My new Clyde!!

ewa

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I recently acquired a 2yr old Clydesdale gelding. He is already 17.2hh+ and growing like a weed! His name is Finnley and he is a registered Clyde. I got him from a breeder for a great price since he has two dusty front legs. Clydes are supposed to have four white stockings but Finns front legs have some dark hair mixed in and his one rear leg the stocking is not quite high enough. They could have still shown him but they have so many others with better coloring so they decided to sell him instead. He is going to mature to over 18hh but will still be quite the athletic horse. Man can he move!!

He is still at his old home which is 2.5hours away from me but they are hauling him to my place for me sometime next month. Luckily they live in a small town and I live near the city with the former worlds biggest mall. They are coming in to town to go Christmas shopping and are gonna drop him off on the way!

I am so excited to get started working with him now before he gets any bigger. I have sat on him once and he is green broke to drive so it should be easy enough to start riding the big bohemoth!! He is so quiet and easy going!

I apologize for the closed eyes, he is so not photogenic! I love the big roman nose!!

I love the forehead marking as well and the dusty front legs are fine by me! They make him unique!

and finally the bum! He has such nice big hips, but his stride is going to be huge. Ouch hours of that big rocking trot is going to kill me. All I gotta do is learn to go totally limp from the waist down and I should be fine!!


PS I hate the docked tail. It`s huge pet peeve of mine but when I bought him I had only seen pics(not these ones), I hadn`t actually seen him in person and did not know his tail was docked! I should give him a tail extension in the summer to swat flies!LOL!
 

twstychik

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You mean his tail will never get any longer than that?! I've seen horse tails like that before but never realized they were docked! What's the logic behind it?

He is a big handsome boy though! I
clydes. I got the meet the Budweiser clydes years ago and they are awe inspiring animals.
 

bnwalker2

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Originally Posted by twstychik

You mean his tail will never get any longer than that?! I've seen horse tails like that before but never realized they were docked! What's the logic behind it?
What I've heard is that they started docking them long ago to keep their tails out of the drop chains, reins, etc, when they're pulling wagons and whatever else. I hate the docking too. John's dad's Clydes are not docked, he "ordered" them that way from the breeder when they were babies. He was considering selling them this year and had an interested buyer that actually yelled at him for not having the tails docked... said "it's not a real Clydesdale if the tail isn't docked"
 
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ewa

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Thanks everyone! I am so excited to start riding him!! I can't wit until spring!

The reason they started docking tails was because back when we used drafts to pull farm equipment like balers, etc... that were mechanical they didn't want horses tails getting caught in the moving parts and ripped off. They cut the tail bone off a couple of vertibrae down so the tail and hair remain above the hocks. I hate it!! In this day and age it is cruel and pointless to dock. They need their tails to swat flies. If they are shown their tails are usually in buns and it is so easy to take five minutes to do an awesome looking draft tail bun. My Belgians tail touches the ground and when I was breaking him to drive or had him hooked up to the stoneboat, I would either do a tail bun or even just braid and then tie his tail up with vet wrap to keep it out of the way!

But I guess whats done is done and I bought him so I will have to deal with the fact that his tail is docked!
 

faith's_mom

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What a very handsome boy...congrats!!!


Docking doesn't stop the hair from growing (they do still keep it trimmed up...it just takes longer to grow); that said Just let his tail grow out...it won't be nearly as long as thick as a 'normal' tail, but it will be substantial enough to swat flies with, atleast ones immediately around his hinder...no matter how long it is, he will never have quite enough 'swat' to really do a whole lot, so you will always want to make sure he has an adequate lean to he can go into, or a fly sheet on him in the fly months...



Ummm...even in the old days, they needed their tails to swat flies...a pair of shears, or a braid would have kept those tails out of the way of machinery...I don't think docking was ever a 'necessary' evil to our horses.
 
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ewa

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Thank you, I think he is the cutest thing!!

I had a old Belgian that had his tail docked and the hair grew down just past his hocks and was so thin it was pretty much useless. I plan on letting his tail grow out as much as it will and then use herbal fly repellent on him just like I do my with others. I know it was never necessary but back then draft horses were viewed by most farmers as a piece of farm equipment. After that it became aesthetic and people say "it just isn't a Clyde without its tail docked". I had to pay extra to NOT have my giant schnauzers ears done, on both dogs, from different breeders. They wouldn't not do tails!

I find it funny how in dogs and horses, heck even goats, it aesthetically appealing to have an animal mutilated. I say no to tail docking, ear cropping, and disbudding horns.
 

babywukong

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Wow he's beautiful! Horses have always awed me, I'm just a little afraid of them because they are so huge. Its like a swing of their heads could smash me to the ground.. I don't wanna piss one off!

I agree that docking of tails and cropping of ears are completely senseless cruelties. Don't understand why so many people insist on having certain breeds mutilated for "aesthetic purposes"... crock of nonsense!
 

olivia's mom

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What a handsome boy! I love the drafties! If you've never owned a horse with alot of feather, make sure you check the legs underneath regularly so he doesn't develop scratches. Sounds like you guys are going to have fun riding once spring comes.
 

pushylady

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Wow! He is awesome! I can't believe that you ride that big beastie! Absolutely beautiful animals.
 
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