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Clydesdale (breed)
Encyclopedia
The Clydesdale is a breed
of draught horse
derived from the farm horses of Clydesdale
, Scotland
, and named after that region. Although originally one of the smaller breeds of draught horses, it is now a tall breed. Often bay in colour, they show significant white markings
due to the presence of sabino genetics
. The breed was originally used for agriculture and haulage, and is still used for draught purposes today. The Budweiser Clydesdales
are some of the most famous Clydesdales, and other members of the breed are used as drum horses by the British Household Cavalry
. They have also been used to create and improve other draught breeds.
The breed was developed from Flemish
stallions imported to Scotland and crossed with local mares. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" for the breed was in 1826, and by 1830 a system of hiring stallions had begun that resulted in the spread of Clydesdale horses throughout Scotland and into northern England. The first breed registry
was formed in 1877. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of Clydesdales were exported from Scotland and sent throughout the world, including to Australia and New Zealand, where they became known as "the breed that built Australia". However, during World War I
population numbers began to decline due to increasing mechanization and war conscription. This decline continued, and by the 1970s, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
considered the breed vulnerable to extinction. Population numbers have increased slightly in the intervening time, but they are still thought to be vulnerable.
of the Clydesdale has changed significantly throughout its history. In the 1920s and 30s, it was a compact horse smaller than the Shire
, Percheron
and Belgian
. Beginning in the 1940s, breeding animals were selected
to produce taller horses that looked more impressive in parades and shows. Today, the Clydesdale stands high and weighs 1800 lbs. Some mature males are larger, standing taller than 18 hands and weighing up to 2200 lbs. The breed has a straight or slightly convex facial profile, broad forehead and wide muzzle. It is well-muscled and strong, with an arched neck, high withers
and a sloped shoulder. Breed associations pay close attention to the quality of the hooves
and legs, as well as the general movement. Their gaits are active, with clearly lifted hooves and a general impression of power and quality. Clydesdales have been identified to be at risk for chronic progressive lymphedema
, a disease with clinical signs that include progressive swelling, hyperkeratosis
and fibrosis
of distal limbs that is similar to chronic lymphedema
in humans.
Clydesdales are usually bay in colour, but roan
, black
, grey
and chestnut
also occur. Most have white markings
, including white on the face, feet, legs and occasional body spotting (generally on the lower belly). They also have extensive feathering
on their lower legs. Roaning, body spotting and extensive white markings are thought to be the result of sabino genetics
. Some Clydesdale breeders want white face and leg markings without the spotting on the body. To attempt getting the ideal set of markings, they often breed horses with only one white leg to horses with four white legs and sabino roaning on their bodies. On average, the result is a foal with the desired amount of white markings. Clydesdales do not have the SB1 (Sabino 1) gene responsible for causing sabino expressions in many other breeds, and researchers theorise that there are several other genes responsible for these patterns. Many buyers pay a premium for bay and black horses, especially those with four white legs and white facial markings. Specific colours are often preferred over other physical traits, and some buyers will even choose horses with soundness problems
if they have the desired colour and markings. Roan horses are not preferred by buyers, despite one draught breed writer theorizing that they are needed in order to keep the desired coat colours and texture. Breed associations, however, state that there are no bad colours, and that horses with roaning and body spots are increasingly accepted.
, the old name for Lanarkshire
, noted for the River Clyde
. In the mid-18th century, three Flemish
stallion
s were imported to Scotland and bred to local mare
s, resulting in foal
s that were larger than the existing local stock. These were a coach horse
stallion named Blaze, a black
unnamed stallion imported from England by a John Paterson of Lochlyloch and an unnamed dark-brown stallion owned by the Duke of Hamilton. Written pedigrees were kept of these foals beginning in the early 19th century, and in 1806 a filly
, later known as "Lampits mare" after the farm name of her owner, was born that traced her lineage to the black stallion. This mare is listed in the ancestry of almost every Clydesdale living today. One of her foals was Thompson's Black Horse (known as Glancer), who was to have a significant influence on the Clydesdale breed. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" in reference to the breed was in 1826 at an exhibition in Glasgow
. Another theory of their origin, that of them descending from Flemish horses brought to Scotland as early as the 15th century, was also promulgated in the late 18th century. However, even the author of that theory admitted that the common story of their ancestry is more likely.
A system of hiring stallions between districts existed in Scotland, with written records dating back to 1837. This program consisted of local agriculture improvement societies holding breed shows to choose the best stallion, whose owner was then awarded a monetary prize. The owner was then required, in return for additional monies, to take the stallion throughout a designated area, breeding to the local mares. Through this system and by purchase, Clydesdale stallions were sent throughout Scotland and into northern England. Through extensive crossbreed
ing with local mares, these stallions spread the Clydesdale type throughout the areas where they were placed, and by 1840, Scottish draught horses and the Clydesdale were one and the same. In 1877, the Clydesdale Horse Society of Scotland was formed, followed in 1879 by the American Clydesdale Association (later renamed the Clydesdale Breeders of the USA) which served both American and Canadian breed enthusiasts. The first American stud book was published in 1882. In 1883, the short-lived Select Clydesdale Horse Society was founded to compete with the Clydesdale Horse Society. It was started by two breeders dedicated to improving the breed, who also were responsible in large part for the introduction of Shire
blood into the Clydesdale.
Large numbers of Clydesdales were exported from Scotland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with 1,617 stallions leaving the country in 1911 alone. Between 1884 and 1945, export certificates were issued for 20,183 horses. These horses were exported to other countries in the British Empire
, as well as North and South America, continental Europe and Russia. World War I
saw the conscription of thousands of horses
for the war effort, and after the war breed numbers declined as farms became increasingly mechanised. This decline continued between the wars. Following World War II
the number of Clydesdale breeding stallions in England dropped from more than 200 in 1946 to 80 in 1949. By 1975, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
considered them vulnerable to extinction, meaning there were fewer than 900 breeding females in the UK.
Many of the horses exported from Scotland in the 19th and 20th centuries went to Australia and New Zealand. In 1918, the Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Soociety was formed as the association for the breed in Australia. Between 1906 and 1936, Clydesdales were bred so extensively in Australia that other draught breeds were almost unknown. By the late 1960s it was noted that "Excellent Clydesdale horses are bred in Victoria and New Zealand; but, at least in the former place, it is considered advisable to keep up the type by frequent importations from England." Over 25,000 Clydesdales were registered in Australia between 1924 and 2008. The popularity of the Clydesdale led to it being called "the breed that built Australia".
In the 1990s, the breed's popularity and numbers began to rise. By 2005, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust had moved the breed to "at risk" status, meaning there were fewer than 1,500 breeding females in the UK. However, by 2010 they had been moved back to vulnerable. The Clydesdale is considered to be at "watch" status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
, meaning that as of 2010 less than 2,500 horses are registered annually in the USA and less than 10,000 exist worldwide. As of 2010, there are estimated to be around 5,000 Clydesdales worldwide, with around 4,000 in the US and Canada, 800 in the UK and the rest in other countries, including Russia, Japan, Germany and South Africa.
The Clydesdale was originally used for agriculture, hauling coal in Lanarkshire and heavy hauling in Glasgow
. Today, Clydesdales are still used for draught purposes, including agriculture, logging and driving. They are also shown
and ridden, as well as kept for pleasure. Some of the most famous members of the breed are the teams that make up the hitches of the Budweiser Clydesdales
. These horses were first owned by the Budweiser Brewery
at the end of Prohibition
in the United States, and have since become an international symbol of both the breed and the brand. The Budweiser breeding program, with its strict standards of colour and conformation, have influenced the look of the breed in the United States to the point that many people believe that Clydesdales are always bay with white markings
. As well as being driven, some Clydesdales are used for riding and can be shown under saddle. Clydesdales and Shires are used by the British Household Cavalry
as drum horses, leading parades on ceremonial and state occasions. The horses are eye-catching colours, including piebald
, skewbald
and roan. To be used for this purpose, a drum horse must stand a minimum of high. They carry the Musical Ride Officer and two silver drums weighing 56 kilogram each.
In the late 19th century, Clydesdale blood was added to the Irish draught breed in an attempt to improve and reinvigorate that declining breed. However, these efforts were not seen as successful, as Irish Draught breeders thought the Clydesdale blood made their horses coarser and prone to lower leg defaults. The Clydesdale was instrumental in the creation of the Gypsy Vanner horse
, developed in Great Britain. The Clydesdale, along with other draught breeds, was also used to create the Australian Draught Horse
. In the early 20th century, they were often crossed with Dales ponies
, creating mid-sized draught horses useful for pulling commercial wagons and military artillery.
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...
of draught horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
derived from the farm horses of Clydesdale
Clydesdale
Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and named after that region. Although originally one of the smaller breeds of draught horses, it is now a tall breed. Often bay in colour, they show significant white markings
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
due to the presence of sabino genetics
Sabino horse
Sabino is a group of white spotting patterns in horses that affect the skin and hair. A wide variety of irregular color patterns are accepted as sabino. In the strictest sense, "sabino" refers to the white patterns produced by the Sabino 1 gene, for which there is a DNA test...
. The breed was originally used for agriculture and haulage, and is still used for draught purposes today. The Budweiser Clydesdales
Budweiser Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales are a group of Clydesdale horses used for promotions and commercials by the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company. There are six "hitches" or teams of horses, five that travel around the United States and one that remains in their official home at the company headquarters at the...
are some of the most famous Clydesdales, and other members of the breed are used as drum horses by the British Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
. They have also been used to create and improve other draught breeds.
The breed was developed from Flemish
Flemish
Flemish can refer to anything related to Flanders, and may refer directly to the following articles:*Flemish, an informal, though linguistically incorrect, name of any kind of the Dutch language as spoken in Belgium....
stallions imported to Scotland and crossed with local mares. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" for the breed was in 1826, and by 1830 a system of hiring stallions had begun that resulted in the spread of Clydesdale horses throughout Scotland and into northern England. The first breed registry
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
was formed in 1877. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of Clydesdales were exported from Scotland and sent throughout the world, including to Australia and New Zealand, where they became known as "the breed that built Australia". However, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
population numbers began to decline due to increasing mechanization and war conscription. This decline continued, and by the 1970s, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity, whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the United Kingdom’s native farm animal genetic resources...
considered the breed vulnerable to extinction. Population numbers have increased slightly in the intervening time, but they are still thought to be vulnerable.
Breed characteristics
The conformationEquine conformation
Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...
of the Clydesdale has changed significantly throughout its history. In the 1920s and 30s, it was a compact horse smaller than the Shire
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
, Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
and Belgian
Belgian (horse)
The Belgian Draft horse or Belgian, also known as Belgian Heavy Horse, Brabançon, or Brabant, is a draft horse breed from the Brabant region of modern Belgium, where it is called the or Flemish: . It is one of the strongest of the heavy breeds...
. Beginning in the 1940s, breeding animals were selected
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
to produce taller horses that looked more impressive in parades and shows. Today, the Clydesdale stands high and weighs 1800 lbs. Some mature males are larger, standing taller than 18 hands and weighing up to 2200 lbs. The breed has a straight or slightly convex facial profile, broad forehead and wide muzzle. It is well-muscled and strong, with an arched neck, high withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
and a sloped shoulder. Breed associations pay close attention to the quality of the hooves
Hoof
A hoof , plural hooves or hoofs , is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick nail rolled around the tip of the toe. The weight of the animal is normally borne by both the sole...
and legs, as well as the general movement. Their gaits are active, with clearly lifted hooves and a general impression of power and quality. Clydesdales have been identified to be at risk for chronic progressive lymphedema
Chronic Progressive Lymphedema
Chronic progressive lymphedema, or CPL, is a disease identified in Shire, Clydesdale and Belgian horses that resembles Scratches. It is characterized by lymphedema and symptoms include progressive swelling, thickening skin and lesions on the lower leg. The disease is most likely caused by a...
, a disease with clinical signs that include progressive swelling, hyperkeratosis
Hyperkeratosis
Hyperkeratosis is thickening of the stratum corneum, often associated with a qualitative abnormality of the keratin, and also usually accompanied by an increase also in the granular layer...
and fibrosis
Fibrosis
Fibrosis is the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in an organ or tissue in a reparative or reactive process. This is as opposed to formation of fibrous tissue as a normal constituent of an organ or tissue...
of distal limbs that is similar to chronic lymphedema
Lymphedema
Lymphedema , also known as lymphatic obstruction, is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system....
in humans.
Clydesdales are usually bay in colour, but roan
Roan (horse)
Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...
, black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
, grey
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
and chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
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. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
also occur. Most have white markings
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
, including white on the face, feet, legs and occasional body spotting (generally on the lower belly). They also have extensive feathering
Feathering (horse)
Feathering, or feather, is a term used to describe the long hair on the lower legs and fetlocks of some breeds of horse and pony. On some horses, especially draft breeds, the hair can almost cover the hooves...
on their lower legs. Roaning, body spotting and extensive white markings are thought to be the result of sabino genetics
Sabino horse
Sabino is a group of white spotting patterns in horses that affect the skin and hair. A wide variety of irregular color patterns are accepted as sabino. In the strictest sense, "sabino" refers to the white patterns produced by the Sabino 1 gene, for which there is a DNA test...
. Some Clydesdale breeders want white face and leg markings without the spotting on the body. To attempt getting the ideal set of markings, they often breed horses with only one white leg to horses with four white legs and sabino roaning on their bodies. On average, the result is a foal with the desired amount of white markings. Clydesdales do not have the SB1 (Sabino 1) gene responsible for causing sabino expressions in many other breeds, and researchers theorise that there are several other genes responsible for these patterns. Many buyers pay a premium for bay and black horses, especially those with four white legs and white facial markings. Specific colours are often preferred over other physical traits, and some buyers will even choose horses with soundness problems
Lameness (equine)
Lameness in horses and other equidae is a term used to refer to any number of conditions where the animal fails to travel in a regular and sound manner on all four feet...
if they have the desired colour and markings. Roan horses are not preferred by buyers, despite one draught breed writer theorizing that they are needed in order to keep the desired coat colours and texture. Breed associations, however, state that there are no bad colours, and that horses with roaning and body spots are increasingly accepted.
History
The Clydesdale takes its name from ClydesdaleClydesdale
Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...
, the old name for Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, noted for the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
. In the mid-18th century, three Flemish
Flemish
Flemish can refer to anything related to Flanders, and may refer directly to the following articles:*Flemish, an informal, though linguistically incorrect, name of any kind of the Dutch language as spoken in Belgium....
stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s were imported to Scotland and bred to local mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s, resulting in foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
s that were larger than the existing local stock. These were a coach horse
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
stallion named Blaze, a black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
unnamed stallion imported from England by a John Paterson of Lochlyloch and an unnamed dark-brown stallion owned by the Duke of Hamilton. Written pedigrees were kept of these foals beginning in the early 19th century, and in 1806 a filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
, later known as "Lampits mare" after the farm name of her owner, was born that traced her lineage to the black stallion. This mare is listed in the ancestry of almost every Clydesdale living today. One of her foals was Thompson's Black Horse (known as Glancer), who was to have a significant influence on the Clydesdale breed. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" in reference to the breed was in 1826 at an exhibition in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Another theory of their origin, that of them descending from Flemish horses brought to Scotland as early as the 15th century, was also promulgated in the late 18th century. However, even the author of that theory admitted that the common story of their ancestry is more likely.
A system of hiring stallions between districts existed in Scotland, with written records dating back to 1837. This program consisted of local agriculture improvement societies holding breed shows to choose the best stallion, whose owner was then awarded a monetary prize. The owner was then required, in return for additional monies, to take the stallion throughout a designated area, breeding to the local mares. Through this system and by purchase, Clydesdale stallions were sent throughout Scotland and into northern England. Through extensive crossbreed
Crossbreed
A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding refers to the process of breeding such an animal, often with the intention to create offspring that share the traits of both parent lineages, or producing...
ing with local mares, these stallions spread the Clydesdale type throughout the areas where they were placed, and by 1840, Scottish draught horses and the Clydesdale were one and the same. In 1877, the Clydesdale Horse Society of Scotland was formed, followed in 1879 by the American Clydesdale Association (later renamed the Clydesdale Breeders of the USA) which served both American and Canadian breed enthusiasts. The first American stud book was published in 1882. In 1883, the short-lived Select Clydesdale Horse Society was founded to compete with the Clydesdale Horse Society. It was started by two breeders dedicated to improving the breed, who also were responsible in large part for the introduction of Shire
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
blood into the Clydesdale.
Large numbers of Clydesdales were exported from Scotland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with 1,617 stallions leaving the country in 1911 alone. Between 1884 and 1945, export certificates were issued for 20,183 horses. These horses were exported to other countries in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, as well as North and South America, continental Europe and Russia. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
saw the conscription of thousands of horses
Horses in World War I
The use of horses in World War I marked a transitional period in the evolution of armed conflict. Cavalry units were initially considered essential offensive elements of a military force, but over the course of the war, the vulnerability of horses to modern machine gun and artillery fire reduced...
for the war effort, and after the war breed numbers declined as farms became increasingly mechanised. This decline continued between the wars. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the number of Clydesdale breeding stallions in England dropped from more than 200 in 1946 to 80 in 1949. By 1975, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a conservation charity, whose purpose is to secure the continued existence and viability of the United Kingdom’s native farm animal genetic resources...
considered them vulnerable to extinction, meaning there were fewer than 900 breeding females in the UK.
Many of the horses exported from Scotland in the 19th and 20th centuries went to Australia and New Zealand. In 1918, the Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Soociety was formed as the association for the breed in Australia. Between 1906 and 1936, Clydesdales were bred so extensively in Australia that other draught breeds were almost unknown. By the late 1960s it was noted that "Excellent Clydesdale horses are bred in Victoria and New Zealand; but, at least in the former place, it is considered advisable to keep up the type by frequent importations from England." Over 25,000 Clydesdales were registered in Australia between 1924 and 2008. The popularity of the Clydesdale led to it being called "the breed that built Australia".
In the 1990s, the breed's popularity and numbers began to rise. By 2005, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust had moved the breed to "at risk" status, meaning there were fewer than 1,500 breeding females in the UK. However, by 2010 they had been moved back to vulnerable. The Clydesdale is considered to be at "watch" status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
, meaning that as of 2010 less than 2,500 horses are registered annually in the USA and less than 10,000 exist worldwide. As of 2010, there are estimated to be around 5,000 Clydesdales worldwide, with around 4,000 in the US and Canada, 800 in the UK and the rest in other countries, including Russia, Japan, Germany and South Africa.
Uses
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Today, Clydesdales are still used for draught purposes, including agriculture, logging and driving. They are also shown
Draft horse showing
Draft horse showing refers to horse shows exclusively for horses of the draft horse breeds. In North America, though a small number of draft horses are also shown under saddle, the term "Draft horse showing" refers to a specific horse show competition that primarily features driving exhibitors...
and ridden, as well as kept for pleasure. Some of the most famous members of the breed are the teams that make up the hitches of the Budweiser Clydesdales
Budweiser Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales are a group of Clydesdale horses used for promotions and commercials by the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company. There are six "hitches" or teams of horses, five that travel around the United States and one that remains in their official home at the company headquarters at the...
. These horses were first owned by the Budweiser Brewery
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
at the end of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in the United States, and have since become an international symbol of both the breed and the brand. The Budweiser breeding program, with its strict standards of colour and conformation, have influenced the look of the breed in the United States to the point that many people believe that Clydesdales are always bay with white markings
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
. As well as being driven, some Clydesdales are used for riding and can be shown under saddle. Clydesdales and Shires are used by the British Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
as drum horses, leading parades on ceremonial and state occasions. The horses are eye-catching colours, including piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
, skewbald
Skewbald
Skewbald is a color pattern of horses. A skewbald horse has a coat made up of white patches on a non-black base coat, such as chestnut, bay, or any color besides black coat. Skewbald horses which are bay and white are sometimes called tricoloured...
and roan. To be used for this purpose, a drum horse must stand a minimum of high. They carry the Musical Ride Officer and two silver drums weighing 56 kilogram each.
In the late 19th century, Clydesdale blood was added to the Irish draught breed in an attempt to improve and reinvigorate that declining breed. However, these efforts were not seen as successful, as Irish Draught breeders thought the Clydesdale blood made their horses coarser and prone to lower leg defaults. The Clydesdale was instrumental in the creation of the Gypsy Vanner horse
Gypsy Vanner horse
The Gypsy Horse , also known as an Irish cob , Gypsy Cob, Gypsy Vanner , Coloured Cob or Tinker horse , is a horse breed. The breed originates from the UK and Ireland...
, developed in Great Britain. The Clydesdale, along with other draught breeds, was also used to create the Australian Draught Horse
Australian Draught Horse
The Australian Draught Horse is a hardy breed of Australian draught horse noted for its strength and a good temperament.-Characteristics:...
. In the early 20th century, they were often crossed with Dales ponies
Dales Pony
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, creating mid-sized draught horses useful for pulling commercial wagons and military artillery.