Clydesdale

Overview

The Clydesdale is Scotland's native heavy horse. It was founded in Lanarkshire, and Clydesdale is the old name for the district. It is a draught horse built for power, bred mainly to move large loads quickly and efficiently. The breed society describes Clydesdales as "very docile, gentle, intelligent", with a "majestic" outlook.

History

The breed's history goes back to the middle of the 18th century, when local farmers bred Flemish stallions to native Lanarkshire mares to produce horses with more weight and substance. The Sixth Duke of Hamilton imported a dark brown stallion and let his tenants use it free of charge. At around the same time John Paterson of Lochlyloch brought a black Flemish stallion with a white face from England, and Lochlyloch blood soon became famous.

Recorded pedigrees begin with a filly bought at a sale at Carstairs in 1808. Practically every Clydesdale of recorded lineage traces back to her. Her son Glancer ("Thompson's Black Horse") is still found in pedigrees, and later famous horses included Darnley, Baron's Pride and Baron of Buchlyvie. Baron of Buchlyvie was sold at auction in Ayr in 1911 for £9,500.

At its peak, Scotland had around 140,000 farm horses, most of them Clydesdales in whole or part, plus an unknown number in towns and cities. The peak year for exports was 1911, when 1,617 stallions were exported. Between 1884 and 1945 the society issued 20,183 export certificates for horses going to the Dominions, the Americas, Russia, Italy and Austria. Clydesdales were conscripted for the First World War. During and after the Second World War, tractors replaced horses on farms. Numbers dwindled in the 1960s and early 1970s, and in 1975 the Rare Breeds Survival Trust classed the breed as vulnerable. Numbers have since increased, and it is now classed as at risk.

The society's stud books go back to its origins in 1877.

Breed standard

• Height: normally 16 hh to 18 hh. Some mares are at the lower end of the range, and stallions and geldings are typically at the higher end. The society's "Clydesdale today" page gives 17–18 hh as normal.
• Colour: most commonly bay and brown with white markings; blacks, roans and chestnuts are occasionally seen. Other colours are generally not recognised for registration.
• White markings: characteristic of the breed. It is the exception to see a Clydesdale without a white blaze and a considerable amount of white on its feet and legs.
• Head: an open forehead, broad between the eyes, a flat profile, a wide muzzle, large nostrils, a bright, intelligent eye and big ears.
• Neck and body: a well-arched long neck springing from an oblique shoulder with high withers; a strong back with good spring and depth of rib; long, well-muscled quarters.
• Legs and feather: plentiful feather, silky to the touch, on limbs of strong, flat bone, with the legs set close together. A long distance from hock to pastern.
• Feet: large feet with a spring-like quality that absorbs shock under heavy loads.
• Weight: on average 1,600–1,800 lb (about 725–815 kg).

Temperament and uses

Clydesdales are still used for their traditional work of driving, farm work and logging, and are increasingly ridden, with ridden Clydesdale classes now at many shows alongside in-hand classes. The society encourages show classes as part of its breeding programme. The breed society gives an average lifespan of 20–25 years and stresses regular feeding times and regular grooming to keep the skin healthy.

Health and breeding

The breed society notes that, like many rare breeds, the Clydesdale has problems with conception, abortion and the early death of newborn foals. Research into each is under way with the support of the breed societies, and the society believes these are the reasons the breed remains rare.

Conservation

The Clydesdale is listed as At Risk on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's Watchlist. The society's breeding programme notes that the UK Government classes it as a native breed at risk.