Cleveland Bay
| Cleveland Bay | |
|---|---|
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| Important data | |
| Origin: | England, middle ages |
| Main breeding area: | Yorkshire |
| Distribution: | endangered breed |
| Stick measure : | 162-172 cm |
| Colors : | Tan |
| Main application area: | Driving |
The Cleveland Bay is an English breed of horse whose origin dates back to the Middle Ages, but is often dated even earlier. It is often referred to as Old Cleveland Bay to better distinguish it from New Cleveland Bay - also known as the Yorkshire Coach Horse .
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
Cleveland Bays are always brown in all shades, the legs are black, the hooves are black-blue. White stars or flames on the forehead are possible but undesirable for breeders. The Cleveland Bay is a large-framed horse with harmonious proportions, a noble head and his relatively short, strong legs show an expansive gait and excellent jumping ability. His height is about 162 to 172 cm.
interior
Cleveland Bay is said to be persistent and serene.
Breeding history
In the Middle Ages , a strong, brown packhorse was bred in North Riding , the northeastern part of Yorkshire , which also includes the Cleveland borough . The breeding of this horse , the so-called "Chapmen Horse", (English Chapman = traveling trader) was mainly carried out in monasteries, since the rural population of Yorshires had neither the money nor the material to operate the expensive breeding. With the development of trade, especially the cattle trade in Whitby harbor , the blood of the native broodmares crossed with Andalusian horse breeds and the Chapmen Horses became faster and more elegant in appearance due to the genetic material of the Spanish horses.
At the end of the 17th century Cleveland Bay had developed, the main characteristics of which have been preserved to this day. Because Cleveland Bay was both strong and fast, it had the ideal conditions to act as a carriage horse to ensure the supply of the growing cities. With the population growth, there was a need for more and faster transports, the basis of which was the expansion of the country roads. In order to meet these requirements, faster thoroughbreds were crossed and a new breed of horse emerged: the New Cleveland Bay or Yorkshire Coach Horse . This also met the need for a fast and elegant carriage horse.
The strong demand all over Europe and also in the USA for the Cleveland Bay led to the establishment of the Cleveland Bay Horse Society in 1885 in order to better organize the now important breeding. As early as 1886, the Yorkshire Coach Horse Society split from her, as efforts were made within the Society to keep the Coach Horse completely out of the stud book. With the advent of the automobile and the expansion of the railroad , the need for carriage horses decreased. Initially, the coach horse suffered from this development, as the automobile had a higher value as a status symbol. By 1937, Coach Horse breeding had declined so much that the stud book had to be closed and the remaining breeders rejoined the Cleveland Bay Horse Society .
With the end of the Second World War , the original breed, the Old Cleveland Bay, almost became extinct as agricultural machines became larger and more efficient and horses were not needed for transport or field work. Since the Cleveland Bay Horse Society, despite the lack of need for a strong carriage and work horse, stuck to the old breeding guidelines and never considered re-breeding to sport horses, the population sank in 1960 to around 200 mares and only four breeding stallions. It is not least thanks to Elisabeth II that the breed survived and is enjoying increasing popularity again today. She bought the stallion Mulgrave Supreme , which was originally intended for sale in the USA. Mulgrave Supreme sired over 20 male offspring, a large number of which were licensed . However, the breed is still endangered today.
See also
literature
- Jasper Nissen: Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. Europe . Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 1997/99, ISBN 3-440-09723-4 (3 volumes).
