Clydesdales pull a Semi out of a Snow Drift
Originally posted at yahoo.ca
by Jeff Perez
Winter storm Jonas did a number on a major portion of the east coast this past week. While most people were stuck indoors, some people were unfortunately out and about on the street, getting themselves stuck in feet of snow. But what’s the best way to get unstuck from the snowy conditions?
If you were to ask this semi-truck driver, it’s four Belgian Clydesdales and a man in a buggy. The video you see here is from 2011, but it’s not any less interesting or relevant than it is this week.
The truck driver seemingly makes a wide turn, getting himself caught up in a snow-drift. Thankfully, a man and his clydesdales Belgians come to the rescue. It’s an amazing feat by these four horses.
Wiki
The Clydesdale is a breed of draught horse derived from the farm horses of Clydesdale, Scotland, and named after that region. Although originally one of the smaller breeds of draught horses, it is now a tall breed. Often bay in color, they show significant white markings due to the presence of sabino genetics. The breed was originally used for agriculture and haulage, and is still used for draught purposes today. The Budweiser Clydesdales are some of the most famous Clydesdales, and other members of the breed are used as drum horses by the British Household Cavalry. They have also been used to create and improve other draught breeds.
The breed was developed from Flemish stallions imported to Scotland and crossed with local mares. The first recorded use of the name “Clydesdale” for the breed was in 1826, and by 1830 a system of hiring stallions had begun that resulted in the spread of Clydesdale horses throughout Scotland and into northern England. The first breed registry was formed in 1877. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of Clydesdales were exported from Scotland and sent throughout the world, including to Australia and New Zealand, where they became known as “the breed that built Australia”. However, during World War I population numbers began to decline due to increasing mechanization and war conscription. This decline continued, and by the 1970s, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust considered the breed vulnerable to extinction. Population numbers have increased slightly in the intervening time, but they are still thought to be vulnerable.
Originally posted at yahoo.ca
by Jeff Perez
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iamwill