365 Days in Horse Country – The American Cream Draft
The only
existing draft horse developed in the United States, the American Cream Draft
Horse, has been around since the 1800s.
The breed’s most unique characteristic is its light cream colour.
Considered an extremely rare breed and listed as critically endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, the American Cream Draft can be traced back to a horse named Old Granny. This draft mare had a cream-coloured coat, pink skin, and amber eyes, and she passed these traits along to her foals.
Cream-coloured draft horses became more numerous as Old Granny’s genes were passed down through the generations.
In 1944, the American Cream Draft Association of America was established. The breed began a sharp decline as more draft horses were replaced by mechanized farm vehicles. By the 1960s, the American Cream was almost extinct.
In 1982, several breeders organized the save the breed from extinction. Although the breed is growing, only 400 horses are currently registered in the United States, and it is virtually unheard of elsewhere.
Michael