Clydesdales are large and powerful draft horses that look impressive when driven in groups like those seen with Budweiser Clydesdales parades.

They’re easy to train, with calm temperaments ideal for riders with limited horse experience. In addition, these animals are very hardy.

The Clydesdale takes its name from its place of origin: Scotland’s Clyde valley. As with other draft horse breeds such as Shire, its characteristics can also be found among these horses.

Size

Clydesdale horses are among the largest breeds of horses. Reaching 19 hands tall (6 feet and over 2,000 pounds), their sheer size makes them a majestic sight to behold; yet despite this enormous size they remain very gentle and docile creatures who make excellent show horses as well as making great carriage horses for events such as funerals or weddings.

The Clydesdale is part of the draft horse family, along with breeds such as Belgians, Percherons and Shires. Draft horses were historically used to haul heavy loads on farms and industries before being replaced by mechanized equipment; today however, these horses remain popular parade horses for ceremonial use and other ceremonial uses.

These large horses typically sport bay or brown coats with white socks and extensive feathering; their distinctive features have made them widely recognized thanks to Budweiser commercials.

Clydesdales have proven invaluable in the logging industry due to their impressive strength and transport ability, pulling heavy logs out of forests while transporting logsellers and their equipment directly from site to site. Furthermore, they make striking displays at parades pulling decorated wagons or carriages.

Clydesdales may be smaller than other draft horses, but their strong backs and deep rib depth allow them to carry heavier loads than most draft breeds. Clydesdales stand approximately 17-19 hands in height and boast not only their strength but also an easy training process and calming temperament that make training them much simpler; additionally they’re very dependable horses who require less care from owners than other breeds of horse.

Clydesdales can be difficult to shoe compared to other breeds of horses. Their long and heavy horseshoes take several more steps to fit, including trimming excess growth away and sanding it down before fitting the shoe over it. At least once every three to six months clydesdale hooves should be professionally shod.

Characteristics

Clydesdale horses stand out from other draft horse breeds with their distinctive, silky feathering that covers their lower legs, providing an essential foundation to support their considerable weight. Their heads are proportionate to body size and usually feature an eye-catching white blaze, boasting large expressive eyes and ears that move swiftly in response to sound or other stimuli.

In the past, horses were widely employed to pull everything from wagons and carriages to decorative vehicles at parades or dignitaries at special events such as weddings or royal ceremonies. Today they still play an essential role in drawing decorative vehicles in parades or transporting dignitaries during special ceremonies like weddings.

Clydesdale horses stand up to 18 hands, making them one of the tallest draft horse breeds. Clydesdale horses were developed through crossbreeding between Belgian stallions and Scottish mares; their offspring was tall yet powerful, perfect for pulling heavy loads across rough terrain.

Clydesdale horses feature long necks that originate at their oblique shoulders and high withers, giving the horse powerful movement which enables it to haul loads over long distances.

The breed’s impressive strength and agility made them popular for use in logging. Horses of this breed were easily capable of traversing difficult terrain to carry heavy loads over long distances. Furthermore, these animals were commonly employed to transport equipment between sites.

Clydesdale horses are well known as draft animals and show horses alike. Their smooth gait with flowing white feathers adorning every step is an eye-catcher at parades or other events; additionally they can serve as drum horses carrying two drums weighing 110-120 pounds each alongside an officer.

As with any animal, clydesdales require special care in order to stay healthy and safe. Their grooming needs are magnified due to their size; regular baths must be given and feathering shampooed as part of routine grooming activities; their hooves require special shoeing services as they have large hooves which need regular resetting; generally speaking they live about 25 years before death occurs.

Purpose of Breeding

Though most people associate Clydesdales with Budweiser commercials, this breed of horse has much more to offer. With an over 200-year history as working horses and performing numerous tasks today – such as agricultural work and logging as well as parades and special events – Clydesdales continue to amaze.

The Clydesdale breed was first developed in Scotland during the mid 1700s when native farm horses were crossed with larger Flemish stallions to produce horses used for general hauling and agriculture, including pulling wagons through Lanarkshire streets. While they are powerful horses with heavyweight builds, their friendly temperament makes them great family companions.

Grooming these large horses requires more time and attention. Their hooves require special shoes that are much larger than typical horseshoes; in addition to this they need regular shampooing to remove dirt and debris that might irritate their skin as well as being checked daily for signs of damage or infection. Most are bay or black in color although other colors such as chestnut, roan and even white may exist as well.

Clydesdales are famously well-known for their ability to carry heavy loads while moving effortlessly. Their long and well-proportioned heads feature convex profiles that enable clear vision. Furthermore, their large mouth and wide nostril opening allow them to breathe easily under heavy loads.

Clydesdale horses should have strong, deep backs with high springs that stretch from their hock to their pastern, solid bodies with well-muscled hindquarters, an abundant tail set properly, as well as well-set necks with strong withers.

Although the Clydesdale’s appearance may be striking, this breed can be crossed with other bloodlines to produce lighter horses. Arabian and Thoroughbred crosses are commonly used, while Shire, Belgian, and Percheron breeds may also be utilized when breeding Clydesdales – these will create lighter horses capable of carrying loads up to 2,200 pounds!

Training

Clydesdale horses were originally bred for farm work on Scottish farms more than two centuries ago, and today still make regular appearances at parades and on farms, as well as serving as riding and driving horses that can pull many different vehicles or pieces of equipment. A grown Clydesdale can weigh up to 2200 lbs!

Most Clydesdales are trained in dressage, which helps develop the relationship between rider and horse, and helps improve both balance and agility for horses. Dressage training typically provides horses with great enjoyment during training sessions.

As with any horse breed, Clydesdales require daily care to stay healthy. Their diet should consist of plenty of hay, grain and water – full-grown Clydesdales may consume as much as 25 pounds of hay daily along with 10 pounds of feed; depending on age and activity level their needs may differ significantly; they typically consume twice as much water per day than an average-sized horse breed breed.

Clydesdale hoof weight can reach five pounds, which is four times heavier than an average racing horse hoof. Grooming must take place regularly to maintain both their health and appearance of their hooves; keeping them clean and dry to prevent infection or fungus growth as well as properly looking after a Clydesdale’s thick leg hair can become irritating if neglected.

Clydesdales are draft horses that are strong and can carry large loads with ease, yet are usually calm and gentle around humans. Like other horses, Clydesdales may become aggressive if in pain or threatened, although their only real threat comes from other horses of similar size or humans who treat it poorly. Clydesdales are coldblooded horses so don’t instinctively run away from danger – instead fighting back when their lives are threatened instead – making them perfect candidates for parades or other events where calm horses must remain unimpenet.