Warm Springs Ranch, home of the Budweiser Clydesdale breeding program, is a busy place this time of year, with plenty of new foals joining the herds.
Foaling season is upon us, which means that the equine population at Warm Springs Ranch is about to grow. Warm Springs Ranch, located in Boonville, Missouri, is home of the breeding operations of the Budweiser Clydesdales. And now is the busiest time of the year.
The ranch is home to about 70 Clydesdales on 300-plus acres of rolling hills, and each breeding season brings at least 33 new additions. These Clydesdale foals may be cute and cuddly now, but they'll quickly grow to resemble their gentle giant parents.
The breeding farm seeks to breed Clydesdale horses suitable for use to pull the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdale hitches. The hitches travel all over the country, making appearances at events like parades and fairs. In order to maintain the hitches' iconic look, Clydesdales suitable for the beer wagon hitch need to meet certain requirements. First of all, they must be geldings - no mares or stallions are used in the hitches. Secondly, they need to be bay with a dark mane and tail, have a white face, and have four white legs.
Check out these adorable baby Clydesdales at the ranch.
Until the new babies are ready to join the hitch, though, the folks at the ranch will raise them and train them. It's a tall order, since horses need to learn many skills. The foals need to be taught how to be led with a halter, and they'll learn to pick up their hooves for cleaning and shoeing on command.
Handlers will teach the foals ground manners, like the importance of moving over when asked. They'll learn to lower their heads to be haltered, how to stand patiently for grooming and the vet, and how to keep their human handlers safe.
This year will bring a new crop of foals, and in a few years, some of those foals might be pulling the famous Budweiser hitches.
Have you ever seen the Budweiser Clydesdales in person? Tell us in the comments below.
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