The Clydesdales Paid Us a Visit Yesterday

[Olaf]

Absolutely thrilling! This was the team pictured in the Twin Towers commerical. They just give you goosebumps when they come clomping down the street. Thank you, Budweiser!

 

[lg3]

I love the Clydesdales. Luckily, living in St. Louis (home of Anheuser Busch) I get the chance to see them often. They are always out on opening day to the Cardinals baseball game, and we often visit them at Grant's Farm - very cool!

 

[jonestavern]

WOW!

Thanks for posting & with pics!

Was it a special occassion? Parade?

The Clydesdales are also in Merrimack, NH & we love visiting with them.


Jean

 

[hiwaygal]

OOOh I love them!!!

Everytime we go to Busch Gardens we have to stop by the stables and see the Clydesdales and Zipper (the donkey) and the dalmations.

They are so beautiful!

 

[tuckerkeys]

i actually HAVE a full blooded clydesdale! He is AWESOME and soooo sweet! They are the best draft horses IMO! He is not as big as the budweiser horses, but he is up there! i use him for dressage and to just put around on for trail rides... His name is Schaefer, after the beer of coarse! I adore the bud horses.

 

[Auggietina]

They are so beautiful
Thanks for sharing!

 

[Jennasis]

Gorgeous! They have some of the sweetest temperaments among the various horse breeds.

 

[Olaf]

I chatted with one of their grooms yesterday. He said that when they let them out to run, the earth rumbles. I wish I could see it. They're so huge. And they did seem very sweet and docile, completely at odds with their size.

They sure had some fancy trailors. The grooms said that people are always honking at them when they drive by.

 

[piglet too]

They are so beautiful!

 

[Chloe'sMom]

I love it when they get them all saddled up in what we refer to as their "formal wear."

I've been at Grants Farms when one or two would decide to run and it is CRAZY loud and impressive.

~Amanda

 

[NotUrsula]

They sure had some fancy trailors. The grooms said that people are always honking at them when they drive by.

If you think that the trailers are impressive, you should see the stables. They have stained-glass windows. http://www.marshall.edu/wmul/multimedia/pics/2006/2006_cbi-stl_busch_stables-inside1.jpg It's not visible in that photo, but there is also a huge brass and crystal chandelier in the middle of the stable ceiling (the stable at the Pestalozzi St. Brewery is round).

I've been out at Grant's Farm in the springtime, and I can tell you that the thing about the ground shaking is absolutely true.

 

[Nynaeve]

They are beautiful!!
We lived in St. Louis for a year, and saw them at grant's Farm too. They are huge!

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Wow great pictures! I got to see some up close years ago at an amusement park once. They are gorgeous!


I love the flowers in their manes.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Thank you for posting! I have never seen them but think they are beautiful creatures. How lucky you are to see this, my DD would LOVE to opportunity to see them.

 

[HelenePA]

If you think that the trailers are impressive, you should see the stables. They have stained-glass windows. http://www.marshall.edu/wmul/multimedia/pics/2006/2006_cbi-stl_busch_stables-inside1.jpg It's not visible in that photo, but there is also a huge brass and crystal chandelier in the middle of the stable ceiling (the stable at the Pestalozzi St. Brewery is round).

I've been out at Grant's Farm in the springtime, and I can tell you that the thing about the ground shaking is absolutely true.

wow their stable is nicer than my house.

I bet they are amazing to see in person!

 

[shirleyb]

Beautiful!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Those were some great pics. I would have loved to see them in person. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ChrizJen]

wow their stable is nicer than my house.

I bet they are amazing to see in person!

The stables ARE awesome! Anytime we have visitors from out of town, we ALWAYS take them on a tour of the brewery and stables, and to Grant's Farm when the weather is nice. It really is majestic to see those gigantic creatures up close and in real life!!

Thanks for posting the beautiful pics, OP!!

 

[Seahunt]

There was a Budweiser hitch in Daytona for a parade yesterday for Bike Week - they'll be out at the Daytona International Speedway for a parade lap before the motorcycle race tomorrow too. Here's some info from our local paper that has some interesting facts about them (i.e. there are 5 traveling hitches, it costs a company $7000 A DAY to hire them to attend an event!, etc.):

Taking a break from his lunch, Scott lifts his head and almost on cue lets out a loud neigh when one of his handlers talks about the fascination people have with him and his fellow Budweiser Clydesdales.

Six-feet tall at the shoulder and weighing about 2,300 pounds, Scott is the second-largest of 10 Clydesdales basking in the sunshine at a private ranch Monday before making special appearances during Bike Week, including a parade on Main Street on Thursday.

Scott can barely maneuver himself around the stall at the Samsula ranch, which the owner asked not to be identified because of concerns about safety and crowd control.

It's a vacation come true for the horses, which are used to snow this time of year in their native St. Louis. The Clydesdales have been touring Florida since January.

Daytona Beverages, the local Budweiser distributor, has brought the Clydesdales to Bike Week for more than 10 years and is paying Anheuser-Busch $7,000 a day for their upkeep and the salaries of seven handlers.

Loren "Shorty" Knoche, one of the handlers and drivers, said the bikers and the horses share a common interest -- horsepower.

Carrying the reins that control all eight horses on a hitch is a powerful feeling, he said.

Q: Why are they called Clydesdales?

In the early 19th century, along the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland, farmers needed strong horses for hauling and plowing. The region was in a valley or "dale." One of the Dukes of Hamilton imported six Great Flemish Horses and made them available for breeding to local mares. People outside Lanarkshire began to refer to the breed as "the Clydesman's horse" and eventually "Clydesdale." The horses were said to be capable of pulling loads of more than a ton.

Q: What is the history of the Budweiser Clydesdales?

August A. Busch Jr. presented a hitch of the horses in 1933 to his father to commemorate the first bottle of post-Prohibition beer brewed in St. Louis. The hitch went down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case. The team then was sent by rail to New York City, where it picked up two cases of Budweiser, which were presented to Al Smith, former governor of New York. A case also was delivered to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.

Q: Where does Anheuser-Busch get its Budweiser Clydesdales?

Anheuser-Busch owns between 225 and 250 Clydesdales at a time and has breeding farms where 25 to 30 foals are born a year. The brewing giant is the largest single owner of registered Clydesdales in the world, according to the company. There are five traveling Budweiser hitches: in St. Louis; Menifee, Calif.; San Diego; Merrimack, N.H.; and San Antonio.

Q: What are the names of the horses here for Bike Week?

Ace, Bud (there's always a Bud horse), Curly, Dixon, Elite, Sammy, Scott, Jerry, Smokey and Mic. The names are kept short to make it easier for the driver to give commands to the horses. They are all males (geldings) because they are larger and more muscular, and Anheuser-Busch uses the females (mares) for breeding, according to Scott Smith, supervisor of scheduling for the Clydesdales at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis.

Q: What makes this hitch from St. Louis so special?

"These are the showiest," Smith said. "They are all Budweiser Clydesdales and are all equal, but since (St. Louis) is the home of Anheuser-Busch, they are the absolute best."

Q: How did they get to Florida?

They are transported in two 50-foot, custom-built tractor-trailers with rubber flooring, air suspension and vent fans. Cameras in the cab help drivers monitor the horses. A third tractor carries the 1903 Studebaker-built beer wagon and gear. They travel no more than 500 miles a day. It took two days to get from St. Louis to Florida. Stops are made at private stables along the way, Smith said.

Q: How do they like the Florida weather?

"They like it when it's a little cool," Smith said. "But we always have fans for the horses. They've been groomed so much and been in lots of sunshine so they have a nice showy coat to them. If they were up here in St. Louis, they would have one or two blankets on them. They are spoiled."

Q: Why don't the Clydesdales from Busch Gardens in Tampa or SeaWorld in Orlando come here?

The horses at SeaWorld don't travel. "Busch Gardens is a rest and relaxation spot for the horses that work on the Orlando hitch," Smith said. "They rotate from Orlando and Busch Gardens."

Q: How big are they really?

They weigh 1,800 to 2,300 pounds (about 1,000 pounds more than a standard horse and about a foot taller.) They range between 17 and 18 hands from the base of the hoof to the highest point of the shoulder -- basically 5-feet-8 to 6-feet tall, Smith said. They must be 6-feet tall to be on the hitch. The wheel horses, those closest to the wagon, generally are the strongest.

Q: Who is the biggest Budweiser Clydesdale?

That is Jake in St. Louis. He is 6-foot-5. "He's a big boy," Smith said. "We don't have anyone we can pair him with of equal size so he is usually used in one of the horse shows especially here at the brewery." Smith said the mares (females) are probably the smallest. The horses are valued at about $10,000 each.

Q: Are they friendly?

"Gentle Giant" is the Clydesdales nickname, Smith said. "They are very mild mannered and easy-going horses. Like big dogs and small dogs, your bigger dogs are easy-going."

Q: Can the public touch them?

Yes, for single horse shows, but not when they're on the hitch. "When we hook them to the wagon, they are wearing blinders so they can't see people as well," Smith said. "We don't allow the horses to be touched while they are in harness -- that is to make sure the horses are comfortable." The blinders, which are part of the harness, "help keep the horse focused on their work. They can see directly ahead of them."

Q: Do the loud motorcycles bother them?

"No. They are in so many different parades and attend so many different events each year; because of their disposition, they have become accustomed to it," Smith said. This hitch will go to about 50 cities a year and travels 11 months out of the year.

Q: How much do they eat?

Each horse eats 25 quarts of whole grains, minerals and vitamins a day, including beet pulp, crimped oats, bran, molasses and salt; 50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water. While in the area, food is purchased from Volusia Feed.

Q: Do any Clydesdales not make the cut like on the recent Super Bowl commercial?

Clydesdales who don't have four white stockings on their legs when they are born go to a national breeder's sale or are traded with private breeders, Smith said. "Just because they don't have four white legs doesn't mean they are not a good horse." The majority come with the white colorings.

Q: Were any of these horses in recent Super Bowl commercials?

Most of the Clydesdales/Dalmatians used for commercials are on the teams out west, Smith said. None of these horses has been used for commercials recently.

Q: How are they trained?

Most of the training is in Fort Collins, Colo. They start training at 2 to 3 years old. By the time they make it on the wagon, they are between 4 and 5. "We pair them with an older horse that is well broke and has an easy temperament and a lot of patience," Smith said. "Some horses learn faster and some not so fast. It just depends on the horse. It's not like they go through boot camp in six weeks. Everything is done to the horse's benefit and to the horse's pace."

Q: How heavy are the harness and horseshoes?

Each harness and collar weighs about 130 pounds and is handcrafted from brass and leather. The horseshoes are more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about 5 pounds -- more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe of a riding horse.

Q: How often are they groomed?

At least twice a day. Before a show, handlers spend five hours washing and grooming the horses, polishing the harness and braiding ribbons into the horses' manes and tails. Smith said a curry comb is used (a rubber brush with fingers), which pulls the hair off the coat and gives them a massage as well. They usually get a full bath from head to toe once a week. The legs are washed every day.

Q: What happens when they get older?

Clydesdales generally retire between 15 and 18 years old, Smith said. They retire to one of Anheuser-Busch's four facilities where they help the younger Clydesdales in training and are on display to the public.

Q: How hard is it to drive the wagon?

Driving the 12 tons of wagon and horses requires strength. The driver holds 40 pounds of reins -- with the tension of the reins it is more like 75 pounds.

 

[Olaf]

Thanks for posting that article, Seahunt. Lots of good info. We're moving to the St Louis area soon, so I will definately check the Grant Farm out.