Clydesdales are massive with incredible strength and a distinctive look. Greg Oakes
Clydesdale Breeders of the USA
17346 Kelley Road
Pecatonica, Illinois 61063
www.clydesusa.com
The Clydesdale Horse merits the most serious consideration. It is utterly synonymous with the word “horsepower,” with its massive build and extraordinary strength exemplifying what the ideal draft horse is all about. It has the most wonderful willing temperament and truly is a gentle giant.
A Clydesdale can pull many times more than its own weight, which is why it was so popular in the cities pulling large wagons of goods. There is nothing so impressive as the power of a team of Clydesdales strutting down a street with their white feathers punctuating each stride.
The Clydesdale is a rare breed, classified as “at risk” by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Having reached rock bottom in the 1960s, there are now more people breeding these wonderful animals, and numbers are steadily increasing.
History
The Clydesdale began to develop as a breed in the early part of the 1700s in Scotland. As the name implies, it originated from the valley of the River Clyde and in the area comprising the upper wards (districts) of the county of Lanarkshire, which was previously known as Clydesdale.
The Scottish farmers began using some of the large English and Flemish stallions on their smaller local mares. The horses from England were heavy because they were originally developed to carry armor-clad knights into battle.
The Flemish stallions were big and black. Legend has it that they were imported to Scotland from the Low Countries of Europe by one of the Dukes of Hamilton who wanted to “cut a dash” with some splendid coaching stallions. He generously allowed his tenant farmers to mate their Scottish mares with his imported blood. The resultant offspring were considered superior to both the sires and dams.
The farmers eventually produced a powerful horse with a long stride and a sizable hoof, perfect for working in the soft soils of the rough Scottish land. They realized that they had something rather special in the way of horse flesh and carefully developed the breed among themselves.
Before long, they had an animal that was widely sought after. It was bred to meet not only the agricultural needs of the local farmers, but also the demands of commerce for the coalfields of Lanarkshire and all types of heavy hauling both on the streets of Glasgow and over long distances. At one point, there were as many Clydesdales working in the towns and cities as there were in the countryside tilling the soil.
The Clydesdale breed spread rapidly from its base in southern Central Scotland northward through Scotland, southward to Northern England, and westward to Ireland. In the heyday of the breed, the sales at the market town of Lanark became renowned for its hundreds, if not thousands, of horses being sold in a matter of days.
The Clydesdale has a long neck, short back, and long, white feathered legs. Shutterstock
In the late nineteenth century, the popularity of the Clydesdale breed continued to flourish, leading to large numbers being exported to the British Commonwealth countries of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and some were also sent to the United States. Indeed, the Clydesdale is credited with aiding the advancement of Australia. Today, the Clydesdale is virtually the only draft breed in its native Scotland and is still a favorite in all of these Commonwealth nations and the United States.
The development of the railways, motorized transport, and farm tractors almost spelled the end of the Clydesdale as a working animal, although not perhaps as quickly as might be imagined since there was still use for them. When the railways were being constructed, Clydesdale Horses were used to transport the building materials and remove the waste soil and rocks that were dug out to fashion a level track bed. Over time, however, the horse work became redundant, and the breeding of these magnificent animals was left in the hands of a dwindling number of farming families. Due to sentiment, the farmers could not bear to see the breed, or the bloodlines that had been developed toward perfection over the decades, lost forever.
The distinct Clydesdale white faces on these foals are characteristic. John Knelsen/Shuterstock
The Clydesdale saw a resurgence in popularity in the latter part of the twentieth century. Although replaced by the tractor on most farms, this beloved horse still works in agriculture and forestry where tractors are unable to be used or are unwanted.
Characteristics
The original Clydesdale Horse was a stocky, close-coupled animal around 16 hands, with good feathering on the legs, an active movement, and a good sloping shoulder. Today, Clydesdales are bigger than their original counterparts, as 17 hands and taller is not at all uncommon.
Originally, most Clydesdales were a solid dark bay brown or black color. Today, when people think of the Clydesdale, they immediately think of white blazes and white legs, but that was a fashion that was introduced later. Since genetics is not an exact science, as more white was introduced to the breed, the white hair occasionally strayed onto the Clydesdales’ body, giving some a roan color. Purists frowned upon these animals, believing that only a good solid color was correct. Most people today, however, believe that a good horse cannot be a bad color, so roan horses and those with white areas on the body are acceptable. Depending on their age and the amount of work they do, an adult Clydesdale may eat 25 to 50 pounds of hay and 2 to 10 pounds of grain or other supplements per day.
The majority of Clydesdales throughout the world today are kept for breeding and showing. They do not have to work for their living anymore. In the United Kingdom, a breeder is usually one with the family farm where the horses will very likely be the descendents of those kept by the preceding generation who ran that farm. They are not there to earn their keep like the dairy cows, beef cows, or sheep with which they may share a field. Instead, they are bred and shown at various agricultural shows held during the summer. They are a hobby (if not an expensive one!) for the farmer.
Increasingly, the public relations power of these lovely animals has been reconized. Companies are now using the horses to pull drays and carts as advertising vehicles for a variety of businesses. Breweries and whisky companies were the first to latch on to this idea, and now their names are emblazoned across the carts. City councils, such as the ones in Aberdeen, Dundee, and Glasgow in Scotland, keep Clydesdales for work within the cities and parks departments and for use as publicity tools. Clydesdale Horses also have joined the wedding industry, getting dressed up in their finery to pull the bride in a carriage to the church and make a memorable day even more so.
Clydesdales are increasingly being appreciated for riding. Andrew Olscher/Shutterstock
In the United States
In the United States, the versatility of the breed is evidenced by the increasing number of equine activities in which it participates. The Clydesdale is also popular with carriage services, for which it is well suited and always attracts public admiration. Street parades are not complete without the high stepping hooves of a Clydesdale hitch passing by.
The Clydesdale is playing a significant role in the “green” world, too. With the recognition that timber extraction and logging in environmentally sensitive areas can do untold damage to delicate ecosystems, utilizing draft teams for the work has been taken more seriously. The return to the horse as a substitute for machinery can minimize damage when carrying out necessary maintenance and extraction.
Today, Clydesdales are increasingly being ridden like any other breed of horse. They can be seen occasionally in dressage, as hunter jumpers, taking part in trail and endurance rides, used for therapeutic riding, or simply enjoyed as a gentle hack—possibly for the larger rider.
Crossbred Clydesdales can also be found at the top of all the equestrian fields as hunters, three-and one-day eventers, show jumpers, and so on. They seem to have an inbuilt spring and impetus that makes them good jumpers, and they possess the quality of movement that is so necessary for these sports.
Registry
The original breed registry is the Clydesdale Horse Society in Scotland. The Clydesdale Breeders of the USA was incorporated in 1879 and is the member organization for the Clydesdale horse. It sponsors national and regional horse shows, awarding special recognition to top quality U.S.-bred stallions, mares, and geldings, in addition to the usual Hitch and Halter classes. It registers six hundred new horses annually.
As with many other horse breeds, breeding and showing are a large part of the Clydesdale business. Breeders exhibit their horses in the Scottish tradition of line and harness events at county and state fairs and at national exhibitions.
The All American contest is an unusual Clydesdale competition. It is intended to give breeders and owners from all over the United States and Canada a chance to compete against each other, even though their horses may never be in the same show ring together. This is accomplished by mailing out a ballot with photos and qualified placings from the show season to all those who judged at the designated shows.
Standards
The modern Clydesdale is a horse of quality with a fine head, intelligent eye, excellent paces, and a fluidity of movement. It stands between 16 and 19 hands tall and weighs from 1,600 to 2,400 pounds—as much as a Volkswagen Beetle.
While this is larger than the original Scottish horse, one cardinal feature has been retained: the breed’s substantial underpinning. The old adage “no foot, no horse” has always held true. Thus an importance has been attached to maintaining sound hooves and legs within the breed. Clydesdales are known for the size of their feet. One of their horseshoes is about the size of a dinner plate. By comparison, a Thoroughbred race horse has a shoe about half of that size.
The horsepower of a matching Clydesdale six-horse team is impressive. Margo Harrison/Shutterstock
The Clydesdale has a very distinctive look when compared to other breeds. The combination of vivid body colors, bright white faces, and long, white, feathered legs with high stepping gait and a head held high leave no question that it is a Clydesdale. The feather is the long silky hair on the legs that flows to the ground and accentuates the high knee action and hock flexing.
A Clydesdale should have a nice open forehead, broad between the eyes, a flat (neither Roman-nosed nor dished) profile, a wide muzzle, large nostrils, bright clear intelligent eyes, and big ears. It should have a well arched, long neck springing out of an oblique shoulder with high withers. The back should be short, and the ribs well sprung from the backbone. The quarters should be long, and the thighs well packed with muscle and sinew. The hocks should be lean, flat bone, not rounded. The hind legs must be planted closely together, with the points of the hocks turned inward rather than outward. The feather should be silky, not thick or hanging straight.
The most common body color is bay, followed by black, brown, and chestnut. The roan trait (solid body color with white hairs throughout the coat) is found in all the colors. Popular markings for today’s big hitches are four white legs to the knees and hocks and a well-defined blaze or bald face. The show ring, however, does not discriminate on color, with light roans and dark legs being considered equally with solid colored horses and traditional markings.
Three words—strength, agility, and docility—depict, in brief, the main characteristics of the Clydesdale. The impression created by this thoroughly well built horse is that of strength and activity with a minimum of superfluous tissue. The idea is not grossness and bulk, but quality and weight. The horse must also exhibit action, lifting the foot high and taking a long stride to cover ground rapidly and easily.
Intelligence and willingness make the Clydesdale a welcome partner at work or play. It is stylish and active, yet tractable, intelligent, and serviceable for draft work, show, or simple pleasure.
Credit: Clydesdale Breeders of the USA