Horse of a different... species?

One of the many carriage horses of St. Augustine wearing reindeer antlers for the holiday season.

Sea World: Part 9 - Budweiser Clydesdales

All information below taken from the offical FAQ on the Sea World website: http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/clydesdale/faq.htm


When did Anheuser-Busch acquire the famous Budweiser Clydesdales?

They were formally introduced to August A. Busch Sr. and Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. August A. Busch Jr. wanted to commemorate the special day. To his father's delight, the hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery.

What are the qualifications to be a Budweiser Clydesdale?

To qualify for one of the six hitches (five traveling and one stationary), a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age. He must stand 72 inches, or 6 feet, at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, be bay in color, have four white stocking feet, a blaze of white on the face, and a black mane and tail.

How much food and water do the Clydesdales need?

Each hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of whole grains, minerals and vitamins, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

How big are the Clydesdales' horseshoes?

Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds - more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a riding horse. A horse's hoof is made of a nerveless, horn-like substance similar to the human fingernail, so being fitted for shoes affects the animal no more than a manicure affects people.

Why does a Dalmatian accompany the hitch?

Dalmatians have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch since the 1950s. The Dalmatian breed long has been associated with horses and valued for their speed, endurance and dependable nature. Dalmatians were known as coach dogs, because they ran between the wheels of coaches or carriages and were companions to the horses. Today, the Dalmatians are perched atop the wagon, seated next to the driver.

Horses on a Hill

Taken in 2004 in North Central Tennessee, about an hour and a half east of Nashville, near the town of Cookeville at a horse farm / ranch where we went to do some horseback riding, though the horses in this shot were not used for riding. Having never been on a horse in the hill country before it was quite an experience. Almost all of us felt certain that we were going to die at least once during the hour long ride. The horse riding ranches we've been to in our area of Florida are the type where the horses go one speed - slow - no matter what and follow each other slowly and the land is flat. These in Tennessee were not such horses. They would gallop, go through trees and bushes, stop, and - once we learned out to control them 3/4 of the way through the trip - do anything you told them to do. A little more training would have been nice other than, "Put your feet in the stirrups, hold this here rope thing, and hold on." :)