This working-class hero is rare, making every newborn special

Suffolk is a beautiful county, home to stunning medieval villages, vast fields of shimmering golden wheat and pretty coastal cottages overlooking some of England’s greatest beaches.

- ADAM HENSON

But for many livestock folk like me, it’s always associated with a mighty and magnificent four-legged friend: the Suffolk horse.

Originally bred for pulling ploughs and heavy waggons, their stocky muscular frame made working the land easier in the heavy clay soil of the eastern counties of England and earned them their affectionate nickname: the Suffolk Punch.

I’ve been a fan all my life and have been doing everything I can to help this seriously endangered native breed in recent years. There are fewer than 100 adult Suffolk mares and stallions registered in the UK and, as with most rare breeds, its future relies on a good population of fertile females to produce the next generation. In 2025 the Suffolk Horse Society recorded only 25 newborn fillies.