Horse pulling is a draft horse competition where horses in harness, usually one or two animals, pull a stone-boat or weighted sled and the winner is the team or animal that can pull the most weight for a short distance.

There are different weight classes and strict rules to avoid animal cruelty.

The Belgian horse is the breed most frequently seen, but other draft breeds are also used. There are also competitions for ponies, where they pull significant weight relative to their size, but usually for shorter distances than full-sized horses.

The sport of horse pulling originated when horses were still used for daily farm work. Farmers would challenge one another to see whose horse or team could pull the most weight. Since then, horse pulling has evolved into an organized sport with teams of equine athletes.[1] Horses that are used for horse pulling are generally not used for work on the farm. Instead, they are worked regularly to keep their muscles and tendons strong and limber to prevent them from being hurt during competitions.

Watch these small ponies pull! Two ponies make up each team and their combined weight determines if they will compete in the light weight or heavy weight class.

Pony Pulls are a lot like a tractor pull, but with pure pony-power muscle doing the pulling.

Ponies are weighed, then begin with a pulling weight on their sled that is 200 percent of what the ponies weigh. The pull requires the teams to pull a distance of six feet to move on in the competition.

Pulling ponies aren’t like the horses or ponies you see around every day. These animals are stocky and strong. They don’t get that way overnight. Much like Olympic athletes, pulling ponies workout daily by dragging a weighted sled for two hours.

The working steer event is for young steers and young or new drivers. This class tests the skills of the driver and the animal in three different events. Distance pull, log skid, and cart.

Oxen can grow as tall as 7 feet high at the top of of the shoulders, and weigh over 2,500 pounds.

These magnificent animals are not only big, but they're strong too. These powerful beasts can out-pull a big team of horses. In fact, while a team of oxen can pull its own body weight at a walking pace, for short bursts of six to eight feet, a well-trained team of oxen can pull up to 2 times their body weight — or as much as 12,000 to 13,000 pounds.

Pulling originated when farmers would challenge one another to see whose team could pull the most weight. Farmers would train their oxen or horses to work the land, haul building materials, goods or people from location to location. Over the years pulling has turned into a organized sport, where the animals are generally no longer used for farm work, but instead exercised regularly to keep them strong and in shape.

In Pulling there are several different classes in which a team can enter. The class and weight of drag are determined by the weight of the livestock.

It is truly amazing to see what these animals and teamsters can do in the ring.