]
] In England, a "shire" horse is a specific breed, and a "Belgian" is usually referrred to as Percheron. The generic term is "Heavy Horse".

Yes, a shire horse is a specific breed. Their history is very long in England. Julius Caesar commented on these great (large) horses as British war horses. He also commented on the giants of Flanders. King John brought 100 Belgians into England to interbreed with the shire horses. Henry VIII forbade exportation of any shire horse, even to Scotland. But in Scotland the Clydesdale was developed for draughting (pulling) work on the farms and on the public roads. Another large horse developed in England is the Suffolk Jump. Percherons are a French breed. If the English at one time very loosely called Belgians and Percherons one breed, they would not have done so since the last century when careful stud books had been established for all registered breeds.

It seems that, in general, the shire is the largest of all the great or heavy horses of Europe, although some of the other giants could reach the same height and weight.

Oklahoma has an excellent web site on the breeds of horses, and there are many other sites. If you find one better than the Oklahoma state or university site, please let me know.

In England the great horses worked not only on farms, but in pulling heavy public and private carriages and were especially good on muddy roads where their giant hoofs acted almost like snowshoes on mud. Their shoes were nearly twice the length and four times the weight of that of ordinary horses.