Clydesdale

The Clydesdale is a heavy draft horse whose origins may be traced to the Clyde Valley of Scotland. It belongs to the cold-blood category of working horses, bred specifically for the pulling of considerable weight rather than for speed. The majority of adult specimens attain a height of between 16 and 18 hands and a weight ranging from 1,600 to 2,300 pounds, thereby placing this magnificent breed firmly within the giant size classification.

The breed is one of considerable and immediate distinction. Long white hair, referred to as feathering, adorns the lower legs and cascades gracefully over the hooves. Its gait is high and rounded in character, each foot being lifted with evident deliberation clear of the ground, a manner of movement that has, over generations, rendered the breed a most cherished and celebrated sight at parades and in hitch teams. The coat is most commonly of bay colouring, generally accompanied by handsome white markings upon the face and legs.

Notwithstanding its formidable size, the Clydesdale is held in the highest regard for its steady and thoroughly agreeable temperament. It was on account of this very quality that the breed was first valued for farm and haulage duties, and it is this same quality that has, in more recent times, secured its place as a most favoured breed for exhibition and promotional purposes.

Who it suits

The Clydesdale is most suitable for those owners who are in a position to provide the requisite space, feed, and expert handling that a horse of such considerable size rightfully demands. Its calm disposition renders it eminently manageable in the hands of a confident and experienced handler, though it must be stated plainly that its very magnitude precludes it from being a suitable choice as a first horse for the novice. The daily expenditure required for feed and farriery is markedly higher than that for lighter riding breeds. Those individuals who take a keen interest in driving, hitch teams, farm work, or exhibition showing are typically found among the ranks of Clydesdale owners.

The breed derives its distinguished name from Clydesdale, the historic appellation for Lanarkshire, the district through which the River Clyde most gracefully flows in southern Scotland. The breed was established over the course of the 18th and early 19th centuries, at which time local farm mares were crossed with heavier stallions imported from abroad, Flemish horses being notably among these, brought northward with the express purpose of improving both size and pulling capacity.

Farmers and coal hauliers of that region required, of necessity, a horse capable of labouring in heavy clay soils and of transporting loads reliably across the ever-expanding network of roads and canals. Selection was accordingly directed toward strength, soundness of foot, and a quiet temperament, qualities of the utmost importance to a horse required to work in close proximity to people and amid the bustle of town traffic.

The Clydesdale Horse Society of Great Britain was duly founded in the year 1877, with the express purpose of recording pedigrees and promoting the breed's further advancement. From the latter part of the 19th century onward, considerable numbers of Clydesdales were exported to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, in which lands they undertook similar farm and haulage duties with equal distinction.

The advent of mechanisation over the course of the 20th century brought about a marked reduction in the demand for working draft horses, and numbers accordingly fell in a most significant manner. The breed nonetheless persevered through the avenues of showing, driving, and promotional hitch teams, and it remains, to this very day, among the most widely and fondly recognised of the draft breeds, notwithstanding the fact that overall numbers remain limited.

The Clydesdale presents itself as a large, deep-bodied horse of most impressive stature, possessing a broad chest, strong sloping shoulders, and well-muscled hindquarters of considerable power. The head is open and intelligent in expression, frequently exhibiting a flat or slightly convex profile together with a generously wide muzzle. The legs are long and clean-jointed, bearing the dense white feathering that constitutes one of the breed's most defining and celebrated features. The hooves are large and admirably well formed, a characteristic for which the breed has been most specifically and carefully selected.

Coat and colours

Bay is the colouring most commonly observed, though brown, black, chestnut, and roan are also to be found within the breed. The great majority of Clydesdales exhibit bold and striking white markings, typically a broad blaze or an entirely white face, together with white extending well up the legs, frequently above the knees and hocks. White patches upon the belly and sides are considered entirely acceptable within the standard. It is this very combination of a dark body together with white legs and a white face that constitutes the appearance most closely and fondly associated with the breed as seen in show hitches.

The Clydesdale is most highly esteemed for an even and gentle temperament of considerable note. As the breed was developed with the express purpose of working in close proximity to people and amid busy town environments, a quiet and level-headed nature was selected with great deliberation alongside sheer physical strength. The majority of individuals are patient, cooperative, and notably slow to startle, a quality that permits hitch teams of Clydesdales to conduct their work with composure amid the noise of parades and the press of crowds.

In the company of family members and regular handlers, the breed proves itself affectionate and tolerant in the highest degree, and generally accepts routine handling with great equanimity. In the presence of strangers, the typical Clydesdale displays a disposition of curiosity rather than one of nervousness. Amongst other horses, it generally integrates into a herd or team without the slightest difficulty, a trait that lends itself most favourably to its established use in multi-horse hitches.

It must nonetheless be observed that this calm disposition in no way diminishes the necessity for due respect and caution. A horse of such considerable proportions is capable of causing unintended harm, and it is for this very reason that consistent ground manners and careful handling assume an importance greater still than would be the case with a smaller breed. The breed is willing and most responsive to reward by way of food, a quality that greatly facilitates positive handling, though it is not a breed that thrives when left idle for prolonged periods.

The proper care of a Clydesdale requires substantially greater grooming and space than would be required for a lighter riding horse. The feathering upon the lower legs, in particular, warrants the most careful and diligent attention in order that it may remain clean and dry at all times.

Grooming

• Brush the body coat on a regular basis so as to remove dirt, loose hair, and accumulated sweat
• Wash and thoroughly dry the leg feathering in order to prevent skin conditions such as mud fever
• Inspect and pick out the large hooves on a daily basis for any packed debris or indications of infection
• Arrange farrier visits at intervals of approximately 6 to 8 weeks
• Increase the frequency of brushing during the seasonal coat changes that occur in spring and autumn

Exercise

• Provide daily turnout within a large and thoroughly secure paddock
• Offer regular driving, ground work, or light ridden exercise so as to maintain fitness
• Increase the workload in a gradual manner, as heavy horses are prone to overheating upon sudden exertion
• Permit free movement rather than confining the horse to a stall for extended periods

Environment

A Clydesdale requires most spacious and well-ventilated stabling, appropriately sized to accommodate a horse of such height, together with strong, high fencing and ample pasture. Stable doorways, ceilings, and stalls must be suited in every respect to the breed's considerable stature. Clean, dry footing is of great assistance in protecting the feathered legs from moisture-related skin conditions.

The diet of the Clydesdale ought properly to be founded upon forage. Good quality hay or pasture should constitute the great majority of daily intake, with concentrates added only in due proportion to workload and bodily condition. Owing to the considerable size of the breed, the daily volume of forage required is substantial indeed, though feed ought nonetheless to be carefully measured against body weight and activity so as to avoid the accumulation of excess weight. Constant access to clean, fresh water is absolutely essential, and a horse of this size will consume a most considerable quantity each and every day.

Treats and supplements

Fruit and vegetable treats, such as apples and carrots, may be offered in modest quantities. A salt or mineral block is of considerable assistance in maintaining a balanced intake. Supplements ought to address a specific and identified need, such as joint or hoof support, and are best selected only in consultation with a qualified veterinarian rather than added as a matter of routine practice.

Clydesdales are, generally speaking, a most robust breed, commonly attaining a lifespan of 20 to 25 years given appropriate and dedicated care. As a heavy breed possessed of feathered legs, the breed is nonetheless prone to a small number of characteristic conditions, the majority of which relate to the lower limbs and to the considerable load borne by its frame.

Preventive care

• Ensure that vaccinations and parasite control remain strictly up to date
• Arrange regular dental examinations
• Adhere faithfully to a 6 to 8 week farrier cycle
• Keep leg feathering clean and dry at all times so as to prevent skin disease
• Manage body weight and diet carefully so as to reduce the risk of laminitis and joint strain
• Arrange an annual veterinary health examination

The Clydesdale is an intelligent and thoroughly cooperative animal, a quality that renders training comparatively straightforward for an experienced handler. Its steady temperament assists it greatly in adapting to new tasks and to busy environments, qualities that account in no small measure for its long and distinguished use in driving and hitch work. Given the animal's considerable size, the establishment of proper ground manners from an early age is a matter of the utmost safety importance. A young Clydesdale that is taught to lead, to stand, and to yield politely will, in due course, develop into a most manageable adult, whereas one that has not received such instruction proves considerably more difficult to correct once it has attained its full and formidable size.

Basics

1. Establish calm leading, standing, and tying in hand as a foremost priority
2. Teach the horse to pick up and to hold each foot steadily for the farrier
3. Introduce harness and driving aids in a gradual and progressive manner
4. Build tolerance to noise, crowds, and other horses in preparation for team work
5. Progress to driven or ridden work only once ground manners have become entirely reliable

Clydesdales attain breeding maturity within a few years of age, although heavy horses are, as a matter of good practice, generally permitted to grow further before being put to work or bred. Mares are typically bred in season and carry a single foal, twins being rare and, indeed, most undesirable. Gestation lasts for a period of approximately 11 months. Foals are large at the time of birth and continue to grow in a steady manner, attaining their full mature size and strength only after the passage of several years.

Mares prove themselves most attentive mothers, and the breed's calm disposition generally extends most favourably to the processes of foaling and rearing. Youngstock derive considerable benefit from early and gentle handling, thereby permitting the establishment of ground manners while the animal remains sufficiently small to be managed with relative ease. Careful attention to nutrition during the period of growth supports the sound development of the bones and joints that must, in due course, bear the breed's considerable and heavy frame.