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11 Types of Horses With Big Feet

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Some horses have small feet, often due to their smaller body size or due to selective breeding like the Quarter horse. The horses on our list are large breeds endowed with big feet that easily hold the weight of their muscular bodies.

There are several diverse types of horses that have big feet.

11 Types of Horses With Big Feet

Clydesdale

Large Brown female clydesdale horse

Clydesdale horses are very large draft horses that stand 16 to 19 hands (5.7 to 6.3 feet) tall, so it is understandable that they have big feet. They weigh up to a whooping 2200 pounds at adulthood and they need their big feet to support their large bodies.

A Clydesdale horse wears horseshoes that are at least 22 inches from front to back.

For comparison, most average size horsesh

oes are half that size depending on the horse breed.

Shire

Black shire horse under saddle

Shire horses are draft horses from the United Kingdom, and they have some of the the biggest feet in the horse world. Shire horses are not as large as other horses like Clydesdales, but they are still rather large.

Shire horses have an average height that measures between 16 and 17.2 hands tall.  

Thanks to their large size and muscular build, Shire horses must have large hooves to support their weight.

Percheron

portrait of a brown stallion percheron with beautiful mane and harness walking on autumn land

Percheron horses are large draft horses with large hooves and large, muscular conformations.

They weigh up to 2,600 pounds as adults and stand 15 to 19 hands tall, depending on their lineage, so their hooves must be large to support their weight.

Belgian Heavy Draft

Three yoked Belgian Heavy Draft standing on meadow

Belgian heavy draft horses have big feet, which makes sense because they are very large horses.

These horses stand up to 17 hands tall and can weigh a staggering 2,400 pounds when fully grown.

Their hooves are extremely large, with one that gained notoriety in the beginning half the 20th century for having horseshoes that each required 30 inches of steel to make!

Belgians need large hooves to not only support their massive bodies, but to also help them pull carts, carriages, or plows.  

Irish Draught

Portrait of a dapple irish draught horse mare

Irish draught horses are not as large as some of the other draught horses on this list, but their hooves are still big compared to average size horses.

They stand (15.2 to 16.3 hands) 60.8 to 65.2 inches tall when fully grown and weigh up to 1,764 pounds.

Their hooves are not massive, but they are big, nonetheless. Like the other horses on this list, Irish draught horses are calm and very friendly.

Suffolk Punch

Pair of Suffolk punch horses feeding on hay

The Suffolk Punch draft horse breed produces large, muscular horses that have big hooves.

Suffolk Punch horses grow to reach up to 17.2 hands tall and 2,200 pounds as adults.

Many farmers use these horses for plowing and working on the farm as well as forestry work. Suffolk Punch horses are even tempered and tend to be easy to train.

Dutch Draft

Beautiful dutch draft horse grazing in meadow in spring

Dutch draft horses are extremely large horses that stand up to 15.2 to 16 hands (61 to 63 inches) when fully grown and have very large feet.

These horses are friendly and extremely strong, thanks to their muscular build.

Dutch draft horses typically pull plows or carts that make their large hooves a necessity. They also have feathered hair that falls over their hooves.

Ardennes

Beautiful brown Ardennes horse

Ardennes horses are not as tall as some of the horses on this list; however, they are massive nonetheless, and they have noticeably big feet.

These horses may only stand up to 16 hands high, but they weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Ardennes horses may be shorter than most, but they are muscular and perform well at pulling carts and forestry work.

American Cream Draft

American Cream Draft grazing in the field

American cream draft horses are smaller draft horses, but they still have larger feet than average size horses. These horses weigh up to 1,600 pounds and stand up to 16.75 hands (67 inches) tall in adulthood.

Jutland Horse

Jutland horses eating green grass on a field

Jutland horses are a Dutch draft horse breed that features big feet and compact but muscular bodies. They often weigh up to 1,760 pounds and stand up to 65 inches tall.

Many people use these horses to pull carts and carriages, so having big feet is a necessity.

Russian Heavy Draft

Stallion Russian heavy draft breed

Russian heavy draft horses have big feet, although they are not as large as some of the horses discussed thus far. They stand up to 60 inches tall and weigh 1,400 pounds.

How to Determine Horse Hoof Size for Shoes or Boots

Measuring your horse’s hooves correctly is vital to know the size of shoes or boots they will need. While the farrier can do this for you, it is simple to do if you want to measure them yourself.

Measure the hoof from side to side and from front to back using a tape measure. Make sure you are measuring at the widest part of the hoof from both directions. 

Closeup of a person cleaning horse hoof with horseshoes

Does It Cost More to Care for Horses with Large Feet?

It costs more to care for horses with large feet because farriers must use larger shoes and spend more time shoeing. Normally, farriers will charge more for horses with big feet because of this.

Are Horses With Big Feet More Likely to Step on You?

Horses with big feet are not necessarily more likely to step on you, even though their hooves are bigger. Many of the horses on this list are draft horses, so they tend to have calmer demeanors and they do not act out often.

Smaller horses with ill tempers and noticeably smaller hooves are much more likely to accidentally step on your feet.

Final Thoughts

There are several horses that have big feet, mainly draft horses. While it may cost a little more to care for horses with big feet, it is worth it.

All the draft horses on this list are known to be even tempered and easy to handle, so is it not any more likely that they will step on you.

Resources:

I used my knowledge of horses and the following resources to write this article.