Photos courtesy of Busch Gardens except where noted.
For most Americans, the word “Clydesdales” creates a mental picture of a gorgeous matched team of bay and white horses pulling a shiny red Budweiser wagon. We may associate the breed with warmhearted Super Bowl ads and cold beer, but these gentle giants were originally bred for hard, dirty work on the farm. Clydesdales, horses highly esteemed by farmers, were first bred in hilly districts bordering Scotland’s River Clyde. The breed is known not only for its beauty, size, and strength, but also for its high courage and endurance. Introduced into the United States in 1842, owning a team of Clydesdale draft horses was as prestigious then as driving the most deluxe piece of John Deere machinery would be today.
A fully grown Clydesdale, which is one of the tallest of the draft breeds, can easily top 18 hands, (a hand equals four inches) or six feet measured at the shoulder, and weigh more than a ton. Their extensively feathered lower legs sport enormous hooves the size of dinner plates, and each iron shoe is a hefty five pounds. Even their babies are big; a typical foal weighs in at 125 pounds at birth. While Clydesdales are sometimes used as saddle horses, they’re still most appreciated for their enormous strength.
So just how strong is a Clydesdale? An individual horse can pull its own weight easily for eight hours a day with no trouble, but when it’s hitched with another, the pair can pull three times their combined weight. In competitions, a team pulls a sled loaded with concrete blocks over dry clay. The world record is 22,000 pounds, set by a pair of Belgians (another similar breed of large draft horses) who pulled this massive load 66 inches over dry clay.
Almost every country has developed a heavy horse of its own over the years. The long list of breeds ranges from American Cream to Vladimir Heavy Draft. Outside of Amish populations, the historic use of draft horses in American agriculture has been largely supplanted by mechanization, to the point that they were once feared to be approaching extinction. Fortunately, they’ve experienced a revived popularity in Europe and the U.S. and are now bred for the equine sport of carriage driving.
“Draft horses fall into the Coldblood breed category,” says Mr. Undra Jeter, Head of Coach and Livestock at Colonial Williamsburg. “They were bred for cold weather climates and were popular in the northern part of this country when they were imported. They don’t take to the summer heat and humidity of the South. You can’t work them in the heat of the day,” he says. Colonial Williamsburg typically uses horses that have adapted to our Tidewater climate to pull their carriages. These are usually Warmbloods, a cross between the larger breeds and the smaller, more energetic Thoroughbred and Arabian Hotblood breeds. Through CW’s Rare Breeds Program, stocky Cleveland Bay horses, once quite popular in the eighteenth century, are being brought back from a dwindling few that made them even more rare than the Red Panda.
Clydesdale horses normally come in bay, brown, and black, with varying amounts of flashy white markings, or “chrome.” They’re known for a large head, a kind eye, and an affectionate and friendly nature. Up close, Clydesdales simply inspire awe. Just one horse is amazing, but a hitch of two, four, six, or even eight Clydesdales high-stepping in unison, pulling a gleaming coach and making the earth tremble underfoot as they pass is just short of a religious experience.
Those of us fortunate enough to be planning a visit to Busch Gardens can see and touch these impressive horses for themselves. Although the park is no longer owned by or affiliated with the Anheuser-Busch Company, the tradition of keeping and displaying Clydesdales at their Highland Stables lives on. Zoological leader Tim Smith, who oversees the wellbeing of every animal in the park from Highland Cattle to Lorikeets, says, “Since our “Old Country” theme and the stable’s Scotland village location was already set, it just made sense.”
They are still a big draw at Busch Gardens, though their horses differ in appearance from the Budweiser bays. “Most of our guys are black with lots of white,” Smith explains, “though we do have the occasional roan.” Roans have white hairs mixed into their base color, for an appropriately tweedy effect. “Each individual horse’s markings are unique,” Smith continues. “That’s how we can tell who is whom.” Colleen Kennedy, Senior 1 Animal Care Specialist and one of the team that handles these horses daily, adds, “With our black and white Clydesdales, usually three feet will be white and one black. It’s a dominant trait,” she says.
Kennedy and the others see an important part of their job is to be educating the public about Clydesdales, speaking about their history and of the ways in which they’re still useful. “Once bred to carry heavily armed warriors into battle, they are now popular with modern mounted police because of their big, imposing presence. I’ve also heard they’re still in use for fishing in Scotland, for pulling the heavy nets to shore,” she says.
Budweiser Clydesdale horse marching in a parade. Courtesy of iStock.com/Aneese.
“People actually buy them as riding horses, too,” Smith adds. “Since they have such a large platform, it’s a secure seat, but there’s a downside, too. If you do fall off, these guys average between 15 and 20 hands, and it’s true what they say, the taller they are, the harder you fall!”
Also, “Aidan was the last foal that was born here about eight years ago, when I first started this job,” Kennedy remembers. “We have a couple of younger horses who are best friends, Ludo, four years old, and Axel, who is three.” All the animal training is done strictly by positive reinforcement at Busch Gardens. The horse trainers build relationships by giving treats or playtime with a favorite toy when they achieve on-cue behaviors such as turning their heads toward the camera to pose with guests, lifting their lips — “Smile for the camera!” — and other behaviors. Nothing is ever forced, so the animals always associate performance with pleasure. Every horse has a different personality, and some seem to actually look forward to their turn to shine in the spotlight. Repeat guests get to know the Clydes as individuals and ask after their favorites by name.
There are several different ways for guests to interact with the Clydesdales. They can be seen in their own stalls or along the fence line of their shared paddock. As mentioned before, there is an enclosure where guests can pose with a horse while a professional photographer captures the moment. Those who are particular fans of the horses usually opt for an add-on private tour, which means an up-close encounter in the paddock. “We usually get into more of an in-depth conversation and education with tours,” Smith says. “Typically, our guests will ask questions, and then those who are comfortable around horses of that size will be able to touch them. We personalize the experience according to their comfort level and the horse’s.”
If you ride the train that circumnavigates the park, behind the Italy area you’ll see horses grazing the pastures they call home. When they’re not actively working at the show barn, this is where all the horses live. There are run-in shelters for inclement weather, which they can access at any time. There are a total of seven Clydesdales there, including an elderly mare named Panola, who is 18. She is semi-retired, as currently her main focus (one which she takes quite seriously) is to keep track of the rest of the herd. “She comes up to the stable occasionally,” Smith says with a laugh, “but most of the time she’s in the pasture making sure everything stays correct there.”
Clydesdales may not be needed to pull heavy artillery over a muddy battlefield any longer, but there’s still a useful place for them in the horse world. A hard-working Amish Clydesdale pulling a plow earns his keep many times over, but the cherished horses that live at Busch Gardens have an important mission as well. They’re iconic symbols of power and strength that happen to be lovely to look at. By educating the public and allowing access to these gentle giants, the staff at Busch Gardens hopes to encourage universal affection for Clydesdales that will ensure the future survival of the breed.