The Clydesdale is a breed of draught horse which originated in the seventeenth century, and takes its name from the Clydesdale district of Scotland. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" for the breed was in 1826; the horses spread through much of Scotland and into northern England. After the breed society was formed in 1877, thousands of Clydesdales were exported to other countries, particularly to Australia and New Zealand. In the early twentieth century numbers began to fall, both because many were taken for use in the First World War, and because of the increasing mechanisation of agriculture. By the 1970s, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust considered the breed vulnerable to extinction. Numbers have since increased slightly.
Clydesdales are large and powerful, although now not as heavy as in the past. They were traditionally used for draught power, both in farming and in road haulage. They are now principally used as carriage horses, and may be ridden or driven in parades or processions. The Anheuser-Busch brewery has several matched teams of eight horses which they tour internationally for publicity, known as the Budweiser Clydesdales.
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