Owning a cold blood can be a great joy, there are tons of clubs and activities geared around all of the things draft horses excel at doing and there are tons of great breeds to choose from.  They generally dislike being terrible fussy under saddle and are relatively easy to train.  Many medium sized farms are working land with draft horses again, the cost of equipment and diesel is so high in areas.   Logging companies are finding the animals more capable of getting product in and out of tight areas, areas large equipment either can’t or shouldn’t get to in the first place.  Draft horses are great drivers, and many of the breeds have a natural high trotting gait that goes beautifully under harness.  They are capable of moving great loads over incredible distance at speed.

They Eat. A lot. I say it takes about four times the feed for twice the average horse. More wormer, way more expensive farrier bill, twice as big of horse gifts, and they have special issues that apply only to draft horses. Darn dangerous in untrained hands, they can quickly become unmanageable if they figure out that they and not you are the boss. Many have been abused because of those afraid of their size and power, and a great deal will not stand for the farrier. Many farriers will not even service these huge animals, as they can be extremely dangerous if not handled extensively. Forget also being your veterinarian’s best friend in life, they are never going to be thrilled when your number pops up on their dispatch. Their service bill will always reflect this fact. Then there are the grooming requirements. You will need a ladder, and will have to love doing it twice a week at least.

Consider a half draft, many different options are available, I especially love the Gypsy Vanner Arabian cross.  The spots are beautiful, and they do usually retain the feathers.  I have met a lovely zebra dun half draft, he was Quarter horse and Belgian in origin.  Another fun saddle type is Friesian and Morgan.  They are wonderful in the mind, and very smooth trotters.  Draft Mules are very popular for packing in the mountains, and for hunting over rough terrain.  They do tend to be a little cooler in the head than the average mule, and fairly amenable to shoe if you are kind enough to them.