Horses - Very Cool Stuffed Animal Gifts!

I can not speak for you or anyone else out there but I have always loved Clydesdale horses, in case you are not familiar with what one looks like, don’t fret. You have seen one before, they are the gorgeous horses that are in the Budweiser commercials. Every since the first time I laid eyes on one, I wanted one. Well needless to say my parents didn’t go out and buy me a Clydesdale horse, but they did buy me a toy horse that was a Clydesdale and I played with that toy horse for years. I guarantee you that they are still up in my parent’s attic along with my rocking horse I loved so much.

The Clydesdale originally comes from Scotland, but ironically the United States currently has the most Clydesdales, at least 600 new Clydesdales are registered in the United States every year. This probably has to do with the fact that Anheuser-Busch is breeding and raising them in St. Louis.

The Clydesdales are mostly noted for their grace and versatility. They were mainly used as working horses on farms in Scotland, because they can pull heavy loads. It is difficult to say how much a Clydesdale can pull, but they have no problem pulling a wagon that weighs as much or a little more than them. A Clydesdale can weigh as little as 1,600 or as much as 2,400 and they reach heights of six feet tall, but trust me, when you are standing next to one they seem a lot taller than six feet. These giants also consume 25 to 50 pounds of hay a day and 2 to 10 pounds of grain a day.

Now let’s talk about the one thing that sets these gorgeous horses apart from any other horse. That would be the white hair or feather that is around their legs. This hair originally helped protect their legs when they were working, but now it is strictly for show. Another interesting attribute that Clydesdales have is their large hoofs, which is one thing that they are known for. To put it in terms that you can comprehended a Clydesdales hoofs are as big as a dinner plate, other horses hoofs are half that size.
These giant horses carry their foals for 11 months and when they are born they can weigh anywhere from 110 to 180 pounds. A broodmare which is a mother with a foal can produce up to 100 pounds of milk a day and the foal can gain up to 4 pounds a day for the first few months of their life.

Now that you know a little about these beautiful horses and if you happen to have $5,000 to a $100,000 lying around go pick yourself up one. But if you are like most of us stick with a toy horse or better yet the old fashioned rocking horse. Also, if you would like to see these horses up close and personal you can see them at Sea World as well as their farm in St. Louis.

Resources:
http://www.clydesusa.com/clydesdale_faq.htm

Clydesdale Horse Facts