, Clydesdale, and Gypsy Cob breeds, while focusing on breeding for athleticism, agility, and performance ability for all ridden disciplines.
Breeding for a Drum
The Drum Horse must be a proven combination of any of the following breeds: Shire, Clydesdale, and Gypsy Horse, where no single breed listed above exceeds 87% (7/8) of the total make-up and the percentage of Gypsy Horse blood does not fall below 12.5% (1/8).
Actually named after a “job” performed by the horse, The Drum Horse is an important member of the Queen of England's Band of the Life Guards. These horses carry two large solid silver kettle Drums, plus a fully outfitted rider, through crowds of thousands, during the Queen’s processions! The fact that the Drum Horse can remain quiet in large crowds of people while being controlled entirely by reins attached to their rider’s feet is a testament to the Drum Horse's extraordinary disposition. Although Drum Horses are usually piebald or skewbald in color it is not uncommon to see them in solid colors as well. Drum Horses must be strong enough to carry the weight of the large kettledrums and the drummer, often in excess of 300 pounds. They must also remain calm and sensible in crowded environments during ceremonies. It takes a very special horse to fill such a prominent role in the Queen's Household Cavalry. As we have no Queen's processions, Drum Horses are being redefined in America for use in various ridden and driven disciplines. They combine the size and stature of the Shire and Clydesdale with the color and hair of the Gypsy Horse to create an animal that possesses the best traits of each breed. Slightly lighter than their fullblood draft counterparts the Drum Horse makes a talented athletic mount which can compete successfully in many ridden disciplines. In addition, Drum Horses are well suited for taller heavier riders that need a horse with more substance and height, but still want a calm, level headed riding horse. Because of their quiet nature, most Drum Horses are suited for pleasure driving. When viewed in person, this magical creature of history will render you speechless. They are unlike any other breed in the world!
Information courtesy of The American Drum Horse Association
www.drumhorseassociation.com
Breed Standard Disposition: Color: Information courtesy of The American Drum Horse Association
The overall impression of the Drum Horse should be one of an elegant heavy horse of great strength and agility. The Drum Horse is a heavy riding horse, and should therefore display the athleticism to allow for competitiveness in all ridden and driven disciplines. The Drum should be a large, well-muscled horse of medium to heavy weight, with good quality bone, an athletic body, a kind expression, and abundant hair (including heavy “feather” on the legs).
Size:
The Drum Horse should be a large (16 hands or more), athletic animal capable of excelling in a variety of equine disciplines.
The Drum Horse should display good character and be a willing and sensible partner.
Drum Horses may have any base color, and may be solid or colored.
www.drumhorseassociation.com
