Other Names: Clyde(s) Origin: Scotland Color: Usually bay, less commonly brown, roan (all forms), black, and even more rarely chestnut, with large areas of white on the face, legs, and sometimes also on the body. The preferred markings are four white socks to the knees and hocks, and a well-defined blaze or bald face. However, light roans and horses with dark legs are considered equally in the show ring with horses of the more solid colors and traditional markings.

Build: Has an open, straight-profiled head, a long, well-arched neck, and a close-coupled body with oblique shoulders and high withers. Breeders have always placed special emphasis on the feet, which should be hard, round, and open; and on the legs, which carry a good deal of feather and should be strong, straight, and planted well under the body.

Temperament: They are good natured gentle for their large size, and they enjoy interacting with people.

Main use: This breed is becoming increasingly popular as a pleasure horse, however it is also used for work and show. It is a beautiful site to see a Clydesdale hitched up to a carriage or sleigh. This breed is very versatile, although it is a little hard to maintain. Also, following the European tradition, many companies, especially breweries, put together four and six horse hitches to help advertise their products. Since the repeal of prohibition, the Budweiser Clydesdales have carried on this tradition, helping to make the Clydesdale one of the most recognizable breeds in America.

Special abilities: For its size the Clydesdale is an exceptionally active animal, and this, together with its strength, stamina, and amenable disposition, have made it popular in many parts of the world.

History: With the initial expansion of Britain during the eighteenth century and the development of roads, shoulder haulage began to replace pack transport. In response to the consequent demand for heavier animals, farmers in the area of Scotland now known as Lanarkshire developed the Clydesdale, produced largely by selective mating within the local native breed but also by some crossing with Flemish stallions. The most influential of these stallions was Blaze, foaled in 1779, and he is generally accepted as being the founding sire for the breed. It was not only bred to meet the agricultural needs of these farmers, but also the demands of commerce for the coal fields of Lanarkshire and for all the types of heavy haulage on the streets of Glasgow. The breed soon acquired more than a local reputation, and in time, it spread throughout all of Scotland and northern England. The breed was fixed early on by the Scottish system of hiring stallions. Some of the societies for this date back to 1837! The Clydesdale Horse Society was formed in 1877, and has been active in promoting the breed in not only the Great Britain, but also all over the world. The Clydesdale is the only one of the British breeds of heavy draft that benefits from a steady export trade to all parts of the globe. Today the Clydesdale is almost the only draft breed in its native Scotland and in New Zealand. Also, it is one of the most popular heavy draft breeds in Australia, though not in numbers, and also in Canada and in the US. The Clydesdale was first brought to North America by Scottish immigrants to Canada around 1850. A few probably crossed the border into the US, however they were not heavily imported until after the Civil War. Among the first major importers were Alex Galbraith and his sons, of Jamestown, Wisconsin. Galbraith, a Scottish immigrant, helped establish Wisconsin and Michigan as traditional strongholds for Clydesdale breeding. The Clydesdale Breeder's Association of the United States was established in Illinois in 1879. Their first studbook was published in 1882, and by the end of the 1800's, the Clydesdale was the third most numerous draft breed in America.

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