Clydesdale

A breed of no great antiquity in terms of equine history, the Clydesdale has developed over a little more than the past 150 years. However, it is probably the most successful of the heavy breeds in respect of its export throughout the world, with the exception of the Percheron. It is found as far afield as Germany, Russia (the former Soviet Union), Japan and South Africa, as well as in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The foundation of the breed is in the Flemish horses imported into the Clyde Valley, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in the 18th Century. The subsequent development of the breed is due to a stallion imported from Flanders, and there is also a strong Shire influence. Two Clydesdale breeders of the 19th Century believed the Clydesdale and the Shire to be two branches of a single breed. The breed had its official debut of the under the present name was in 1826 at the Glasgow Exhibition. The definitive characteristics were fixed at the beginning of the 18th Century, following the contributions from Flemish and Friesian stallions.

The Clydesdale has none of the Suffolk's roly-poly appeal and is less massively proportioned than the Shire, but of the three heavy British drafters, it is the best mover, having very active paces. In first stud book in 1878, it is described by the Clydesdale Horse Society as having a "flamboyant style, a flashy spirited bearing and a high-stepping action that makes him a singularly elegant animal among draft horses." This calm and sociable breed is well suited for heavy draft and farm work. Its strong and hardy qualities help to make this breed internationally important. The modern Clydesdale, though a big horse, is lighter and even more attractive than those bred in the past.

When the Clydesdale Horse Society was formed in 1878, its first volume of its stud book listed 1,000 stallions. The American Clydesdale Society was founded in the following year soon establishing the breed in the USA and Canada. Since then, Clydesdales have been exported all over the world. In 1990, a Clydesdale colt standing 18.2 hands high was sold for the price of 20,000 pounds from the Fairways Heavy Horse Center at Perth, Scotland and was exported to Japan. The previous record selling price of a Clydesdale was 9,500 pounds paid in 1911.

The Clydesdale weighs in at around 1 ton or more, but has great activity as well as an extremely tractable disposition, which makes it ideally suited for urban draft. It has been said that "the glamour of the Clyde turns and ordinary beer delivery into a public event." Clydesdales have been used to work the prairies of America and Canada, and were often in teams of seven horses to three-furrow plows. They have also earned the title of "The breed that built Australia."

Although still to be seen hauling and performing farming duties, it is now more frequently seen in the show ring, particularly at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland where many classes are held for the breed. The Clydesdale was once used for coal haulage and farm work. In Scotland, this breed eventually replaced the Shire as a carriage horse. Many Americans know the Clydesdale horse from the Budweiser beer commercials and from their appearances in parades. A popular place to see some of these famous stallions and mares and foals in at Grants Farm located in St. Louis, Missouri, the first home to this famous Budweiser team.

The average height of Clydesdales is about 16.2 hands high, but stallions may be up to or over 17 hands high. Females are generally 16 to 16.1 hands, and males 16.1 to 17 hands. Its head is more elegant than that of most of the heavy breeds. The profile is straight (or sometimes convex), giving the impression of quality. The neck of the Clydesdale is proportionately longer than that of the Shire. It has a wide, deep chest and a muscular shoulder. Its shoulder is sloped, and the quite sharply defined withers are higher than the croup in the interests of improved traction. The Clydesdale is rarely other than deep through the girth. Its back is short and slightly hollow, the loins are wide, and the wide croup is muscular and sloping. Tails, which are eleborately decorated, are a feature of the heavy horse. At the Royal Highland Show in Scotland, a best decorated class is held.

A breed characteristic is cow hocks, and the hind legs are placed close together, which is not judged as a conformational fault. The leg often appears long and the lower limbs carry heavy, silky feathers and the hooves, though somewhat flat, are well-formed and hard-wearing. Despite the common cow hocks, the hock joints are very strong. Coat colors are predominantly bay and brown, but greys, blacks and roans, as the blue roan, are also found. Chestnuts and roans are more rarely seen. Heavy white markings occur on the face, legs and on the underside of the body generally.

For comparisons with its southern cousin, visit the Shire.

For more information on Clydesdale draft horses visit:

• Alberta (Canada) Horse Improvement Program - Clydesdales
• Armageddon Clydesdales
• Bluffview Clydesdale and Friesian Horses
• Budweiser Clydesdales
• Clydesdale Breeders of the United States
• Commonwealth Clydesdale Society SA Branch
• The Draft Page
• Landview Farms Clydesdales
• Oklahoma Draft Horse and Mule Page
• Sisters View Clydesdales
• Texas Draft Horse and Mule Association
• Whiffletree Clydesdales
• World Clydesdale Hors Show
• Oklahoma State University
• Bibliography

Published April 1993, December 1997 NorthWest Breyer Horse Club Newsletter. (ma/em)
© 1993-2019 NW Breyer Horse Club & Refiner of Gold Creations
Equinealities in place since 1997, Section in place 2001, Updated 1/27/2019