| Clydesdale | ||
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 Clydesdale draft horse at the Maryland State Fair |
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| Distinguishing features: | Powerful draft horse breed. Mostly bay, chestnut, or black with white stockings and distinct feathering. Both powerful and docile. | |
| Country of origin: | Scotland | |
| Common nicknames: | Clydes (USA) | |
| Breed standards | ||
| Clydesdale Breeders of the USA: | Stds | |
| Clydesdale Horse Society: | Stds | |
The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse derived from the very hard-working farm horses of Clydesdale, Scotland, and named for that region. Meyers b12 s0947bjpg|thumb|Heavy or draft horse breeds]] This page is a list of Horse and Pony breeds and also includes terms used to describe types of horses that are not A draft horse, draught horse or dray horse (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul is a large Horse bred for hard heavy tasks Clydesdale ( Dail Chluaidh in Scottish Gaelic) was formerly (1975-96 one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Thought to be over 300 years old, the breed was extensively used for pulling heavy loads in rural, industrial and urban settings, their common use extending into the 1960s when they were a still a familiar sight pulling the carts of milk and vegetable vendors.
They have been exported in the Commonwealth and United States where they are famous for their use as the mascot of various beer brands, including company Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser brand, Carlton & United Beverages and several others. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term mascot – defined as a term for any person animal or object thought to bring Luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Budweiser is an American-style lager and is one of the most popular beers in the United States. Carlton & United Beverages (formerly Carlton & United Breweries) is an Australian brewing company based in Abbotsford, Melbourne, Victoria
At one time there were at least 140,000 Clydesdales known in Scotland; by 1949 just 80 animals were licensed in England and by 1975 the Rare Breed Survival Trust had listed the breed as "vulnerable". Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Clydesdales have since seen resurgence in popularity and population, resulting in the breed's status being reclassified favorably as "at risk" with an estimated global population of just 5,000 individuals. Clydesdales are now most numerous in the United States where recently over 600 foals are reportedly born each year. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Today, the Clydesdale's most significant presence is in exhibition and parade. Draft horse showing is a competition like many others Draft horses shows include driving and under saddle competitios in North America where exhibitors present their A parade (also called march or marchpast) is a procession of people usually organized along a street often in Costume, and often accompanied by Fire
Contents |
Characteristics
Appearance
Clydesdales are noted for grace and versatility; they can stand as tall as 20 hands (the current world-record holding Clydesdale) in height and can weigh upwards of one ton (2,000 pounds). A Clydesdale has a large head and can have somewhat convex profile(a Roman-nose) small ears, large, dark eyes and a heavy forelock. The neck is short and slightly arched, the chest deep, the shoulders well-muscled and slightly upright to accommodate the animated hitching gait. The Clydesdale tends to exhibit a longer coupling than its cousin, the Shire and the withers are clearly defined. The rump presents a well-muscled and distinctively rounded silhouette. The legs should be long and strong with characteristically large hoof size, typically being at least twice the diameter of those of a light riding horse, such as a Thoroughbred. The Thoroughbred is a horse breed The pasterns are longer and sloping than those of a stock-type horse. Perhaps the most widely recognised feature of the Clydesdale's appearance is the abundance of feather, the long hairs that fall from below just the knees and hocks to cover the hooves.
The characteristic action of a Clydesdale is demonstrated at a trot; an animated gait with high hoof action in both the front and rear. Despite its large size, the Clydesdale presents with an energetic quality described by the Clydesdale Horse Society as "gaiety of carriage and outlook. "[1]
Color
Clydesdales may be of several possible colors, including various shades of bay (sometimes called brown), chestnut (sometimes called sorrel) or black. Bay is a hair coat color of Horses characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black Mane, Tail, ear edges and lower Chestnut is a hair coat color of Horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat Sorrel is one of the most common Equine coat colors in Horses While it is usually used to refer to a copper-red shade of chestnut horse in some places Black is a hair coat color of Horses in which the entire hair coat is black Clydesdales have a range of characteristic white markings which are generally present regardless of body colour. Note This article is about individualized markings on any breed type or color of horse and does not discuss coat colors generally The most distinctive are four white feet and a blaze, most often a full blaze or large, white "bald face" marking which extends to the lips and chin and may also extend to the eye region. White on the legs sometimes does not extend much above the feather, but in many cases, when a horse carries the sabino colouring pattern, it can extend up the greater part of the leg and even merge with a white underbelly. Sabino is a color spotting pattern in Horses that is usually recognized as a form of Pinto horse color The sabino gene can also be expressed more dramatically, spreading white hairs from the belly up the horse's sides creating an effect that is referred to in the draft breeds as roan. A chestnut or bay horse with this sabino expression is typically referred to as a "strawberry roan" and a black horse with the same pattern is called a "blue roan" by many Clydesdale enthusiasts.
In North America, a body of predominantly solid colour, with or without white sabino body spotting and "high white" markings is favoured, and bay predominates. Sabino is a color spotting pattern in Horses that is usually recognized as a form of Pinto horse color Note This article is about individualized markings on any breed type or color of horse and does not discuss coat colors generally In Scotland, a large number of roan horses are exhibited.
With the widespread inheritance of the sabino pattern, the feather tends to be white, but can be black or chestnut, depending on the color of the horse and the presence of markings. Nowadays chiefly for show, this hair was first a result of native stock and breeding with Flemish horses.
On the other hand, Clydesdales can also have one or more dark legs, either mixed with white hairs, or a solid shade of black or brownish-red. Hooves will match the corresponding leg color, dark or light, at the point where the skin of the leg meets the hoof wall, sometimes resulting in a striped or two-toned hoof. A horse hoof is a structure surrounding the distal phalanx of the 3rd digit (digit III of the basic Pentadactyl limb of Vertebrates evolved into a single Horses with white muzzles often have distinctive black spots around the lips and chin.
Drum horses or Coloured Cobs
When Clydesdales were widely prevalent in Scotland, horses of skewbald and piebald colour were relatively common. For the band of the same name see Skewbald (band Skewbald is a color pattern of Horse. A piebald is an animal especially a Horse, that has a spotting pattern of large white and black patches These pinto coloured animals traditionally been used by the Household Cavalry (the mounted guard of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom), as drum horses to carry the 90 pound silver kettle drums which accompany the band. A Pinto horse has a coat color that consists of large patches of white and another color The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A drum horse is typically a piebald or skewbald horse with similar conformational characteristics to a Clydesdale or a Shire horse. A true drum horse must have feather and more importantly exhibit the tractable, calm disposition for which the breed is renowned.
In the United States and Ireland such brightly-coloured horses are popular, and the drum horse represents a scaled-up version of the "coloured cob" (often mistaken as a "Gypsy Horse" or "Gypsy Vanner"). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Gypsy Vanner is a brand name given to the Gypsy Cob breed of Horse in the U
Growth
Clydesdale foals, like all horses, are born after an 11-month pregnancy. A foal is a Horse that is one year old or younger More specific terms are colt for a Male foal and Filly for a Female foal At birth, they weigh up to 82 kilograms (180 pounds). They are fast growers and for the first few months gain up to 2 kilograms (4. 4 pounds) per day; a Clydesdale mare needs to be capable of producing over 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of milk per day in order to support this rate of development.
History
The Clydesdale is thought to have arisen from the mid-18th century cross breeding of local mares with larger English and Flemish stock perhaps originally developed for use as warhorses. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Horses were first used in warfare over 5000 years ago The earliest evidence of the use of horses ridden in warfare dates They were further developed to meet the practical needs of early 19th century Scotland, where the robust constitution, somewhat shaggy coat, thick mane and feathered legs were suited to the climate. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
The breed was well received owing to its agile strength and docility, soon spreading to northern England where it was used extensively to tow coal skips. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland In the 19th century Clydesdales were exported to Australia, and New Zealand. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island In Australia, with British Longhorn Cattle, they were an important draft animal. The Longhorn is forgotten in Australia, but the Clydesdales have survived a period of mid-twentieth century neglect to become regarded with the Merino as an icon of Australian rural industry. The Clydesdale is celebrated in one of the most popular images of rural life, G. W. Lambert's painting "Across the Black Soil Plains" which shows a team straining to pull a wagon loaded with the wool clip which is "up to its axle-trees" in mud. Nowadays they are one of the most popular exhibits at the agricultural shows and the Carlton and United Brewery Clydesdales, which are stabled at the Sydney Showground are visited by many thousands of people in conjunction with the Royal Easter Show each year. In New Zealand, apart from general rural work, the Clydesdale was used extensively in the timber industry, to pull from the forest the valuable logs of kauri pine, highly prized for cabinet making.
Clydesdales were first shipped to North America in 1840, and later to South America, Russia, Austria and Italy. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Exports peaked in 1911 with a recorded 1,617 stallions trading hands. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year According to the Clydesdale Horse Society (formally founded 1887), between 1884 and 1945 20,183 animals were exported. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Two stallions are recognized as the foundation of the breed: Lord Darney and Prince of Wales. All Clydesdales horses today can be traced back to these two sires. The development of the breed has come a long way from these two foundation sires. There was a lot of focus on developing the hind leg and quality of hair.
As a beast of labor, Clydesdales had been largely replaced by tractors and other heavy machinery by the end of World War II. A tractor is a Vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high Tractive effort at slow speeds for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Through the determination of many small breeders the breed continued through the lean post World War II era. However, the horses are still used in situations where machines are unwanted or inferior, such as "eco-friendly" farming and logging operations. Clydesdales are now most often seen in competitive agricultural exhibitions such as state, county and national fairs. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture
The Clydesdale became a symbol of the Anheuser-Busch beer company (makers of Budweiser) when August A. Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc ( (ˈænhаɪzər bʊʃ is the largest Brewing company in the United States with a 48 Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Budweiser is an American-style lager and is one of the most popular beers in the United States. Busch II (Gussie Busch) told his father (then current President of Anheuser Busch) that he needed to come see the new Lincoln car he had purchased. After admonishing "Gussie" that purchasing a new luxury vehicle during the depression was unwise, he came out of the brewery in St. Louis and discovered to his delight a new Studebaker Beer Wagon and a perfectly conformed Six Horse Hitch of Clydesdales. Studebaker Corporation, or simply Studebaker, was a United States Wagon and Automobile manufacturer based in Since that time, the Budweiser Clydesdales have appeared in many of their television commercials. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A television advertisement or television commercial (often just commercial or advert (US or ad (UK is a span of television programming produced Clydesdale hitches have had a long history as advertising and promotion tools of companies. The Wilson Packing Company and Hawthorn Melody Dairy are examples of companies in the past who actively campaigned Clydesdale hitches. The rise of company hitches helped to fuel the Clydesdale market during the post World War II era. Thus, color became a factor for breeders. The preference for the bay with four whites comes from this. The Budweiser Clydesdales make an annual appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California by pulling the St. Louis, Missouri float. The Tournament of Roses Parade was established and first held on January 1 1890 in Pasadena California, eight miles (13 km northeast of Downtown Los Angeles Pasadena ( is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States.
In show and private use
Draft horse showing is a form of competition where Clydesdales and other draft horse breeds are judged in performance when driving in harness and in halter. Draft horse showing is a competition like many others Draft horses shows include driving and under saddle competitios in North America where exhibitors present their A draft horse, draught horse or dray horse (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul is a large Horse bred for hard heavy tasks Driving, when applied to Horses Ponies, Mules or Donkeys is a broad term for hitching equines to a Wagon, Carriage "Halter" is a term used to describe a type of Horse show class where horses are shown "in hand" meaning that they are led not ridden and are judged on their
In the Halter competition, horses are judged according to the ideal standard held in the judge’s mind. This is subjective and each judge may have different values in what they consider ideal. Importance is given to the legs and overall presence of the horse, as well as its movement. The ideal Clydesdale hind leg varies greatly from that of light horse breeds. A good angulation is required with the gaskin at about a 45 degree angle and well muscled. The hock is broad and square and free from any blemish and fluid. The hock, or gambrel, is the Tarsal joint of a Digitigrade Quadruped, such as a Horse, Cat, or Dog. The hind cannon is long, 'flat and square'. The set of the hind legs is very close ideally touching with long pasterns at a 45 degree angle. On the move the horse must exhibit a fluid wheeling gait in which a lot of ground is taken. Hind legs should move very close together without interfering with a good lift to the hoof. In the front the horse should exhibit a natural high action. The horse should have a good depth of body both in heart girth and in kidney girth. The horse should also exhibit a nicely sloped croup with a high tail set. The neck should be long and slightly arched connecting well into the shoulders. The forehead should be broad and flat; the head should be held high. The feather or leg hair should be long and silky so as to emphasize this gait.
Size is also a factor, but more important is the build of the animal; its appearance should be that of a strong, healthy and weighty beast without excess bulk. Color and pattern are generally not considered, although coloration should be vivid and white markings ought to be a bright white. Much care is giving by exhibitors to have their animals carefully turned out for the show ring.
In performance classes the way the animal behaves in harness is considered. Ideal cart horses move around the ring with a very high effortless gait, taking a lot of ground with each step. The head is held high and the ears erect. Horses should be responsive to the driver and make transitions easily. In teams and multiple hitches the way in which the horses work together and the hitch as a whole is judged. Quality of horse and equipment is also a factor.
Aside from their use in traditional agriculture and in the show ring, Clydesdales are also ridden under saddle. It is becoming increasingly popular to ride Clydesdales in English disciplines, and a very popular cross-bred on the Hunt is the Clydesdale-Thoroughbred.
See also
References
External links
Meyers b12 s0947bjpg|thumb|Heavy or draft horse breeds]] This page is a list of Horse and Pony breeds and also includes terms used to describe types of horses that are not Draft horse showing is a competition like many others Draft horses shows include driving and under saddle competitios in North America where exhibitors present theirDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic