World Famous Clydesdale Horses to Visit The Airborne & Special Operations Museum

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will host the world famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses Saturday, May 25, from 11am to 1pm.

The eight-horse hitch will be harnessed and hitched to the famous red beer wagon at the museum’s circle by “Iron Mike”. And of course the Dalmation dog will also be on hand.

The Clydesdales’ appearance at the museum is one of hundreds made annually by the traveling hitches.  Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800’s.  Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show.

Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years of age, stand approximately 18 hands - or six feet - at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white stockings, and a blaze of white on the face and black mane and tail.  A gentle temperament is very important as hitch horses meet millions of people each year. 

A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20-25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day. 

Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian.  In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.