The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It takes its name from Clydesdale, a region of Scotland centred on the River Clyde.
Clydesdale horse
Clydesdales, Australia (ca. 1925-1957)
Clydesdales
A Clydesdale's feathered leg
A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a limited geographic region, or even feral "breeds" that are naturally selected. Depending on definition, hundreds of "breeds" exist today, developed for many different uses. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods," such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods," developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe.
Illustration of horse breeds from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890–1907)
Australian Stud Books from the 1990s
One volume of the 1873 American Stud Book
Mules with pack saddles during a demonstration (2014)