How much weight can a horse pull?

The general rule of thumb is that most horses can pull about their own weight, with Shetlands (because of their small size and great power to weight ration) able to pull double their own weight.

The world record for weight pulled is not easy to find, but the "track" record for the most prestigious horse pull in the world is 13,300 pounds pulled by two horses. This is a huge amount for 4,000 to 4,500 pounds of horse - but in pulling contests they pull the weight a very short distance and it can't be compared to normal work conditions.