Saving The Suffolk Punch Horse Breed ~
The oldest breed of heavy horse in the U.K
By Nikki Alvin-Smith
As an international level horse professional (competitor/coach/clinician), I have always felt there is something fabulous about a heavy horse – perhaps its good temperament, perhaps its workmanlike attitude and stamina. Whatever it is, draft breed horses deserve preservation. And the Suffolk Punch horse is one of them. The word ‘Punch’ being an old English word for a short, stout person.
Like many heavy horse breeds, the agricultural revolution ended their value as an asset to farming life, and many breeds came close to extinction as a result. The Suffolk Punch was among the victims of this change in practices, and its numbers declined to a stunning low of only 11 foals recorded as born in the U.K. in 1966.
To find out more about how the Suffolk Horse is doing today, I visited the Suffolk Punch Trust in Woodbridge, U.K.. The facility is sited on an expansive 120-acre farm that operates as both a horse breeding facility and an Agri-tourism business. This registered charity organization is chaired and supported financially by Andrew Fane who provides the enterprise with hay and straw from his local farming efforts. Staff member Kayleigh, together with Head Groom Lily Hammond – were kind enough to share insights into efforts to preserve the heritage of this breed of horse.
The Stellar Suffolk Horse
Dating back to its mention in Camden’s Brittanica in 1506, the bright chestnut Suffolk Punch horse has been a stalwart friend to man for centuries as an agricultural workhorse. It outshines its fellow breeds like the Shire Horse and Clydesdale, for its clean non-feathered legs and low center of gravity. The lack of feathers meant much less cleaning work at the end of the day and less medical issues associated with mud-fever and hidden injuries, while the Suffolk Punch’s stocky build and shorter legs gave it immense pulling power that was hard to beat with any other heavy horse breed.
Alongside these attributes the Suffolk Punch garnered high praise for its ability to work hard for long hours on smaller rations than its counterparts and its willingness to do so. All fabulous attributes still seen in the breed today. Soundness in mind and body is an important attribute in any horse, and the Suffolk Punch is certainly fit for purpose.
The Suffolk Punch Trust Today
A light and airy café replete with gift shop area welcomes visitors to the center. The drive to find it is filled with adventures if you rely on Waze or some GPS technologies – and you will traverse sand roads across flat fields as cut throughs to small, paved roads. Of course more main thoroughfares exist, so don’t be put off if you wish to stay on tarmac. It is truly perfect riding and carriage driving country. The East Anglian coastline here is an organized patchwork of fields, surrounded on their sides with graceful conifer stands that offer erosion protection to the vulnerable sandy soil from sea winds.
The Suffolk Punch Trust is a multi-experience location. Horses of course being the main attraction, but you’ll also find a menagerie of other experiences particularly suitable for a family outing too including a kids play area.
Lily Hammond, Head Groom, explained that the facility is currently a safe landing spot for 29 Suffolk horses, 6 light horses, 2 Shetlands/Miniatures, 5 donkeys, 25 Suffolk sheep, 2 Red Poll cows, 4 Pygmy goats, 6 Guinea pigs, 2 Silver Appleyard ducks, 5 chickens (Checkered Bantams and Ixworth) and 3 Macaws.
The breeding program includes 10 mares and several young fillies that will be bred when they reach breeding age at 4. A few days before my arrival their mare Colony Edith foaled out a beautiful filly Colony Lainey. The day was their first turnout together, and interestingly stallion Colony Eli was just over the fence. The open, very slightly rolling nature of the farm fields allowed many of the horses turned out to view the pair that included the new foal, and all were fascinated by the scene. Including me!
The Breeding Issues
The Trust itself offers outside breeding of its stallion line up and naturally to improve and maintain the quality of the breed it is essential that the mares at the Trust are bred out to other stallions to avoid in-breeding issues across generations. Stallions that are not considered of enough quality to further the breed are gelded and often placed in private homes via auction or private treaty sales. Non-breeding mares and males still have a role to play in expanding awareness of the breed and bringing joy to their equine aficionado owners.
One of the most active members on the Board of Trustees is veterinarian Ben Ryder-Davies. Ben is out most days during breeding season to scan the mares and tend to any medical concerns with the horses. Another trustee Bruce Smith, used to work on the stud alongside the present-day stud Manager Tracey Pettit when the hands-on help was provided by prisoners when it was part of a former prison.
The Suffolk Trust Museum – A Treasure of Information
The inclusion of a user-friendly museum in the main building entices visitors to explore the history of the breed and of the use of heavy/draft horses in general during the past centuries.
The height of popularity of the breed was between 1919 and 1939 due in part to the earnest efforts of the 1897 Breeding Scheme by The Suffolk Horse Society that was formed by Herman Biddell in 1877. The first volume of the studbook was published thanks to his foresight in 1890 and included 1,413 stallions and 1,125 mares. An edition beautifully illustrated by Suffolk artist John Duvall. Suffolk’s history of artistic talent of course includes many great horse artists including John Constable, Alfred Munnings and many more. Biddell managed to get farmers to begin registering their horses so records could be kept of the breed.
Sidebar: See this Catskill Horse article on Munnings from our contributing writer Amy McLaughlin and look for a forthcoming article on this author’s visit to his home in Castle Hill, U.K., in next month’s issue.
The Suffolk Punch was of course utilized in many wars, from the Crimean to the South African Boer and to a small degree in The Great War. A wonderful tribute is to be found among the extensive backstory on the breed showcased at the museum, from an infantry Transport Officer who wrote after WWI,
“I always liked to get hold of a Suffolk. I never got a bad one and my ‘kitchen’ was never stuck in the mud. They were never sick a single day.”
In the 1920’s the British Army, urban councils and many corporations favored buying the Suffolk over other horse breeds and even over trucks for their physical resilience and affable attitudes.
Following the advance of mechanical means on the farm and industry, the Suffolk Punch came dangerously close to extinction and again it was The Society that stepped up to provide financial assistance to breeders. They proffered a route back to favor for the breed in the public eye. In this case through awards and grants given at agricultural shows like The Royal Agricultural Show. The affinity of the British Royal Family for horses is well-known, and their help rescuing breeds such as the Cleveland Bay and other heritage breeds of heavy horses has endured across their generations too. Throughout the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s the breed was regularly seen parading in the winner’s circle at many events and shows.
The Suffolk Punch also found homes overseas, with mares and stallions exported here to the U.S.A., Uruguay, France, Argentina, South Africa, Canada and Australia. In fact, a local Suffolk Punch owner and aficionado resides just a village away from this magazine’s headquarters in the Catskill Mountains of New York!
There are many delights to be enjoyed at the Trust. Including a huge garage/barn of antique vehicles for hay swains to carriages, and all manner of horse-drawn vehicles. Plus petting opportunities with miniature horses and donkeys that are perhaps size-wise less intimidating to children than the huge Suffolk Punch residents on the farm.
Of course the facility also includes plenty of horse housing structures, run-in sheds for shelter from adverse weather within paddock areas. The downside of the sandy soil native to the region is that during dry spells of weather the pasture at the facility is prone rapid erosion. The weeks prior to my visit had been unusually dry for Springtime in the U.K., and the fields were indeed suffering the consequences.
Also to be explored were tack rooms where masses of working horse paraphernalia is kept ready for use on the horses to be trained and shown. During my visit Stud Manager Tracey was readying horses for The South Suffolk Show the following day.
As my fellow equestrians know preparations for show day and daily work include a lot of bathing, grooming and tack cleaning. With the literal mass of horseflesh each horse possesses, intensive hair care for show, harness and carriage cleaning work, the Trust’s staff put forth significant effort to keep everything shining bright and beautiful and well-maintained.
The center even has its own tack repair machines on hand. Antiques in their own right but still highly functional for the odd repair. If you are driving a team of Suffolk Punches (or driving or riding any horse for that matter), you don’t want a broken rein or bridle when you are out and about and here as everywhere, tack care is critical.
Share The Passion
A passion for heavy horses has always been in this author’s blood, and this magazine, Catskill Horse has published several articles on breeds in this category, detailing visits to notable studs – such as A Peek At The Shires in the Shire.
I’ve also ‘made’ horses from babies to Grand Prix dressage that had heavy horse breed genetics in their blood, including crossbred Percherons and Belgians. One of these was my heart horse photographed here with my husband up, Charrington WVH, who I named after the brewery team I saw as a late teen at the prestigious East of England Show in Peterborough, UK.
While working with crossbred heavy horse breeds does not directly help increase the numbers of purebred horses registered, the inclusion of their pedigrees across other breeds can yield income for the stud with breeding fees charged.
For the staff at The Suffolk Punch Trust, their love of the breed is evidently heartfelt.
When asked Head Groom Lily Hammond explained her background and interest:
“I previously worked with light horses such as sports horses and native types. I studied veterinary physiotherapy and joined the Trust during this time for a change of scenery and to gain more knowledge about breeding. I most enjoy working with the stallions throughout the breeding and showing season. The success of getting a mare in foal and seeing the Colony horses thrive in the ring and/or whilst working certainly motivates you to continue working with these wonderful horses.”
Want to Help Preserve This Noble Horse?
Attending one of the many events held across the country that support heavy horses, and especially for the Suffolk Punch breed taking a visit to the Trust – are great ways to show support for this noble equine.
The event calendar at the Trust is filled with fun activities, and the popular Horse and Dog Show on August 10th 2025, and Halloween events run in October and November are just some of the events that visitors can enjoy. For more information please follow along on their social media pages or visit their website events page.
