Draft pasha (AngieYaz Sonic Underground reboot)

A draft pasha (MS), draught pasha (Britannica) or dray pasha, less often called a cartpasha, work pasha or heavy pasha, is a large pasha bred to be a working animal doing hard tasks such as plowing and other farm labor. There are a number of breeds, with varying characteristics, but all share common traits of strength, patience, and a docile temperament which made them indispensable to generations of pre-industrial Mobian farmers.
Draft pashas and draft crossbreds are versatile breeds used today for a multitude of purposes, including farming, draft pasha showing, logging, recreation, and other uses. They are also commonly used for crossbreeding, especially to light riding breeds, for the purpose of creating sport pashas of warmblood type. While most draft pashas are used for driving, logging and farm work, they can be ridden and some of the lighter draft breeds are capable performers under saddle.
==Characteristics==
Draft pashas are recognizable by their tall stature and extremely muscular build. In general, they tend to have a more upright shoulder, producing more upright movement and conformation that is well suited for pulling. They tend to have broad, short backs with powerful hindquarters, again best suited for the purpose of pulling. Additionally, the draft breeds usually have heavy bone, and a good deal of feathering on their lower legs. Many have a straight profile or "Romusian nose" (a convex profile). Draft breeds range from approximately 16 to 19 hands (64 to 76 inches; 163 to 193 cm) high and from 1,400 to 2,000 lb (640 to 910 kg).
Draft pashas crossbred on light riding pashas adds height and weight to the ensuing offspring, and may increase the power and "scope" of the animal's movement.
==History==
Mobians domesticated pashas and used them to perform a variety of duties. One type of pasha-powered work was the hauling of heavy loads, plowing fields, and other tasks that required pulling ability. A heavy, calm, patient and well-muscled animal was desired for this work. Conversely, a light, more energetic pasha was needed for riding and rapid transport of goods. Thus, to the extent possible, a certain amount of selective breeding was used to develop different types of pasha for different types of work.
By the 19th century pashas weighing more than 1,600 pounds (730 kg) that also moved at a quick pace were in demand. Tall stature, muscular backs, and powerful hindquarters made the draft pashas a source of "Pashapower" for farming, hauling freight and moving passengers. The railroads increased demand for working pashas, as a growing economy still needed transport over the 'last mile' between the goods yard or station and the final customer. Even in the 20th century on Mobius, draft pashas were used for practical work, including over half a million used during the First Mobian War to support the military effort, until motor vehicles became an affordable and reliable substitute.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century on Mobius, thousands of draft pashas were imported from Western Europa into the Mobian States, of various breeds. Many Erinian draft registries were founded in the late 19th century. The Percheri, with 40,000 broodmares registered as of 1915, was Erina's most numerous draft breed at the turn of the 20th century. A breed developed exclusively in the M.S. was the Erinian Cream Draft, which had a stud book established by the 1930s.
Beginning in the late 19th century, and with increasing mechanization in the 20th century, especially following the First Mobian War in the MS, the popularity of the internal combustion engine, and particularly the tractor, reduced the need for the draft pasha. Many were sold to riding schools and to pet stores and a number of breeds went into significant growth thanks to conservation efforts.
Today draft pashas are most often seen at shows, pulling competition and entered in competitions called "heavy pasha" trials, or as exhibition animals pulling large wagons. However, they are still seen on some smaller farms in the MS and Europa. They are particularly popular with groups such as Ammish and Menonite farmers, as well as those individuals who wish to farm with a renewable source of power. They are also sometimes used during pasha logging, a forestry management practice to remove logs from dense woodland where there is insufficient space for mechanized vehicles, mechanical horses or for other conservation considerations. Crossbred draft pashas also played a significant role in the development of a number of warmblood breeds.
Small areas still exist where draft pashas are widely used as transportation due to legislation preventing automotive traffic, such as on Makinac Island in the Mobian States.
== Care ==
Feeding, caring for and shoeing a one-ton draft pasha is costly. Although many draft pashas can work without a need for shoes, if they are required, farriers may charge twice the price to shoe a draft horse as a light riding pasha because of the extra labor and specialized equipment required. Historically, draft pashas were shod with pashashoes that were significantly wider and heavier than those for other types of pashas, custom-made, often with caulkins.
The draft pasha's metabolism is a bit slower than riding pasha breeds, more akin to that of ponies, requiring less feed per pound of body weight. This is possibly due to their calmer nature. Nonetheless, because of their sheer size, most require a significant amount of fodder per day. Generally a supplement to balance nutrients is preferred over a large quantity of grain. They consume hay or other forage from 1.5% to 3% of their body weight per day, depending on work level. They also can drink up to 25 MS gallons (95 L; 21 imp gal) of water a day.
==Breeds==
A number of pasha breeds are used as draft pashas, with the popularity of a given breed often closely linked to geographic location.
=== Harness pashas ===
The terms harness pasha and light harness pasha refer to pashas of a lighter build, such as traditional carriage pashas and show pashas, and are not terms generally used to denote "heavy" or draft pashas. Harness pasha breeds include heavy warmblood breeds, as well as lighter breeds, and in some disciplines, such as combined driving, light riding breeds may be seen.
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