CLYDESDALE HORSE BREED

                                             

                   

Draft horses - draft horse breeds

The Clydesdale is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds. Clydesdale horses are a heavy breed and were originally bred in Clydesdale, a government district in Scotland. They are used purely for pulling heavy loads for industrial and urban settlements. The breed is around 300 years old, and you could still see them in the 1960s, pulling heavy carts of milk and vegetables.

A Clydesdale typically stands between 16 and 18 hands at the withers and can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. They have an arched neck, long legs, and good withers. They also display a striking leg movement, with an active lifting of the hooves. The coat of a Clydesdale might be roan, bay, grey, black, chestnut, skewbald, or piebald. White markings on the legs, body, and face are common. Clydesdales are very intelligent and are fairly easy to train. They're generally considered to be gentle, but they're often more spirited and lively than some of the other draft horse breeds.

How was the Clydesdale breed developed? The breed came about as a result of Flemish stallions being brought to Scotland, where they were bred with native mares. By 1826, the term "Clydesdale" was being used to describe the horses, and a registry was established in 1877, the Clydesdale Horse Society of Scotland.

Originally, there were around 140,000 Clydesdales in Scotland, but by 1949, only 80 were left. In 1975, they were classed as a Rare Breed by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. However, their popularity grew again, and the population went up to 500

They were exported to the Commonwealth, South America, Russia, the European continent, Canada, and the United States. In 1879, the American Clydesdale Association was formed. In the US, they became famous for advertisements for various beer brands. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales have become a part of Americana, and they can be seen in television commercials, in parades, and at special promotional events.

Clydesdales are now numerous in the United States, and at the last count, there were 600 foals. Sometimes Clydesdales are crossed with other horse breeds to add size, power, and durability. In the US, the Clydesdale is sometimes crossed with the Thoroughbred to create heavier hunter-jumpers. Clydesdales have also been crossed with Dales ponies and Irish draft horses, and the breed was instrumental in the creation of the Gypsy Vanner horse and the Australian draft horse.