HI!! I am so tickled you asked about my clydesdale! He is such a good boy and beautiful too. Here's a little of his story mingled with mine.
I had loved horses my whole life but couldn't ever afford it until I was in my late 30's. I started taking lessons and was soon ready for my own horse. I asked a trusted horse friend to find a horse for me as I didn't know a thing about picking a good, sane, safe, sound horse. I just said BIG and BLACK!! Well, Bailey is who she found for me! When she found him, however, he was advertised as a grade shire. About two years after I got him, I showed his picture to some people who had a shire hitch at the Oregon State Fair and they knew him!! Said that he was in their hitch for about 3 years and that he was actually a clydesdale. Since then I have been in contact with his breeders, have gotten his papers, and was able to fill in all but about 9 months of his life when he became a shire and lost his name.
People thought I was nuts getting such a giant horse for my first horse ever, but he has been a gem. He's easy to handle and tolerant of my mistakes. When I boarded, the 4H girls helped lead horses in from the pasture and we trusted him even with the littlest 70 pounders (although if their mom's happened to drive up then, they about had a cow!). He loves kids and seeks them out. Many times I drove up to the barn and there would be 3 or 4 kids crawling all over him and swinging under his neck and sliding off his butt. When they'd leave him, he'd follow them to to the gate and whinney his giant horse whinney.
He's 15 now (was 8 when I got him) and pretty much retired except for lazy trail rides. I'm sure he'd like to drive again (he won a LOT on the west coast in big hitches, as well as ladies and youth cart classes) but if you think the equipment for the little guys is expensive, try buying it for the big guys!
Bailey is just (!) 17 hands and goes about 1900 pounds. I used to board and there were some thoroughbreds that ate a lot more than he did. He wears size 9 shoes, and a 92" blanket. My husband calls him "The Princess", mainly because he expects to be pampered and even a few drops of rain send him to the gate or barn talking to us to let him in. Sheesh.
Here's one of my favorite pictures of him. It just takes my breath away. Look at those giant feet!
And here's one of me riding him. He's really sunfaded from spending the summer outside, but he's a true black believe it or not. We were at a game show running barrels and poles that day. We were the slowest ones there but he loved it. He would just dance in place when he knew he was next! Funny giant horse!
Lastly, here's him doing his favorite thing (and being bugged by the baby donkey!)
Thanks so much for asking! I love talking about him!
Jayne and Bailey (registered name Sister's View Governor)
