---
title: "What the sources say about the Clydesdale Horse | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "45 claims from the Clydesdale Horse profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/clydesdale-horse-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/clydesdale-horse/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Clydesdale Horse (*Equus caballus*)

> 45 claims from the Clydesdale Horse profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Clydesdale Horse](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/clydesdale-horse/)

## All About the Clydesdale: Physical Characteristics. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/clydesdale/characteristics/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| with males standing up to 19 hands on feathered ankles | Adult male Clydesdales measure 17 to 19 hands (1.7-1.9 m or 5.7-6.3 ft.). ... the feather (the long white hair found on the Clydesdale's ankle). |
| An immensely strong, barrel-chested body, bred for hauling and farm work | The Clydesdale is an immensely strong, barrel-chested horse. It was originally bred for hauling and doing farm work. |
| An adult male stands 17 to 19 hands at the withers, the top of the shoulders (about 1.7 to 1.9 meters), and averages 771 to 998 kilograms. Females are a little smaller, at 16 to 18 hands and 680 to 771 kilograms. One hand equals 10.2 centimeters. | A horse is measured from the ground to the withers (the tip of its shoulders), in units called hands (one hand equals 10.2 cm or 4 in.). Adult male Clydesdales measure 17 to 19 hands (1.7-1.9 m or 5.7-6.3 ft.). A male's average weight is between 771 to 998 kg (1,700-2,200 lb.). Adult females measure 16 to 18 hands (1.6-1.7 m or 5.3-5.7 ft.). A female averages 680 to 771 kg (1,500-2,000 lb.). |
| The breed was originally bred for hauling and farm work. | The Clydesdale is an immensely strong, barrel-chested horse. It was originally bred for hauling and doing farm work. |
| An adult male stands 17 to 19 hands at the withers, about 1.7 to 1.9 meters, and averages 771 to 998 kilograms. Females are a little smaller, at 16 to 18 hands and 680 to 771 kilograms. | Adult male Clydesdales measure 17 to 19 hands (1.7-1.9 m or 5.7-6.3 ft.). A male's average weight is between 771 to 998 kg (1,700-2,200 lb.). Adult females measure 16 to 18 hands (1.6-1.7 m or 5.3-5.7 ft.). A female averages 680 to 771 kg (1,500-2,000 lb.). |
| Bred for hauling and farm work, the Clydesdale is an immensely strong, barrel-chested horse | The Clydesdale is an immensely strong, barrel-chested horse. It was originally bred for hauling and doing farm work. |
| Long white hair called "feather" grows on the ankles. | the feather (the long white hair found on the Clydesdale's ankle). |
| A full-grown Clydesdale's horseshoe measures more than 51 centimeters end to end and weighs about 2.3 kilograms (5 pounds). | A horseshoe for a full-grown Clydesdale measures more than 51 cm (22 in.) from end to end and weighs about 2.3 kg (5 lb.). It's more than two times as long and four times as heavy as shoes worn by a riding horse. (note: The source's inch figure (22 in.) does not match its own 51 cm (51 cm is about 20 in), so the page gives the metric length only.) |
| That is more than twice as long and four times as heavy as a riding horse's shoe. | It's more than two times as long and four times as heavy as shoes worn by a riding horse. |
| The most common coats are bay and brown, though some may be gray, black or roan, and white markings on the face and legs are typical. | The most common Clydesdale colors are bay (a deep mahogany brown) and brown, though some may be gray, black, or roan (bay with some white hairs). White markings on the face, legs, and sometimes on the body are typical of this breed. |
| weightKg: 771 | A male's average weight is between 771 to 998 kg (note: task #489; 771 kg is the bottom of the male average and the top of the female one ('680 to 771 kg'); Heavy either way, as the name guess already gave) |

## All About the Clydesdale: Longevity & Causes of Death. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/clydesdale/longevity/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Clydesdales generally live into their late teens to early twenties. | Clydesdales generally live into their late teens to early twenties. |
| Examining the teeth is one of the most reliable ways to tell a horse's age: as a horse gets older, the flat surfaces of its teeth gradually wear down. As Clydesdales reach their middle teens, some develop more white on their faces. | Tooth examination is one of the most reliable methods for aging a horse. As a horse ages, the tablelike surfaces on the teeth gradually wear down. ... As Clydesdales reach their middle teens some develop more white on their faces. |
| Clydesdales generally live into their late teens to early twenties. | Clydesdales generally live into their late teens to early twenties. |

## Clydesdale Horse. The Livestock Conservancy, Heritage Breeds.

https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/clydesdale-horse/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| first bred in the mid-1700s for heavy hauling | Their history goes back to the mid-1700s when native horses were mated with larger Flemish horses. Their offspring were then selected for use in agriculture and for all types of heavy hauling, including transport through the streets of Glasgow. |
| A draft breed from Lanarkshire, Scotland | The Clydesdale is a draft horse breed from Lanarkshire, Scotland whose name is derived from the River Clyde. |
| Not Evaluated | Status: Threatened (note: GBIF's copy of the Red List has no assessment for the domestic horse (Equus caballus); the species-wide status stays Not Evaluated (settled PR #376/#417). This breed-charity 'Threatened' status is a US priority-list rating, not an IUCN category, and is scoped that way in the body and the FAQ.) |
| It is well known but not common. | Status: Threatened ... Globally, the breed is well known but not common, with an estimated global population of fewer than 5,000 horses. |
| North American numbers rose for several decades, but a sharp decline began around 2010, prompted by an economic downturn that hit the whole horse market. | The North American population of Clydesdale horses had increased steadily for several decades, but a sharp decline began around 2010, prompted by the economic downturn that affected the entire equine market. |
| In the 1930s, Anheuser-Busch began using a hitch of Clydesdales to celebrate the end of Prohibition and to represent its products. The "Budweiser Clydesdales" were an instant sensation when they delivered the first post-Prohibition beer to the White House. | In the 1930s, the Anheuser-Busch Company of St. Louis, Missouri, began to use a hitch of Clydesdales to celebrate the end of Prohibition and to represent the company's products. The "Budweiser Clydesdales" were an immediate sensation when they delivered the first post-Prohibition beer to the White House |
| The company has kept a Clydesdale breeding program since 1953, and The Livestock Conservancy says its support in the 1950s and 1960s was critical to the breed's survival in North America. | Anheuser Busch has maintained a Clydesdale breeding program since 1953, and that the company's commitment to the breed during the 1950s and 1960s was critical to its survival in North America. |
| is a draft horse breed from Lanarkshire, Scotland, named after the River Clyde | The Clydesdale is a draft horse breed from Lanarkshire, Scotland whose name is derived from the River Clyde. |
| In the mid-1700s | Their history goes back to the mid-1700s when native horses were mated with larger Flemish horses. |
| The Clydesdale Horse Society formed in 1877, and the breed's registry records go back to the 1830s. | The Clydesdale Horse Society was formed in 1877, and its breed registry records go back to the 1830s. |
| The breed reached North America in the 1840s. | The Clydesdale was first imported to North America in the 1840s. |
| In the 1930s, Anheuser-Busch began using a hitch of Clydesdales to celebrate the end of Prohibition. The hitch was an instant sensation when it delivered the first post-Prohibition beer to the White House. | In the 1930s, the Anheuser-Busch Company of St. Louis, Missouri, began to use a hitch of Clydesdales to celebrate the end of Prohibition and to represent the company's products. The "Budweiser Clydesdales" were an immediate sensation when they delivered the first post-Prohibition beer to the White House |
| The company has kept a Clydesdale breeding program since 1953. | Anheuser Busch has maintained a Clydesdale breeding program since 1953 |
| with long, well-muscled quarters | The withers are high, the back short, and the quarters long and well-muscled. |
| Its gait is distinctive: each hoof lifts cleanly off the ground, so the bottom of the foot shows from behind. | The breed's action is distinctive, with each foot lifted cleanly off the ground so that the bottom of the foot is visible from behind. |
| Despite its giant size, the Clydesdale has a laid-back, "happy" temperament, says The Livestock Conservancy. It calls the breed intelligent and easy to train, and a good family horse, even for beginners. | Despite their giant size, Clydesdales have a laid-back, "happy" disposition. They are intelligent and easy to train. They make good family horses, even for beginners. |
| In North America, numbers rose for decades, but a sharp decline began around 2010, prompted by an economic downturn across the horse market. | The North American population of Clydesdale horses had increased steadily for several decades, but a sharp decline began around 2010, prompted by the economic downturn that affected the entire equine market. |
| lists the Clydesdale as "Threatened" and estimates fewer than 5,000 worldwide | Status: Threatened ... Globally, the breed is well known but not common, with an estimated global population of fewer than 5,000 horses. (note: Current state: the Livestock Conservancy page was updated 2025-01-08.) |
| a US nonprofit | The Livestock Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. |
| lists the Clydesdale as "Threatened" and estimates fewer than 5,000 worldwide | Status: Threatened ... Globally, the breed is well known but not common, with an estimated global population of fewer than 5,000 horses. (note: Current state: the Livestock Conservancy page was updated 2025-01-08. A breed-charity priority-list status, not an IUCN category.) |
| a draft horse whose action lifts each foot cleanly off the ground | The breed's action is distinctive, with each foot lifted cleanly off the ground (note: vibe.reason (task #489); replaces '2,000-pound' and 'monolithic Scottish power') |

## Breed History. Clydesdale Horse Society.

https://www.clydesdalehorsesociety.com/breed-history

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| exported between 1850 and 1945 to Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and parts of Europe | between 1850 and 1880 a large number of the best stallions and a few good quality mares were annually exported mainly to Australia and New Zealand. ... during the period 1884 to 1945, 20,183 export certificates for stallions, mares and fillies were issued by the Society, the importing countries being not only the Dominions, but America, South America, Russia, Italy and Austria. |
| native Lanarkshire horses were bred with Flemish stallions to make them bigger and heavier | The history of the breed dates back from the middle of the 18th century when native horses of Lanarkshire were graded up in an effort to produce greater weight and substance by the use of Flemish stallions. |
| The first of those stallions was imported by the Sixth Duke of Hamilton, who let his tenants use it free of charge. | The first stallion, imported by the Sixth Duke of Hamilton, was dark brown in colour and was kept for the benefit of his tenants who were granted its use, free of charge. |
| Between 1884 and 1945, the society issued 20,183 export certificates, for horses bound as far as Russia and South America. | during the period 1884 to 1945, 20,183 export certificates for stallions, mares and fillies were issued by the Society, the importing countries being not only the Dominions, but America, South America, Russia, Italy and Austria. |
| During the Second World War, British farms had to produce as much as they could, and that took tractors: horses were replaced by machines. | The conditions prevailing in Britain during the Second World War necessitated the agricultural industry being brought to its highest pitch of productivity, and this could only be attained by the extensive use of the tractor and sadly, horses were replaced by mechanical power. |
| Breed numbers dwindled in the 1960s and early 1970s, and in 1975 the Rare Breeds Survival Trust rated the Clydesdale "vulnerable". | During the 1960s and early 1970s, breed numbers dwindled and in 1975, the Clydesdale was categorized by the Rare Breed Survival Trust as "vulnerable". (note: The source's own text reads 'Rare Breed Survival Trust'; the page uses the organisation's actual name, Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST).) |
| Numbers have grown over the years, and the rating is now "at risk". | Over the years and with the increase in breed numbers, it is now categorized as "at risk". (note: Current state: the Clydesdale Horse Society page is dated 2026.) |

## Equus caballus (horse). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Equus_caballus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Like other domestic horses, grazes mainly on true grasses and is often fed grains such as oats and barley, sometimes with vitamin and mineral supplements | Primarily folivores by nature, horses primarily graze on true grasses. Domestic horses are often fed various amounts of grains, including oats, barley, corn, wheat, flax, soybeans, alfalfa, clover, Timothy hay, and Johnson grass. In addition to this diet, they may also be provided vitamin and mineral supplements. |
| Like other domestic horses, it grazes mainly on true grasses and is often fed grains such as oats, barley and corn, sometimes with vitamin and mineral supplements. | Primarily folivores by nature, horses primarily graze on true grasses. Domestic horses are often fed various amounts of grains, including oats, barley, corn, wheat, flax, soybeans, alfalfa, clover, Timothy hay, and Johnson grass. In addition to this diet, they may also be provided vitamin and mineral supplements. (note: Worded as a general domestic-horse fact: ADW's diet section covers Equus caballus species-wide.) |
| dangerLevel: Medium | injures humans (note: task #489; ADW's Negative Impacts for Equus caballus. No cached source reports a death, so Deadly is not supported; LC calls the breed laid-back, so Medium stands) |