Clydesdale Horses Could Be The Worlds Most Popular Horses

I have to admit, I think that Clydesdale horses are the most beautiful horses in the world. I can't think of very many other animals that have the ability to turn heads the way they do when they are appearing in a parade, or for those lucky enough, when they make an appearance in a State Fair.

We used to go to the Wisconsin State Fair in the Fall, and we would make a special effort to be there whenever the Clydesdale's were making an appearance. We could sit for hours and watch special Clydesdale shows, which would sometimes include the world famous Budweiser Clydesdale's.

I thought of them again recently, because it seems that just about every year, there is a commercial during the Super Bowl featuring them, and there was indeed a Super Bowl commercial featuring the Budweiser Clydesdale's again this year. The 2012 Super Bowl commercial was about the ending of prohibition in the 1930's and the jubilation that surely must have followed its ending.

I have to admit, I thought that commercials in previous years were better, but it was nice to see the Clydesdale's again anyway. I think my favorite commercial featuring Clydesdale's aired in 2001, and it was only shown ONE time - on television. It was a tribute to all of those lost on September 11, 2001. That one STILL gives me goosebumps when I see it, because of the power of the internet, all you need to do is click on YouTube to see it as many times as you'd like to.

My question after watching this video was, how in the WORLD did they TRAIN these Clydesdale's to do this? It is simply amazing. They must be very intelligent horses!

Clydesdale horses were first used in Clydesdale, Scotland by farmers there. That region of Scotland is known today as Lanarkshire. These draft horses are capable of working hard, pulling huge and heavy loads. They are amazingly strong animals that can really help farmers in their work. It is believed that these horses worked on farms for about 300 years, and were shipped to other countries to help farmers there as well. Australia especially has loved and used Clydesdale's to help farmers and ranchers there.

In the 1960's, some people claimed to have seen horses that were still being used to pull carts carrying things like vegetables and milk. But maybe the most famous use of these beautiful horses has been in the United States, by the Anheuser Busch Company of St. Louis, Missouri, in their advertising campaigns.

It's hard to believe, but back in 1975, Clydesdale's were actually on an endangered "vulnerable" list. Numbers of Clydesdale's vary according to different sources, but it is believed that their total world population was at one time under 600 horses. Today estimates range from a world population of Clydesdale's of anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000. They are still not completely out of danger, but things have gotten much better. Clydesdale farms exist in several States in the United States, including a farm that I recently discovered right here in Nevada.

The Redd Barney Ranch is a ranch located near Reno, Nevada, featuring a couple of ranchers with a true passion for caring for and loving these beautiful Clydesdale horses. It's fantastic to see ranchers with such a passion and desire to take such great care of them. According to their website, they will even give tours of their ranch, if you let them know ahead of time that you will be there.

Clydesdale's aren't used as much today as draft horses, but are used more for shows and competitions. Although, in some areas, there may be logging operations that still use them, and in some places, some agriculture operations may continue to use them as well.

Coloring And Markings Can Vary Greatly Among Clydesdale's

Clydesdale's are most often seen today in a bay color, with some being black and brown. White is seen on the face, and at the bottom of their legs. Even though they look similar, some can actually have white areas on their bodies as well, and are judged in competitions just like the ones with more traditional markings.

They stand between 16 and 18 hands high, and most weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds. Clydesdale's can be expected to live from the late teen years to early 20's. Clydesdale's have very sweet and amiable temperaments, which may help to account for some of their popularity. People see them not only as beautiful, sleek and athletic, but as being good-natured animals as well.