A Horse named Fire

 Last week I had a chance to go to the Iowa State Fair.  I had a perfect day enjoying the National Percheron Show, that happened to be held on my day off from the Post Office.  I will share pictures of that in an upcoming blog post about Percheron show horses.  The Budweiser eight-horse-hitch makes a yearly appearance out our state fair.  As the old movie song goes, (movie titled, "State Fair") "Our state fair is a great state fair... it's the best state fair in our state."

These Clydesdale horses are breathtakingly beautiful.  I watched them prance perfectly through a crowd, complete with yells and screams coming from a nearby midway, and a band playing rock-n-roll at the bandstand.

I took pictures of the process of un-hitching this team and a video of the Dalmatian being helped off the big wagon.

Yes, this is me! I took a "selfie" because I happened to have on a red shirt and it looked like I was part of the crew. I wish!



 I took a lovely video of these horses parading back to their home-base horse stall area.  You can view this video by clicking the link below. You may need to have a Facebook account to view it.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=275887645937785&set=vb.135416786651539&type=2&theater

 I love the feathering on the fetlocks of Clydesdale horses, as seen here. You won't find many of this breed of horses on an Amish farm, mainly because of this feathering.  Imagine what they look like after getting into a cockle-burr patch.

Clydesdale horses were "bred up" over the years as a carriage horse, with long legs for transporting loaded wagons quickly.  Belgians and Percheron horses were traditionally bred with shorter, heavy boned legs for strength in pulling plows and doing field work.

 Nowadays, you will find many Percheron and Belgian horses have evolved (selective breeding) into "Hitch Horses" with long slender legs, ideal for the show ring.  I'll show some pictures of that in my next blog post.

My own Percheron team is more the old-fashioned type of thick-bodied heavy-legged horses made for pulling a plow.  I prefer the old style but don't get me wrong, I love to go see these amazing creatures at the State Fair.

 While I was watching, snapping pictures and taking videos, I overheard a young couple talking to their children beside me. They were very friendly people and had three cute daughters. I heard them telling their little girls that the big horse nearest me was raised by their grandfather.

I told them politely, that I'm sorry to be eaves-dropping but did I hear you say that your dad raised this beautiful horse.  The woman said, "Yes, my dad raises Clydesdale horses and sold this horse named "Fire" to Budweiser.

 I asked if I could snap a photo of her and Fire for my blog, and she was happy to oblige. Fire is one of the "Wheel Horses" the team closest to the wagon and the biggest.  She told me that although her dad doesn't live in Iowa, she and her husband live here.  They came to the fair not knowing they would see their family horse, Fire, but were pleasantly surprised when they recognized him.

Clydesdale Horses

Clydesdale in show harness

       Clydesdale horses are beautiful! They were made famous by the Budweiser hitch, and for good reason, those Budweiser horses are amazing, unbelievable creatures. As with this horse pictured above, most Clydesdale horses are tri-colored, with lots of chrome (white markings.) This type of horse is bred up to pull a carriage or beer wagon and look fancy doing it.  I love that sight as much as anyone.  Because of all the recognition given to the Budweiser hitch, that is what comes to the average American's mind when someone speaks of draft horses.

Belgian horses

I have to say, this makes me feel a little irked on behalf of the horses that built America.

         This is a Percheron hitched with a Belgian

               a common sight on an Amish farm.       

      Percheron and Belgian horses are the faithful steeds that plowed our lands during the 17 and 1800s.  Even today, very few Clydesdale horses are used for farming in America. I know there are some but I personally have never seen a Clydesdale on an Amish farm. Yet, every time I tell someone in town, that I own draft horses, they always ask, "Clydesdales?"  When I tell them I have Percheron horses, most have never heard of them.
       Belgian horses are usually Chestnut or Sorrel in color. Ranging from what is called a blond to those that are almost dark red.

        Percheron horses are usually solid black or gray.  The grays start out black and slowly turn dapple, until they are almost white. This horse on the right shows off his dapple markings. This team of Amish horses below are almost white, yet, called grays.

My own Percheron horses, on the right, are the blacks. I like them the best, surprised?

I hope my Clydesdale owning friends are not offended by what I am saying here, Clydesdale horses are doing all of us draft horse people a favor, by keeping heavy horses in the media.

Karm and Coke

My team of Percheron mares

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