Time May Be Running Out for Famed "Heavy Horse" of Britain

by Liz Spring
for National Geographic News

May 22, 2001

SALISBURY, England—The Suffolk Punch—a colossal horse that has
served Britain for centuries as a beast of burden and war—may be
perilously close to extinction in its motherland if the country's
largest stud farm for the breed closes as announced. There are only 230
of the horses left in Britain, 100 of them mares, according to the
country's Suffolk Horse Society. This means the horse is more rare in
the country of its origin than the giant panda is in China.

For 63 years the Hollesley Bay Prison Colony in the county of Suffolk has been breeding the gentle giants. The inmates of the 2,000-acre (800-hectare) open prison farm care for the horses and use them exclusively to till the land—a routine that has been in practice since the 1870s.

The prison's efforts are regarded as vital to the survival of the breed, which is classified as "critically endangered" by Britain's Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

The prison farm maintains the last major gene pool of the breed, and has the largest number of Suffolks in Britain—only 22 horses, including eight mares in foal.

Britain's Prison Service has announced that it plans to close the stud farm. "The farm is not our main business and there are minimal benefits achieved relative to the high costs involved—annually, about £40,000 [U.S. $57,000]," the prison said in a statement. Also, there are no longer enough prisoners to do the farm work.

A view among senior members of the prison service is that they should not be spending public money on horses, the ownership of which is widely regarded as a luxury.

Judith Phillips, chairperson of the Suffolk Horse Society, disagrees, arguing that the prison authorities should not base their decision on purely financial grounds. "It is particularly sad and shortsighted to ignore the benefits which working with horses can create in making better citizens out of the inmates," she said.

Gentle Giants

Suffolks are particularly well suited to prison work, being big, gentle and intelligent. Men who have completed their time in prison have told Phillips that they benefited from the therapeutic aspects of working with the big horses, which instilled a sense of responsibility, respect, reliability and commitment. "It makes them think of others, not merely themselves," she said.

"The prisoners are very attached to the animals," said Bruce Smith, groom and manager at the stud farm. "You can have guys here coming to the end of a sentence for murder or really hard violence, and you see them standing there whispering farewell to these great horses."

To raise funds and sponsorship for the stud farm, Smith and the inmates regularly attend agricultural and horse shows throughout the country. Teams of the Suffolks demonstrate their skills hauling heavy carts, and individual horses are shown in classes for various breeds. The horses are also frequently sought out to pull carriages for weddings.

Phillips said the prison authorities have not adequately considered the income derived from these and other activities, including stud fees, that helps meet the costs of caring for the horses.

Hollesley Bay Prison has considered several options to prevent the stud farm from being broken up. The possibilities include forming a charitable trust and establishing a lottery. Stuart Robinson, governor of the prison, said the prison's managers are now talking with "interested parties on the basis of keeping the stud farm together and promoting the survival of the breed."

The Prison Service says it is not rushing to close the stud farm. "We have kept and promoted the horses for 63 years since we inherited them," said a spokesperson. "The farm will remain open until the horses have found a new home."

A History of Service

In Britain, heavy horses such as the Suffolk traditionally have been pictured on boxes of candy and cookies.

The Suffolk is descended from the great warhorses of medieval times. In the First World War, these powerful giants were used to haul the guns and medical wagons. For generations, they have also been used to work the land, but the mechanization of agriculture has eliminated the need for them and led to a decline in populations of the breed.

To protect the breed's gene pool, the prison stud farm's premier resident stallion, Colony Edward, will be the first British Suffolk to have its semen preserved for worldwide export.

Meanwhile, the Suffolk Horse Society is planning its major event, the Suffolk Horse Spectacular, to celebrate the horse and the bygone era it represents. Scheduled for September 16 at Kentwell Hall, in Long Melford, Suffolk, it will bring together lovers of these gentle giants.

Reflecting on the breed's past glory, Paul Heiney, a former farmer, says: "As a cart horse the Suffolk Punch is one of God's finest creatures. They deserve a better memorial than that provided by the chocolate-box lid."