Old English Black, or Old Kladruby, are an extinct horses
developed in Britain.
During the Norman Conquest of 1066, the brittish took some
of the Great Horses from the mainland Europe across the English Channel and
crossbred them with native mares. Eventually, a distinct breed developed that
was known as the Old English Black Horse.
Despite the name, they were not a color breed. For a long
period of time, bays and browns were more common in this breed than blacks,
but, there were also roans, grays, and chestnuts among them. The color markings
on the old English black horse were similar to Clydesdale horses, with the
desired pattern being four white stockings and a well-defined bald face.
Large Dutch horses (possibly of Brabant and Friesian
descent) were imported to England by William III when he discovered that the
cart horses of his era were not strong enough for the task of draining the
Lincolnshire Fens, these horses became known as Lincolnshire Blacks.
Eventually, Old English Black Horses became extinct as a
distinct breed when their bloodlines merged into other breeds. The Old English
Black Horse heavily influenced the bloodlines of the Clydesdale and Shire, and
these breeds today have many features inherited from their ancestors.
About Old English Black Horses
