The Clydesdale Horse takes its name from the area in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire around the valley of the River Clyde where the breed evolved into the strain that become its foundation It is recorded that in the late 1600s the then Duke of Hamilton brought 6 black Coaching stallions from Flanders to his castle at Strathaven. The local farmers grasped the opportunity to use these stallions on their traditional 'Scotch' mares and it is reported that the resultant animals were superior to both their sires and dams and from then on, the breed evolved and developed. The horse fairs held in and around Lanark became a mecca for farmers and carters who wished to purchase the horses which had a reputation even at that point for being the best draught horses in Europe. Various horse breeders became very prominent, with one of the first being the Paterson family of Lochyloch who are first mentioned around 1715 and were still a force to be reckoned with in 1836!

Although the breed originated in Lanarkshire, it spread throughout Scotland, Northern England and Ireland and different types began to evolve - Galloway, Kintyre and Banffshire being specifically mentioned in the first (retrospective) volume of the Stud Book which was printed in 1878 by which time the breed was over a century and a half old. The Clydesdale Horse Society was formally launched in June of 1877.

Male or female, a Clydesdale should look handsome, weighty and powerful, but with a gaiety of carriage and outlook, so that the impression is given of quality and weight, rather than grossness and bulk.

"No feet no horse" is an old saying, but applies with particular force in the Clydesdale show ring. The judge expects to see 'open and round like a masons mallet'. The hoof heads must be wide and springy, with no suspicion of hardness such as may lead to the formation of side-bone or ring bone. The feather on the legs is a beauty point in the breed. British judges put more stress on the silkiness of the hair than judges across the Atlantic do. Pasterns must be long and set at an angle of 45( from the hoof head to the fetlock joint. The fore legs must be planted well under the shoulders, plumb, and hang straight from the shoulder to the fetlock joint. There must be no openness at the knees, nor any tendency to knock-knees. The hind legs must also be planted closely together with the points of the hocks turned inwards rather than outwards. The thighs must come well down to the hocks and the shanks from the hock-joint to the fetlock joint must be plumb and straight.

A Clydesdale should have a nice open forehead, broad between the eyes, a flat profile, wide muzzle, large nostrils, a bright clear intelligent eye, big ears and a well arched long neck springing out of an oblique shoulder with high withers. The back should be short and strong, carrying out towards the rump and this must be associated with lots of spring and depth of rib - like the hoops of a barrel! The horse's quarters should not only be long, but well muscled - this is a draught horse after all.

The colours most common are bay and brown with white markings, but blacks, greys, roans and chestnuts are occasionally seen.. The white markings are characteristic, and it is the exception to see a bay or brown Clydesdale without a white face and considerable white on the feet and legs.

The essentials of the breed have been maintained over almost three centuries - pulling power and good sound legs and feet being paramount coupled with a long quick step and good fluid movement. The horses originally measured 16.2 - 17hh but today the upper end of this size range is preferred. The overall impression too is one of quality - these are not plain horses but gentle, intelligent animals that are easily handled.

During their heyday there were around 140,000 horses working on farms in Scotland alone, with many in the cities and towns doing the essential draught work prior to the invention of the motor vehicle. There was also a huge export trade to the 'colonies' and the Americas.

However as motor power took over, so the horses popularity declined, the low point being around the mid 1970s when the breed became a designated 'Rare Breed'. A group of die-hard enthusiasts driven by family tradition and sentiment kept the breed alive. Encouragingly today there is something of a revival in the demand for the horses partly as a result of the recognition by commercial firms who have 'harnessed' the promotional abilities of these splendid animals.

Clydesdales always evoke a very positive response from spectators at all the various agricultural shows throughout the Country, not least when they are harnessed to carts as singles, pairs, threes, fours or even sixes - when they move, the earth moves with them! Immensely powerful yet at the same time quiet and kind they seem to create a following wherever they go.

New breeders have come into the Society, alongside the families who over the generations kept the breed going. The Clydesdale Horse Society actively promotes classes for Young Handlers and Stockmen and girls so that the younger generation can learn and perpetuate the skills that for a while were all but lost. And what's more, they thoroughly enjoy competing against each other - Clydesdales are 'Cool' heading for the Millennium!

The horses are also venturing into new spheres - environmentalists have recognised that they can carry out work in sensitive woodland areas minimising damage to ecosystems where mechanised methods would cause untold harm. And increasingly people are riding the horses for pleasure too - one Clydesdale carries a Minister in Argyll on his rounds and others take part in dressage and endurance riding. Clydesdales crossed with lighter legged horses are also becoming increasingly popular for all sorts of riding club activities and even Show Jumping and One Day Eventing.

For further details of the breed or information on joining the Society, contact