T he reference to the Suffolk that the numbers have now fallen so far that it is a rare breed classified as more endangered than the panda. In the past twelve months the number of breeding females has dropped by 5% to 70, which means the breed is now categorised as ‘critical’. punch is timely. Not only is it the farm animal most strongly associated with Suffolk, but recent reports have highlighted
Looking at the photographs of the Suffolk punch it is easy to see how the breed is so loved, and was so popular on farms in the region. Strong, reliable and’ packing a punch’ it is shorter and stockier than other heavy horses such as the Clydesdale the Shire, which are used primarily for road rather than land work. The Suffolk Punch also lacks the long ‘feathers’ around its feet, meaning that the mud of the East Anglian fields is easier to remove at the end of the working day. Finally, the punch has a smaller appetite than other breeds, so upkeep costs for the farmer are reduced, another reason why the breed was favoured by farmers. According to the breed guidelines, the only colour for a Suffolk Punch is chestnut (traditionally spelt in the breed books as chesnut without the middle ‘t’), but there are seven inspired variations of that colour: Dark Liver, Dull Dark, Light Mealy, Red, Golden, Lemon and Bright.
But before we start predicting extinction for the breed, it is worth remembering the tremendous journey the breed has been on over the past few years. The amazing efforts of societies such as the Suffolk Horse Society and the Suffolk Punch Trust in raising awareness and promoting breeding programmes has significantly helped to increase the number of these beautiful creatures. In 1964 there were just seven fillies and five colts registered with the Suffolk Horse Society, and things had become so bad that there was talk of closing the society. A dynamic new breed secretary proved to be a catalyst for change and the numbers rose over the next twenty years to 30-50 foals produced each year. Sadly this upward curve has not continued, and the latest figures really are a serious cause for concern for the future of the breed.
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