The Clydesdale is a breed of draught horse which originated in the seventeenth century, and takes its name from the Clydesdale district of Scotland. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" for the breed was in 1826; the horses spread through much of Scotland and into northern England. After the breed society was formed in 1877, thousands of Clydesdales were exported to other countries, particularly to Australia and New Zealand. In the early twentieth century numbers began to fall, both because many were taken for use in the First World War, and because of the increasing mechanisation of agriculture. By the 1970s, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust considered the breed vulnerable to extinction. Numbers have since increased slightly.

Clydesdales are large and powerful, although now not as heavy as in the past. They were traditionally used for draught power, both in farming and in road haulage. They are now principally used as carriage horses, and may be ridden or driven in parades or processions. The Anheuser-Busch brewery has several matched teams of eight horses which they tour internationally for publicity, known as the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Characteristics

thumb|300px|Clydesdales

The conformation of the Clydesdale has changed greatly throughout its history. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was a compact horse smaller than the Shire, Percheron, and Belgian Draught. 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 . Some mature males are larger, standing taller than 183 cm and weighing up to . The breed has a straight facial profile or a slight Roman nose, broad forehead, and wide muzzle.

The horses are 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 are energetic, with a manner described by the Clydesdale Horse Society as a "gaiety of carriage and outlook". Breed associations, however, state that no colour is bad, and that horses with roaning and body spots are increasingly accepted.

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. Another health concern is a skin condition on the lower leg where feathering is heavy. Colloquially called "Clyde's itch", it is thought to be caused by a type of mange. Clydesdales are also known to develop sunburn on any pink (unpigmented) skin around their faces.

Breed history

thumb|Stallion, New Zealand (1900s)

The Clydesdale horse takes its name from Clydesdale, the valley of the River Clyde. In the late seventeenth century, stallions of Friesian and Flemish stock from the Low Countries were imported to Scotland and bred to local mares. These included 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.

The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" in reference to the breed was in 1826 at an exhibition in Glasgow.

A system of hiring stallions between districts existed in Scotland, with written records dating back to 1837. Through this system and by purchase, Clydesdale stallions were sent throughout Scotland and into northern England.

Through extensive crossbreeding 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 U.S. and Canadian breed enthusiasts. The first American stud book was published in 1882.

thumb|Clydesdales, Australia (ca. 1925-1957)

Many of the horses exported from Scotland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries went to Australia and New Zealand. In 1918, the Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society 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".

Conservation status

In the 1990s, numbers began to rise. By 2005, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust had moved the breed to "at risk" status, meaning that there were fewer than 1,500 breeding females in the UK,

In 2010, the worldwide Clydesdale horse population was estimated to be 5,000, with around 4,000 in the United States and Canada, 800 in the UK, By 2024, the Clydesdale was listed as "threatened" (<1,000 annual US registrations and <5,000 global population). According to The Livestock Conservancy, "The North American population of Clydesdale horses had increased steadily for several decades, but a sharp decline began around 2010, prompted by the economic downturn that affected the entire equine market. Globally, the breed is well-known, but not common, with an estimated global population of fewer than 5,000 horses."

Uses

thumb|Clydesdale in harness

The Budweiser Clydesdales|thumb

The Clydesdale was originally used for agriculture, hauling coal in Lanarkshire, and heavy hauling in Glasgow.

In the early 1900s it was considered profitable to breed Clydesdale stallions to Dales Pony mares to create a mid-sized draught horses for pulling commercial wagons and military artillery. Unfortunately, after just a few years, the Dales breed was two-thirds Clydesdale. They started a breed registry in 1916 to preserve the Dales, and by 1923 the Army was buying only Dales with no signs of carthorse blood. The modern Dales shows no signs of Clydesdale characteristics.

The Clydesdale contributed to the development of the Gypsy horse in Great Britain along with Friesian, Shire and Dale, although no written records were kept.

See also

  • The Kelpies

References

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Further reading

  • Clydesdale Horse Society (Scotland)
  • Clydesdale Breeders of the USA
  • Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society (Australia)
  • Clydesdale Horse Association of Canada