Breed of the Week: Clydesdale!

Some of you Cardinals fans may be familiar with this awesome breed of horse; a Clydesdale! They are popular for pulling around a carriage of the perimeter of Busch stadium. This horse breed is unique and easy to identify if you look at their features closely.

The Clydesdale breed has so many awesome features. This horse type is a draft* horse, which makes them muscly, toned, strong, and barrel-chested. Not to mention their humongous size! Because of their fit body type, they have the ability to pull around heavy objects; for example, a carriage. Clydesdale have long manes, tails, and forelocks* that traditionally is a black-color. Their fur color is normally a dark mahogany color, formally know as bay. Usually they have a white blaze running down the middle of their face and a white hoof markings. (Reference the chart below.) Clydesdale also have long feathers, a hair material fanning out from above their hoof. This was originally made one of the horses' characteristics to help protect their leg when they ran wild.

Today, Clydesdale excel in dressage, a precise form of showing, requiring horses to perform assorted graceful movements. This breed is also great trail-riding horses due to their sure-footed gaits*, and ability to remain calm and spook* rarely.

Thank you for reading this post! Join me again soon for an article dedicated to a new, interesting topic. Don't hesitate to ask questions or comment your input. I always love to hear from you guys!

Definitions*******^******^******^******^*******^*******^

1. Draft Horse*: a large horse used for pulling heavy loads, especially a cart or plow.

2. Forelock*: the part of the mane of a horse or similar animal, which grows from the poll and hangs down over the forehead.

3. Gaits*: the paces or different intensity of speeds of an animal, especially of a horse.

4. Spook*: The sudden frightening of a horse due to a sound, sight, or touch that is disturbing to them.