Life with Clydesdales
Aug 1, 2021 12:18:10 #
Aug 1, 2021 14:31:29 #
Aug 1, 2021 14:44:17 #
SnoShuSam
Loc: Texas, (ex Virginian)
In 1972 I was at a Mizzou home football game and at 1/2 time the Mizzou band started the Budweiser song and from an area outside the stadium came the Budweiser wagon with those wonderful Clydesdale horses. The cheer that went up from all of us just exploded! After the game they had a fenced off area that we could go down and see them. They were so beautiful! So calm and a few lucky pretty girls were invited in to see them up close. No guys were allowed to get close, only the girls. Just seeing those horses come out and make 2 circles of the field was fantastic. My seats were so high I didn't have any cameras with me. Students didn't get many really good seats.
Love your horses and your shots of them.
Love your horses and your shots of them.
Aug 1, 2021 15:32:24 #
Gorgeous horses in action. Never saw a Clydesdale ridden with a saddle either, but why not if you can spread your legs that wide comfortably.
Aug 1, 2021 16:41:13 #
Aug 1, 2021 18:32:56 #
We have had them for 20 years. However time catches us all and we have lost all but one. The last to go was just months ago. They are wonderfull companions just too short lived. I have spent many hours sitting on their paddock fence talking while they listened. I can't resist showing these images of my wife ridding our first gelding, Alex. We purchased him directly from Anhauser Bush's western breeding farm in Southern California before they moved. We made 3 trips, 1200 miles round trip each, to get familiar with the herd of mares and babies before deciding on Alex. My wife trained him herself to ride and drive. Enjoy these few images of the two of them.
Aug 1, 2021 19:13:20 #
We also broke ours to ride and drive. We traveled many miles to state fairs and for years they were a feature of the local Scottish festival. An event we did every year was to take them to a local large Christmas tree farm here in Va, we would put one in a paddock for petting, and use the other to pull the trees that the customers had cut, to their vehicles. Often the children would get on the reins with us and walk them out, the look on their faces were priceless and now more than 25 years ago I bet some of them are still talking about it. Wish we could go back to that time, but physical limitations get in the way. Being ours were always out in public we trained them not to fear vehicle backfires, fireworks, gunshots, chainsaws and all manner of noises.
Aug 1, 2021 19:39:26 #
That's great. Did you happen to know Rebecca and Johnny Cannon from Tennessee? They put on large draft horse shows in Perry, Georgia and around Tennessee. My wife saw her at the Clydesdale National show in Wisconsin and they became wonderful friends. Great mentors and beyond kind and helpful.
Aug 1, 2021 19:42:31 #
Aug 1, 2021 20:21:37 #
Aug 1, 2021 22:10:44 #
No I didn't. We did shows in NC, VA, PA, Ohio,Illinois, Indiana Went to the National sale in Springfield for over 10 years. Were good friends with Phil and Berry Farrel who manager the St Louis facility for years. All good memories, too bad we can't eat the trophies and ribbons!
Best of luck with your Clydes.
Best of luck with your Clydes.
Aug 1, 2021 23:48:29 #
Reuss Griffiths
Loc: Ravenna, Ohio
Great set of images. Really like the feeling of the first image. Question. How many hands is the horse or maybe the better question is how many hands are you?
Aug 2, 2021 11:35:21 #
Reuss Griffiths wrote:
Great set of images. Really like the feeling of the first image. Question. How many hands is the horse or maybe the better question is how many hands are you?
Duncan was a retired AB team horse who came to live with us later in his life. He was a "wheel" horse in the hitch. These are generally the bigger guys and closest to the wagon. Lighter more agile "swing" horses are at the front. Of course most of the work is done by the wheel horses. He was measured at 19 hands 2 inches and weighed 2400 pounds. He was truly a big guy. The lady in the image is my wife and she is 5 foot 8 inches, but her weight is not going to be given. Thank you for asking.
Aug 2, 2021 11:40:59 #
Here is a photo of me with Duncan and Alex. I am 6 ft 1 incch. We call the phot I of my wife and Duncan "the big hug"
Aug 3, 2021 13:14:22 #
StanMac
Loc: Tennessee
hobie 33 wrote:
This is a collection of photos of our 4 Clydesdales. 2 from Anheuser Busch and 2 from a private farm in Michigan. These show tacking up, riding, and hugging involved with their training. Notice the "trail ride" where they line up like they were hitched.
Big and Beautiful creatures!
Stan
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