Alberta breeder helps keeps centuries-old Shire horse tradition alive

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Calgary, Alta. (Rural Roots Canada) – Standing beside a towering three-year-old Shire mare named Starcastle Imperia at this year’s Calgary Stampede, Cliff Kelsey is happy to share his family’s story with passersby as he works to preserve one of Canada’s rarest draft horses.

Kelsey has been breeding Shires since 1981, when he and his late wife bought their first horse. Today, their operation, Starcastle Shire Horses, north of Westlock, Alberta, is the largest breeding farm in Canada, home to 29 horses.

The breed traces its roots to England, where it was developed as a powerful draft horse. While Shires were once a common sight pulling wagons and working the fields, they’re now considered rare. The breed is widely considered at-risk.

“We used to have sheep and goats and cattle, beef cattle and dairy cattle, but in recent years we’ve just specialized in the Shire,” says Kelsey. “There are probably perhaps 200 in Canada. They’re a rare breed. We’re doing what we can to promote the breed and breed them.”

The largest numbers of Shire horses are in England, with a few hundred more in the United States. Starcastle produces six to eight foals each year, with many sold to breeders across the U.S., helping strengthen breeding programs while creating lasting friendships with fellow breeders.

“That’s where the majority of breeders are,” Kelsey explains. “And they may go anywhere in the U.S. We’ve got horses in Maine that I’ve sold, and a lady bought three from us, and she’s in New York State. So, you make good friends, lifelong friends with that.”

Kelsey’s goal, however, isn’t simply to grow the business. It’s to grow the breed.

“The objective is to put as many foals on the ground,” he stresses.

He hopes his two adult sons will carry the work forward, ensuring the family operations continue protecting the Shire for generations.

The conservation effort is also getting a boost from science. In England, breeders are collecting DNA from as many living Shires as possible to safeguard the breed.

“We very much hope to get new breeders to preserve the breed,” he says. “In England, they are doing a bunch of DNA testing to preserve the DNA of the majority of animals there. If we ever get to a point where there’s very serious extinction problems, they can try to bring the breed back.”

Mature Shires commonly weigh between 1,700 and 2,200 pounds and continue developing until they’re about seven years old, much longer than many other draft breeds. Despite their size, their temperament sets them apart.

“The Shire is known for its quiet disposition,” he explains. “All draft horses have to have a quieter disposition than riding horses because they’re hooked to harness, and then they’re hooked to wagons and carts and farm implements. Some of those can be really scary to a horse. So you want a horse that’s very calm, and it’s not going to spook.”

Of the four major draft breeds, the Shire is the quietest and easiest to train, according to Kelsey.

“It’s in their DNA, it’s in their genetics. I find when we train them to harness, they are almost born half- harnessable. Because when we put them in harness, and we start driving them, working with them, they start pulling something, it’s almost as if a light comes on in their brain that says this is what I was put on this earth for.”

Looking ahead, Kelsey says Starcastle will remain true to its mission: to preserve and improve the majestic Shire breed for the use and enjoyment of future generations.

The post Alberta breeder helps keeps centuries-old Shire horse tradition alive first appeared on Rural Roots Canada.