The Shire horse descends from the medieval Great Horse brought to England in 1066 by William the Conqueror but after nearly a millennium of honouring our heritage, the Shire horse may pass into history.

The population has halved in the last 10 years leaving a little over 3,000 still active in the UK.

The one ton horse, used in both war and farming alike, is expected to be extinct within the next 10 years.