Equine 411: All About the American Cream Draft

Have you ever heard of the American Cream Draft? It is a beautiful breed named after their gorgeous cream color. These horses are rare and are on the critically endangered list with only less than 500 American Cream Draft horses registered around the world. Keep reading for the scoop on the breed.

History of the American Cream Draft

The American Cream Draft is one of the few historic breeds that were made in the United States. The native state for the breed is Iowa, and they were developed sometime in the early 1900s. The founding horse of the breed was a particular horse known by the name of “Old Granny.”

She was a mare that was born sometime around 1890 and sold at an auction in 1911. She was a puzzle for her owners as no one knew her pedigree or breed ancestry. Old Granny’s foals were mostly all of her distinct color of a cream coat, white mane and tail, pink skin, and amber-colored eyes. Soon the breed caught the eye of many Iowa residents, especially after the birth of Silver Lace, the great-grandson of Old Granny.

The American Cream Drafts were used in driving, whether it be working on the farm or pulling carriages. Unfortunately right as they were at the height of breeding and working, machinery took their place and they nearly became extinct. The American Cream Draft Horse Association did not see any registries except for one in fourteen years! Thankfully, the individuals who really loved the breed kept their horses, which helped give these drafts a fighting chance.

Breed Characteristics

The standard American Cream Draft encompasses all the characteristics of the breeds founder horse, Old Granny. These horses have a cream-colored coat, white mane and tail, amber-colored eyes, pink skin, and the occasional white marking. Being a draft, these horses are big and built like a brick house, standing anywhere from 15hh to 16.2hh. Mares typically weight between 1600lbs and 1800lbs while the stallions weigh in at 1800 lbs to 2000lbs.

American Cream Draft Horses have the nature of a typical draft horse as well. They are calm, willing, and quiet horses that are used in driving, pulling, and showing.

Interesting Facts

One of the founders of the American Cream Draft Horse Association (ACDHA) was a fellow by the name of Clarence T. Rierson. He became so obsessive about tracing the pedigree of the breed, that he bought all the mares he could find that had been sired by Silver Lace.

The genetics of the American Cream Draft Horse is distinct within the draft horse breeds according to the University of Kentucky Equine Blood Typing Lab in 1982. In other words, they are pure and have no additives of other breeds.

The American Cream Draft is the only breed that is recognized to originate in the United States.

The American Cream Draft is beautiful and sadly still endangered, luckily there are breeders who are fighting to increase the numbers. Have you ever had the opportunity to meet one of these historic horses?