Warm Springs Ranch

This gorgeous mare was the welcoming committee as we were being checked in at the gate.

Warm Springs Ranch in Missouri is where the Clydesdales for Budweiser are bred and trained.  It is a beautiful and peaceful property.

We were expecting to only be allowed to see the horses from a distance, kind of like at the zoo, three fences and a pond between us and any of the animals. 

 That was not the case.

It was such a wonderful surprise that the entire herd of Clydesdales was happy to interact with us!  My husband and I were thrilled!  

The day of our visit, Warm Springs Ranch had fifteen colts.  Fifteen!  Even the youngest would come right up to the fence, greeting their audience.

The ranch manager gave an overview of preferred size and colors for the horses as well as general information about their ranch operation.  Her love for her job was evident.  The foals weigh about 180 pounds at birth.  The average height of an adult at their shoulder is 18 hands or 6 feet.

  The head trainer spoke about when and how the beautiful animals are trained.  He mentioned a favorite memory.  He was in St. Louis on the hitch for opening day and was very excited to be there.  He looked down from the massive Budweiser wagon and noticed seven of the eight horses were ones he had trained and known since birth. The trainer talked about how very proud he felt of himself and of them.

I'm not sure how many different types of training were shown.  It was interesting to hear about how the drivers hold the reigns for eight horses and how much all that leather weighs.  Training for drivers actually begins with two bicycles in front of a modified golf cart.

In one of the training demos, two horses were hitched to a sled.  They pulled the sled around the barn and then stopped.  Are you familiar with zero turn lawn mowers?  Well, that's kind of what they did.  The gentleman driving to the sled, spoke to the Clydesdales and then did something with the reins.  Those gentle giants began turning it in a circle.  They moved in tandem in a way that made the sled stay where it was but turn in a half circle.  The driver stopped them, spoke again, did something with the reins, and the sled turned a half circle in the other direction.  I was so impressed.

Both the manager and trainer talked about how they began working with the Clydesdales and their career paths so far.  There was a long Q&A session with both.  A lot of questions were around the harnesses and wagons.  We learned so much!  Since my husband and I both grew up riding horses, we were absolutely fascinated.

One thing the trainer mentioned was the horses will walk in step with each other.  It's not something taught, they just figure it out on their own.  We noticed in this photo the two in front are in step with each other.

Did you grow up riding horses?