Riding Giants: Draft Horses Are a Ton of Fun

The popularity of the Budweiser Super Bowl advertisements highlights the genuine admiration people have for Draft horses. Draft breeds hold a special place in our imaginations because they have played a vital role in our history. For centuries they’ve helped haul goods, farm, work in mining, forestry and more.

Draft horses are also appreciated for their beauty, gentleness and desire to please, plus, they can be a ton of fun to ride. Let’s meet five people from across Canada and the Drafts they love to adventure with.

Turnip was included in Ruthy’s wedding day. (photo courtesy Ruthy Mackay-Mckinney)

TURNIP

Breed: Clydesdale
Location: Beaver County, Alberta
Height: 18 hh
Age: 8 years
Colour: Bay

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Three years ago, when Ruthy Mackay- Mckinney brought Turnip home, he was a timid, unhandled five-year-old. The life-long horse person never dreamed of having a Clydesdale.

“I wasn’t even sure we would keep him.” Ruthy says. “I lost my vision eight years ago. I continued to ride, but I had no clue who I was anymore, and my self-worth and mental health were at an all-time low. The losses I experienced shattered my world. I was completely consumed by grief.”

She had lined up a trainer, but Ruthy says Turnip kept gently pushing her to do more, so she started just sitting in the field and being present with him. Gentle touches and learning to wear a halter morphed into riding bridleless and bareback around local farmer’s fields. Today, “bold and fearless,” Turnip takes good care of Ruthy on long trails and even down busy roads.

“It was as if he came into my life to show me I could do anything I wanted, even with my vision loss,” says Ruthy. “He’s changed how I feel about myself as a blind person. He’s empowered me to chase dreams I had put on hold and eventually gave up on. He’s changed my entire life for the better and I am so incredibly grateful we found our way to each other.”

TURNIP FAST FACTS

Likes: Snacking on fresh-picked garden and orchard goodies.
Galloping through fluffy snow with sleigh bells on.
Dislikes: Being away from Ruthy. He often prefers her company to that of his herdmates.
Quirks: He lines up to fence posts, cars, the deck, etc. if he wants to go for a ride, so Ruthy can get on.
If Turnip was human, what would be his favourite type of music? He enjoys most music, says Ruthy.

Babe and Kevin in full regalia. (photo courtesy Kevin Joyce)

BABE

Breed: Percheron
Location: Newmarket, Ontario
Height: 18.2 hh
Age: 17 years
Colour: Black

Kevin Joyce is proud of Babe, his horse of nine years. She’s a military mount with the Governor General Horse Guards Regiment of Canada as a cavalry horse, and moonlights as a police horse with South Simcoe Police Service. Babe is a happy participant in many community events including parades and dignitary visits. She and Kevin partake in at least eight events a year and practise with their troop for eight hours one day a month.

The first time Babe saw herself on the jumbotron at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair she made everyone laugh when she whickered at herself.

Babe is enjoying teaching others to ride and helping with an equine-assisted learning program. In their free time, Kevin and Babe enjoy hacking on local roads and head north every fall to meander through the forests.

Kevin says his favourite thing about his mount is that she’s “so willing to please! I also have to mention her smooth gait.”

BABE FAST FACTS

Likes: People, apples, trail rides.
Dislikes: Trailer rides.
Quirks: Babe drools and likes to wipe her mouth on humans.
If Babe was human, what would be her favourite type of music? Men of Harlech (a Welsh military
march).

BIG (PALOMA)

Breed: Clydesdale/Paint
Location: Venosta, Quebec
Height: 16.2 hh
Age: 24 years
Colour: Tobiano paint

Owner Sheena Joly says of Big (pictured at top), her partner of 16 years, “Sass and class met together when this lady was born. She could go all day and never bat an eye. She has won many grand championships at fairs for her looks and talents, high-point champions, extreme cowboy winnings and could sort cows like no other Draft.”

Sheena says once Big is taught something, “She’s got it,” and doesn’t require continuous schooling. Sheena loves Draft horses’ desire to please and their cheerful public persona. She advocates riding them because they’re capable and athletic. At barrel races, people are surprised to see Big, but Sheena finds hearing the cheers rewarding as she and her Draft compete and win.

“People love the big kids,” Sheena says, and intends to always have one in her barn.

BIG FAST FACTS

Likes: To have the reins and let her do her job!
Dislikes: To be told how to do her job.
Quirks: Consistently loses fly masks and shreds them.
If Big was human, what would be her favourite type of music? Highway to Hell by AC/DC.

Rex sidles up to fences so Allison can climb on and give scritches. (photo courtesy Alison Tai)

REX

Breed: Clydesdale
Location: Canyon Alpine, British
Columbia
Height: 18 hh
Age: 7 years
Colour: Bay

Allison Tai lights up when she shares stories about her gentle giant Rex. Together just six months, Allison knew Rex from his prior career as a vaulting horse, so when he needed a change of jobs “I snapped him right up” she says.

Rex loves scritches and will line up to fences so Allison can climb up onto him to reach the top of his neck and his withers. Trail riding is their passion and Allison says, “He is the sweetest horse. I’ve never even seen him lift a foot or pin an ear at another horse.” Rex also participates in an equine-assisted therapy program, sharing his calm demeanour with participants. Allison shares that her view of Drafts has changed since Rex came into her life as she hadn’t realized how sensitive they are.

REX FAST FACTS

Likes: Trail rides, scritches, any other horse, person or cats.
Dislikes: Nothing, he loves everything and everybody.
Quirks: He likes eating the branches of willow trees instead of the leaves.
If Rex was human, what would be his favourite type of music? Jazz.

A black horse being ridden in an indoor arena.

Deanna and Jet having a blast at a dressage clinic. (photos courtesy Deanna Russell)

JET (Prince Roac the Raven)

Breed: Friesian/Percheron
Location: Annapolis Valley, Nova
Scotia
Height: 17.1 hh
Age: 19 years
Colour: Black

Together since 2009, Jet and Deanna Russell share a wonderful partnership. They’ve driven single and in a team, evented and he is a dressage superstar, working all the way through 4th level with only one score below 60 in his career. He consistently won the provincial championship at each level he showed when the pair lived in Ontario. He’s been ridden on many trails with a swim in the occasional pond when possible.

Retired from competition just after the COVID pandemic, Jet still enjoys both riding and driving when Deanna has time. “He is so easy-going and gets along with almost any other horse – or donkey, or mule, or goat or alpaca,” she says. He is a fabulous babysitter for her. Deanna will always remember participating in a Jane Savoie clinic in the U.S.A. in 2012 as Hurricane Sandy approached. The other horses had to wear earplugs to help them stay calm, but Jet remained his cool self through the chaos and was invited to add two extra days of participation to the clinic. Deanna beams every time she thinks of that once-in-a-lifetime experience.

JET FAST FACTS

Likes: Loves all food and treats, especially watermelon on a hot day.
Dislikes: Hot, humid days and “black bomber” horse flies. (He was grateful to move away from
them from Ontario to Nova Scotia.)
Quirks: Loves to do “tongue tricks” – he’ll stick his tongue out a bit, fold it in half (side to side), and wants you to grab it!
If Rex was human, what would be his favourite type of music? Dramatic, like the Lord of the Rings soundtrack or classical.