Last week, I took a walk from my university to the farmland nearby and came across a small farm with these horses grazing the land surrounding the farm buildings. As I walked up to the fence, the horses trotted over to me out of curiosity. My friend assured me that it was okay to pet them, and so I was actually able to pet their mane! It was really fantastic.
Belgian draft horses live all over Belgium! They are popular work horses, since they are one of the best breeds for carrying outstanding loads of weight. But in addition to being used here, these horses are also popular in the U.S.A. In fact, the Belgian is the most common draft horse in America today!
Belgian draft horses are domesticated, meaning that there is always a farmworker there to tend to the horses. Most of the time, though, the horses are pretty self-sufficient. All the horses I see are living on a large field of grass, so they have a buffet of food to graze on at all times. I suspect that the farmers hereabouts do not need to invest in much hay to feed their horses due to the abundant grass!
Unfortunately, some of these horses are bred within the horsemeat industry. Belgian horse meat is apparently desirable because it is very tender, and is therefore treated as a delicacy. There are however organizations like "Animaux en Péril" and "Welfarm" that help save horses from this industry. There is also a growing movement toward veganism and vegetarianism within Belgium, which traditionally has a very meat heavy cuisine.
