I am getting a 2 year old Clydesdale Filly

[Tashy]

I am soon to be the very lucky owner of a 2 year old filly Clyde, I am so excited I can't think straight. What should I do with her when she arrives i mean i was thinking of spending time with her in the field, letting her get used to her surroundings, what do you think I SHOULD do and most importantly what do you recommend I DON'T do. Also what do people recommend I feed her? I know she requires hay(so no jokes lol); but hard feed wise what should I give her? Also what supplements if any? I plan to show her in hand until she is 3 in May then I will break her and... well, I will come to that then.

I would greatly appreciate any advise!

T

 

[tallyho!]

I am soon to be the very lucky owner of a 2 year old filly Clyde, I am so excited I can't think straight. What should I do with her when she arrives i mean i was thinking of spending time with her in the field, letting her get used to her surroundings, what do you think I SHOULD do and most importantly what do you recommend I DON'T do. Also what do people recommend I feed her? I know she requires hay(so no jokes lol); but hard feed wise what should I give her? Also what supplements if any? I plan to show her in hand until she is 3 in May then I will break her and... well, I will come to that then.

I would greatly appreciate any advise!

T

Congratulations! Love Clydesdales!

I think what you've written is fine. Get her used to everything and to you, for now. Lead, load, walk in hand. Personally, I'd start her at four as horses need time to mature. I started mine in her fourth year. In the third year, I did lots of in-hand shows, got her used to being primped and preened. Travelling, loading etc. I bitted her and we long reined. Then that winter I sent her away to be backed. Then she came back and spent a few months being turned away. I started again in the May. Similar things, shows, clinics, etc. Lots of short hacks.

Enjoy her and be patient

 

[Tashy]

Yes I don't intend to get on her till he is 4 but I will lunge and long rein her, do shows bit her... basically just the same as you just wrote lol

What would you recommend she eats? Do you also have a clyde?

 

[tallyho!]

Yes I don't intend to get on her till he is 4 but I will lunge and long rein her, do shows bit her... basically just the same as you just wrote lol

What would you recommend she eats? Do you also have a clyde?

I used to have a clyde x appaloosa gelding... amazing beast! I fed him on little more than just grass. He did well on fresh air tbh but I only gave him soaked speedibeet, alfalfa nuts and chaff to carry some herbs and a copper supplement for his feet... he did most things barefoot which was fab. Even then I used feed as a rewards. He really didn't seem to need anything else as he was always on the "well" looking side.

You will see soon enough what your filly needs or not.

My new filly didn't do well on alfalfa nuts, so switched to grass nuts and the rest stayed the same. The whole yard gets this pretty much and all seem well

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I would not lunge her, and would see no point in long reining til four, as it is the prep to breaking, if you are skilled in long reining maybe start at three. but ideally she should spend most of the next two years in very large fields with a mix aged group.

 

[Tashy]

I would not lunge her, and would see no point in long reining til four, as it is the prep to breaking, if you are skilled in long reining maybe start at three. but ideally she should spend most of the next two years in very large fields with a mix aged group.

Thanks very much for this.

 

[Tashy]

I used to have a clyde x appaloosa gelding... amazing beast! I fed him on little more than just grass. He did well on fresh air tbh but I only gave him soaked speedibeet, alfalfa nuts and chaff to carry some herbs and a copper supplement for his feet... he did most things barefoot which was fab. Even then I used feed as a rewards. He really didn't seem to need anything else as he was always on the "well" looking side.

You will see soon enough what your filly needs or not.

My new filly didn't do well on alfalfa nuts, so switched to grass nuts and the rest stayed the same. The whole yard gets this pretty much and all seem well

Fab advise thanks hun!!!

 

[LadySam]

Whether you lunge or long rein or do anything else or not... an important thing is to ensure she learns her manners with you right from the very start. A Clyde filly I used to know, about the same age as yours, was turned out while she grew up a bit. She'd handle ok for vet and farrier, but apart from this very basic handling had no other kind of education while she was young, afaik. Which meant she was a bleedin' big handful when it came time for big school at 3-4. She became a bit of a bully who was fully aware of how she could use her size against puny humans.

Seeing as how you're planning on showing her in hand for a while first, I'm sure got this covered. It's just that based on what I watched this other filly do, I feel a responsibility to preach the message that one must teach a Clydie proper manners while they're young.

 

[Tashy]

Thanks and you are so right manners are so important!! XxX

 

[Tnavas]

Congratulations on getting a Clydie, my baby bought at 6months has just turned 13, I love her to bits.


While she was growing she mostly just had grass, in winter good quality meadow hay, Sugarbeet, oats, linseed, salt and a broodmare balancer to add extra protein to her diet, plus minerals.

In some ways they are just like big native ponies to feed, live on the smell of an oily rag.

Work wise, mine learned to lead well, was shown in hand and to learn general good manners. At 3 she started lunging, and to this day is great on the lunge, breaking in was a diddle, just got on her and rode her. She is no different to any other young horse, so what you would do with a young war blood you'd do with a Clydie.

As mine matured and stopped growing upwards she rapidly expanded outwards, she lives on a very short well grazed paddock that keeps her dimensions in check.

One other thing, have feet trimmed every 4 weeks, because of her size and weight her feet will spread fast. Clydesdales do not need to have dinner plate size feet.

Pictures would be lovely too.

 

[Tashy]

Congratulations on getting a Clydie, my baby bought at 6months has just turned 13, I love her to bits.


While she was growing she mostly just had grass, in winter good quality meadow hay, Sugarbeet, oats, linseed, salt and a broodmare balancer to add extra protein to her diet, plus minerals.

In some ways they are just like big native ponies to feed, live on the smell of an oily rag.

Work wise, mine learned to lead well, was shown in hand and to learn general good manners. At 3 she started lunging, and to this day is great on the lunge, breaking in was a diddle, just got on her and rode her. She is no different to any other young horse, so what you would do with a young war blood you'd do with a Clydie.

As mine matured and stopped growing upwards she rapidly expanded outwards, she lives on a very short well grazed paddock that keeps her dimensions in check.

One other thing, have feet trimmed every 4 weeks, because of her size and weight her feet will spread fast. Clydesdales do not need to have dinner plate size feet.

Pictures would be lovely too.

Thank you so much hun for sharing your experience and also for the tips, i am still not sure how to send pictures but I shall try now...

 

[Tnavas]

This is my beautiful girl

 

[Tashy]

Did it work??? What size are your Girls feet? I don't want them to get bigger than 7 inches!! Have you experienced problems with cracks or chips at all??

 

[Tnavas]

Did it work??? What size are your Girls feet? I don't want them to get bigger than 7 inches!! Have you experienced problems with cracks or chips at all??

Hi, your pic code is missing the http// part which is possibly why it's not showing.

Feet wise, her feet are trimmed EVERY 4 weeks without fail as a Clydesdales weight will spread their feet rapidly, they will flare and develop cracks. Not sure about keeping her feet to just 7" across, her feet will grow to the size her genetics dictate, you keep the over growth under control to ensure she has good shaped feet.

 

[abbijay]

Did it work??? What size are your Girls feet? I don't want them to get bigger than 7 inches!! Have you experienced problems with cracks or chips at all??

Just out of interest why don't you want her feet to get bigger than 7"?
My Clydie (18.1 gelding) has 8" fronts and 8 1/2" hinds! Nothing I could do would have kept his feet to your limit.

 

[Tashy]

Want to keep on top of her feet care, she has terrible cracks atm and if her feet get too big I am worried about the cracks getting big.... Is that silly??? I have been told by seller to not let them get too big !

 

[abbijay]

Want to keep on top of her feet care, she has terrible cracks atm and if her feet get too big I am worried about the cracks getting big.... Is that silly??? I have been told by seller to not let them get too big !

No, wanting to keep on top of foot care is not silly but setting an arbitrary limit for what that size is doesn't sound overly helpful. Working with a good farrier will keep her feet to the right size (and make sure your farrier knows you want her shoeing/trimming for her comfort and work not for the scary fashions of the show ring!)

 

[Tashy]

No, wanting to keep on top of foot care is not silly but setting an arbitrary limit for what that size is doesn't sound overly helpful. Working with a good farrier will keep her feet to the right size (and make sure your farrier knows you want her shoeing/trimming for her comfort and work not for the scary fashions of the show ring!)

Xxxxxx yes, you are right!!! Xxxxxx I want to avoid shoes as it was shoeing for the show ring as a yearling that put her feet in such an upsetting state. One the vet reportes back to me about her feet I felt so upset. She won all those shows and then had shoes taken off and what's basically left to be trimmed only 8 weeks the cracks are really upsetting me as I hate the thought of her in pain!!! How old is you?

 

[Tashy]

This is my beautiful girl

Your Girls is sooo beautiful!!!! My baby Gem has left her breeders and is just awaiting to be transferred to me on Monday. I am not goingto lie am starting to get really nervous. I just want to do the best for her and worried she wont like me lol it's like waiting for my son to come into the world all over again!!!!!