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 Balmoral Murphy, Photo courtesy of Kings Ransom Clydesdales & Drum Horses 
Balmoral Murphy, Photo courtesy of TriColby Photography |
AGHS Drum Horse Breed Standard The purpose of the Drum Horse is to develop the quintessential heavy riding and driving horse utilizing the bloodlines of the Gypsy Cob, Shire, and Clydesdale horses. The ideal Drum Horse would display the calm disposition, heavy bone and profuse feathering of, and inspired by, some recent working Drum Horses in use by HRM the Queen of England's cavalry, along with the agility, movement and athleticism to excel in a variety of ridden and driven disciplines. Size: Minimum 16hh and upwards. Horses under 16hh will be registered in the Foundation Drum Section. General Appearance: The overall appearance of a Drum Horse should give the impression of intelligence, kindness, strength and agility. The Drum Horse is considered a heavy riding horse and should display the athleticism to allow for a pleasant day of hunting, hacking or other ridden discipline. The ideal Drum Horse should also excel at driving. They should be a large well-muscled horse of either medium weight or heavy weight, with good quality bone, a sturdy body, kind expression and abundant hair. Disposition: The Drum Horse should be, above all else, a kind and willing partner. It should display an intelligent character and docile temperament with a calm and sensible attitude. Hair: Mane and tail should be long and thick. Abundant feather should start at the knees and hocks, preferably with some hair running down the front of the leg as well as the back. Feather should be soft and silky but may be straight or curling, and should cover the hoof. Docking of tails is not permissible. Colour: Drum Horses may be any colour, either coloured or solid. Blue eyes are acceptable. Movement: When in motion, the ideal Drum Horse should move with action, power, grace, and agility. Head carriage and collection should appear natural, not overly exaggerated or forced. Movement should be free, straight and square with ample impulsion. Knee action should be somewhat snappy but a long, free moving shoulder should allow the ability to reach forward in a classic extension. The horse should move up under itself with a smooth, powerful stride, should be light on the forehand and exhibit 3 good gaits. The Drum Horse's movement should be suitable for a variety of ridden and driven disciplines. Head: The head should be in proportion to the body, neither too large nor too small, with broad forehead, generous jaw, square muzzle and even bite. The ears should be cleanly shaped and well set on. The eyes should be large and set well apart with an intelligent, kind expression. Eyes can be any color, and blue eyes shall not be penalized. Both convex and straight profiles are acceptable. Stallions and geldings should have a masculine appearance to the head, and mares a feminine appearance. Neck: The neck should be substantial and well muscled with a defined arch. It should be clean through the throat, not too short, and tie in well at the shoulder and withers. Stallions may exhibit a masculine crest in proper relationship to the size and thickness of neck. Chest: The chest should be broad with ample muscle. Shoulders: The shoulders should be deep, powerful and of a correct slope to allow for ample, free movement. Withers: Withers should be average in height, not too high, with a generous layer of muscle. Back: The back should be short and supple, well muscled and tie in strongly at the loin. Barrel: The barrel should be deep with well sprung ribs and a solid covering of muscle. The flank should be as deep as the girth. The loin should be strong and tie into the croup with a smooth, well muscled appearance. Hindquarters: Smooth and rounded across a long croup, with a medium to high tail set, long hip with wide pelvis and well muscled thighs and buttocks. Feet & Legs: The legs should be set squarely under the body, straight, with clean joints and plenty of dense, flat bone. Forearms and thighs should be well muscled. Hind legs should display clean and well defined hocks that are broad, deep, flat and wide when viewed from the side. The Drum Horse may or may not exhibit the influence of the draft horse hockset. Pasterns should be long enough to allow a proper slope of about 45 degrees from the hoof head to the fetlock joint. Feet must be sound and substantial with a generous, open heel. |