How Much Weight Can a Horse Pull?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 09, 2023

A draft horse, which has an average weight of between 1650 to 1750 pounds, can pull a dead weight of approximately 1/10 of their body weight for eight hours a day. This allows them to pull items such as carriages, which have equivalent dead weights of 300 to 400 pounds.

In shorter durations, much larger weights can be pulled. As of September 2014, the heaviest dead weight recorded was that pulled by two Belgian horses weighing 4,800 pounds. Between them the horses pulled 17,000 pounds over seven feet. This weight is over 3.5 times their body weight. One Belgian horse and one Percheron horse weighing 3,600 pounds between them pulled 14,600 pounds for 15 feet. This is over four times their body weight.