The Clydesdale

By Terri Estes

In honor of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales and their well-known Super Bowl commercials, I present to you, the majestic Clydesdale!

The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse. Draft horses are the workhorses of the equine empire. These are the breeds that were developed to pull heavy loads and farm equipment. The Clydesdale breed was developed in Scotland in the 1700s. Known for its agility, strength and endurance, in the 1800s, Clydesdales were exported to many countries worldwide, as they were greatly valued, not only for their strength, but for their willingness to work.

The Clydesdale is not your average horse. This is the giant among giants in the horse world. The average breed of horse weighs between 800 and 1,200 lbs. whereas the average Clydesdale weighs between 1,700 and 2,200 lbs. As far as height goes, they grow to over six feet. This breed can make a large thoroughbred or quarter horse look like a pony!

The Clydesdale is usually bay (reddish brown) in color with heavy white feathering on the legs and a white blaze on the nose. The hooves of a Clydesdale are often the size of a dinner plate, compared with a normal horse’s hoof that is the size of a large coffee mug. Everything about this breed makes the regular horse seem tiny in comparison.

Their impressive size has come in handy throughout history. The Clydesdale came about in Scotland during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in what is now known as the Lanarkshire district. The name comes from the River Clyde, which runs through the area. The breed first arrived in North America when Scottish settlers brought horses to Canada. In the late 1880s, they were introduced in the United States, where they were used to plow fields, power machinery, pull wagons, and perform other tasks that required some heavy horse power.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are the giants of the Clydesdale breed. Anheuser-Busch only picks the biggest and perfectly colored horses to represent their brand. They have their own 300-acre breeding farm in Missouri where they breed their elite stallions and mares. And while any Clydesdale is an impressive sight, the chosen Budweiser Clydesdales, in all of their well-groomed glory, are truly a sight to behold!