The last quarter century has seen the regeneration of the Shire Horse. In its heyday between the wars there was a heavy horse population of well over a million animals but by the late 1950s and early 1960s this had dwindled to a, few thousand. Today the Shire Horse Society processes about 500 registrations annually. The use of Shires in the modern age is more widespread than would be imagined. They are ideal for pulling vehicles in this situation and are therefore used for beer and bread deliveries, street cleaning and rubbish collection.
Shire horses continue to be used in agriculture and timber operations to complement mechanisation.
The Shire horse is well known for its substance and bone and is widely used in the breeding of the heavier hunter types by crosses and second crosses on Thoroughbred mares. Although not normally recognised as a riding horse it was the original charger for the knight in armour purely to carry the large weight. Members of the German Shire Horse Society have recently used Shires in ridden dressage demonstrations. The physique for this gentle and good-tempered animal includes a dense rounded body with a broad back and strong loins. Naturally powerful hindquarters are supported on excellent long legs with dense bone.