My first time working Clydesdales

I have taken on a new task.  My friend Bev, and the Double M Warhorse Ranch in Terrell, asked me to work with a pair of her Clydesdales.  One, is a 17ish hand mare named Pride.  She was raised working in cornfields and should be an old pro.  The other is Caesar (CC) a 17ish hand Stallion.  I was told that CC was saddle broke, but had never been worked under harness.  CC is about 4 years old.  Pride and CC have been in the same pasture for the past few months.  Bev was trying to breed Pride, but CC just doesn't seem like he knows what his job is supposed to be.  These two are close though, and they look really good together.

I arrived  yesterday morning, and went to work pulling the horses out of the pasture.  Pride was no problem at all.  I tied her to the side of the trailer.  Then I brought up CC.  I should note that I have never worked a stallion before, and so I was extra cautious and paid extra attention to what he was doing.  Right away I noticed that he was very vocal, especially when he would see a mare around.  He wasn't unruly, but very vocal as I led him.  Since we were going to be putting a harness on him for the first time, I tied him to Bev's stock.  This is solid steel, and cemented into the ground.  The horses behaved very well, and I have to say that I really like Clydesdales.  They have such a sweet disposition.  When leading Pride, anytime I would stop, she would start to groom me (barely lipping my shoulder, back, or the leg of my pants).  It was kinda sweet.  Once the horses were tied, I groomed them and talked with them about what we were going to be doing.  The horseflies were pretty bad, so we doused them good with fly spray to help them focus on us and not the horrible biting horseflies.

I decided that the first thing I needed to do, was to see what Pride remembered.  I got the first of the team harnesses that Bev had for me to use.  They are leather, and are in perfect condition.  You could tell by the way Pride stood for me while harnessing that she knew the drill.  No complaints on anything I did, and just stood there like a lady.  I got all the straps adjusted properly, and got the bridle on her.  The bridle already had a snaffle bit on it, and so I decided that I'd just use that for this first time.  I've found the snaffle to be a very non-invasive bit and great for first timer's.  Pride was perfect.

After I got her all harnessed up, we did some ground driving.  She was a tad rusty on her commands, but she eventually did what I asked.  She stepped off well, and stopped well.  You can tell she knows her stuff and a few good working sessions will have her remembering the queue's again.  When we left, Caesar was calling for her.  He likes being by her side.  Pride did well, and so she we finished ground driving her and tied her to the trailer.

For this training, I had Mark helping me.  Mark is Bev's husband and is an awesome guy.  I really like him and have a good time with him.  He helped me locate the harnesses, and get things situated.  I was very glad to have Mark helping.  Doing this stuff with 2 sets of hands is so much easier than just doing it by myself, like I usually do.

Up next ... time to harness CC.  I have to say ... I LOVE draft horses!  Oh how I love working with them.  So easy.  CC stood perfectly while I slide the collar around his neck.  I determined that we were going to need a pad on him.  Eventually his neck will be thicker than prides, but not yet.  He's got some filling out to do.  He stood perfectly while we slide the pad on and attached it to the collar.  I was happy.  Next I got the harness on my arm/shoulder, and just stood in front of him for a bit.  He sniffed the harness all over, and acted like he didn't care about it.  I rubbed the hame on him a bit and there was no reaction.  Like I said ... so easy.  I slid the harness up and on him, and he didn't care one bit.  We then went to work fitting the harness to him.  I had to add new holes to the quarter straps and breast strap.  It took us a bit, but we got the harness fitted to him.  I then let him stand for a few minutes with it on.  He didn't care at all.  I didn't have the bridle on yet.  So I untied him and led him around.  I was expecting some kind of reaction from all the noises the harness makes while walking, but he didn't.  So we tied him to the trailer next to Pride, and I fitted his bridle.  He really licked and bit at the bit.  He didn't seem to familiar with it.  I adjusted the bit properly, and let him stand for a few minutes while he got used to the bit.  Once he stopped chomping at it so much, I led him around again.  The blinders made such a great difference.  He was focused on me, and not the other mares in neighboring fields.  Very nice!

Caesar (CC) - Showing off his harness

Pride - standing like a pro.  Like the heart on her right knee?

Things were progressing so well, that we decided to hook Pride and CC together, and lead them around.  We hooked a yoke between the two, and hooked a trailer tie between the rear brichons of the two horses.  Mark and I then led both horses around.  Caesar really liked this.  He was happy as a clam to have Pride by his side.  They did great, and we had no problems at all.  Well ... almost no problems.  Caesar has a forelock that is thick and reaches down to his nose.  When I slid the bridle on, I just wrapped it behind his ears and down the side of his neck.  Bad idea.  The poof in his forelock from the hair going backwards, helped the bridle to slip over his ears.  At one point, I saw him really chomping on the bit, and I realized that it was in his teeth.  I looked up and saw the top of the bridle at his eyes.  Yikes!  Mark held both horses great while I fixed it.

Mark leading Pride, and me with CC

These horses are awesome.  Fun to work with, and so pretty

Leading them side by side.  They did well.  Next time we'll drive them

Things went awesome.  I decided to keep things awesome and end the session.  We tied the horses again, and left them standing for about 30 minutes with all the gear on.  They were great (other than Caesar managing to get his bridle off again.  That long hair is really pretty, but makes it hard to keep a bridle on.  This is why all of my horses get their bridle paths trimmed.

CC - note the missing bridle

Pride - standing like a lady

Pride unharnessed, and working on CC

After letting them sit for a while, we unharnessed them, and put them back in the pasture.  They did wonderful and I'm very proud of them.


Great day!  I had a wonderful time and it was good to work the horses.  Had a great time with Mark, Bev, and Sherrii (ranch manager of the ranch).  I think the horses will be heading up here to my place soon so I can work them hard.

Penelope is gentle as a lap dog, and loves human interaction.  Gorgeous Clydesdale filly.

I should also note that I LOVE a Clydesdale filly that Bev has.  Penelope is less than 2 years old and is sooooo sweet.  I love that filly.