# Percheron weight and height: feed, hooves and body condition in a heavy horse

> Percheron weight and height from the breed association, daily and yearly hay by body weight, and care notes on draft muscle disease, hooves and condition.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/horse-breeds/percheron
Last updated: 2026-10-14

Percherons stand 15 to 19 hands, most between 16.2 and 17.3, and average about 1,900 pounds with some reaching 2,600, a load that shapes feed, hoof care and body condition.

**A Percheron averages about 1,900 pounds and stands 16.2 to 17.3 hands, with some up to 2,600 pounds.** The Percheron Horse Association of America gives a range of 15 to 19 hands, with most between 16.2 and 17.3 hands (66 to 71 inches), and says Percherons can weigh up to 2,600 pounds (1,179 kg) with an average around 1,900 pounds (862 kg). (Percheron Horse Association of America)

| Measure | Height | Weight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full range | 15 to 19 hands | Up to 2,600 lb |
| Most horses | 16.2 to 17.3 hands (written 16-2 to 17-3) | Average about 1,900 lb |
| Percheron of the 17th century, per Oklahoma State | 15 to 16 hands | Not given |

The association writes heights as hands and inches, so 16-2 means 16 hands 2 inches, and a hand is 4 inches.

## A breed that has grown

Oklahoma State says the horses of Le Perche in the 17th century showed less scale and stood 15 to 16 hands. Percherons reached the United States in 1839, and the association now puts most adults at 16.2 to 17.3 hands. A heavy, wide horse of that height is a very different animal from the breed’s early ancestors, and the 700 pound gap between the average and the heaviest horses is the reason to weigh each horse.

## Daily hay for a 1,900 pound Percheron

The arithmetic uses 1,900 pounds, the association’s average. Merck says draft breeds tend toward the lower end of the 2 to 2.5% intake range.

Merck’s starting point for a healthy adult is 2 to 2.5% of body weight in feed dry matter a day, at least half of it forage, and 1.5% for an obese horse, with a warning that severe restriction can be harmful. These figures are our arithmetic from 1,900 lb, counting hay as 90% dry matter (Merck gives 88 to 90%).

Over a year, 2% of 1,900 pounds is about 38 pounds of dry matter a day, roughly 42 pounds of hay, or about 15,400 pounds, nearly 8 tons, of hay. This is our arithmetic and ignores waste.

- 1.5% of body weight: 29 lb (13 kg) of dry matter, about 32 lb (14 kg) of hay
- 2% of body weight: 38 lb (17 kg) of dry matter, about 42 lb (19 kg) of hay
- 2.5% of body weight: 48 lb (22 kg) of dry matter, about 53 lb (24 kg) of hay

## A weight tape example for a Percheron

The horse weight calculator uses the adult equation in the Merck Veterinary Manual: heart girth squared times body length, in inches, divided by 330, gives pounds. A heart girth of 91 inches and a body length of 76 inches gives 91 x 91 = 8,281, times 76 = 629,356, divided by 330 = about 1,907 lb (865 kg). Those measurements are our illustration of the formula, not a real horse.

Merck says weight tapes are not suitable for draft horses, and in the University of Minnesota’s study draft horse and warmblood owners misjudged their horses’ weights by about 115 pounds, or 7%, on average. Treat a girth and length estimate as a rough guide, check it on a livestock scale when you can, and use the same method each time to follow the trend.

## Muscle disease in draft breeds

The UC Davis Center for Equine Health says PSSM1, a muscle disease that causes stiffness, sweating and tying up after exercise, is more common in Quarter Horses, related breeds and draft breeds, and a genetic test on hair or blood confirms it. Affected horses are often easy keepers, and UC Davis advises under 12% non-structural carbohydrate in the diet, daily exercise, low sugar grass hay and a good ration balancer. A Percheron that stiffens after work needs your vet before any diet change.

## Hooves under a heavy load

Merck advises trimming at intervals of 4 to 8 weeks to keep the hoof and leg balanced, and early care for cracks, thrush and white line disease. It lists excess weight bearing among the causes of laminitis, which makes the weight of a Percheron a hoof issue as well as a feed one. Severe lameness with bounding digital pulses is the hallmark, and it is a call to your vet.

## Lymphedema

UC Davis lists Percherons among the heavy breeds in which chronic progressive lymphedema has been described, with swelling, skin folds and nodules in the lower legs that often hide under feathering. It has no permanent treatment, so a Percheron with thickened lower legs should be examined by your vet.

## Body condition

In the University of Minnesota’s measurements, 42% of draft horses scored 7 or more on the 9 point scale, against 14% of stock horses, ponies and Arabians. Merck counts draft horses among the easy keepers and advises a score of 4 to 6. Feel the ribs, neck and withers monthly, and log the score with each estimate.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does a Percheron weigh?

The Percheron Horse Association of America gives an average around 1,900 pounds (862 kg), and says some weigh up to 2,600 pounds (1,179 kg).

### How much does a Percheron eat a day?

For a 1,900 pound horse, 2% of body weight is 38 pounds of dry matter, about 42 pounds of hay a day, and 2.5% is 48 pounds, about 53 pounds of hay. Merck says draft breeds tend toward the lower end of its range. These figures are our arithmetic.

### Can I use a weight tape on a Percheron?

Merck says weight tapes are not suitable for draft horses. A livestock scale is the better tool, and a girth and length estimate is only approximate.

### How tall is a Percheron in inches?

The association says most are between 16-2 and 17-3 hands, which is 16 hands 2 inches to 17 hands 3 inches, or 66 to 71 inches at the withers. Its full range is 15 to 19 hands, or 60 to 76 inches.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-02)

- [Percheron Horse Association of America, Disposition and Characteristics](https://percheronhorse.org/percheron-disposition-and-characteristics/)
- [Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Percheron Horses](https://breeds.okstate.edu/horses/percheron-horses)
- [UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Polysaccharide storage myopathy](https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/polysaccharide-storage-myopathy-pssm)
- [UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Chronic progressive lymphedema](https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/chronic-progressive-lymphedema-cpl)
- [University of Minnesota Extension, Estimating actual and ideal bodyweight of adult horses](https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/animals-and-livestock/horse/estimating-horse-bodyweight)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-horses/nutritional-requirements-of-horses-and-other-equids)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Feeding Practices in Horses and Other Equids](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-horses/feeding-practices-in-horses-and-other-equids)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Foot Care of Horses](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/preventative-health-care-and-husbandry-of-horses/foot-care-of-horses)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Laminitis in Horses](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/disorders-of-the-foot-in-horses/laminitis-in-horses)