The Drum Horse

The Drum Horse is a 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). Therefore the breeder must consider the bloodlines of any mare used to create Drum Horses and breed her to a stallion that will maintain the proper combination of breeds in the correct percentages.

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.

The inspiration for the American Drum Horse is the working horses still found carrying riders and heavy kettledrums in the Queen of England’s cavalry.

      Drum Horses have a long and colorful history in the British Military. Some of the earliest regiments documenting Drum Horses are the Royal Scots Greys (1678), the 6^thDragoon Guards and the 3^rd Hussars (both 1685), the 5^th (Royal Irish) Lancers (1689) and the 10^th Royal Hussars and 9^th Queen’s Lancers (both 1715). These horses, and their successors, saw service wherever the regiments were sent, including India, Flanders, the Crimea and Palestine.                

     The Drum Horse has captured the imagination with his stunning good looks and stately air. The Drum Horse stands at least 16hh and utilizes the bloodlines of the Clydesdale, Shire and Gypsy Cob. It is a heavy horse, pinto colored generally, however, other colors are permissible, with lovely feather and exceptional disposition. Developed as a heavy riding horse, the Drum Horse is suited for dressage, eventing, hunting, saddle seat, trail, pleasure and, of course, makes an excellent driving horse.