Belgian Draft weight and height: the JEB test and feeding a very large horse

Oklahoma State University describes the breed’s history but gives no height or weight. A hand is 4 inches.

From a 125 pound foal to a ton of horse

The corporation says a Belgian foal weighs about 125 pounds at birth and nurses for about five months. At the middle of the registry range, 2,100 pounds, an adult weighs nearly 17 times its birth weight (our arithmetic), so hay, trimming and tack change fast in a young horse. The University of Kentucky adds that World War I stopped imports from Europe and a taller American Belgian, usually chestnut or sorrel, developed.

Daily hay for a 2,100 pound Belgian Draft

The arithmetic uses 2,100 pounds, the middle of the registry’s range. Merck lists draft horses among the easy keepers, so a Belgian with pasture access often sits at the lower lines.

Merck gives 2 to 2.5% of body weight in feed dry matter as the usual starting range for a healthy adult, with at least half from forage, 1.5 to 2% as the goal for a horse that needs to lose weight when laminitis is not a worry, and 1.25% as the floor. The figures below are our arithmetic from 2,100 lb, counting hay as 90% dry matter, which is our assumption.

At 2%, that is about 47 lb of hay a day, or about 17,033 lb (8.5 tons) a year before waste (our arithmetic).

• 1.5% of body weight: 32 lb (14 kg) of dry matter, about 35 lb (16 kg) of hay
• 2% of body weight: 42 lb (19 kg) of dry matter, about 47 lb (21 kg) of hay
• 2.5% of body weight: 53 lb (24 kg) of dry matter, about 58 lb (26 kg) of hay

A weight tape example for a Belgian Draft

The horse weight calculator runs the adult equation from the Merck Veterinary Manual: measure heart girth and body length in inches, square the girth, multiply by the length and divide by 330 to get pounds. A heart girth of 94 inches and a body length of 78 inches gives 94 x 94 = 8,836, times 78 = 689,208, divided by 330 = about 2,089 lb (947 kg). Those measurements are our illustration of the formula, not a real horse.

Merck says weight tapes are not suitable for draft horses and tend to underestimate weight, and in the University of Minnesota’s study draft horse and warmblood owners were off by about 115 pounds, or 7%, on average. Use a livestock scale when you can, and repeat the same method each time so the trend means something.

JEB: a test made for this breed

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa is a recessive skin disease. UC Davis says the JEB1 mutation was found in Belgian Draft Horses and related breeds, and that affected foals blister at pressure points and die or are euthanized within days of birth. The corporation notes that carriers stay healthy and pass the mutation to half their foals.

The corporation therefore requires the test for breeding stallions, leaves it optional for mares, and prints the result on the registration papers. A carrier bred to a non-carrier cannot produce an affected foal, so carriers need not leave the breeding pool. Hair with the roots goes to UC Davis, and your vet can help read a result.

Muscle disease and lower legs

UC Davis says PSSM1 is seen more often in Quarter Horses, related breeds and draft breeds, and advises keeping non-structural carbohydrate below 12% of the diet for affected horses. A Belgian that stiffens or sweats after light work needs your vet before any feed change.

UC Davis also lists Belgian draft horses among the breeds with chronic progressive lymphedema, in which the lower legs thicken and early changes can hide under feathering. Run your hands down the legs regularly and call your vet if they feel thick.

Hooves under a large horse

Merck puts trimming at intervals of 4 to 8 weeks and lists excess weight bearing among the causes of laminitis, so extra condition on a 2,000 pound horse is a hoof problem. Severe lameness with bounding digital pulses is the hallmark, and it is an emergency for your vet.

Body condition

Merck advises a score of 4 to 6 on the 9 point Henneke scale, and the University of Georgia describes a 5 as ribs that cannot be seen but are easily felt. In the University of Minnesota’s measurements, 42% of draft horses scored 7 or more. Score your Belgian monthly and log it with the weight estimate.