Lifestyles
courtesy Anheuser-Busch
The “C” Team
Imagine holding the reins to 16,000 pounds of pure horsepower. So maybe that’s not enough to move mountains, but it’s certainly plenty of grunt to pull a large wooden beer wagon.
The leather in the lines alone weighs 50 pounds, and each horse has its own steering harness. Turning a corner requires four sets of communications, as the handler first signals the lead team “gee” (right) or “haw” (left). As that pair of Clydesdales makes its move, the swing team feels the tug of the rein, followed by the body team and, finally, the wheel team. Unlike a dogsled, where animals play follow-the-leader, each member of the team is highly trained and responds to the driver’s verbal and tactile commands. And so it goes for the high-stepping Budweiser Clydesdale teams, which thrill millions of onlookers each year thanks to the skill of the horses and the men and women who handle them.
A Four-Year Degree
The screening process to be a Budweiser Clydesdale begins at birth. A mature animal must stand 72 inches at the shoulder, weigh between 1,900 and 2,300 pounds, be bay in color, have white feathering (hair) above the hooves, a blaze of white on the face and a black mane and tail.
“We consider these requirements and decide which foals will make it to the hitches,” says Jim Poole, general manager for Clydesdale Operations. “We let them just be a horse for a couple of years and then slowly integrate them into the training process at two years of age.”
Hitch candidates start out with an older horse—an experienced retired animal that is compatible and acts like a mentor or senior teacher to help the youngster to literally learn the ropes. Eventually the recruits are ground-driven with nothing pulled behind them. Next, they walk behind and beside the older horse, learning to deal with traffic and other distractions. “When they are at parades and other events, there can be traffic,” says Poole. “We keep them in training for two years and don’t integrate them into a hitch until the horse is four years old.”
Budweiser Clydesdales must become road savvy and learn the intricacies of loading, unloading and other traveling skills. “Most of these horses know when it’s show time, and you can see them get excited and want to get into a trailer and on the road. They love it,” Poole said.
courtesy Anheuser-Busch
The horses enjoy excellent medical care, and even a retirement plan. “We keep them out there as long as we can,” says Poole, “as much as 15 years. The health and welfare of the horses is first and foremost. We have a partnership with the Veterinary School at the University of Tennessee, and our health and wellness program is overseen 365 days a year.”
Animals retired from service can become mentors, like those at the Fort Collins training facility, or enjoy a more sedentary lifestyle in Williamsburg, Tampa, and display areas at theme parks such as Busch Gardens and Sea World, where Clydesdales can run in paddocks and just be horses. The beautiful animals don’t have to be pulling a wagon to thrill the public.
Wanna Drive The Team?
Probably more country folks aspire to drive the Budweiser Clydesdale team than to be president of the United States. It certainly is more fun.
“Driving the hitch is the ultimate goal for a lot of our employees,” says Poole. “Our drivers usually come from a draft horse background, grew up on a farm, or had experience showing horses,” he said. “Occasionally someone will travel with the hitch for a number of years, become a co-driver in parades, and then land the lead spot.”
One might think that drivers must have a veterinary degree, yet Poole believes that a candidate must be physically strong and have good common sense around horses. Drivers hold four lines in each hand, and some people have a natural ability to handle the reins.
courtesy Anheuser-Busch
Aside from driving the team, a well-trained group of groomers and handlers must ready the animals for each performance—a process that takes four to five hours from the first feeding, through washing, grooming, braiding the manes and tails, and then loading the horses in custom-built tractor trailers. In two daily meals, a Budweiser Clydesdale will consume 20–25 quarts of feed, 50–60 pounds of hay and up to 30 gallons of water. Once at the site, the wagon is unloaded and polished and the horses are unloaded one by one, harnessed and strategically placed in their position on the wagon. The lead driver always stays by the wagon and hitches the horses to his or her specifications. Like a NASCAR pit boss, the lead driver sees that each piece of tack is strategically placed and will function properly.
Hoof care and shoeing is always closely inspected, and a farrier is contracted at each location. Horses are shod every five or six weeks, while shoes are reset or replaced as needed. This is no small feat, as a single shoe weighs up to five pounds.
Happy 75th Birthday
A look into the colorful history of the special Clydesdale breed begins in the early 19th century along the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The region, located in a valley (or dale) was know for its rich soil and abundant crops. The farmers were in great need of strong horses for hauling, plowing and carting all the necessary equipment and workers.
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One of the Dukes of Hamilton, a local, wealthy landowner, imported to the region six animals of the Great Horse, or Flemish Horse, breed that already had been regularly shipped to Scotland to be used as war horses and for farm work. The Duke made his six prize horses available for breeding to local mares, and the Clydesdale breed was born.
People from outside Lanarkshire began to refer to the big, powerful horses, as the “Clydesman’s horse,” a name that eventually became “Clydesdale.” The early Clydesdale quickly garnered attention as a breed more powerful than any breed available before. The horses were said to be capable of pulling loads of more than a ton at a walking speed of five miles an hour.
The breed’s hauling power and confident style attracted North Americans to the Clydesdale. In fact, in the early days of brewing, it was said that a brewer’s success was directly related to how far his draft horses could pull in one day. Today, the Budweiser Clydesdales are even bigger than their Scottish ancestors.
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The Budweiser Clydesdales were formally introduced on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition when the hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery. This year will mark the team’s 75th anniversary, and you can look for many activities to celebrate their continued success.
Gentle Giants On The Road
The Clydesdales travel in a style befitting a king. In order to provide rest for each of the eight “first string” horses, the Clydesdale hitch teams always travel with a total of ten “gentle giants.” The traveling caravan includes three 50-foot tractor-trailers, custom-built for the horses with rubber flooring, air suspension and vent fans to ease the rigors of hours on the road. Two tractor-trailers carry the Clydesdales and a third takes everything else—the historic beer wagon, harnesses and other gear. Cameras in the trailer (with monitors in the cab) allow the driver to keep an eye on the horses at all times, and the team stops at stables each night to rest.
Performance days for a Budweiser Clydesdale are a combination of excitement and perfection. While the horses are groomed daily, special attention is given to their appearance on performance day. Once the harnessing is complete, Clydesdales are individually hitched to the red, white and gold 1903 Studebaker-built beer wagon. The wheel horses, those closest to the wagon (and generally the strongest), are hitched up first.
Once all eight horses are hitched, the driver begins to adjust the reins. Driving the 12 tons of wagon and horses requires strength, experience and stamina. The weight of the reins plus the tension equals 75 pounds. During long parades, the driver and the assistant often alternate the reins in order to remain fresh and alert.
Dalmatians Round Out The Team
Although the Clydesdales are the stars of the show, the Dalmatian has been a faithful companion to the hitch since the 1950s. “They are great dogs, however, there really is a historical reason why we chose the Dalmatian to join the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales,” says Poole.
In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries. The black-and-white spotted dogs were swift enough to keep up with the wagons, and their light colored bodies and markings made them easier to see during twilight hours.
“Back then I’m sure they looked for aggressive dogs that could guard the wagons,” said Poole. “We look for mild-mannered dogs who enjoy being with people.”
Today, the Dalmatians are perched atop the wagon, seated next to the driver any time the Budweiser Clydesdales make an appearance, including the Rose Parade, the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics.
“For the most part, each Clydesdale hitch, including the hamlets at our breweries and theme parks, has two Dalmatians each,” added Poole. “We usually pair a new puppy with an older dog so the puppy can learn the ropes and become acclimated to the horses very early on. We have almost an equal number of male and female dogs, each obedience-trained.”
Finally, the dogs and horses create a strong bond, according to Poole. “The Dalmatians are very compatible with the horses, and even sleep with them in the stables at night. People love the Dalmatians, and along with the Clydesdales, they are another great tradition and symbol of Anheuser-Busch.”